World Facts

conventional long form: Republic of Hungary
Capital:
Type of Government: parliamentary democracy-
Administrative Divisions: 19 counties (megyek, singular - megye), 20 urban counties (singular - megyei varos), and 1 capital city (fovaros)
Age Structure: 0-14 years: 15.8% (male 813,203/female 769,687)
Agriculture: wheat, corn, sunflower seed, potatoes, sugar beets; pigs, cattle, poultry, dairy products
Airports: 44 (2004 est.)
With Paved Runways: total: 19-
With Unpaved Runways:
Area: total: 93,030 sq km. slightly smaller than Indiana
Background: Hungary was part of the polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire, which collapsed during World War I. The country fell under Communist rule following World War II. In 1956, a revolt and announced withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact were met with a massive military intervention by Moscow. Under the leadership of Janos KADAR in 1968, Hungary began liberalizing its economy, introducing so-called "Goulash Communism." Hungary held its first multiparty elections in 1990 and initiated a free market economy. It joined NATO in 1999 and the EU in 2004.
Birth rate: 9.76 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget: revenues: $51.4 billion-
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)-
Climate: temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers
Communications:
Constitution: 18 August 1949, effective 20 August 1949; revised 19 April 1972; 18 October 1989 revision ensured legal rights for individuals and constitutional checks on the authority of the prime minister and also established the principle of parliamentary oversight; 1997 amendment streamlined the judicial system
Currency: forint (HUF)
Current account balance: $-8.667 billion (2005 est.)
Death rate: 13.19 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external: $76.23 billion (30 June 2005 est.)-
Dependency status: -
Dependent areas:
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador George Herbert WALKER
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Andras SIMONYI
Disputes - international: in 2004, Hungary amended the status law extending special social and cultural benefits and voted down a referendum to extend dual citizenship to ethnic Hungarians living in neighboring states, which have objected to such measures; consultations continue between Slovakia and Hungary over Hungary's completion of its portion the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros hydroelectric dam project along the Danube; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Hungary must implement the strict Schengen border rules-
Distribution of family income: -
Economic aid - donor: -
Economic aid - recipient:
Economy - overview: Hungary has made the transition from a centrally planned to a market economy, with a per capita income one-half that of the Big Four European nations. Hungary continues to demonstrate strong economic growth and acceded to the European Union in May 2004. The private sector accounts for over 80% of GDP. Foreign ownership of and investment in Hungarian firms are widespread, with cumulative foreign direct investment totaling more than $23 billion since 1989. Hungarian sovereign debt was upgraded in 2000 and together with the Czech Republic holds the highest rating among the Central European transition economies; however, ratings agencies have expressed concerns over Hungary's unsustainable budget and current account deficits. Inflation has declined from 14% in 1998 to 3.7% in 2005. Unemployment has persisted around the 6% level, but Hungary's labor force participation rate of 57% is one of the lowest in the OECD. Germany is by far Hungary's largest economic partner. Policy challenges include cutting the public sector deficit to 3% of GDP by 2008, from about 6.5% in 2005, and orchestrating an orderly interest rate reduction without sparking capital outflows.
Electricity - consumption:
Electricity - exports:
Electricity - imports:
Electricity - production:
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Tisza River 78 m
Environment - current issues: the upgrading of Hungary's standards in waste management, energy efficiency, and air, soil, and water pollution to meet EU requirements will require large investments
Environment - International Agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
Ethnic groups: Hungarian 92.3%, Roma 1.9%, other or unknown 5.8% (2001 census)
Exchange rates: forints per US dollar - 196.83 (2005), 202.75 (2004), 224.31 (2003), 257.89 (2002), 286.49 (2001)
Executive branch: chief of state: Laszlo SOLYOM (since 5 August 2005)
Exports: $61.75 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - partners: Germany 31.4%, Austria 6.8%, France 5.7%, Italy 5.6%, UK 5.1% (2004)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and green
GDP (official exchange rate): $106.9 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (purchasing power parity): $159 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.9%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $15,900 (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3.7% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates: 47 00 N, 20 00 E
Geography - note: landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between Ukraine and Mediterranean basin; the north-south flowing Duna (Danube) and Tisza Rivers divide the country into three large regions-
Government - note:
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 2,800 (2001 est.)
Heliports: 5 (2005 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 4.1%
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and cannabis and for South American cocaine destined for Western Europe; limited producer of precursor chemicals, particularly for amphetamine and methamphetamine; improving, but remains vulnerable to money laundering related to organized crime and drug trafficking
Imports: $64.83 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - partners: Germany 29.2%, Austria 8.3%, Russia 5.7%, Italy 5.5%, Netherlands 4.9%, China 4.8%, France 4.7% (2004)
Independence: 1001 (unification by King Stephen I)
Industrial production growth rate: 7.5% (2005 est.)
Industries: mining, metallurgy, construction materials, processed foods, textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals), motor vehicles
Infant mortality rate: total: 8.57 deaths/1,000 live births
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.7% (2005 est.)
International organization participation: ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA (cooperating state), EU (new member), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
Internet country code: .hu
Internet hosts: 383,071 (2004)
Internet users: 1.6 million (2002)
Investment (gross fixed): 23.1% of GDP (2005 est.)
Irrigated land: 2,100 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court (judges are elected by the National Assembly for nine-year terms)
Labor force: 4.18 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
Land boundaries: total: 2,171 km
Land use: arable land: 50.09%
Languages: Hungarian 93.6%, other or unspecified 6.4% (2001 census)
Legal system: rule of law based on Western model
Legislative branch:
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.4 years
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Location: Central Europe, northwest of Romania-
Major infectious diseases:
Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 2,303,116 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 1,780,513 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually: males: 63,847 (2005 est.)
Map references: Europe
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Median age: total: 38.57 years-
Merchant marine: -
Military - note:
Military branches: Ground Forces, Air Forces
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1.08 billion (2002 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.75% (2002 est.)
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in June 2004 (June 2004)
National holiday: Saint Stephen's Day, 20 August
Nationality: noun: Hungarian(s)
Natural gas - consumption: 13.37 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 4 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
Natural gas - production: 3.231 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 50.45 billion cu m (1 January 2002)-
Natural hazards:
Natural resources: bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils, arable land
Net migration rate: 0.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption: 134,100 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports: 47,180 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports: 136,600 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - production: 43,920 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - proved reserves: 110.7 million bbl (1 January 2002)-
People - note: -
Political parties and leaders: Alliance of Free Democrats or SzDSz [Gabor KUNCZE]; Hungarian Civic Alliance or Fidesz [Viktor ORBAN, chairman]; Hungarian Democratic Forum or MDF [Ibolya DAVID]; Hungarian Democratic People's Party or MDNP [Erzsebet PUSZTAI, chairman]; Hungarian Socialist Party or MSzP [Istvan HILLER, chairman]; Hungarian Workers' Party or MMP [Gyula THURMER, chairman]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
Population: 10,006,835 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line: 8.6% (1993 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.26% (2005 est.)
Ports and terminals: Budapest, Dunaujvaros, Gyor-Gonyu, Csepel, Baja, Mohacs (2003)
Public debt: 60.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 17, FM 57, shortwave 3 (1998)
Railways: total: 7,937 km-
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
Religions: Roman Catholic 51.9%, Calvinist 15.9%, Lutheran 3%, Greek Catholic 2.6%, other Christian 1%, other or unspecified 11.1%, unaffiliated 14.5% (2001 census)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $18.49 billion (2005 est.)
Roadways: total: 159,568 km
Sex ratio:
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system: general assessment: the telephone system has been modernized and is capable of satisfying all requests for telecommunication service
Telephones - main lines in use: 3,666,400 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 6,862,800 (2002)
Television broadcast stations: 35 (plus 161 low-power repeaters) (1995)
Terrain: mostly flat to rolling plains; hills and low mountains on the Slovakian border
Total fertility rate: 1.32 children born/woman (2005 est.)-
Transportation - note:
Unemployment rate: 7.1% (2005 est.)
Waterways: 1,622 km (most on Danube River) (2004)