1982 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1982 (Wikisource)
Geography
Area
92,981 km2; 60% arable, 14% other agricultural, 16% forested, 10% other
Land boundaries
2,245 km
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
92.4% Magyar, 3.3% Gypsy, 2.5% German, 0.7% Jews, 1.1% other
Labor force
5,230,000 (1979); 20% agriculture, 33% industry and building, 47% other nonagriculture
Language
98.2% Magyar, 1.8% other
Literacy
97%
Nationality
noun—Hungarian(s); adjective—Hungarian
Population
10,714,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 0.0%
Religion
67.5% Roman Catholic, 20.0% Calvinist, 5.0% Lutheran, 7.6% atheist and other
Government
Branches
executive—Presidential Council (elected by parliament); legislative—parliament (elected by direct suffrage); judicial—Supreme Court (elected by parliament)
Capital
Budapest
Communist-approved candidates
97% of electorate eligible to vote did so
Communists
about 754,000 party members (March 1975)
Elections
every five years (last election June 1980); national and local elections are held separately Political parties and leaders: Hungarian Socialist (Communist) Workers Party (MSZMP; sole party); Janos Kadar is First Secretary of Central Committee Voting strength (1980 election): 7,809,000 (99.3%) for
Government leaders
Pál LOSONCZI, President, Presidential Council; Gyorgy LÁZÁR, Chairman, Council of Ministers
Legal system
based on Communist legal theory, with both civil law system (civil code of 1960) and common law elements; constitution adopted 1949 amended 1972; Supreme Court renders decisions of principle that sometimes have the effect of declaring legislative acts unconstitutional; legal education at Lorand Eotvos Tudomanyegyetem School of Law in Budapest and two other schools of law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Member of
CEMA, Danube Commission, FAO, GATT, IAEA, ICAC, ICAO, ILO, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, IMCO, IPU, ISO, ITC, ITU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, Warsaw Pact, WHO, WIPO, WMO; has applied for membership in IMF and the World Bank
National holiday
Anniversary of the Liberation, 4 April
Official name
Hungarian People's Republic
Political subdivisions
19 megyes (counties), 5 autonomous cities in county status, 97 jaras (districts)
Suffrage
universal over age 18
Type
Communist state
Economy
Agriculture
normally self-sufficient; main crops—corn, wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, wine grapes; caloric intake 3,185 calories per day per capita (1977)
Crude steel
3.9 million metric tons produced (1979), 360 kg per capita
Electric power
6,103,000 kW capacity (1981); 26.180 billion kWh produced (1981), 2,437 kWh per capita
Exports
$11,117 million (f.o.b., 1979); 28% machinery, 16% industrial consumer goods, 31% raw materials and semimanufactures, 21% food and raw materials for the food industry, energy sources 4% (distribution for 1979)
Fiscal year
same as calendar year; economic data reported for calendar years
GNP
$52.8 billion in 1980 (at 1980 dollars), $4,931 per capita; 1980 growth rate, 0.3%
Imports
$11,919 million (c.i.f., 1979); 22% machinery, 8% industrial consumer goods, 47% raw materials and semi- manufactures, 8% food and raw materials for the food industry, energy sources 15% (distribution for 1979)
Major industries
mining, metallurgy, engineering industries, processed foods, textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals)
Major trade partners
$23,036 million (1979); 68% with Communist countries, 32% with non-Communist countries
Monetary conversion rate
32.05 forints=US$1 (commercial); 22.57 forints=US$1 (noncommercial)—July 1980
Shortages
metallic ores (except bauxite), copper, high grade coal, forest products, crude oil
Communications
Freight carried
rail—135.2 million metric tons, 24,6 billion metric ton/km (1980); highway—237.8 million metric tons, 6.2 billion metric ton/km (1980); waterway—est. 4.1 million metric tons, 6.8 billion metric ton/km (excluding international transit traffic)
Inland waterways
1,688 km (1980)
Pipelines
crude oil, 1,500 km; refined products, 500 km; natural gas, 2,896 km
Railroads
7,864 km total; 7,615 km standard gauge (1.435 m), 214 km narrow gauge (mostly 0.760 m), 35 km broad gauge (1.524 m), 1,179 km double track, 1,613 km electrified; government owned (1978) Highways: 29,759 km total; 25,000 km concrete, asphalt, stone block; 4,101 km asphalt treated, gravel, crushed stone; 658 km earth (1980)
River ports
2 principal (Budapest, Dunaujvaros); no maritime ports; outlets are Rostock, GDR; Gdansk, Gdynia, and Szczecin in Poland; and Galati and Braila in Romania (1978)
Military and Security
Military budget
announced for fiscal year ending 31 December 1981, 18 billion forints; 3.7% of total budget
Military manpower
males 15-49, 2,594,000; 2,085,000 fit for military service; about 67,000 reach military age (18) annually