1993 Edition

Area

total area: 93,030 km2 land area: 92,340 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than Indiana

Climate

temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Environment

levees are common along many streams, but flooding occurs almost every year

International disputes

Gabcikovo Dam dispute with Slovakia; Vojvodina taken from Hungary and awarded to the former Yugoslavia by treaty of Trianon in 1920

Irrigated land

1,750 km2 (1989)

Land boundaries

total 1,952 km, Austria 366 km, Croatia 292 km, Romania 443 km, Serbia and Montenegro 151 km (all with Serbia), Slovakia 515 km, Slovenia 82 km, Ukraine 103 km

Land use

arable land: 50.7% permanent crops: 6.1% meadows and pastures: 12.6% forest and woodland: 18.3% other: 12.3%

Location

Eastern Europe, between Slovakia and Romania

Map references

Ethnic Groups in Eastern Europe, Europe

Maritime claims

none; landlocked

Natural resources

bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils

Note

landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between Ukraine and Mediterranean basin

Terrain

mostly flat to rolling plains

Birth rate

12.33 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate

13.02 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Hungarian 89.9%, Gypsy 4%, German 2.6%, Serb 2%, Slovak 0.8%, Romanian 0.7%

Infant mortality rate

13.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force

5.4 million by occupation: services, trade, government, and other 44.8%, industry 29.7%, agriculture 16.1%, construction 7.0% (1991)

Languages

Hungarian 98.2%, other 1.8%

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 70.86 years male: 66.81 years female: 75.12 years (1993 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1980) total population: 99% male: 99% female: 98%

Nationality

noun: Hungarian(s) adjective: Hungarian

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population

10,324,018 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.07% (1993 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 67.5%, Calvinist 20%, Lutheran 5%, atheist and other 7.5%

Total fertility rate

1.83 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Administrative divisions

38 counties (megyek, singular - megye) and 1 capital city* (fovaros);, Bacs-Kiskun, Baranya, Bekes, Bekescsaba, Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen, Budapest*,, Csongrad, Debrecen, Dunaujvaros, Eger, Fejer, Gyor, Gyor-Moson-Sopron, Hajdu-Bihar, Heves, Hodmezovasarhely, Jasz-Nagykun-Szolnok, Kaposvar, Kecskemet, Komarom-Esztergom, Miskolc, Nagykanizsa, Nograd, Nyiregyhaza, Pecs, Pest, Somogy, Sopron, Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg, Szeged, Szekesfehervar, Szolnok, Szombathely, Tatabanya, Tolna, Vas, Veszprem, Zala, Zalaegerszeg

Capital

Budapest

Chief of State

President Arpad GONCZ (since 3 August 1990; previously interim president from 2 May 1990)

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

Digraph

HU

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Pal TAR chancery: 3910 Shoemaker Street NW, Washington DC 20008 telephone: (202) 362-6730

Executive branch

president, prime minister

FAX

(202) 966-8135 consulate general: New York

[36] (1) 132-8934

Flag

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and green

Head of Government

Prime Minister Jozsef ANTALL (since 21 May 1990)

Independence

1001 (unification by King Stephen I)

Judicial branch

Constitutional Court

Legal system

in process of revision, moving toward rule of law based on Western model

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (Orszaggyules)

Member of

Australian Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, G-9, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NSG, PCA, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOMOZ, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Names

conventional long form: Republic of Hungary conventional short form: Hungary local long form: Magyar Koztarsasag local short form: Magyarorszag

National Assembly

last held on 25 March 1990 (first round, with the second round held 8 April 1990); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (386 total) Democratic Forum 162, Free Democrats 90, Independent Smallholders 45, Hungarian Socialist Party (MSP) 33, Young Democrats 22, Christian Democrats 21, independents or jointly sponsored candidates 13

National holiday

October 23 (1956) (commemorates the Hungarian uprising)

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Forum, Jozsef ANTALL, chairman, Dr. Lajos FUR, executive chairman; Independent Smallholders (FKGP), Jozsef TORGYAN, president; Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP), Gyula HORN, chairman; Christian Democratic People's Party (KDNP), Dr. Lazlo SURJAN, president; Federation of Young Democrats (FIDESZ), Viktor ORBAN, chairman; Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ), Ivan PETO, chairman note: the Hungarian Socialist (Communist) Workers' Party (MSZMP) renounced Communism and became the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSP) in October 1989; there is still a small (fringe) MSZMP

President

last held 3 August 1990 (next to be held NA 1995); results - President GONCZ elected by parliamentary vote; note - President GONCZ was elected by the National Assembly with a total of 295 votes out of 304 as interim President from 2 May 1990 until elected President

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type

republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Charles H. THOMAS embassy: V. Szabadsag Ter 12, Budapest mailing address: Am Embassy, Unit 25402, APO AE 09213-5270 telephone: [36] (1) 112-6450

Agriculture

including forestry, accounts for 15% of GDP and 16% of employment; highly diversified crop and livestock farming; principal crops - wheat, corn, sunflowers, potatoes, sugar beets; livestock - hogs, cattle, poultry, dairy products; self-sufficient in food output

Budget

revenues $13.2 billion; expenditures $15.4 billion, including capital expenditures $NA (1993 est.)

Currency

1 forint (Ft) = 100 filler

Economic aid

recipient - $9.1 billion in assistance from OECD countries (from 1st quarter 1990 to end of 2nd quarter 1991)

Electricity

7,200,000 kW capacity; 30,000 million kWh produced, 3,000 kWh per capita (1992)

Exchange rates

forints per US$1 - 83.97 (December 1992), 78.99 (1992), 74.74 (1991), 63.21 (1990), 59.07 (1989), 50.41 (1988)

Exports

$10.9 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: raw materials, semi-finished goods, chemicals 35.5%, machinery 13.5%, light industry 23.3%, food and agricultural 24.8%, fuels and energy 2.8% partners: OECD 70.7%, (EC 50.1%, EFTA 15.0%), LDCs 5.1%, former CEMA members 23.2%, others 1.0% (1991)

External debt

$23.5 billion (September 1992)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for Southeast Asia heroin transiting the Balkan route

Imports

$11.7 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: fuels and energy 14.9%, raw materials, semi-finished goods, chemicals 37.6%, machinery 19.7%, light industry 21.5%, food and agricultural 6.3% partners: OECD 71.0%, (EC 45.4%, EFTA 20.0%), LDCs 3.9%, former CEMA members 23.9%, others 1.2% (1991)

Industrial production

growth rate -10% (1992)

Industries

mining, metallurgy, construction materials, processed foods, textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals), buses, automobiles

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

23% (1992 est.)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $55.4 billion (1992 est.)

National product per capita

$5,380 (1992 est.)

National product real growth rate

-5% (1992 est.)

Overview

Hungary is in the midst of a difficult transition from a command to a market economy. Agriculture is an important sector, providing sizable export earnings and meeting domestic food needs. Industry accounts for about 40% of GDP and 30% of employment. Hungary claims that less than 25% of foreign trade is now with former CEMA countries, while about 70% is with OECD members. Hungary's economic reform programs during the Communist era gave it a head start in creating a market economy and attracting foreign investment. In 1991, Hungary received 60% of all foreign investment in Eastern Europe, and in 1992 received the largest single share. The growing private sector accounts for about one-third of national output according to unofficial estimates. Privatization of state enterprises is progressing, although excessive red tape, bureaucratic oversight, and uncertainties about pricing have slowed the process. Escalating unemployment and high rates of inflation may impede efforts to speed up privatization and budget reform, while Hungary's heavy foreign debt will make the government reluctant to introduce full convertibility of the forint before 1994 and to rein in inflation. The government is projecting an end to the 5-year recession in 1993, and GDP is forecast to grow 0%-3%.

Unemployment rate

12.3% (1992)

Airports

total: 92 usable: 92 with permanent-surface runways: 25 with runways over 3,659 m: 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 20 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 28

Highways

130,218 km total; 29,919 km national highway system (27,212 km asphalt, 126 km concrete, 50 km stone and road brick, 2,131 km macadam, 400 km unpaved); 58,495 km country roads (66% unpaved), and 41,804 km other roads (70% unpaved) (1988)

Inland waterways

1,622 km (1988)

Merchant marine

12 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) and 1 bulk totaling 83,091 GRT/115,950 DWT

Pipelines

crude oil 1,204 km; natural gas 4,387 km (1991)

Ports

Budapest and Dunaujvaros are river ports on the Danube; coastal outlets are Rostock (Germany), Gdansk (Poland), Gdynia (Poland), Szczecin (Poland), Galati (Romania), and Braila (Romania)

Railroads

7,765 km total; 7,508 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 222 km narrow gauge (mostly 0.760-meter), 35 km 1.520-meter broad gauge; 1,236 km double track, 2,249 km electrified; all government owned (1990)

Telecommunications

automatic telephone network based on microwave radio relay system; 1,128,800 phones (1991); telephone density is at 19.4 per 100 inhabitants; 49% of all phones are in Budapest; 608,000 telephones on order (1991); 12-15 year wait for a phone; 14,213 telex lines (1991); broadcast stations - 32 AM, 15 FM, 41 TV (8 Soviet TV repeaters); 4.2 million TVs (1990); 1 satellite ground station using INTELSAT and Intersputnik

Branches

Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Border Guard, Territorial Defense

Defense expenditures

66.5 billion forints, NA% of GNP (1993 est.); note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 2,630,552; fit for military service 2,101,637; reach military age (18) annually 91,979 (1993 est.)