1996 Edition

Description

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

Location

47 00 N, 20 00 E -- Central Europe, northwest of Romania Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly smaller than Indiana

land area

92,340 sq km

total area

93,030 sq km

Climate

temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Environment

current issues

an early-1996 government study identified 179 areas that suffer from air pollution, 54 areas with polluted soil, and 32 areas with polluted underground water; the study estimated clean-up costs at $350 million, but the 1996 government budget allocates only about $7 million for this purpose

international agreements

party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea

Geographic coordinates

47 00 N, 20 00 E

Geographic note

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

International disputes

Gabcikovo Dam dispute with Slovakia

Irrigated land

1,750 sq km (1989)

Land boundaries

border countries

Austria 366 km, Croatia 329 km, Romania 443 km, Serbia and Montenegro 151 km (all with Serbia), Slovakia 515 km, Slovenia 102 km, Ukraine 103 km

total

2,009 km

Land use

arable land

51%

forest and woodland

18%

meadows and pastures

13%

other

12%

permanent crops

6%

Location

Central Europe, northwest of Romania

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural resources

bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils

Terrain

mostly flat to rolling plains; hills and low mountains on the Slovakian border

highest point

Kekes 1,014 m

lowest point

Tisza River 78 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 18% (male 907,963; female 867,536) 15-64 years: 68% (male 3,325,529; female 3,464,588) 65 years and over: 14% (male 538,106; female 898,819) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

10.72 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

15.06 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

12.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Hungarian 98.2%, other 1.8%

Life expectancy at birth

female

74.04 years (1996 est.)

male

64.23 years

total population

69.02 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)

female

98%

male

99%

total population

99%

Nationality

adjective

Hungarian

noun

Hungarian(s)

Net migration rate

-2.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

10,002,541 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.68% (1996 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

all ages

0.91 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

1.51 children born/woman (1996 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

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

Data code

HU

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

3910 Shoemaker Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Gyorgy BANLAKI

telephone

[1] (202) 362-6730

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers was elected by the National Assembly on recommendation of the president

chief of state

President Arpad GONCZ (since 3 August 1990; previously interim president from 2 May 1990) was elected for a four-year term by the National Assembly; election last held 19 June 1995 (next to be held NA 1999); results - President GONCZ elected by parliamentary vote with a total of 259 votes out of 335

head of government

Prime Minister Gyula HORN (since 15 July 1994) was elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president

FAX

[1] (202) 966-8135

[36] (1) 269-9326

consulate(s) general

Los Angeles and New York

Flag

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

Independence

1001 (unification by King Stephen I)

International organization participation

Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNU, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Judicial branch

Constitutional Court, judges are elected by the National Assembly

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

unicameral

Name of country

conventional long form

Republic of Hungary

conventional short form

Hungary

local long form

Magyar Koztarsasag

local short form

Magyarorszag

National Assembly (Orszaggyules)

elections last held on 8 and 29 May 1994 (next to be held spring 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (386 total) MSzP 209, SzDSz 70, MDF 37, FKgP 26, KDNP 22, FiDeSz 20, other 2

National holiday

St. Stephen's Day (National Day), 20 August (commemorates the founding of Hungarian state circa 1000 AD)

Political parties and leaders

Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF), Lajos FUR, chairman; Independent Smallholders (FKgP), Jozsef TORGYAN, president; Hungarian Socialist Party (MSzP), Gyula HORN, president; Christian Democratic People's Party (KDNP), Gyorgy GICZY, 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 (MSzP) in October 1989; there is still a small MMP

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Ambassador Donald M. BLINKEN

embassy

V. Szabadsag Ter 12, Budapest

mailing address

Am Embassy, Unit 1320, APO AE 09213-1320

telephone

[36] (1) 267-4400, 269-9331

Agriculture

wheat, corn, sunflower seed, potatoes, sugar beets; pigs, cattle, poultry, dairy products

Budget

expenditures

$13.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995)

revenues

$12.6 billion

Currency

1 forint (Ft) = 100 filler

Economic aid

note

assistance received from OECD countries and international organizations, $3,700 million (1990-93)

recipient

ODA, $136 million (1993)

Economic overview

Hungary, probably the most Western-oriented economy in East Europe before the transition to a market system began in 1990, made good progress in the initial years of transition. The reform process slowed in 1993-94, however, in part because of the May 1994 elections and the resulting change in government. By 1994 the privatization of state firms had ground to a halt, while both the budget and current account deficits soared to unsustainable levels - about 8% and 10% of GDP, respectively. The situation improved sharply in 1995; an austerity program introduced in March reduced both deficits, and a renewed privatization effort later in 1995 resulted in more than $3 billion worth of sales of state firms to foreign investors - money that will be used to reduce Hungary's large foreign debt. As for other macroeconomic developments, real GDP increased 2.9% in 1994 - following several years of steep decline - and about 1.5% in 1995. Unemployment reached 14% in early 1993 before gradually falling back to 10% in 1995. Inflation has oscillated; it reached 40% in mid-1991, dropped to 17% in early 1994, and then jumped back to 31% by mid-1995. Prospects for 1996 are good. With the government still committed to austerity, both the budget and current account deficits should fall to about 4% of GDP. Economic growth is expected to be about 2% and unemployment at about 10%, with inflation falling to 20% by yearend. In March 1996 the IMF signed a new standby loan agreement with Budapest, and the OECD approved Hungary's application for admission.

Electricity

capacity

6,740,000 kW

consumption per capita

3,012 kWh (1993)

production

31 billion kWh

Exchange rates

forints per US$1 - 144 (January 1996), 125.681 (1995),105.160 (1994), 91.933 (1993), 78.988 (1992), 74.735 (1991)

Exports

$13 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)

commodities

raw materials and semi-finished goods 36.4%, consumer goods 26.7%, food and agriculture 20.5%, capital goods 13.1%, fuels and energy 3.3% (1994)

partners

Germany 28.2%, Austria 10.9%, Italy 8.5%, Russia 7.5%, US 4.0% (1994)

External debt

$32.7 billion (October 1995)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $72.5 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

7.3%

industry

37.5%

services

55.2%

GDP per capita

$7,000 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

1.5% (1995)

Illicit drugs

major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and transit point for South American cocaine destined for Western Europe; limited producer of precursor chemicals

Imports

$15 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)

commodities

fuels and energy 11.0%, raw materials and semi-finished goods 36.9%, capital goods 23.3%, consumer goods 22.0%, food and agriculture 6.8% (1994)

partners

Germany 23.4%, Austria 12.0%, Russia 12.0%, Italy 7.0%, UK 4.0% (1994)

Industrial production growth rate

6% (1995 est.)

Industries

mining, metallurgy, construction materials, processed foods, textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals), motor vehicles

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

28.3% (1995)

Labor force

4.8 million (1995)

by occupation

services, trade, government, and other 47.2%, industry 29.7%, agriculture 16.1%, construction 7.0% (1991)

Unemployment rate

10.4% (yearend 1995)

Branches

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

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $620 million, 1.7% of GDP (1995)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

2,552,794

males fit for military service

2,036,399

males reach military age (18) annually

82,040 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 32, FM 15, shortwave 0

Radios

6 million (1993 est.)

Telephone system

14,213 telex lines; automatic telephone network based on microwave radio relay system; 608,000 telephones on order; 12-15 year wait for a telephone; 49% of all telephones are in Budapest (1991 est.); note - the former state-owned telecommunications firm MATAV - now privatized and managed by a US/German consortium - has ambitious plans to upgrade the inadequate system, including a contract with the German firm Siemens and the Swedish firm Ericsson to provide 600,000 new phone lines during 1996-98

domestic

microwave radio relay

international

satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean Region)

Telephones

1.52 million (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations

41 (Russian repeaters 8)

Televisions

4.38 million (1993 est.) Defense

Airports

total

78

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

4

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

7

with paved runways over 3 047 m

2

with paved runways under 914 m

1

with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

9

with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

7

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

14

with unpaved runways under 914 m

34 (1994 est.)

Highways

paved

69,992 km (including 441 km of expressways)

total

158,711 km

unpaved

88,719 km (1992 est.)

Merchant marine

total

10 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 46,121 GRT/61,613 DWT (1995 est.)

Pipelines

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

Ports

Budapest, Dunaujvaros

Railways

broad gauge

35 km 1.524-m gauge

narrow gauge

176 km mostly 0.760-m gauge (1995)

note

Hungry and Austria jointly manage the cross-border standard-gauge railway between Gyor, Sopron, Ebenfurti, and Vasut, a distance of about 100 km

standard gauge

7,474 km 1.435-m gauge (2,162 km electrified; 1,236 km double track)

total

7,685 km

Waterways

1,622 km (1988)