2011 Edition

Background

Hungary became a Christian kingdom in A.D. 1000 and for many centuries served as a bulwark against Ottoman Turkish expansion in Europe. The kingdom eventually became 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 an 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 five years later. In 2011, Hungary assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the EU for the first time.

Area

93,028 sq km 89,608 sq km 3,420 sq km

total

93,028 sq km

water

3,420 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Indiana

Climate

temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes

Tisza River 78 m Kekes 1,014 m

highest point

Kekes 1,014 m

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

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, 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, Whaling none of the selected agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, 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, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

21.03 cu km/yr (9%/59%/32%) 2,082 cu m/yr (2001)

per capita

2,082 cu m/yr (2001)

total

21.03 cu km/yr (9%/59%/32%)

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

Irrigated land

1,400 sq km (2008)

Land boundaries

2,185 km Austria 366 km, Croatia 329 km, Romania 443 km, Serbia 166 km, Slovakia 676 km, Slovenia 102 km, Ukraine 103 km

border countries

Austria 366 km, Croatia 329 km, Romania 443 km, Serbia 166 km, Slovakia 676 km, Slovenia 102 km, Ukraine 103 km

total

2,185 km

Land use

49.58% 2.06% 48.36% (2005)

arable land

49.58%

other

48.36% (2005)

permanent crops

2.06%

Location

Central Europe, northwest of Romania

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural resources

bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils, arable land

Terrain

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

Total renewable water resources

120 cu km (2005)

Age structure

14.9% (male 767,824/female 721,242) 68.2% (male 3,361,538/female 3,444,450) 16.9% (male 622,426/female 1,058,582) (2011 est.)

0-14 years

14.9% (male 767,824/female 721,242)

15-64 years

68.2% (male 3,361,538/female 3,444,450)

65 years and over

16.9% (male 622,426/female 1,058,582) (2011 est.)

Birth rate

9.6 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)

Death rate

12.68 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 100% of population rural: 100% of population total: 100% of population (2008)

rural

100% of population

total

100% of population (2008)

urban

100% of population

Education expenditures

5.2% of GDP (2007)

Ethnic groups

Hungarian 92.3%, Roma 1.9%, other or unknown 5.8% (2001 census)

Health expenditures

8.2% of GDP (2009)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.1% (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

fewer than 200 (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

3,000 (2009 est.)

Hospital bed density

7.04 beds/1,000 population (2008)

Infant mortality rate

5.31 deaths/1,000 live births 5.57 deaths/1,000 live births 5.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)

female

5.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)

total

5.31 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Hungarian 93.6%, other or unspecified 6.4% (2001 census)

Life expectancy at birth

74.79 years 71.04 years 78.76 years (2011 est.)

female

78.76 years (2011 est.)

total population

74.79 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write 99.4% 99.5% 99.3% (2003 est.)

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

99.3% (2003 est.)

male

99.5%

total population

99.4%

Major cities - population

BUDAPEST (capital) 1.705 million (2009)

Major infectious diseases

intermediate bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A tickborne encephalitis (2009)

degree of risk

intermediate

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A

vectorborne diseases

tickborne encephalitis (2009)

Maternal mortality rate

13 deaths/100,000 live births (2008)

Median age

40.2 years 38.1 years 42.8 years (2011 est.)

female

42.8 years (2011 est.)

male

38.1 years

total

40.2 years

Nationality

Hungarian(s) Hungarian

adjective

Hungarian

noun

Hungarian(s)

Net migration rate

1.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

17.7% (2004)

Physicians density

3.097 physicians/1,000 population (2008)

Population

9,976,062 (July 2011 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.17% (2011 est.)

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)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 100% of population rural: 100% of population total: 100% of population (2008)

rural

100% of population

total

100% of population (2008)

urban

100% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

15 years 15 years 16 years (2008)

female

16 years (2008)

male

15 years

total

15 years

Sex ratio

1.057 male(s)/female 1.06 male(s)/female 0.98 male(s)/female 0.57 male(s)/female 0.91 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

15-64 years

0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.57 male(s)/female

at birth

1.057 male(s)/female

total population

0.91 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

under 15 years

1.06 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

1.4 children born/woman (2011 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

26.5% 28.2% 24.2% (2009)

female

24.2% (2009)

total

26.5%

Urbanization

68% of total population (2010) 0.3% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

rate of urbanization

0.3% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

68% of total population (2010)

Administrative divisions

19 counties (megyek, singular - megye), 23 urban counties (singular - megyei varos), and 1 capital city (fovaros) Bacs-Kiskun, Baranya, Bekes, Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen, Csongrad, Fejer, Gyor-Moson-Sopron, Hajdu-Bihar, Heves, Jasz-Nagykun-Szolnok, Komarom-Esztergom, Nograd, Pest, Somogy, Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg, Tolna, Vas, Veszprem, Zala Bekescsaba, Debrecen, Dunaujvaros, Eger, Erd, Gyor, Hodmezovasarhely, Kaposvar, Kecskemet, Miskolc, Nagykanizsa, Nyiregyhaza, Pecs, Salgotarjan, Sopron, Szeged, Szekesfehervar, Szekszard, Szolnok, Szombathely, Tatabanya, Veszprem, Zalaegerszeg Budapest

capital city

Budapest

counties

Bacs-Kiskun, Baranya, Bekes, Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen, Csongrad, Fejer, Gyor-Moson-Sopron, Hajdu-Bihar, Heves, Jasz-Nagykun-Szolnok, Komarom-Esztergom, Nograd, Pest, Somogy, Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg, Tolna, Vas, Veszprem, Zala

urban counties

Bekescsaba, Debrecen, Dunaujvaros, Eger, Erd, Gyor, Hodmezovasarhely, Kaposvar, Kecskemet, Miskolc, Nagykanizsa, Nyiregyhaza, Pecs, Salgotarjan, Sopron, Szeged, Szekesfehervar, Szekszard, Szolnok, Szombathely, Tatabanya, Veszprem, Zalaegerszeg

Capital

Budapest 47 30 N, 19 05 E UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

geographic coordinates

47 30 N, 19 05 E

name

Budapest

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

25 April 2011, effective 1 January 2012

Country name

Republic of Hungary Hungary Magyar Koztarsasag Magyarorszag

conventional long form

Republic of Hungary

conventional short form

Hungary

local long form

Magyar Koztarsasag

local short form

Magyarorszag

Diplomatic representation from the US

Ambassador Eleni Tsakopoulos KOUNALAKIS Szabadsag ter 12, H-1054 Budapest pouch: American Embassy Budapest, 5270 Budapest Place, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5270 [36] (1) 475-4400 [36] (1) 475-4764

chief of mission

Ambassador Eleni Tsakopoulos KOUNALAKIS

embassy

Szabadsag ter 12, H-1054 Budapest

FAX

[36] (1) 475-4764

mailing address

pouch: American Embassy Budapest, 5270 Budapest Place, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5270

telephone

[36] (1) 475-4400

Diplomatic representation in the US

Ambassador Gyorgy SZAPARY 3910 Shoemaker Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 [1] (202) 362-6730 [1] (202) 966-8135 Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

chancery

3910 Shoemaker Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Gyorgy SZAPARY

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

FAX

[1] (202) 966-8135

telephone

[1] (202) 362-6730

Executive branch

President Pal SCHMITT (since 6 August 2010) Prime Minister Viktor ORBAN (since 29 May 2010) Council of Ministers prime minister elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president; other ministers proposed by the prime minister and appointed and relieved of their duties by the president president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 29 June 2010 (next to be held by June 2015); prime minister elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president; election last held 29 May 2010 Pal SCHMITT elected president; National Assembly vote - Pal SCHMITT 263, Andras BALOGH 58; Viktor ORBAN was elected prime minister; National Assembly vote - 261 to 107 to be elected, the president must win two-thirds of legislative vote in the first two rounds or a simple majority in the third round

cabinet

Council of Ministers prime minister elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president; other ministers proposed by the prime minister and appointed and relieved of their duties by the president

chief of state

President Pal SCHMITT (since 6 August 2010)

election results

Pal SCHMITT elected president; National Assembly vote - Pal SCHMITT 263, Andras BALOGH 58; Viktor ORBAN was elected prime minister; National Assembly vote - 261 to 107

elections

president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 29 June 2010 (next to be held by June 2015); prime minister elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president; election last held 29 May 2010

head of government

Prime Minister Viktor ORBAN (since 29 May 2010)

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and green; the flag dates to the national movement of the 18th and 19th centuries, and fuses the medieval colors of the Hungarian coat of arms with the revolutionary tricolor form of the French flag; folklore attributes virtues to the colors: red for strength, white for faithfulness, and green for hope; alternatively, the red is seen as being for the blood spilled in defense of the land, white for freedom, and green for the pasturelands that make up so much of the country

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and green; the flag dates to the national movement of the 18th and 19th centuries, and fuses the medieval colors of the Hungarian coat of arms with the revolutionary tricolor form of the French flag; folkl

red for strength, white for faithfulness, and green for hope; alternatively, the red is seen as being for the blood spilled in defense of the land, white for freedom, and green for the pasturelands that make up so much of the country

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Independence

16 November 1918 (republic proclaimed); notable earlier dates: 25 December 1000 (crowning of King STEPHEN I, traditional founding date); 30 March 1867 (Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy established)

16 November 1918 (republic proclaimed); notable earlier dates

25 December 1000 (crowning of King STEPHEN I, traditional founding date); 30 March 1867 (Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy established)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

Australia Group, BIS, CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA (cooperating state), EU, FAO, G-9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

Constitutional Court (judges are elected by the National Assembly for nine-year terms); Curia (highest court; head of Curia elected by National Assembly, the other judges elected by the president on recommendation of the head of the National Office of the Courts, a separate administrative body); Regional Courts of Appeal (judges are appointed by the president)

Legal system

civil legal system influenced by the German model

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly or Orszaggyules (386 seats; members elected by popular vote under a system of proportional and direct representation to serve four-year terms) last held on 11 and 25 April 2010 (next to be held in April 2014) percent of vote by party (5% or more of the vote required for parliamentary representation in the first round) - Fidesz 52.7%, MSzP 19.3%, Jobbik 16.7%, LMP 7.5%; seats by party - Fidesz 263, MSzP 59, Jobbik 47, LMP 16, independent 1

election results

percent of vote by party (5% or more of the vote required for parliamentary representation in the first round) - Fidesz 52.7%, MSzP 19.3%, Jobbik 16.7%, LMP 7.5%; seats by party - Fidesz 263, MSzP 59, Jobbik 47, LMP 16, independent 1

elections

last held on 11 and 25 April 2010 (next to be held in April 2014)

National anthem

"Himnusz" (Hymn) Ferenc KOLCSEY/Ferenc ERKEL adopted 1844; the anthem is also known as "Isten, aldd meg a magyart" (God, Bless the Hungarians)

lyrics/music

Ferenc KOLCSEY/Ferenc ERKEL

name

"Himnusz" (Hymn)

National holiday

Saint Stephen's Day, 20 August; note - commemorates the date when his remains were transferred to Buda (now Budapest)

National symbol(s)

Holy Crown of Hungary (Crown of Saint Stephen); turul (falcon)

Political parties and leaders

Christian Democratic People's Party or KDNP [Zsolt SEMJEN]; Democratic Coalition [Ferenc GYURCSANY]; Hungarian Civic Alliance or Fidesz [Viktor ORBAN, chairman]; Hungarian Socialist Party or MSzP [Attila MESTERHAZY]; Movement for a Better Hungary or Jobbik [Gabor VONA]; Politics Can Be Different or LMP [13-member leadership]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Air Work Group (works to reduce air pollution in towns and cities); Danube Circle (protests the building of the Gabchikovo-Nagymaros dam); Fourth Republic (Negyedik Koztarsasag) or 4K! (anti-Orban, pro-democracy Facebook movement emerged from a Facebook group, One Million for Freedom of the Press, and plans to form a leftist political party); Green Future (protests the impact of lead contamination of local factory on health of the people); Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (Tarsasag a Szabadsagjogokert) or TASZ (freedom of expression, information privacy); Hungarian Helsinki Committee (asylum seekers' rights, human rights in law enforcement and the judicial system); environmentalists: Hungarian Ornithological and Nature Conservation Society (Magyar Madartani Egyesulet) or MME; Green Alternative (Zold Alternativa)

Air Work Group (works to reduce air pollution in towns and cities); Danube Circle (protests the building of the Gabchikovo-Nagymaros dam); Fourth Republic (Negyedik Koztarsasag) or 4K! (anti-Orban, pro-democracy Facebook movement emerged from a Facebook g

Hungarian Ornithological and Nature Conservation Society (Magyar Madartani Egyesulet) or MME; Green Alternative (Zold Alternativa)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

$58.17 billion $63.71 billion (2010 est.)

expenditures

$63.71 billion (2010 est.)

revenues

$58.17 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-4.3% of GDP (2010 est.)

Central bank discount rate

5.75% (31 December 2010) 6.25% (31 December 2009)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

7.592% (31 December 2010 est.) 11.058% (31 December 2009 est.)

Current account balance

$2.692 billion (2010 est.) $472 million (2009 est.)

Debt - external

$232.5 billion (30 June 2011 est.) $179 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

24.7 (2009) 24.4 (1998)

Economy - overview

Hungary has made the transition from a centrally planned to a market economy, with a per capita income nearly two-thirds that of the EU-25 average. The private sector accounts for more than 80% of GDP. Foreign ownership of and investment in Hungarian firms are widespread, with cumulative foreign direct investment worth more than $70 billion. The government's austerity measures, imposed since late 2006, have reduced the budget deficit from over 9% of GDP in 2006 to 3.2% in 2010, with a target of less than 3% in 2011. Hungary's impending inability to service its short-term debt - brought on by the global financial crisis in late 2008 - led Budapest to obtain an IMF/EU/World Bank-arranged financial assistance package worth over $25 billion. The global economic downturn, declining exports, and low domestic consumption and fixed asset accumulation, dampened by government austerity measures, resulted in an economic contraction of 6.3% in 2009. In 2010 the new government implemented a number of changes including cutting business and personal income taxes, but imposed "crisis taxes" on financial institutions, energy and telecom companies, and retailers. The economy rebounded in 2010 with a big boost from exports, especially to Germany, and growth of more than 2.5% is expected in 2011. Unemployment remained high, at more than 10% in 2010.

Electricity - consumption

42.7 billion kWh (2010 est.)

Electricity - exports

4.703 billion kWh (2010 est.)

Electricity - imports

9.879 billion kWh (2010 est.)

Electricity - production

37.55 billion kWh (2010 est.)

Exchange rates

forints (HUF) per US dollar - 206.15 (2010) 202.34 (2009) 171.8 (2008) 183.83 (2007) 210.39 (2006)

Exports

$93.29 billion (2010 est.) $81.56 billion (2009 est.)

Exports - commodities

machinery and equipment 61.1%, other manufactures 28.7%, food products 6.5%, raw materials 2%, fuels and electricity 1.6% (2009 est.)

Exports - partners

Germany 25.5%, Italy 5.5%, UK 5.4%, Romania 5.3%, Slovakia 5.1%, France 4.9%, Austria 4.7% (2010 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

2.4% 36.9% 60.7% (2010 est.)

agriculture

2.4%

industry

36.9%

services

60.7% (2010 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$18,800 (2010 est.) $18,500 (2009 est.) $19,800 (2008 est.) data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

1.2% (2010 est.) -6.7% (2009 est.) 0.8% (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$129 billion (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$187.6 billion (2010 est.) $185.4 billion (2009 est.) $198.7 billion (2008 est.) data are in 2010 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

3.1% 22.6% (2009)

highest 10%

22.6% (2009)

lowest 10%

3.1%

Imports

$87.08 billion (2010 est.) $76.78 billion (2009 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment 50%, fuels and electricity 11%, food products, raw materials

Imports - partners

Germany 26.1%, Russia 7.7%, China 6.8%, Austria 5.9%, Netherlands 4.4%, Poland 4.3%, Italy 4.2% (2010 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

10.5% (2010 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.9% (2010 est.) 4.2% (2009 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

19.3% of GDP (2010 est.)

Labor force

4.23 million (2010 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

4.7% 30.9% 64.4% (2010)

agriculture

4.7%

industry

30.9%

services

64.4% (2010)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$27.71 billion (31 December 2010) $28.29 billion (31 December 2009) $18.58 billion (31 December 2008)

Natural gas - consumption

12.05 billion cu m (2010 est.)

Natural gas - exports

227 million cu m (2010 est.)

Natural gas - imports

9.636 billion cu m (2010 est.)

Natural gas - production

2.494 billion cu m (2010 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

8.098 billion cu m (1 January 2011 est.)

Oil - consumption

146,600 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Oil - exports

69,820 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - imports

171,600 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Oil - production

34,480 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

26.57 million bbl (1 January 2011 est.)

Population below poverty line

13.9% (2010)

Public debt

80.2% of GDP (2010 est.) 78.4% of GDP (2009 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$44.99 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $44.18 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$68.82 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $76.38 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$22.17 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $20.49 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$71.47 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $68.97 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$104.8 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $110.8 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$31.8 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $32.55 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

45.1% of GDP (2010 est.)

Unemployment rate

11.2% (2010 est.) 10% (2009 est.)

Broadcast media

mixed system of state-supported public service broadcast media and private broadcasters; the 3 publicly-owned TV channels and the 2 main privately-owned TV stations are the major national broadcasters; a large number of special interest channels have emerged; highly developed market for satellite and cable TV services with about two-thirds of viewers utilizing multi-channel services; 3 state-supported public-service radio networks and 2 major national commercial stations; a large number of local stations including commercial, public service, nonprofit, and community radio stations; digital transition postponed to the end of 2012 (2007)

Internet country code

.hu

Internet hosts

2.655 million (2010)

Internet users

6.176 million (2009)

Telephone system

the telephone system has been modernized; the system is digital and highly automated; trunk services are carried by fiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay; a program for fiber-optic subscriber connections was initiated in 1996 competition among mobile-cellular service providers has led to a sharp increase in the use of mobile-cellular phones since 2000 and a decrease in the number of fixed-line connections country code - 36; Hungary has fiber-optic cable connections with all neighboring countries; the international switch is in Budapest; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean regions), 1 Inmarsat, 1 very small aperture terminal (VSAT) system of ground terminals

domestic

competition among mobile-cellular service providers has led to a sharp increase in the use of mobile-cellular phones since 2000 and a decrease in the number of fixed-line connections

general assessment

the telephone system has been modernized; the system is digital and highly automated; trunk services are carried by fiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay; a program for fiber-optic subscriber connections was initiated in 1996

international

country code - 36; Hungary has fiber-optic cable connections with all neighboring countries; the international switch is in Budapest; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean regions), 1 Inmarsat, 1 very small aperture terminal (VSAT) system of ground terminals

Telephones - main lines in use

2.977 million (2010)

Telephones - mobile cellular

12.012 million (2010)

Airports

43 (2010)

Airports - with paved runways

2 (2010)

1,524 to 2,437 m

5

2,438 to 3,047 m

7

914 to 1,523 m

6

over 3,047 m

2

total

22

under 914 m

2 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

11 (2010)

1,524 to 2,437 m

2

914 to 1,523 m

8

total

21

under 914 m

11 (2010)

Heliports

5 (2010)

Pipelines

gas 4,716 km; oil 984 km; refined products 361 km (2010)

Ports and terminals

Budapest, Dunaujvaros, Gyor-Gonyu, Csepel, Baja, Mohacs

Railways

9,208 km 36 km 1.524-m gauge 7,802 km 1.435-m gauge (2,911 km electrified) 219 km 0.760-m gauge (2009)

narrow gauge

219 km 0.760-m gauge (2009)

standard gauge

7,802 km 1.435-m gauge (2,911 km electrified)

total

9,208 km

Roadways

197,519 km 74,993 km (43,898 km of interurban roads including 911 km of expressways) 112,526 km (2010)

total

197,519 km

unpaved

112,526 km (2010)

Waterways

1,622 km (most on Danube River) (2010)

Manpower available for military service

2,349,948 2,290,568 (2010 est.)

females age 16-49

2,290,568 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

2,349,948

Manpower fit for military service

1,902,639 1,897,378 (2010 est.)

females age 16-49

1,897,378 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

1,902,639

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

59,237 55,533 (2010 est.)

female

55,533 (2010 est.)

male

59,237

Military branches

Land Forces, Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Legiero, ML) (2011)

Military expenditures

1.75% of GDP (2005 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; 6-month service obligation (2010)

Disputes - international

bilateral government, legal, technical and economic working group negotiations continue in 2006 with Slovakia over Hungary's failure to complete its portion of the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros hydroelectric dam project along the Danube; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Hungary has implemented the strict Schengen border rules

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; efforts to counter money laundering, related to organized crime and drug trafficking are improving but remain vulnerable; significant consumer of ecstasy