Hungary

Internet country code

.hu

Internet hosts

608,085 (2006)

Internet users

3.05 million (2005)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 17, FM 57, shortwave 3 (1998)

Telephone system

general assessment: the telephone system has been modernized and is capable of satisfying all requests for telecommunication service domestic: the system is digitalized 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; heavy use is made of mobile cellular telephones 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

3.356 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

9.32 million (2005)

Television broadcast stations

35 (plus 161 low-power repeaters) (1995)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $51.4 billion expenditures: $58.34 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)

Currency (code)

forint (HUF)

Current account balance

$-7.963 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external

$66.22 billion (2005 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

24.96 (2002)

Economic aid - recipient

$3.4 billion in committed EU structural adjustment and cohesion funds (2004-06)

Economy - overview

Hungary has made the transition from a centrally planned to a market economy, with a per capita income about 60% of the EU-25 average. Hungary continues to demonstrate strong economic growth and acceded to the EU 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 $34 billion between 1990 and 2003. Several private sector analysts and sovereign ratings agencies have expressed concerns over Hungary's unsustainable budget and current account deficits. Inflation has declined from 14% in 1998 to 3.5% in 2005. Unemployment in 2005 rose to 7.1%, its highest point since 1999; Hungary's labor force participation rate of 57% is one of the lowest in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (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 6.1% in 2005, and orchestrating an orderly interest rate reduction without sparking capital outflows.

Electricity - consumption

36.96 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports

7.1 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports

14.1 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production

32.21 billion kWh (2003)

Exchange rates

forints per US dollar - 199.58 (2005), 202.75 (2004), 224.31 (2003), 257.89 (2002), 286.49 (2001)

Exports

$61.75 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities

machinery and equipment 61.1%, other manufactures 28.7%, food products 6.5%, raw materials 2%, fuels and electricity 1.6% (2003)

Exports - partners

Germany 29.4%, Austria 5.9%, Italy 5.6%, France 5%, UK 4.7% (2005)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$106.4 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$163.1 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 3.7% industry: 31.2% services: 65.1% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$16,300 (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4.1% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 4.1% highest 10%: 22.2% (2002)

Imports

$64.83 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment 51.6%, other manufactures 35.7%, fuels and electricity 7.7%, food products 3.1%, raw materials 2.0% (2003)

Imports - partners

Germany 27.2%, Russia 7.5%, China 7.2%, Austria 6.7%, Italy 4.9%, France 4.8%, Netherlands 4.3% (2005)

Industrial production growth rate

7.3% (2005 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.6% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

23.1% of GDP (2005 est.)

Labor force

4.18 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 5.5% industry: 33.3% services: 61.2% (2003)

Natural gas - consumption

13 billion cu m (2004)

Natural gas - exports

4 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

10.95 billion cu m (2004)

Natural gas - production

3.1 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

33.98 billion cu m (1 January 2003)

Oil - consumption

136,000 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - exports

47,180 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports

94,000 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - production

45,190 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves

102 million bbl (1 January 2006)

Population below poverty line

At-risk-of poverty rate after social transfers: 12% (2003)

Public debt

58.9% of GDP (2005 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$18.59 billion (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate

7.2% (2005)

Area

total: 93,030 sq km land: 92,340 sq km water: 690 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Indiana

Climate

temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Tisza River 78 m highest point: Kekes 1,014 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 signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulfur 94

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

2,300 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

total: 2,171 km border countries: Austria 366 km, Croatia 329 km, Romania 443 km, Serbia 151 km, Slovakia 677 km, Slovenia 102 km, Ukraine 103 km

Land use

arable land: 49.58% permanent crops: 2.06% other: 48.36% (2005)

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

Administrative divisions

19 counties (megyek, singular - megye), 22 urban counties (singular - megyei varos), and 1 capital city (fovaros) 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, Gyor, Hodmezovasarhely, Kaposvar, Kecskemet, Miskolc, Nagykanizsa, Nyiregyhaza, Pecs, Salgotarjan, Sopron, Szeged, Szekesfehervar, Szekszard, Szolnok, Szombathely, Tatabanya, Veszprem, Zalaegerszeg capital city: Budapest

Capital

name: Budapest geographic coordinates: 47 30 N, 19 05 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

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

Country name

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador April H. FOLEY embassy: Szabadsag ter 12, H-1054 Budapest mailing address: pouch: American Embassy Budapest, 5270 Budapest Place, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5270 telephone: [36] (1) 475-4400 FAX: [36] (1) 475-4764

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Andras SIMONYI chancery: 3910 Shoemaker Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 362-6730 FAX: [1] (202) 966-8135 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

Executive branch

chief of state: Laszlo SOLYOM (since 5 August 2005) head of government: Prime Minister Ferenc GYURCSANY (since 29 September 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 6-7 June 2005 (next to be held by June 2010); prime minister elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president; election last held 29 September 2004 election results: Laszlo SOLYOM elected president by a simple majority in the third round of voting, 185 to 182; Ferenc GYURCSANY elected prime minister; result of legislative vote - 197 to 12 note: 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

Flag description

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

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Independence

1001 (unification by King Stephen I)

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, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

Constitutional Court (judges are elected by the National Assembly for nine-year terms)

Legal system

rule of law based on Western model; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly or Orszaggyules (386 seats; members are elected by popular vote under a system of proportional and direct representation to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 9 and 23 April 2006 (next to be held April 2010) election results: percent of vote by party (5% or more of the vote required for parliamentary representation in the first round) - MSzP 43.2%, Fidesz-KDNP 42%, SzDSz 6.5%, MDF 5%, other 3.3%; seats by party - MSzP 190, Fidesz 141, KDNP 23, SzDSz 20, MDF 11, independent 1

National holiday

Saint Stephen's Day, 20 August

Political parties and leaders

Alliance of Free Democrats or SzDSz [Gabor KUNCZE]; Christian Democratic People's Party or KDNP [Zsolt SEMJEN]; Hungarian Civic Alliance or Fidesz [Viktor ORBAN, chairman]; Hungarian Democratic Forum or MDF [Ibolya DAVID]; Hungarian Socialist Party or MSzP [Istvan HILLER, chairman]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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.

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49: 2,303,116 females age 18-49: 2,265,463 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49: 1,780,513 females age 18-49: 1,864,580 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually

males age 18-49: 63,847 females age 18-49: 61,037 (2005 est.)

Military branches

Ground Forces, Air Forces

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 (2004)

Age structure

0-14 years: 15.6% (male 799,163/female 755,389) 15-64 years: 69.2% (male 3,403,375/female 3,505,640) 65 years and over: 15.2% (male 550,297/female 967,470) (2006 est.)

Birth rate

9.72 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate

13.11 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

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.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 8.39 deaths/1,000 live births male: 9.09 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 72.66 years male: 68.45 years female: 77.14 years (2006 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.4% male: 99.5% female: 99.3% (2003 est.)

Median age

total: 38.7 years male: 36.3 years female: 41.4 years (2006 est.)

Nationality

noun: Hungarian(s) adjective: Hungarian

Net migration rate

0.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Population

9,981,334 (July 2006 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.25% (2006 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)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.57 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.32 children born/woman (2006 est.)

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

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

Airports

46 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 20 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 26 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 10 (2006)

Heliports

5 (2006)

Pipelines

gas 4,397 km; oil 990 km; refined products 335 km (2006)

Ports and terminals

Budapest, Dunaujvaros, Gyor-Gonyu, Csepel, Baja, Mohacs (2003)

Railways

total: 7,937 km broad gauge: 36 km 1.524-m gauge standard gauge: 7,682 km 1.435-m gauge (2,628 km electrified) narrow gauge: 219 km 0.760-m gauge (2005)

Roadways

total: 159,568 km paved: 70,050 km (30,874 km of interurban roads including 626 km of expressways) unpaved: 89,518 km (2005)

Waterways

1,622 km (most on Danube River) (2006)