Hungary

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

Agriculture

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

Budget

revenues: $12.6 billion expenditures: $13.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995)

Currency

1 forint (Ft) = 100 filler

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $136 million (1993) note: assistance received from OECD countries and international organizations, $3,700 million (1990-93)

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 production: 31 billion kWh consumption per capita: 3,012 kWh (1993)

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)

Area

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

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

total: 2,009 km 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

Land use

arable land: 51% permanent crops: 6% meadows and pastures: 13% forest and woodland: 18% other: 12%

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 lowest point: Tisza River 78 m highest point: Kekes 1,014 m

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Gyorgy BANLAKI chancery: 3910 Shoemaker Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 362-6730

Executive branch

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

FAX

[1] (202) 966-8135 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York

FAX

[36] (1) 269-9326

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

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

total population: 69.02 years male: 64.23 years female: 74.04 years (1996 est.)

Literacy

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

Nationality

noun: Hungarian(s) adjective: Hungarian

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

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 all ages: 0.91 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.51 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Airports

total: 78 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 2 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 7 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 4 with paved runways under 914 m: 1 with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 7 with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 9 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 14 with unpaved runways under 914 m: 34 (1994 est.)

Highways

total: 158,711 km paved: 69,992 km (including 441 km of expressways) 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

total: 7,685 km broad gauge: 35 km 1.524-m gauge standard gauge: 7,474 km 1.435-m gauge (2,162 km electrified; 1,236 km double track) 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

Waterways

1,622 km (1988)