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HUNGARY.TXT
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1994-11-29
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Hungary
Geography
Location:
Central Europe, between Slovakia and Romania
Map references:
Ethnic Groups in Eastern Europe, Europe
Area:
total area:
93,030 sq km
land area:
92,340 sq km
comparative area:
slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundaries:
total 1,989 km, Austria 366 km, Croatia 329 km, Romania 443 km, Serbia
and Montenegro 151 km (all with Serbia), Slovakia 515 km, Slovenia 82
km, Ukraine 103 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none; landlocked
International disputes:
Gabcikovo Dam dispute with Slovakia
Climate:
temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers
Terrain:
mostly flat to rolling plains
Natural resources:
bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils
Land use:
arable land:
50.7%
permanent crops:
6.1%
meadows and pastures:
12.6%
forest and woodland:
18.3%
other:
12.3%
Irrigated land:
1,750 sq km (1989)
Environment:
current issues:
air pollution; industrial and municipal pollution of Lake Balaton
natural hazards:
levees are common along many streams, but flooding occurs almost every
year
international agreements:
party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur, 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-Volatile
Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea
Note:
landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes between
Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between Ukraine and
Mediterranean basin
People
Population:
10,319,113 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.03% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
12.46 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
12.72 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
12.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
71.37 years
male:
67.37 years
female:
75.58 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.83 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Hungarian(s)
adjective:
Hungarian
Ethnic divisions:
Hungarian 89.9%, Gypsy 4%, German 2.6%, Serb 2%, Slovak 0.8%, Romanian
0.7%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 67.5%, Calvinist 20%, Lutheran 5%, atheist and other
7.5%
Languages:
Hungarian 98.2%, other 1.8%
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
total population:
99%
male:
99%
female:
98%
Labor force:
5.4 million
by occupation:
services, trade, government, and other 44.8%, industry 29.7%,
agriculture 16.1%, construction 7.0% (1991)
Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Hungary
conventional short form:
local long form:
Magyar Koztarsasag
local short form:
Magyarorszag
Digraph:
HU
Type:
republic
Capital:
Budapest
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
Independence:
1001 (unification by King Stephen I)
National holiday:
St. Stephen's Day (National Day), 20 August (commemorates the founding
of Hungarian state circa 1000 A.D.)
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
Legal system:
in process of revision, moving toward rule of law based on Western
model
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Arpad GONCZ (since 3 August 1990; previously interim
president from 2 May 1990); election 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
head of government:
Prime Minister Peter BOROSS (since 12 December 1993 on the death of
Jozsef ANTALL); new prime minister will probably be Gyula HORN
cabinet:
Council of Ministers; elected by the National Assembly on
recommendation of the president
Legislative branch:
unicameral
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)
Hungarian Socialist Party 209, Alliance of Free Democrats 70,
Hungarian Democratic Forum 37, Independent Smallholders 26, Christian
Democratic People's Party 22, Federation of Young Democrats 20, other
2
Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Forum, Sandor LESZAK, chairman; Independent Smallholders
(FKGP), Jozsef TORGYAN, president; Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP),
Gyula HORN, president; 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 (MSZP) in October
1989; there is still a small MSZMP
Member of:
Australian Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, COCOM (cooperating), CSCE,
EBRD, ECE, FAO, G-9, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MTCR, NACC, NAM
(guest), NSG, OAS (observer), PCA, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOMOZ, UNOMUR, UNOSOM, UNTAC, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Pal TAR
chancery:
3910 Shoemaker Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 362-6730
FAX:
(202) 966-8135
consulate(s) general:
Los Angeles and New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Donald BLINKEN
embassy:
V. Szabadsag Ter 12, Budapest
mailing address:
Am Embassy, Unit 1320, Budapest; APO AE 09213
telephone:
[36] (1) 112-6450
FAX:
[36] (1) 132-8934
Flag:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and green
Economy
Overview:
Hungary is still in the midst of a difficult transition from a command
to a market economy. Its economic reforms during the Communist era
gave it a head start on this process, particularly in terms of
attracting foreign investors - Hungary has accounted for about half of
all foreign direct investment in Eastern Europe since 1989.
Nonetheless, the economy continued to contract in 1993, with real GDP
falling perhaps 1%. Although the privatization process has lagged, in
December 1993 Hungary carried out the largest privatization yet in
Eastern Europe, selling a controlling interest in the Matav
telecommunications firm to private investors - including a 30% share
to a US-German consortium for $875 million. Overall, about half of GDP
now originates in the private sector. Unemployment rose to about 13%
in 1993 while inflation remained above 20%, and falling exports pushed
the trade deficit to about $3 billion. The government hopes that
economic recovery in Western Europe in 1994 will boost exports, lower
the trade deficit, and help jump-start the economy. The budget,
however, is likely to remain a serious concern; depressed tax revenue
pushed up the budget deficit in 1993.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $57 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
-1% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
$5,500 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
23% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
13% (1993)
Budget:
revenues:
$10.2 billion
expenditures:
$12.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est.)
Exports:
$8.9 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
raw materials, semi-finished goods, chemicals 39.6%, machinery 14.5%,
consumer goods 22.3%, food and agriculture 20.0%, fuels and energy
3.6% (January-June 1993)
partners:
EC 49.8% (Germany 27.8%, Italy 9.5%), Austria 10.7%, the FSU 13.1%,
Eastern Europe 9.8% (1992)
Imports:
$12.5 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
fuels and energy 13.9%, raw materials, semi-finished goods, chemicals
35.9%, machinery 22.4%, consumer goods 21.8%, food and agriculture
6.0% (January-June 1993)
partners:
EC 42.8% (Germany 23.6%, Italy 6.3%), Austria 14.4%, the FSU 16.8%,
Eastern Europe 9.2%
External debt:
$24.7 billion (November 1993)
Industrial production:
growth rate 4% (1993 est.)
Electricity:
capacity:
7,200,000 kW
production:
30 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
3,000 kWh (1992)
Industries:
mining, metallurgy, construction materials, processed foods, textiles,
chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals), buses, automobiles
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
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for Southeast Asia heroin transiting the Balkan
route
Economic aid:
recipient:
assistance pledged by OECD countries since 1989 about $9 billion
Currency:
1 forint (Ft) = 100 filler
Exchange rates:
forints per US$1 - 93.46 (September 1993), 92.5 (1993), 78.99 (1992),
74.74 (1991), 63.21 (1990), 59.07 (1989)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications
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)
Highways:
total:
130,224 km
paved:
61,948 km
unpaved:
68,276 km (1988)
Inland waterways:
1,622 km (1988)
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)
Merchant marine:
10 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) and 1 bulk totaling 46,121
GRT/61,613 DWT
Airports:
total:
126
usable:
65
with permanent-surface runways:
12
with runways over 3,659 m:
1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
18
with runways 1,060-2,439 m:
31
note:
a C-130 can land on a 1,060-m airstrip
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
Defense Forces
Branches:
Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Border Guard, Territorial
Defense
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 2,636,888; fit for military service 2,105,628; reach
military age (18) annually 90,134 (1994 est.)
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