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Communications

Airports [time series]

90 total, 90 usable; 20 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 10 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

28 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

130,014 km total; 29,715 km national highway system - 26,834 km asphalt, 142 km concrete, 51 km stone and road brick, 2,276 km macadam, 412 km unpaved; 58,495 km country roads (66% unpaved), and 41,804 km (est.) other roads (70% unpaved) (1988)

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

1,622 km (1988)

Merchant marine [time series]

14 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) and 1 bulk totaling 85,489 GRT/119,520 DWT

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil 1,204 km; petroleum products 630 km; natural gas 3,895 km (1986)

Ports [time series]

Budapest and Dunaujvaros are river ports on the Danube; maritime outlets are Rostock (Germany), Gdansk (Poland), Gdynia (Poland), Szczecin (Poland), Galati (Romania), and Braila (Romania)

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

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; 1,147 km double track, 2,161 km electrified; all government owned (1991)

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

automatic telephone network based on radio relay system; 1.9 million phones; telephone density is at 17 per 100 inhabitants; 49% of all phones are in Budapest; 12-15 year wait for a phone; 16,000 telex lines (June 1990); 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

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - 60.8 billion forints, 1.7% of GNP (1992 est.); note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate would produce misleading results

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 2,619,277; 2,092,867 fit for military service; 87,469 reach military age (18) annually

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

including forestry, accounts for about 15% of GDP and 19% of employment; highly diversified crop-livestock farming; principal crops - wheat, corn, sunflowers, potatoes, sugar beets; livestock - hogs, cattle, poultry, dairy products; self-sufficient in food output

Budget [time series]

revenues $12.7 billion; expenditures $13.6 billion (1992 planned)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

forint (plural - forints); 1 forint (Ft) = 100 filler

Economic aid [time series]

recipient - $9.1 billion in assistance from OECD countries (from 1st quarter 1990 to end of 2nd quarter 1991)

Electricity [time series]

6,967,000 kW capacity; 28,376 million kWh produced, 2,750 kWh per capita (1990)

Exports [time series]

$10.2 billion (f.o.b. 1991) commodities: capital goods 25.9%, foods 23%, consumer goods 16.5%, fuels 2.4%, other 32.2% partners: USSR and Eastern Europe 31.9%, EC 32.2%, EFTA 12% (1990)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$22.7 billion (January 1991)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

purchasing power equivalent - $60.1 billion, per capita $5,700; real growth rate - 7% (1991 est.)

Illicit drugs [time series]

transshipment point for Southeast Asia heroin transiting the Balkan route

Imports [time series]

$11.7 billion (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: capital goods 31.6%, fuels 13.8%, manufactured consumer goods 14.6%, agriculture 6%, other 34.0% partners: USSR and Eastern Europe 34%, EC 31%, EFTA 15.4%

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate - 20% (1991 est.)

Industries [time series]

mining, metallurgy, engineering industries, processed foods, textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals), trucks, buses

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

34% (1991 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Hungary is in the midst of a difficult transition between a command and a market economy. Agriculture is an important sector, providing sizable export earnings and meeting domestic food needs. Industry accounts for about 40% of GDP and 30% of employment. Hungary claims that less than 20% of foreign trade is now with former CEMA countries, while about 70% is with OECD members. Hungary's economic reform programs during the Communist era gave it a head start in creating a market economy and attracting foreign investment. In 1990, Hungary received half of all foreign investment in Eastern Europe and in 1991 received the largest single share. The growing private sector accounts for one-quarter to one-third of national output according to unofficial estimates. Privatization of state enterprises is progressing, although excessive redtape, bureaucratic oversight, and uncertainties about pricing have slowed the process. Escalating unemployment and high rates of inflation may impede efforts to speed up privatization and budget reform, while Hungary's heavy foreign debt will make the government reluctant to introduce full convertability of the forint before 1993.

Unemployment rate [time series]

8.0% (1991)

Geography

Climate [time series]

temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers

Coastline [time series]

none - landlocked

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly smaller than Indiana

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

Gabcikovo Dam dispute with Czechoslovakia

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

levees are common along many streams, but flooding occurs almost every year

Area (Land area) [time series]

92,340 km2

Land boundaries [time series]

2,113 km; Austria 366 km, Slovenia 82 km, Czechoslovakia 676 km, Romania 443 km, Croatia 292 km, Serbia and Montenegro 151 km, Ukraine 103 km

Land use [time series]

arable land 54%; permanent crops 3%; meadows and pastures 14%; forest and woodland 18%; other 11%; includes irrigated 2%

Maritime claims [time series]

none - landlocked

Natural resources [time series]

bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils

Note [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

mostly flat to rolling plains

Area (Total area) [time series]

93,030 km2

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

19 counties (megyek, singular - megye) and 1 capital city* (fovaros); Bacs-Kiskun, Baranya, Bekes, Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen, Budapest*, Csongrad, Fejer, Gyor-Moson-Sopron, Hajdu-Bihar, Heves, Jasz-Nagykun-Szolnok, Komarom-Esztergom, Nograd, Pest, Somogy, Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg, Tolna, Vas, Veszprem, Zala

Capital [time series]

Budapest

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

fewer than 100,000 (December 1989)

Constitution [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Pal TAR; Chancery at 3910 Shoemaker Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 362-6730; there is a Hungarian Consulate General in New York US: Ambassador Charles THOMAS; Embassy at V. Szabadsag Ter 12, Budapest (mailing address is APO AE 09213-5270); telephone [36] (1) 112-6450; FAX 132-8934

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

President: last held 3 August 1990 (next to be held August 1994); results - President GONCZ elected by popular vote; note - President GONCZ was elected by the National Assembly with a total of 294 votes out of 304 as interim President from 2 May 1990 until elected President National Assembly: last held on 25 March 1990 (first round, with the second round held 8 April 1990); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (386 total) Democratic Forum 162, Free Democrats 90, Independent Smallholders 45, Hungarian Socialist Party (MSP) 33, Young Democrats 22, Christian Democrats 21, independents or jointly sponsored candidates 13

Executive branch [time series]

president, prime minister

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

1001, unification by King Stephen I

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court, may be restructured as part of ongoing government overhaul

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State: President Arpad GONCZ (since 3 August 1990; previously interim President from 2 May 1990) Head of Government: Prime Minister Jozsef ANTALL (since 23 May 1990)

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral National Assembly (Orszaggyules)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Republic of Hungary

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

BIS, CCC, CE, CSCE, ECE, FAO, G-9, GATT, HG, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NACC, NSG, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

National holiday [time series]

October 23 (1956); commemorates the Hungarian uprising

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Democratic Forum, Jozsef ANTALL, chairman; Dr. Lajos FUR, acting president; Free Democrats, Peter TOLGYESSY, chairman; Independent Smallholders, Jozsef TORGYAN, president; Hungarian Socialist Party (MSP), Gyula HORN, chairman; Young Democrats, Gabor FODOR, head; Christian Democrats, Dr. Lazlo SURJAN, president; note - the Hungarian Socialist (Communist) Workers' Party (MSZMP) renounced Communism and became the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSP) in October 1989; there is still a small (fringe) MSZMP

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

People

Birth rate [time series]

12 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate [time series]

13 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Hungarian 96.6%, Gypsy 5.8%, German 1.6%, Slovak 1.1%, Southern Slav 0.3%, Romanian 0.2%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

14 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force [time series]

5.4 million; services, trade, government, and other 43.2%, industry 30.9%, agriculture 18.8%, construction 7.1% (1991)

Languages [time series]

Hungarian 98.2%, other 1.8%

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

66 years male, 75 years female (1992)

Literacy [time series]

99% (male 99%, female 98%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)

Nationality [time series]

noun - Hungarian(s); adjective - Hungarian

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor [time series]

45-55% of labor force; Central Council of Hungarian Trade Unions (SZOT) includes 19 affiliated unions, all controlled by the government; independent unions legal; may be as many as 12 small independent unions in operation

Population [time series]

10,333,327 (July 1992), growth rate - 0.1% (1992)

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholic 67.5%, Calvinist 20.0%, Lutheran 5.0%, atheist and other 7.5%

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.8 children born/woman (1992)