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 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 in 2004.

Central Europe, northwest of Romania
47 00 N, 20 00 E
Europe
total: 93,030 sq km ; land: 92,340 sq km ; water: 690 sq km
slightly smaller than Indiana
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
0 km (landlocked)
none (landlocked)
temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers
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
bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils, arable land
arable land: 49.58% ; permanent crops: 2.06% ; other: 48.36% (2005)
2,300 sq km (2003)
120 cu km (2005)
Total: 21.03 cu km/yr (9%/59%/32%) ; Per capita: 2,082 cu m/yr (2001)

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
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
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
9,956,108 (July 2007 est.)
0-14 years: 15.3% (male 785,643/female 741,907) ; 15-64 years: 69.3% (male 3,399,926/female 3,498,403) ; 65 years and over: 15.4% (male 554,356/female 975,873) (2007 est.)
total: 38.9 years ; male: 36.5 years ; female: 41.5 years (2007 est.)
-0.253% (2007 est.)
9.66 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
13.05 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
0.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female ; under 15 years: 1.059 male(s)/female ; 15-64 years: 0.972 male(s)/female ; 65 years and over: 0.568 male(s)/female ; total population: 0.909 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
total: 8.21 deaths/1,000 live births ; male: 8.91 deaths/1,000 live births ; female: 7.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total population: 72.92 years ; male: 68.73 years ; female: 77.38 years (2007 est.)
1.33 children born/woman (2007 est.)
0.1% (2001 est.)
2,800 (2001 est.)
less than 100 (2001 est.)
noun: Hungarian(s) ; adjective: Hungarian
Hungarian 92.3%, Roma 1.9%, other or unknown 5.8% (2001 census)
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)
Hungarian 93.6%, other or unspecified 6.4% (2001 census)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write ; total population: 99.4% ; male: 99.5% ; female: 99.3% (2003 est.)


conventional long form: Republic of Hungary ; conventional short form: Hungary ; local long form: Magyar Koztarsasag ; local short form: Magyarorszag
parliamentary democracy
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
19 counties (megyek, singular - megye), 23 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, Erd, Gyor, Hodmezovasarhely, Kaposvar, Kecskemet, Miskolc, Nagykanizsa, Nyiregyhaza, Pecs, Salgotarjan, Sopron, Szeged, Szekesfehervar, Szekszard, Szolnok, Szombathely, Tatabanya, Veszprem, Zalaegerszeg ; capital city: Budapest

25 December 1000 (crowning of King STEPHEN I, traditional founding date)
Saint Stephen's Day, 20 August
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
based German-Austrian legal system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
18 years of age; universal
chief of state: Laszlo SOLYOM (since 5 August 2005) ; head of government: Prime Minister Ferenc GYURCSANY (since 29 September 2004) ; 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 ; 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
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 in 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
Constitutional Court (judges are elected by the National Assembly for nine-year terms)
Alliance of Free Democrats or SzDSz [Janos KOKA]; 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 [Ferenc GYURCSANY]
NA
ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA (cooperating state), EU, FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and green
chief of mission: Ambassador Ferenc SOMOGYI ; 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
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





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 over 80% of GDP. Foreign ownership of and investment in Hungarian firms are widespread, with cumulative foreign direct investment totaling more than $60 billion since 1989. Hungary issues investment-grade sovereign debt. International observers, however, have expressed concerns over Hungary's fiscal and current account deficits. In 2007, Hungary eliminated a trade deficit that had persisted for several years. Inflation declined from 14% in 1998 to a low of 3.7% in 2006, but jumped to 7.8% in 2007. Unemployment has persisted above 6%. 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 4% of GDP by 2008, from about 6% in 2007. The government's austerity program of tax hikes and subsidy cuts has reduced Hungary's large budget deficit, but the reforms have dampened domestic consumption, slowing GDP growth to less than 2% in 2007. The government will need to pass additional reforms to ensure the long-term stability of public finances. The government plans to eventually lower its public sector deficit to below 3% of GDP to adopt the euro.
$194.2 billion (2007 est.)
$118.4 billion (2007 est.)
2.1% (2007 est.)
$19,500 (2007 est.)
agriculture: 3.3% ; industry: 32.4% ; services: 64.2% (2007 est.)
4.19 million (2007 est.)
agriculture: 5.5% ; industry: 33.3% ; services: 61.2% (2003)
7.1% (2007 est.)
8.6% (1993 est.)
lowest 10%: 4% ; highest 10%: 22.2% (2002)
28 (2005)
7.8% (2007 est.)
21.9% of GDP (2007 est.)
revenues: $62.25 billion ; expenditures: $69.98 billion (2007 est.)
70.2% of GDP (2007 est.)
wheat, corn, sunflower seed, potatoes, sugar beets; pigs, cattle, poultry, dairy products
mining, metallurgy, construction materials, processed foods, textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals), motor vehicles
5% (2007 est.)
33.69 billion kWh (2005)
fossil fuel: 60.1% ; hydro: 0.5% ; nuclear: 39% ; other: 0.3% (2001)
35.98 billion kWh (2005)
9.41 billion kWh (2005)
15.64 billion kWh (2005)
42,180 bbl/day (2005 est.)
152,200 bbl/day (2005 est.)
58,380 bbl/day (2004)
150,000 bbl/day (2004)
102.5 million bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
2.904 billion cu m (2005 est.)
14.37 billion cu m (2005 est.)
0 cu m (2005 est.)
11.51 billion cu m (2005)
32.86 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
-$6.681 billion (2007 est.)
$85.73 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
machinery and equipment 61.1%, other manufactures 28.7%, food products 6.5%, raw materials 2%, fuels and electricity 1.6% (2003)
Germany 29.5%, Italy 5.6%, France 5%, Austria 5%, UK 4.5%, Romania 4.2%, Poland 4.1% (2006)
$85.99 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Germany 27.1%, Russia 8.2%, China 6.9%, Austria 6.2%, France 4.7%, Italy 4.6%, Netherlands 4.3%, Poland 4.3% (2006)

$24.25 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
$142.9 billion (30 June 2007)
$96.61 billion (2006 est.)
$36.24 billion (2006 est.)
$41.93 billion (2006)
forint (HUF)
HUF
forints per US dollar - 186.16 (2007), 210.39 (2006), 199.58 (2005), 202.75 (2004), 224.31 (2003)
calendar year
$302.6 million in available EU structural adjustment and cohesion funds (2004)
3.35 million (2006)
9.965 million (2006)
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; 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 ; 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
AM 17, FM 57, shortwave 3 (1998)
7.01 million (1997)
35 (plus 161 repeaters) (1995)
4.42 million (1997)
.hu
2.313 million (2007)
16 (2000)
3.5 million (2006)

46 (2007)
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 (2007)
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 (2007)
5 (2007)
gas 4,397 km; oil 990 km; refined products 335 km (2006)
total: 8,057 km ; broad gauge: 36 km 1.524-m gauge ; standard gauge: 7,802 km 1.435-m gauge (2,628 km electrified) ; narrow gauge: 219 km 0.760-m gauge (2006)
total: 159,568 km ; paved: 70,050 km (30,874 km of interurban roads including 626 km of expressways) ; unpaved: 89,518 km (2005)
1,622 km (most on Danube River) (2007)

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

Ground Forces, Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Legiero, ML) (2006)
18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in June 2004; 6-month service obligation, with reserve obligation to age 50 (2006)
males age 18-49: 2,303,116 ; females age 18-49: 2,265,463 (2005 est.)
males age 18-49: 1,780,513 ; females age 18-49: 1,864,580 (2005 est.)
males age 18-49: 63,847 ; females age 18-49: 61,037 (2005 est.)
1.75% (2005 est.)

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

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

