Hungary

republicIndependence 1001 (unification by King Stephen I)

Hungary as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 121 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalBudapest
LocationCentral Europe, between Slovakia and Romania
1994

Every edition of Hungary

Populationas each edition published it
10.32 million July 1994 est. · 10.57m in 1990
Population growth% a year
-0.03% 1994 est. · -0.07% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 38.4 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 70.86 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
1.83 children per woman 1994 est. · 1.8 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
12.5 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 15 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$5,500 1993 est. · $5,380 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
-1% 1993 est. · -5% in 1993

Geography

Central Europe, between Slovakia and Romania

22 fields
Coastline
0km
(landlocked)Maritime claims: none; landlocked
Land boundaries
1,989km
total · 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
Irrigated land
1,750sq km
(1989)

Location

Central Europe, between Slovakia and Romania

Map references

Ethnic Groups in Eastern Europe, Europe

total area

93,030 sq km

land area

92,340 sq km

comparative area

slightly smaller than Indiana

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

arable land

50.7%

permanent crops

6.1%

meadows and pastures

12.6%

forest and woodland

18.3%

other

12.3%

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

21 fields
Population
10,319,113
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: -0.03% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
12.46Death
12.72Net migration
0

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%
Labor force
5.4million
Literacy
15and over can read and write
age · (1980)

Infant mortality rate

12.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

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.)

noun

Hungarian(s)

adjective

Hungarian

Languages

Hungarian 98.2%, other 1.8%

total population

99%

male

99%

female

98%

by occupation

services, trade, government, and other 44.8%, industry 29.7%, agriculture 16.1%, construction 7.0% (1991)

Government

Republic

33 fields

Legislature, 386 seatsseats by party

Hungarian Socialist Party 209Alliance of Free Democrats 70Hungarian Democratic Forum 37Independent Smallholders 26Christian Democratic People's Party 22Federation of Young Democrats 20other 2

conventional long form

Republic of Hungary

conventional short form

Hungary

local long form

Magyar Koztarsasag

local short form

Magyarorszag

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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

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

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

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

Hungary is still in the midst of a difficult transition from a command | to a market economy.

26 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$5,500
(1993 est.)
Real growth rate
-1%
(1993 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 4% (1993 est.)

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.)

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)

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

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

16 fields

Networkskm

Railroads
7,765 (1990)Inland waterways
1,622 (1988)
Railroads: ; 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

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)

total

130,224 km

paved

61,948 km

unpaved

68,276 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

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

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

3 fields
Defense expenditures
66.5billion forints
NA% of GNP (1993 est.); note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results

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.)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Hungary.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/hungary/1994.

How to cite ← 1993 edition 1995 edition →