Hungary

Background
Map & Flag 
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Missionaries 

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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 announced withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact were met with a massive military intervention by Moscow. In the more open GORBACHEV years, Hungary led the movement to dissolve the Warsaw Pact and steadily shifted toward multiparty democracy and a market-oriented economy. Following the collapse of the USSR in 1991, Hungary developed close political and economic ties to Western Europe. It joined NATO in 1999 and is a frontrunner in a future expansion of the EU.


Geography

Location
Central Europe, northwest of Romania

Geographic coordinates
47 00 N, 20 00 E

Area
total: 93,030 sq km
land: 92,340 sq km
water: 690 sq km

slightly smaller than Indiana

Border countries
Austria, Croatia, Romania, Yugoslavia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine

Climate
temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers

Terrain
mostly flat to rolling plains; hills and low mountains on the Slovakian border

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

Natural resources
bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils, arable land

Land use
arable land: 49.58%
permanent crops: 2.06%
other: 48.36% (2005)

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


People

Population:  9,981,334 (July 2006 est.)

Population growth rate
-0.25% (2006 est.)

Birth rate
9.72 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate
13.11 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate
8.39 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
total population: 72.66 years
male: 68.45 years
female: 77.14 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate
1.32 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Nationality
noun: Hungarian(s)
adjective: Hungarian

Ethnic groups
Hungarian:  92.3%
Roma: 1.9%
Other or unknown: 5.8% (2001 census)

Religions
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)

Languages
Hungarian 93.6%
other or unspecified 6.4% (2001 census)

Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.4%
male: 99.5%
female: 99.3% (2003 est.)


Government

Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Hungary
conventional short form: Hungary
local long form: Magyar Koztarsasag
local short form: Magyarorszag

Government type
parliamentary democracy

Capital
Budapest

Independence
1001 (unification by King Stephen I)

National holiday
St. Stephen's Day, 20 August


Economy

Overview
Hungary continues to demonstrate strong economic growth and to work toward accession to the European Union. The private sector accounts for over 80% of GDP. Foreign ownership of and investment in Hungarian firms is widespread, with cumulative foreign direct investment totaling $23 billion by 2000. Hungarian sovereign debt was upgraded in 2000 to the second-highest rating among all the Central European transition economies. Inflation - a top economic concern in 2000 - is still high at almost 10%, pushed upward by higher world oil and gas and domestic food prices. Economic reform measures such as health care reform, tax reform, and local government financing have not yet been addressed by the ORBAN government.

GDP by sector
agriculture: 3.1%
industry: 32.1%
services: 64.8% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line
8.6%

Inflation rate
3.7% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
agriculture: 5.5%
services: 61.2% (2003)
industry: 33.3%

Unemployment rate
7.4% (2006 est.)


Communications

Telephones: 3.356 million (2005)
Mobile Phones: 9.32 million (2005)
Radios: 7.01 million (1997)
Televisions: 4.42 million (1997)
Internet users: 3.05 million (2005)


Transportation

Railways: total: 7,937 km
Highways: total: 159,568 km
Waterways: 1,622 km (permanently navigable) (1997)
Airports: 46 (2006)