Background: After World War II Hungary became part of Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe, and its government and economy were refashioned on the communist model. Increased nationalist opposition, which culminated in the government's announcement of withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact in 1956, led to massive military intervention by Moscow and the swift crushing of the revolt. In the more open GORBACHEV years, Hungary led the movement to dissolve the Warsaw Pact and steadily moved toward multiparty democracy and a market-oriented economy.

Land boundaries: 2,251 km total; Austria 366 km, Czechoslovakia 676 km, Romania 443 km, USSR 135 km, Yugoslavia 631 km

Coastline: none--landlocked

Maritime claims: none--landlocked

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

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

Population: 10,558,001 (July 1991), growth rate - 0.1% (1991)

Nationality: noun--Hungarian(s; adjective--Hungarian

Ethnic groups: Hungarian 96.6%, German 1.6%, Slovak 1.1%, Southern Slav 0.3%, Romanian 0.2%

Languages: Hungarian 98.2%, other 1.8%

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

Birth rate: 12 births/1000 population (1991)

Death rate: 13 deaths/1000 population (1991)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1991)

Environment
Current issues: levees are common along many streams, but flooding occurs almost every year

Infant mortality rate: 14 deaths/1000 live births (1991)

Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 76 years female (1991)

Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1991)

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

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Hungary

Government type: republic

Capital: Budapest

Administrative divisions: 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

Independence: 1001, unification by King Stephen I

National holiday: October 23 (1956; commemorates the Hungarian uprising

Constitution: 18 August 1949, effective 20 August 1949, revised 19 April 1972; 18 October 1989 revision ensures legal rights for individuals and constitutional checks on the authority of the prime minister and established the principle of parliamentary oversight

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

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Executive branch: 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)

Legislative branch: Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Frontier Guard, Civil Defense

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

International organization participation: BIS, CCC, CE, CSCE, ECE, FAO, G-9, GATT, IAEA, IBEC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IIB, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador (vacant; Chancery at 3,910 Shoemaker Street NW, Washington DC 20,008; telephone (202) 362-6,730; there is a Hungarian Consulate General in New York; US--Ambassador Charles THOMAS; Embassy at V. Szabadsag Ter 12, Budapest (mailing address is APO New York 9,213; telephone [36] (1) 112-6,450

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and green Hungary HungaryHungary

Economy overview: Agriculture is an important sector, providing sizable export earnings and meeting domestic food needs. Industry accounts for about 40% of GNP and 30% of employment. About 40% of Hungary's foreign trade is with the USSR and Eastern Europe and a third is with the EC. Low rates of growth reflect the inability of the Soviet-style economy to modernize capital plant and motivate workers. GNP declined by 1% in 1989 and by an estimated 6% in 1990. Since 1985 external debt has more than doubled, to over $20 billion. In recent years Hungary has experimented widely with decentralized and market-oriented enterprises. The newly democratic government has renounced the Soviet economic growth model and plans to open the economy to wider market forces and to much closer economic relations with Western Europe. Prime Minister Antall has declared his intention to move foward on privatization of state enterprises, provision for bankruptcy, land reform, and marketization of international trade, but concerns over acceptable levels of unemployment and inflation may slow the reform process.

Agriculture products: including forestry, accounts for about 15% of GNP 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

Industries: mining, metallurgy, engineering industries, processed foods, textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals)

Industrial production growth rate: - 7.9% (1990 est.)

Labor force: 4,860,000; services, trade, government, and other 43.2%, industry 30.9%, agriculture 18.8%, construction 7.1% (1988)

Unemployment rate: 1.7% (1990)

Budget: revenues $18.2 billion; expenditures $18.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $805 million (1989)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $10.2 billion (f.o.b. 1989)
Commodities: capital goods 15%, fuels 20%, manufactured consumer goods 12.4%, agriculture 5%, other 47.6%

Imports: $10.1 billion (c.i.f., 1989)
Partners: USSR and Eastern Europe 34.9%, developed countries 45.5%, less developed countries 16.6%, US 3%

Debt external: $20.7 billion (1989)

Exchange rates: forints (Ft) per US$1--60.95 (December 1990), 63.21 (1990), 59.07 (1989), 50.41 (1988), 46.97 (1987), 45.83 (1986), 50.12 (1985)

Electricity
Capacity: 7,800,000 kW capacity; 30,400 million kWh produced, 2,870 kWh per capita (1990)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 43.7 billion forints, NA% of GDP (1989; note--conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the official administratively set exchange rate would produce misleading results

Airports: 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

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

Waterways: 1,622 km (1988)

Merchant marine: 16 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) and 1 bulk totaling 94,393 GRT/131,946 DWT

Disputes international: Nagymaros Dam dispute with Czechoslovakia