Background: Hungary became a Christian kingdom in A.D. 1000 and for many centuries served as a bulwark against Ottoman Turkish expansion in Europe. The kingdom eventually became 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 five years later. In 2011 Hungary assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the EU for the first time.

Geographic coordinates: 47 00 N 20 00 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 93,028 km²
Rank: 110
Land: 89,608 km²
Water: 3,420 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Indiana

Land boundaries
Total: 2,185 km
Border countries: (7) Austria 366 km; Croatia 329 km; Romania 443 km; Serbia 166 km; Slovakia 676 km; Slovenia 102 km; Ukraine 103 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

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
Extremes highest point: Kekes 1014 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)

Irrigated land: 1400 km² (2008)

Total renewable water resources: 120 km³ (2005)

Geography
Note: 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

Population: 9,976,062 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 84
Growth rate: -0.17% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 210
Below poverty line: 13.9% (2010)

Nationality
Noun: Hungarian
Adjective: Hungarian

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

Languages: Hungarian 93.6% other or unspecified 6.4% (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)

Age structure
0-14 years: 14.9%
15-64 years: 68.2% (male 3,361,538/female 3,444,450)
65 years and over: 16.9% (male 622,426/female 1,058,582) (2011 est.)

Median age
Total: 40.2 years
Male: 38.1 years
Female: 42.8 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.17% (2011 est.)
Rank: 210

Birth rate: 9.6 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 199

Death rate: 12.68 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 26

Net migration rate: 1.39 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 47

Urbanization
Urban population: 68% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 0.3% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Environment
Current issues: 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
International agreements 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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.057 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.57 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 5.31 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 180
Male: 5.57 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 5.04 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.79 years
Rank: 92
Male: 71.04 years
Female: 78.76 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 199

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 3.097 physicians/1000 population (2008)
Rank: 36

Hospital bed density: 7.04 beds/1000 population (2008)
Rank: 14

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 130
People living with hivaids: 3,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 128
Deaths: fewer than 200 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 105

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: intermediate
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
Vectorborne diseases: tickborne encephalitis (2009)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 17.7% (2004)
Rank: 25

Education expenditures: 5.2% of GDP (2007)
Rank: 52

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99.4%
Male: 99.5%
Female: 99.3% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 15 years
Male: 15 years
Female: 16 years (2008)

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
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

Administrative divisions: 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

Independence: 16 November 1918 (republic proclaimed); notable earlier dates: 25 December 1000 (crowning of King STEPHEN I traditional founding date); 30 March 1867 (Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy established)

National holiday: Saint Stephen's Day 20 August; note - commemorates the date when his remains were transferred to Buda (now Budapest)

Constitution: 25 April 2011 effective 1 January 2012

Legal system: civil legal system influenced by the German model

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Pal SCHMITT
Head of government: Prime Minister Viktor ORBAN (since 29 May 2010)
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 on 29 June 2010 (next to be held by June 2015); prime minister elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president; election last held 29 May 2010
Election results: Pal SCHMITT elected president; National Assembly vote - Pal SCHMITT 263 Andras BALOGH 58; Viktor ORBAN was elected prime minister; National Assembly vote - 261 to 107
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

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Orszaggyules (386 seats; members elected by popular vote under a system of proportional and direct representation to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held on 11 and 25 April 2010 (next to be held in April 2014)
Election results: percent of vote by party (5% or more of the vote required for parliamentary representation in the first round) - Fidesz 52.7% MSzP 19.3% Jobbik 16.7% LMP 7.5%; seats by party - Fidesz 263 MSzP 59 Jobbik 47 LMP 16 independent 1

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court (judges are elected by the National Assembly for nine-year terms); Curia (highest court; head of Curia elected by National Assembly the other judges elected by the president on recommendation of the head of the National Office of the Courts a separate administrative body); Regional Courts of Appeal (judges are appointed by the president)

Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic People's Party or KDNP [Zsolt SEMJEN]; Democratic Coalition [Ferenc GYURCSANY]; Hungarian Civic Alliance or Fidesz [Viktor ORBAN chairman]; Hungarian Socialist Party or MSzP [Attila MESTERHAZY]; Movement for a Better Hungary or Jobbik [Gabor VONA]; Politics Can Be Different or LMP [13-member leadership]

International organization participation: Australia Group BIS CD CE CEI CERN EAPC EBRD EIB ESA (cooperating state) EU FAO G-9 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICRM IDA IEA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC MIGA MINURSO NATO NEA NSG OAS (observer) OECD OIF (observer) OPCW OSCE PCA Schengen Convention SECI UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNFICYP UNHCR UNIDO UNIFIL UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Gyorgy SZAPARY
In the us chancery: 3,910 Shoemaker Street NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 362-6,730
In the us fax: [1] (202) 966-8,135
In the us consulate general: Chicago Los Angeles New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Eleni Tsakopoulos KOUNALAKIS
From the us embassy: Szabadsag ter 12 H-1054 Budapest
From the us mailing address: pouch: American Embassy Budapest 5,270 Budapest Place US Department of State Washington DC 20,521-5,270
From the us telephone: [36] (1) 475-4,400
From the us fax: [36] (1) 475-4,764

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top) white and green; the flag dates to the national movement of the 18th and 19th centuries and fuses the medieval colors of the Hungarian coat of arms with the revolutionary tricolor form of the French flag; folklore attributes virtues to the colors: red for strength white for faithfulness and green for hope; alternatively the red is seen as being for the blood spilled in defense of the land white for freedom and green for the pasturelands that make up so much of the country

National symbols: Holy Crown of Hungary (Crown of Saint Stephen); turul (falcon)

National anthem
Name: 'Himnusz'
Lyricsmusic: Ferenc KOLCSEY/Ferenc ERKEL
Note: adopted 1844; the anthem is also known as 'Isten aldd meg a magyart' (God Bless the Hungarians)

Economy overview: 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 more than 80% of GDP. Foreign ownership of and investment in Hungarian firms are widespread with cumulative foreign direct investment worth more than $70 billion. The government's austerity measures imposed since late 2006 have reduced the budget deficit from over 9% of GDP in 2006 to 3.2% in 2010 with a target of less than 3% in 2011. Hungary's impending inability to service its short-term debt - brought on by the global financial crisis in late 2008 - led Budapest to obtain an IMF/EU/World Bank-arranged financial assistance package worth over $25 billion. The global economic downturn declining exports and low domestic consumption and fixed asset accumulation dampened by government austerity measures resulted in an economic contraction of 6.3% in 2009. In 2010 the new government implemented a number of changes including cutting business and personal income taxes but imposed 'crisis taxes' on financial institutions energy and telecom companies and retailers. The economy rebounded in 2010 with a big boost from exports especially to Germany and growth of more than 2.5% is expected in 2011. Unemployment remained high at more than 10% in 2010.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 55
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 166

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 65
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2.4%
Industry: 36.9%
Services: 60.7% (2010 est.)

Agriculture products: wheat corn sunflower seed potatoes sugar beets; pigs cattle poultry dairy products

Industries: mining metallurgy construction materials processed foods textiles chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals) motor vehicles

Industrial production growth rate: 10.5% (2010 est.)
Rank: 23

Labor force: 4.23 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 85
By occupation agriculture: 4.7%
By occupation industry: 30.9%
By occupation services: 64.4% (2010)

Unemployment rate: 10% (2009 est.)
Rank: 122

Population below poverty line: 13.9% (2010)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3.1%
Highest 10: 22.6% (2009)

Distribution of family income gini index: 24.4 (1998)
Rank: 139

Budget
Revenues: $58.17 billion
Expenditures: $63.71 billion (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -4.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 131

Taxes and other revenues: 45.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 26

Public debt: 78.4% of GDP (2009 est.)
Rank: 21

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4.2% (2009 est.)
Rank: 146

Central bank discount rate: 6.25% (31 December 2009)
Rank: 63

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 11.058% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 96

Stock of narrow money: $32.55 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 57

Stock of broad money: $76.38 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 62

Stock of domestic credit: $110.8 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 49

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 58

Current account balance: $472 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 44

Exports: $81.56 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 36
Commodities: machinery and equipment 61.1% other manufactures 28.7% food products 6.5% raw materials 2% fuels and electricity 1.6% (2009 est.)
Partners: Germany 25.5% Italy 5.5% UK 5.4% Romania 5.3% Slovakia 5.1% France 4.9% Austria 4.7% (2010 est.)

Imports: $76.78 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 34
Commodities: machinery and equipment 50% fuels and electricity 11% food products raw materials
Partners: Germany 26.1% Russia 7.7% China 6.8% Austria 5.9% Netherlands 4.4% Poland 4.3% Italy 4.2% (2010 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $44.18 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 36

Debt external: $179 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 31

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $68.97 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 47

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $20.49 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 41

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 37.55 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 58
Consumption: 42.7 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 49
Exports: 4.703 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Imports: 9.879 billion kWh (2010 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 2.494 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 55
Consumption: 12.05 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 44
Exports: 227 million m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 41
Imports: 9.636 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 25
Proven reserves: 8.098 billion m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 82

Telephones
Main lines in use: 2.977 million (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 51
Mobile cellular: 12.012 million (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 60

Telephone system
General assessment: the telephone system has been modernized; the system is digital 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
Domestic: 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

Broadcast media: mixed system of state-supported public service broadcast media and private broadcasters; the 3 publicly-owned TV channels and the 2 main privately-owned TV stations are the major national broadcasters; a large number of special interest channels have emerged; highly developed market for satellite and cable TV services with about two-thirds of viewers utilizing multi-channel services; 3 state-supported public-service radio networks and 2 major national commercial stations; a large number of local stations including commercial public service nonprofit and community radio stations; digital transition postponed to the end of 2012 (2007)

Internet
Country code: .hu
Hosts: 2.655 million (2010)
Hosts rank: 30
Users: 6.176 million (2009)
Users rank: 41

Military expenditures: 1.75% of GDP (2005 est.)
Rank: 84

Military service age and obligation: 18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; 6-month service obligation (2010)

Airports: 43 (2010)
Rank: 99
With paved runways total: 22
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 7
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6
With paved runways under 914 m: 2 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 21
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 8
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 11 (2010)

Heliports: 5 (2010)

Pipelines: gas 4,716 km; oil 984 km; refined products 361 km (2010)

Railways
Total: 9,208 km
Rank: 23
Broad gauge: 36 km 1.524-m gauge
Standard gauge: 7,802 km 1.435-m gauge (2,911 km electrified)
Narrow gauge: 219 km 0.760-m gauge (2009)

Roadways
Total: 197,519 km
Rank: 25
Paved: 74,993 km (43,898 km of interurban roads including 911 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 112,526 km (2010)

Waterways: 1622 km (most on Danube River) (2010)
Rank: 48

Ports and terminals: Budapest Dunaujvaros Gyor-Gonyu Csepel Baja Mohacs

Disputes international: 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

Illicit drugs: 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 remai