Republic of Hungary

National name: Magyar Köztársaság

President: László Sólyom (2005)

Prime Minister: Ferenc Gyurcsány (2004)

Land area: 35,653 sq mi (92,341 sq km); total area: 35,919 sq mi (93,030 sq km)

Population (2006 est.): 9,981,334 (growth rate: –0.3%); birth rate: 9.7/1000; infant mortality rate: 8.4/1000; life expectancy: 72.7; density per sq mi: 280

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Budapest, 2,597,000 (metro. area), 1,769,500 (city proper)

Other large cities: Debrecen, 210,500; Miskolc, 182,600; Szeged, 173,200; Pécs, 163,900

Monetary unit: Forint

Languages: Magyar (Hungarian) 94%, other 6%

Ethnicity/race: Hungarian 92.3%, Roma 1.9%, other or unknown 5.8% (2001)

Religions: Roman Catholic 52%, Calvinist 16%, Lutheran 3%, Greek Catholic 3%, other Christian 1%, unaffiliated 15% (2001)

Literacy rate: 99% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $161 billion; per capita $16,100. Real growth rate: 3.9%. Inflation: 3.7%. Unemployment: 7.1%. Arable land: 50%. Agriculture: wheat, corn, sunflower seed, potatoes, sugar beets; pigs, cattle, poultry, dairy products. Labor force: 4.18 million; agriculture 6.2%, industry 27.1%, services 66.7% (2002). Industries: mining, metallurgy, construction materials, processed foods, textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals), motor vehicles. Natural resources: bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils, arable land. Exports: $61.75 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): machinery and equipment 61.1%, other manufactures 28.7%, food products 6.5%, raw materials 2%, fuels and electricity 1.6% (2003). Imports: $64.83 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): machinery and equipment 51.6%, other manufactures 35.7%, fuels and electricity 7.7%, food products 3.1%, raw materials 2.0% (2003). Major trading partners: Germany, Austria, France, Italy, UK, Russia, Netherlands, China (2004).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 3,666,400 (2002); mobile cellular: 6,862,800 (2002). Radio broadcast stations: AM 17, FM 57, shortwave 3 (1998). Television broadcast stations: 35 (plus 161 low-power repeaters) (1995). Internet hosts: 383,071 (2004). Internet users: 1.6 million (2002).

Transportation: Railways: total: 7,875 km (2004). Highways: total: 159,568 km; paved: 70,050 km (including 533 km of expressways); unpaved: 89,518 km (2002). Waterways: 1,622 km (most on Danube River) (2004). Ports and harbors: Budapest, Dunaujvaros, Gyor-Gonyu, Csepel, Baja, Mohacs (2003). Airports: 44 (2004 est.).

International disputes: in 2004, Hungary amended the status law extending special social and cultural benefits and voted down a referendum to extend dual citizenship to ethnic Hungarians living in neighboring states, which have objected to such measures; consultations continue between Slovakia and Hungary over Hungary's completion of its portion the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros hydroelectric dam project along the Danube; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Hungary must implement the strict Schengen border rules.


 

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