Background: 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.
Government type: parliamentary
democracy
Capital: Budapest
Currency: 1 forint (Ft) = 100 filler
Geography of Hungary
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
Land boundaries:
total: 2,009 km
border countries: Austria 366 km, Croatia 329 km, Romania 443 km, Serbia and
Montenegro 151 km (all with Serbia), Slovakia 515 km, Slovenia 102 km, Ukraine 103 km
Coastline: 0 km (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
highest point: Kekes 1,014 m
Natural resources: bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 51%
permanent crops: 3.6%
permanent pastures: 12.4%
forests and woodland: 19%
other: 14% (1999)
Irrigated land: 2,060 sq km (1993 est.)
Environment - current issues: the approximation of Hungary's
standards in waste management, energy efficiency, and air, soil, and water
pollution with environmental requirements for EU accession will require
large investments.
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic
Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test
Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law
of the Sea.
Geography - note: landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes
between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between Ukraine and Mediterranean
basin.
More Geography
People of Hungary
Population: 10,006,835 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.63%
15-64 years: 68.66%
65 years and over: 14.71%
Population growth rate: -0.26%
Birth rate: 9.32 births/1,000 population
Death rate: 13.21 deaths/1,000 population
Net migration rate: 0.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population
Infant mortality rate: 8.96 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.63 years
male: 67.28 years
female: 76.3 years
Total fertility rate: 1.25 children born/woman
Nationality:
noun: Hungarian(s)
adjective: Hungarian
Ethnic groups: Hungarian 89.9%, Roma 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%
Languages: Hungarian 98.2%, other 1.8%
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 98% (1980 est.)
More about the Population
SOURCE: The World Factbook |