Hungary

Hungary

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Magyar Köztársaság/Republic of Hungary Area 93,032 sq km/35,919 sq mi Capital Budapest Language Hungarian (official) Religion Roman Catholic 65%, Calvinist 20%, other Christian denominations, Jewish, atheist Time difference GMT +1 Major holidays 1 January, 15 March, 1 May, 20 August, 23 October, 25–26 December; variable: Easter Monday


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Miskolc, Debrecen, Szeged, Pécs, Györ, Nyíregyháza, Székesfehérvár, Kecskemét Physical features Great Hungarian Plain covers eastern half of country; Bakony Forest, Lake Balaton, and Transdanubian Highlands in the west; rivers Danube, Tisza, and Raba; more than 500 thermal springs Airports two international airports and several other domestic airports and airfields; total passengers carried: 2.4 million (2003 est) Railways total length: 8,137 km/5,056 mi; total passenger journeys: 156.4 million (2000) Roads total road network: 159,568 km/99,151 mi, of which 43.9% paved (2002 est); passenger cars: 313.2 per 1,000 people (2003 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state László Sólyom from 2005 Head of government Ferenc Gyurcsany from 2004 Political system liberal democracy Political executive parliamentary Administrative divisions 19 counties and the capital city (with 22 districts) Political parties over 50, including Hungarian Socialist Party (HSP), reform-socialist; Alliance of Free Democrats (AFD), centrist, radical free market; Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF), nationalist, right of centre; Independent Smallholders Party (ISP), right of centre, agrarian; Christian Democratic People's Party (KDNP), right of centre; Federation of Young Democrats, liberal, anticommunist; Fidesz, right of centre Death penalty abolished in 1990 Armed forces 32,300; plus 44,000 reservists and paramilitary forces of 12,000 (2006 est) Conscription 16 months (men aged 18–23) Defence spend (% GDP) 1.4 (2005 est) Education spend (% GDP) 5.5 (2003 est) Health spend (% GDP) 6.1 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency forint GDP (US$) 109.2 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 4.5 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 101.2 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 16,940 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 3.5% (2006 est) Unemployment 7.4% (2006 est) Labour force 5% agriculture, 32.4% industry, 62.6% services (2005) Foreign debt (US$) 77 billion (2005 est) Major trading partners Germany, Russia, Austria, USA, Italy, France, China Resources lignite, brown coal, natural gas, petroleum, bauxite, hard coal Industries food and beverages, tobacco, steel and iron production, chemicals, petroleum and plastics, engineering, transport equipment, pharmaceuticals, textiles, cement Exports machinery and transport equipment, raw materials, semi-finished products, industrial consumer goods, food and agricultural products. Principal market: Germany 29.3% (2005) Imports mineral fuels, raw materials, semi-finished products, transport equipment, food products, consumer goods. Principal source: Germany 27.6% (2005) Arable land 49.6% (2006 est) Agricultural products wheat, maize, sugar beet, barley, potatoes, sunflowers, grapes; livestock and dairy products


POPULATION

Population 10,071,200 (2006 est) Population growth rate -0.3% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 108 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 66 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 16%, 15–59 63%, 60+ 61% (2005 est) Ethnic groups 90% indigenous, or Magyar; there is a large Romany community of around 600,000; other ethnic minorities include Germans, Croats, Romanians, Slovaks, Serbs, and Slovenes Life expectancy 70 (men); 78 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 8 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 10 Literacy rate 99% (men); 99% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 31.6 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 7.8 (2003 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) 0.1 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 100 (urban); 100 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 33.2 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 92.3 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 690 (1999 est) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 530 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 14.6 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 29.7 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

1st century AD Region formed part of Roman Empire. 4th century Germanic tribes overran central Europe. c. 445 Attila the Hun established a short-lived empire, including Hungarian nomads living far to the east. c. 680 Hungarians settled between the Don and Dniepr rivers under Khazar rule. 9th century Hungarians invaded central Europe; ten tribes united under Árpád, chief of the Magyar tribe, who conquered the area corresponding to modern Hungary in 896. 10th century Hungarians colonized Transylvania and raided their neighbours for plunder and slaves. 955 Battle of Lech: Germans led by Otto the Great defeated the Hungarians. 1001 St Stephen founded the Hungarian kingdom to replace tribal organization and converted the Hungarians to Christianity. 12th century Hungary became a major power when King Béla III won temporary supremacy over the Balkans. 1308–86 Angevin dynasty ruled after the Arpádian line died out. 1456 Battle of Belgrade: János Hunyadi defeated Ottoman Turks and saved Hungary from invasion. 1458–90 Under Mátyás I Corvinus, Hungary enjoyed military success and cultural renaissance. 1526 Battle of Mohács: Turks under Suleiman the Magnificent decisively defeated the Hungarians. 16th century Partition of Hungary between Turkey, Austria, and the semi-autonomous Transylvania. 1699 Treaty of Karlowitz: Austrians expelled the Turks from Hungary, which was reunified under Habsburg rule. 1707 Prince Ferenc Rákóczi II led an uprising against the Austrians. 1780–90 Joseph II's attempts to impose uniform administration throughout the Austrian Empire provoked nationalist reaction among the Hungarian nobility. early 19th century ‘National Revival’ movement led by Count Stephen Széchenyi and Lajos Kossuth. 1848 Hungarian Revolution: nationalists proclaimed self-government; Croat minority resisted Hungarian rule. 1849 Austrians crushed revolution with Russian support. 1867 Austria conceded equality to Hungary within dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary. 1918 Austria-Hungary collapsed in military defeat; Count Mihály Károlyi proclaimed Hungarian Republic. 1920 Treaty of Trianon: Hungary lost 72% of its territory to Czechoslovakia, Romania, and Yugoslavia; Admiral Miklós Horthy restored Kingdom of Hungary with himself as regent. 1938–41 Diplomatic collaboration with Germany allowed Hungary to regain territories lost in 1920; Hungary declared war on USSR in alliance with Germany in 1941. 1944 Germany occupied Hungary and installed Nazi regime. 1945 USSR ‘liberated’ Hungary. 1947 Peace treaty restored 1920 frontiers. 1949 Hungary became Soviet-style dictatorship; communist leader Mátyás Rákosi pursued Stalinist policies. 1956 Hungarian uprising: anti-Soviet demonstrations led USSR to invade and install János Kádár as communist leader. 1961 Kádár began limited liberal reform. 1988 Hungarian Democratic Forum formed by opposition groups. 1989 Communist dictatorship dismantled; transitional constitution restored multiparty democracy. Opening of border with Austria ended ‘Iron Curtain’ era. 1990 Elections won by centre–right coalition. 1991 Withdrawal of Soviet forces completed. 1996 Friendship treaty with Slovak Republic and cooperation treaty with Romania signed. 1997 Referendum endorsed proposed accession to NATO. 1999 Hungary became full member of NATO. 2003 Support in referendum for accession to European Union. 2004 Hungary became EU member. Ferenc Gyurcsány replaced Peter Medgyessy as prime minister of socialist-led coalition with free democrats. 2005 László Sólyom elected president by parliament, replacing Ferenc Mádl. 2006 Violent protests against re-elected Gyurcsány coalition overshadowed 50th anniversary commemorations of 1956 Hungarian uprising.


© RM 2013. Helicon Publishing is division of RM.