Hungary

Hungary 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. 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 in 2004.

Hungary Information

• Population: 10,032,375 (July 2004 est.)
• Nationality: noun: Hungarian(s) adjective: Hungarian
• Location:: Central Europe, northwest of Romania
• Religions:: Roman Catholic 67.5%, Calvinist 20%, Lutheran 5%, atheist and other 7.5%
• Ethnic Groups:: Hungarian 89.9%, Roma 4%, German 2.6%, Serb 2%, Slovak 0.8%, Romanian 0.7%
• Land Boundaries:: total: 2,171 km border countries: Austria 366 km, Croatia 329 km, Romania 443 km, Serbia and Montenegro 151 km, Slovakia 677 km, Slovenia 102 km, Ukraine 103 km
• Area: total: 93,030 sq km water: 690 sq km land: 92,340 sq km
• Coast Line: 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
• Maritime Claims: none (landlocked)
• Land Use: arable land: 50.09% other: 47.85% (2001) permanent crops: 2.06%
• Environmental Issues: the upgrading 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
• Natural Resources: bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils, arable land
• Highways: total: 188,203 km paved: 81,680 km (including 438 km of expressways) unpaved: 106,523 km (1999)
• Railways: total: 7,937 km broad gauge: 36 km 1.524-m gauge standard gauge: 7,682 km 1.435-m gauge (2,628 km electrified) narrow gauge: 219 km 0.760-m gauge (2003)
• Ports & Harbours: Budapest, Dunaujvaros, Gyor-Gonyu, Csepel, Baja, Mohacs (2003)
• Airports: 43 (2003 est.)