elections: chief executive elected for five-year term by 800-member electoral committee; last held on 25 March 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
election results: Donald TSANG elected chief executive receiving 84.1% of the vote of the election committee; Alan LEONG Kah-kit received 15.9%
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Council or LegCo (60 seats; 30 seats indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 30 elected by popular vote; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 7 September 2008 (next to be held in September 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - pro-democracy 57%; pro-Beijing 40%, independent 3%; seats by parties - (pro-Beijing 35) DAB 13, Liberal Party 7, FTU 1, others 14; (pro-democracy 23) Democratic Party 8, Civic Party 5, CTU 3, League of Social Democrats 3, ADPL 2, The Frontier 1, NWSC 1; others 11; independents and non-voting LegCo president 2
Judicial branch:
Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Political parties and leaders:
Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood or ADPL [FrederickFUNG Kin-kee]; Civic Party [KUAN Hsin-chi]; Democratic Alliance forthe Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong or DAB [TAM Yiu Cheng];Democratic Party [Albert HO Chun-yan]; League of Social Democrats[Raymond WONG Yuk-man]; Liberal Party [Miriam LAU Kin-yee]
note: political blocs include: pro-democracy - ADPL, Civic Party; Democratic Party, League of Social Democrats; pro-Beijing - DAB, Liberal Party, The Professional Forum (an informal group of three generally pro-government and pro-business LegCo members from functional constituencies and one independent elected from a geographic constituency); there is no political party ordinance, so there are no registered political parties; politically active groups register as societies or companies
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); ChineseManufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; Confederation of TradeUnions or CTU (pro-democracy) [LAU Chin-shek, president; LEECheuk-yan, general secretary]; Federation of Hong Kong Industries;Federation of Trade Unions or FTU (pro-China) [CHENG Yiu-tong,executive councilor]; Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the PatrioticDemocratic Movement in China [Szeto WAH, chairman]; Hong Kong andKowloon Trade Union Council (pro-Taiwan); Hong Kong General Chamberof Commerce; Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union [CHEUNGMan-kwong, president]; Neighborhood and Workers' Service Center orNWSC [LEUNG Yiu-chung, LegCo member] (pro-democracy); Civic Act-up[Cyd HO Sau-lan, LegCo member] (pro-democracy)
International organization participation:
ADB, APEC, BIS, ICC, IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITUC, UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (special administrative region of China); Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Washington, New York, and San Francisco carries out normal liaison and communication with the US Government and other US entities
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Acting Consul General Christopher J. MARUT
consulate(s) general: 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong
mailing address: PSC 461, Box 1, FPO AP 96521-0006
telephone: [852] 2523-9011
Flag description:
red with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center
Economy ::Hong Kong
Economy - overview:
Hong Kong has a free market economy highly dependent on international trade and finance, which has left it heavily exposed to the global economic slowdown that began in 2008. The total value of goods and services trade, including the sizable share of reexports, was equivalent to 404% of GDP in 2007. The territory has become increasingly integrated with mainland China over the past few years through trade, tourism, and financial links. The mainland has long been Hong Kong's largest trading partner, accounting for nearly 49% of Hong Kong's exports trade by value in 2008. As a result of China's easing of travel restrictions, the number of mainland tourists to the territory has surged from 4.5 million in 2001 to 16.9 million in 2008, when they outnumbered visitors from all other countries combined. Hong Kong has also established itself as the premier stock market for Chinese firms seeking to list abroad. More than one-third of the firms listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange are now mainland Chinese companies. They account for 60% of the Exchange's market capitalization. During the past decade, as Hong Kong's manufacturing industry moved to the mainland, its service industry has grown rapidly and now accounts for more than 90% of the territory's GDP. Hong Kong's natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. GDP growth averaged a strong 5% from 1989 to 2007, but the global financial crisis caused a sharp slowdown in the second half of 2008, pushing the territory into recession. Hong Kong continues to link its currency closely to the US dollar, maintaining an arrangement established in 1983.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$307.3 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 40 $300.1 billion (2007 est.)
$282.1 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$215.4 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 147 6.4% (2007 est.)
7% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$43,800 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 15 $43,000 (2007 est.)
$40,600 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0%
industry: 7.4%
services: 92.7% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
3.66 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 91
Labor force - by occupation:
manufacturing 6.1%, construction 1.9%, wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 42.9%, financing, insurance, and real estate 21.4%, transport and communications 7.9%, community and social services 19.7%
note: above data exclude public sector (2008 est.)
Unemployment rate:
3.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 41 4% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
53.3 (2007) country comparison to the world: 17
Investment (gross fixed):
19.7% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 111
Budget:
revenues: $39.04 billion
expenditures: $39.76 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
13.9% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 107 2.1% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 71 2% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
0.5% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 77 5.75% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
5% (31 December 2008)
Stock of money:
$63.03 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 18 $51.25 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$352.4 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 10 $578.1 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$259.7 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$1.32 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 15 $1.163 trillion (31 December 2007)
$895.2 billion (31 December 2006 est.)
Agriculture - products:
fresh vegetables; poultry, pork; fish
Industries:
textiles, clothing, tourism, banking, shipping, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks
Industrial production growth rate:
-1.2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 146
Electricity - production:
38.4 billion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 55
Electricity - consumption:
44.6 billion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 48
Electricity - exports:
3.553 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
11 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 188
Oil - consumption:
366,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 36
Oil - exports:
19,480 bbl/day (2008) country comparison to the world: 91
Oil - imports:
334,900 bbl/day (2008) country comparison to the world: 33
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 162
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 178
Natural gas - consumption:
3.36 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 72
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 68
Natural gas - imports:
3.36 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 39
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 170
Current account balance:
$30.52 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 16 $25.53 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$365.2 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 14 $345.9 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
electrical machinery and appliances, textiles, apparel, footwear, watches and clocks, toys, plastics, precious stones, printed material
Exports - partners:
China 48.5%, US 12.8%, Japan 4.3% (2008)
Imports:
$388.4 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 13 $365.6 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
raw materials and semi-manufactures, consumer goods, capital goods, foodstuffs, fuel (most is re-exported)
Imports - partners:
China 46.6%, Japan 9.8%, Singapore 6.4%, US 5% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$182.5 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 8 $152.7 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$659.9 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 16 $711.1 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$1.241 trillion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 3 $1.178 trillion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$776 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 6 $1.011 trillion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
Hong Kong dollars (HKD) per US dollar - 7.751 (2008), 7.802 (2007), 7.7678 (2006), 7.7773 (2005), 7.788 (2004)
Communications ::Hong Kong
Telephones - main lines in use:
4.108 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 38
Telephones - mobile cellular:
11.374 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 54
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern facilities provide excellent domestic and international services
domestic: microwave radio relay links and extensive fiber-optic network
international: country code - 852; multiple international submarine cables provide connections to Asia, US, Australia, the Middle East, and Western Europe; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 6, FM 10, shortwave 0 (2008)
Television broadcast stations:
2 (2 TV networks, each broadcasting on 2 channels) (2008)
Internet country code:
.hk
Internet hosts:
813,980 (2009) country comparison to the world: 44
Internet users:
4.124 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 50
Transportation ::Hong Kong
Airports:
2 (2009) country comparison to the world: 199
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2009)
Heliports:
9 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 2,040 km country comparison to the world: 172 paved: 2,040 km (2008)
Merchant marine:
total: 1,114 country comparison to the world: 8 by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 525, cargo 142, carrier 3, chemical tanker 68, combination ore/oil 2, container 205, liquefied gas 22, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 114, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 9, vehicle carrier 7
foreign-owned: 703 (Belgium 3, Canada 44, China 324, Denmark 24,France 1, Germany 6, Greece 22, Indonesia 7, Iran 15, Japan 111,South Korea 3, Norway 40, Philippines 1, Portugal 1, Russia 2,Singapore 18, Syria 1, Taiwan 11, UAE 1, UK 39, US 29)
registered in other countries: 357 (Bahamas 30, Bermuda 4, Cambodia 8, China 12, Cyprus 2, Georgia 2, Honduras 1, India 1, Jamaica 1, Kiribati 4, Liberia 44, Malaysia 14, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 4, Mexico 1, Netherlands Antilles 2, Norway 20, Panama 130, Philippines 1, Portugal 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6, Seychelles 1, Sierra Leone 1, Singapore 47, Tuvalu 7, UK 2, Vietnam 1, unknown 8) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Hong Kong
Military ::Hong Kong
Military branches:
no regular indigenous military forces; Hong Kong garrison of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) includes elements of the PLA Ground Forces, PLA Navy, and PLA Air Force; these forces are under the direct leadership of the Central Military Commission in Beijing and under administrative control of the adjacent Guangzhou Military Region (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,772,820
females age 16-49: 1,941,448 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,421,406
females age 16-49: 1,543,443 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 42,330
female: 38,797 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of China
Transnational Issues ::Hong Kong
Disputes - international:
none
Illicit drugs:
despite strenuous law enforcement efforts, faces difficult challenges in controlling transit of heroin and methamphetamine to regional and world markets; modern banking system provides conduit for money laundering; rising indigenous use of synthetic drugs, especially among young people
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Hungary (Europe)
Introduction ::Hungary
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 in 2004.
Geography ::Hungary
Location:
Central Europe, northwest of Romania
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 93,028 sq km country comparison to the world: 109 land: 89,608 sq km
water: 3,420 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundaries:
total: 2,185 km
border countries: 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
highest point: Kekes 1,014 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:
2,300 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
120 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 21.03 cu km/yr (9%/59%/32%)
per capita: 2,082 cu m/yr (2001)
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
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, AirPollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-KyotoProtocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, EnvironmentalModification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes betweenWestern Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between Ukraine andMediterranean basin; the north-south flowing Duna (Danube) and TiszaRivers divide the country into three large regions
People ::Hungary
Population:
9,905,596 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 82
Age structure:
0-14 years: 15% (male 763,553/female 720,112)
15-64 years: 69.3% (male 3,384,961/female 3,475,135)
65 years and over: 15.8% (male 566,067/female 995,768) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 39.4 years
male: 37.1 years
female: 42 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.257% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 220
Birth rate:
9.51 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 205
Death rate:
12.94 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 30
Net migration rate:
0.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 59
Urbanization:
urban population: 68% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.57 male(s)/female
total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 7.86 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 163 male: 8.57 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.44 years country comparison to the world: 106 male: 69.27 years
female: 77.87 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.35 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 202
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 122
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
3,300 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 130
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 145
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
vectorborne diseases: tickborne encephalitis (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Hungarian(s)
adjective: Hungarian
Ethnic groups:
Hungarian 92.3%, Roma 1.9%, other or unknown 5.8% (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)
Languages:
Hungarian 93.6%, other or unspecified 6.4% (2001 census)
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 (2006)
Education expenditures:
5.5% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 48
Government ::Hungary
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:
25 December 1000 (crowning of King STEPHEN I, traditional founding date)
National holiday:
Saint Stephen's Day, 20 August
Constitution:
18 August 1949, effective 20 August 1949; revised 19 April 1972; 18 October 1989; and 1997
note: 18 October 1989 revision ensured legal rights for individuals and constitutional checks on the authority of the prime minister and also established the principle of parliamentary oversight; 1997 amendment streamlined the judicial system
Legal system:
based on the German-Austrian legal system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Laszlo SOLYOM (since 5 August 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Gordon BAJNAI (since 20 April 2009)
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 6-7 June 2005 (next to be held by June 2010); prime minister elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president; election last held 14 April 2009
election results: Laszlo SOLYOM elected president by a simple majority in the third round of voting, 185 to 182; Gordon BAJNAI elected prime minister; result of legislative vote - 204 to 0
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 are elected by popular vote under a system of proportional and direct representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 9 and 23 April 2006 (next to be held in April 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party (5% or more of the vote required for parliamentary representation in the first round) - MSzP 43.2%, Fidesz-KDNP 42%, SzDSz 6.5%, MDF 5%, other 3.3%; seats by party - MSzP 190, Fidesz-KDNP 164, SzDSz 20, MDF 11, independent 1; seats by party as of January 2009 - MSzP 190, Fidesz-KDNP 161, SzDSz 19, MDF 10, independent 5, vacant 1
Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court (judges are elected by the National Assembly for nine-year terms)
Political parties and leaders:
Alliance of Free Democrats or SzDSz [Gabor FODOR]; ChristianDemocratic People's Party or KDNP [Zsolt SEMJEN]; Hungarian CivicAlliance or Fidesz [Viktor ORBAN, chairman]; Hungarian DemocraticForum or MDF [Ibolya DAVID]; Hungarian Socialist Party or MSzP[Ildiko LENDVAI]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Air Work Group (works to reduce air pollution in towns and cities); Company For Freedom Rights (Tarsasag a Szabadsagjogokert) or TASZ (personal data protection); Danube Circle (protests the building of the Gabchikovo-Nagymaros dam); Green Future (protests the impact of lead contamination of local factory on health of the people); environmentalists: Hungarian Ornithological and Nature Conservation Society (Magyar Madartani Egyesulet)or MME; Green Alternative (Zold Alternativa)
International organization participation:
Australia Group, BIS, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA(cooperating state), EU, FAO, G-9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA,NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SchengenConvention, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL,UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Bela SZOMBATI
chancery: 3910 Shoemaker Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 362-6730
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador April H. FOLEY
embassy: Szabadsag ter 12, H-1054 Budapest
mailing address: pouch: American Embassy Budapest, 5270 Budapest Place, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5270
telephone: [36] (1) 475-4400
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and green
Economy ::Hungary
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 is widespread, with cumulative foreign direct investment totaling more than $200 billion since 1989. The government's IMF-mandated austerity measures, imposed since late 2006, have reduced the budget deficit from over 9% of GDP in 2006 to 3.3% in 2008. Hungary's impending inability to service its short-term debt - brought on by the global credit crunch in late 2008 - led Budapest to seek and receive an IMF-arranged financial assistance package worth over $25 billion. The global financial crisis, declining exports, and low domestic consumption and fixed asset accumulation, dampened by government austerity measures, will result in a negative growth rate of about -1.5% to -2.5% in 2009.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$196.7 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 54 $195.5 billion (2007 est.)
$193.2 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$155.9 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
0.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 190 1.2% (2007 est.)
3.9% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$19,800 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 63 $19,600 (2007 est.)
$19,400 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.9%
industry: 36.9%
services: 60.2% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
4.2 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 85
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 5%
industry: 32.4%
services: 62.6% (2005)
Unemployment rate:
7.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 107 7.3% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
8.6% (1993 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.5%
highest 10%: 24.1% (2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
28 (2005) country comparison to the world: 121 24.4 (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
20.2% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 108
Budget:
revenues: $67.7 billion
expenditures: $73 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
67.7% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 17 58.3% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 103 8% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
10% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 54 7.5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
10.18% (31 December 2008)
Stock of money:
$32.78 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 26 $36.78 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$47.49 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 29 $43.07 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$114.3 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 36 $109.5 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$21.9 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 56 $47.65 billion (31 December 2007)
$41.93 billion (31 December 2006)
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:
-1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 144
Electricity - production:
37.74 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 56
Electricity - consumption:
37.77 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 54
Electricity - exports:
8.871 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
12.77 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
37,830 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 66
Oil - consumption:
162,100 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 64
Oil - exports:
72,050 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 73
Oil - imports:
195,400 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 50
Oil - proved reserves:
20.18 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 82
Natural gas - production:
2.643 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 56
Natural gas - consumption:
13.17 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 42
Natural gas - exports:
21 million cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 43
Natural gas - imports:
11.47 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 19
Natural gas - proved reserves:
8.098 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 83
Current account balance:
-$12.98 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 173 -$8.922 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$106.6 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 36 $93.86 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment 61.1%, other manufactures 28.7%, food products 6.5%, raw materials 2%, fuels and electricity 1.6% (2003)
Exports - partners:
Germany 26.5%, Italy 5.4%, Romania 5.3%, Austria 4.9%, Slovakia 4.7%, France 4.7%, UK 4.5%, Czech Republic 4% (2008)
Imports:
$106.5 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 34 $93.4 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment 51.6%, other manufactures 35.7%, fuels and electricity 7.7%, food products 3.1%, raw materials 2.0% (2003)
Imports - partners:
Germany 25.4%, Russia 9%, China 7.6%, Austria 6.1%, Netherlands 4.4%, France 4.4%, Italy 4.3% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$33.87 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 37 $24.05 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$212.1 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 30 $167.7 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$237.1 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 21 $164.7 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$159.7 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 20 $97.42 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
forints (HUF) per US dollar - 171.8 (2008), 183.83 (2007), 210.39 (2006), 199.58 (2005), 202.75 (2004)
Communications ::Hungary
Telephones - main lines in use:
3.094 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 48
Telephones - mobile cellular:
12.224 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 50
Telephone system:
general assessment: the telephone system has been modernized and is capable of satisfying all requests for telecommunication service
domestic: the system is digitalized 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; 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
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 5, FM 90, shortwave 1 (2008)
Television broadcast stations:
95 (2008)
Internet country code:
.hu
Internet hosts:
2.261 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 29
Internet users:
5.873 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 40
Transportation ::Hungary
Airports:
46 (2009) country comparison to the world: 94
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 20
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 2 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 26
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 11 (2009)
Heliports:
5 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 4,407 km; oil 987 km; refined products 335 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 8,057 km country comparison to the world: 27 broad gauge: 36 km 1.524-m gauge
standard gauge: 7,802 km 1.435-m gauge (2,628 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 219 km 0.760-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 159,568 km country comparison to the world: 32 paved: 70,050 km (30,874 km of interurban roads including 626 km of expressways)
unpaved: 89,518 km (2005)
Waterways:
1,622 km (most on Danube River) (2008) country comparison to the world: 49
Ports and terminals:
Budapest, Dunaujvaros, Gyor-Gonyu, Csepel, Baja, Mohacs
Military ::Hungary
Military branches:
Ground Forces, Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Legiero, ML) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18-50 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; 6-month service obligation (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,391,400
females age 16-49: 2,337,240 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,887,755
females age 16-49: 1,934,019 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 60,248
female: 57,280 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.75% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 94
Transnational Issues ::Hungary
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 remain vulnerable; significant consumer of ecstasy
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Iceland (Europe)
Introduction ::Iceland
Background:
Settled by Norwegian and Celtic (Scottish and Irish) immigrants during the late 9th and 10th centuries A.D., Iceland boasts the world's oldest functioning legislative assembly, the Althing, established in 930. Independent for over 300 years, Iceland was subsequently ruled by Norway and Denmark. Fallout from the Askja volcano of 1875 devastated the Icelandic economy and caused widespread famine. Over the next quarter century, 20% of the island's population emigrated, mostly to Canada and the US. Limited home rule from Denmark was granted in 1874 and complete independence attained in 1944. Literacy, longevity, and social cohesion are first-rate by world standards.
Geography ::Iceland
Location:
Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the NorthAtlantic Ocean, northwest of the United Kingdom
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 103,000 sq km country comparison to the world: 107 land: 100,250 sq km
water: 2,750 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Kentucky
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
4,970 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:
temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers