Hungary-United States
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.
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Location | | Central Europe, northwest of Romania
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Area(sq km) | | total: 93,028 sq km land: 89,608 sq km water: 3,420 sq km
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Geographic coordinates | | 47 00 N, 20 00 E
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Land boundaries(km) | | 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
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Coastline(km) | | 0 km (landlocked)
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Climate | | temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers
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Elevation extremes(m) | | lowest point: Tisza River 78 m highest point: Kekes 1,014 m
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Natural resources | | bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils, arable land
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Land use(%) | | arable land: 49.58% permanent crops: 2.06% other: 48.36% (2005)
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Irrigated land(sq km) | | 2,300 sq km (2003)
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Total renewable water resources(cu km) | | 120 cu km (2005)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) | | total: 21.03 cu km/yr (9%/59%/32%) per capita: 2,082 cu m/yr (2001)
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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
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Environment - international agreements | | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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Geography - note | | landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between Ukraine and Mediterranean basin; the north-south flowing Duna (Danube) and Tisza Rivers divide the country into three large regions
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Population | | 9,905,596 (July 2009 est.)
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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.)
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Median age(years) | | total: 39.4 years male: 37.1 years female: 42 years (2009 est.)
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Population growth rate(%) | | -0.257% (2009 est.)
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Birth rate(births/1,000 population) | | 9.51 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
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Death rate(deaths/1,000 population) | | 12.94 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
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Net migration rate(migrant(s)/1,000 population) | | 0.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
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Urbanization(%) | | urban population: 68% of total population (2008) rate of urbanization: 0.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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Sex ratio(male(s)/female) | | 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.)
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Infant mortality rate(deaths/1,000 live births) | | total: 7.86 deaths/1,000 live births male: 8.57 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth(years) | | total population: 73.44 years male: 69.27 years female: 77.87 years (2009 est.)
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Total fertility rate(children born/woman) | | 1.35 children born/woman (2009 est.)
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Nationality | | noun: Hungarian(s) adjective: Hungarian
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Ethnic groups(%) | | Hungarian 92.3%, Roma 1.9%, other or unknown 5.8% (2001 census)
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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)
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Languages(%) | | Hungarian 93.6%, other or unspecified 6.4% (2001 census)
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Country name | | conventional long form: Republic of Hungary conventional short form: Hungary local long form: Magyar Koztarsasag local short form: Magyarorszag
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Government type | | parliamentary democracy
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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
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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
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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
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Legal system | | based on the German-Austrian legal system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
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Suffrage | | 18 years of age; universal
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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
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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
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Judicial branch | | Constitutional Court (judges are elected by the National Assembly for nine-year terms)
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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)
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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, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
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Flag description | | three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and green
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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.
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GDP (purchasing power parity) | | $196.7 billion (2008 est.) $195.5 billion (2007 est.) $193.2 billion (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars
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GDP (official exchange rate) | | $155.9 billion (2008 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate(%) | | 0.6% (2008 est.) 1.2% (2007 est.) 3.9% (2006 est.)
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GDP - per capita (PPP) | | $19,800 (2008 est.) $19,600 (2007 est.) $19,400 (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars
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GDP - composition by sector(%) | | agriculture: 2.9% industry: 36.9% services: 60.2% (2008 est.)
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Labor force | | 4.2 million (2008 est.)
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Labor force - by occupation(%) | | agriculture: 5% industry: 32.4% services: 62.6% (2005)
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Unemployment rate(%) | | 7.8% (2008 est.) 7.3% (2007 est.)
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Population below poverty line(%) | | 8.6% (1993 est.)
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Household income or consumption by percentage share(%) | | lowest 10%: 3.5% highest 10%: 24.1% (2004)
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Distribution of family income - Gini index | | 28 (2005) 24.4 (1998)
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Investment (gross fixed)(% of GDP) | | 20.2% of GDP (2008 est.)
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Budget | | revenues: $67.7 billion expenditures: $73 billion (2008 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices)(%) | | 6.1% (2008 est.) 8% (2007 est.)
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Stock of money | | $32.78 billion (31 December 2008) $36.78 billion (31 December 2007)
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Stock of quasi money | | $47.49 billion (31 December 2008) $43.07 billion (31 December 2007)
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Stock of domestic credit | | $114.3 billion (31 December 2008) $109.5 billion (31 December 2007)
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Market value of publicly traded shares | | $21.9 billion (31 December 2008) $47.65 billion (31 December 2007) $41.93 billion (31 December 2006)
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Economic aid - recipient | | $302.6 million (2004)
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Public debt(% of GDP) | | 67.7% of GDP (2008 est.) 58.3% of GDP (2004 est.)
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Agriculture - products | | wheat, corn, sunflower seed, potatoes, sugar beets; pigs, cattle, poultry, dairy products
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Industries | | mining, metallurgy, construction materials, processed foods, textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals), motor vehicles
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Industrial production growth rate(%) | | -1% (2008 est.)
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Current account balance | | -$12.98 billion (2008 est.) -$8.922 billion (2007 est.)
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Exports | | $106.6 billion (2008 est.) $93.86 billion (2007 est.)
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Exports - commodities(%) | | machinery and equipment 61.1%, other manufactures 28.7%, food products 6.5%, raw materials 2%, fuels and electricity 1.6% (2003)
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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)
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Imports | | $106.5 billion (2008 est.) $93.4 billion (2007 est.)
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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)
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Imports - partners(%) | | Germany 25.4%, Russia 9%, China 7.6%, Austria 6.1%, Netherlands 4.4%, France 4.4%, Italy 4.3% (2008)
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | | $33.87 billion (31 December 2008 est.) $24.05 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Debt - external | | $212.1 billion (31 December 2008) $167.7 billion (31 December 2007)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | | $237.1 billion (31 December 2008 est.) $164.7 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | | $159.7 billion (31 December 2008 est.) $97.42 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Exchange rates | | forints (HUF) per US dollar - 171.8 (2008), 183.83 (2007), 210.39 (2006), 199.58 (2005), 202.75 (2004)
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Currency (code) | | forint (HUF)
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Telephones - main lines in use | | 3.094 million (2008)
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Telephones - mobile cellular | | 12.224 million (2008)
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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
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Internet country code | | .hu
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Internet users | | 5.873 million (2008)
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Airports | | 46 (2009)
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Pipelines(km) | | gas 4,407 km; oil 987 km; refined products 335 km (2008)
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Roadways(km) | | total: 159,568 km paved: 70,050 km (30,874 km of interurban roads including 626 km of expressways) unpaved: 89,518 km (2005)
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Ports and terminals | | Budapest, Dunaujvaros, Gyor-Gonyu, Csepel, Baja, Mohacs
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Military branches | | Ground Forces, Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Legiero, ML) (2009)
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Military service age and obligation(years of age) | | 18-50 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; 6-month service obligation (2008)
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Manpower available for military service | | males age 16-49: 2,391,400 females age 16-49: 2,337,240 (2008 est.)
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Manpower fit for military service | | males age 16-49: 1,887,755 females age 16-49: 1,934,019 (2009 est.)
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Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually | | male: 60,248 female: 57,280 (2009 est.)
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Military expenditures(% of GDP) | | 1.75% of GDP (2005 est.)
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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
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Electricity - production(kWh) | | 37.74 billion kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - production by source(%) | | fossil fuel: 60.1% hydro: 0.5% nuclear: 39% other: 0.3% (2001)
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Electricity - consumption(kWh) | | 37.77 billion kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - exports(kWh) | | 8.871 billion kWh (2008 est.)
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Electricity - imports(kWh) | | 12.77 billion kWh (2008 est.)
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Oil - production(bbl/day) | | 37,830 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil - consumption(bbl/day) | | 162,100 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil - exports(bbl/day) | | 72,050 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil - imports(bbl/day) | | 195,400 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil - proved reserves(bbl) | | 20.18 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
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Natural gas - production(cu m) | | 2.643 billion cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption(cu m) | | 13.17 billion cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural gas - exports(cu m) | | 21 million cu m (2008)
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Natural gas - proved reserves(cu m) | | 8.098 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate(%) | | 0.1% (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | | 3,300 (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths | | fewer than 100 (2001 est.)
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Major infectious diseases | | degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A vectorborne diseases: tickborne encephalitis (2009)
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Literacy(%) | | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.4% male: 99.5% female: 99.3% (2003 est.)
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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)(years) | | total: 15 years male: 15 years female: 16 years (2006)
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Education expenditures(% of GDP) | | 5.5% of GDP (2005)
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