APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200110037-3
Area Brief
LAND (U/OU)
- Size: 35,900 sq. mi.
- Use: 60% arable, 14% other agricultural, 16% forested, 10% other
- Land boundaries: 1,395 mi.
PEOPLE (U/OU)
- Population: 10,405,000, average annual growth rate 0.3% (current); density 280 persons per square mile
- Ethnic divisions: 93.4% Magyar, 2.5% German, 2.4% Gypsy, 0.7% Jew, 1% other
- Religion: 68% Roman Catholic, 20% Calvinist, 5% Lutheran, 7.5% atheist and other
- Language: 93.2% Magyar, 1.8% other
- Literacy: 98%
- Labor force: 5.0 million (1 January 1971); 26% agriculture, 44% industry and building, 30% other nonagricultural; females account for 41% of industrial work force
- Males: 2,659,000, of whom 2,140,000 considered fit for military service. About 90,000 reach military age (18) annually
GOVERNMENT (U/OU)
- Legal name: Hungarian People's Republic
- Type: Communist state
- Capital: Budapest
- Political subdivision: 19 megyés (counties), 5 autonomous cities in county status, 113 jaras (districts)
- Legal system: Based on Communist legal theory, with both civil law system (civil code of 1960) and common law elements; constitution adopted 1949; Supreme Court renders decisions of principle that sometimes have the effect of declaring legislative acts unconstitutional; legal education at Lorand Eotvos Tudomanyegyetem School of Law in Budapest and 2 other schools of law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
- Branches: Executive—Presidential Council (elected by Parliament); legislative—Parliament (elected by direct suffrage); judicial—Supreme Court (elected by Parliament)
- Government leaders: Jeno Fock, Chairman, Council of Ministers; Pal Losonezi, President, Presidential Council
- Suffrage: Universal over age 18
- Elections: Every 4 years; national and local elections are held separately, two years apart
- Political parties and leaders: Hungarian Socialist (Communist) Workers Party (sole party); Janos Kadar is First Secretary of Central Committee
- Voting strength (1971 election): 7,260,856 (98%) for Communist-approved candidates; 76,725 (1.4%) invalid and negative votes; total eligible electorate about 7.3 million
- Communists: About 693,000 party members (June 1971)
- Member of: CEMA, FAO, IAEA, ICAO, ILO, ITU, UNESCO, U.N., UPU, Warsaw Pact, WHO
ECONOMY (S)
- GNP: $16.7 billion in 1971 (at 1970 prices), $1,610 per capita; 1971 growth rate 4.6%
- Agriculture: Normally self-sufficient; main crops—corn, wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, wine grapes; caloric intake 3,140 calories per day per capita (1970)
- Major industries: Mining, metallurgy, engineering industries, processed foods, textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals)
- Shortages: Metallic ores (except bauxite), copper, high grade coal, forest products
- Crude steel: 3.11 million metric tons produced (1971), 300 kg. per capita
- Electric power: 3,150,000 kw. capacity (1971); 15 billion kw.-hr. produced (1971), 1,450 kw.-hr. per capita
- Exports: $2,500 million (f.o.b., 1971); 26% machinery, 23% industrial consumer goods, 27% raw materials and semimanufactures, 24% food and raw materials for the food industry (distribution for 1971)
- Imports: $2,990 million (1971); 26% machinery, 9% industrial consumer goods, 54% raw materials and semimanufactures, 11% food and raw materials for the food industry (distribution for 1971)
- Major trade partners: $5,490 million (1971); 67% with Communist countries, 35% with non-Communist countries
- Aid: U.S.S.R.—$338 million extended (1956-64), $10 million extended in 1967 and $167 million extended in 1968; to less developed non-Communist countries—$435.3 million (1954-71)
- Monetary conversion rate: 10.81 forints = US$1 (arbitrary commercial); 27.63 forints = US$1 (noncommercial)
- Fiscal year: Same as calendar year; economic data reported for calendar years
COMMUNICATIONS (S)
- Railroads: 5,908 route mi.; 5,098 mi. standard gage, 788 mi. narrow gage (mostly 2'5⅞), 22 mi. broad gage (5'0"), 688 mi. double track, 581 mi. electrified; all but 96 miles government owned (1970)
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APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200110037-3
