Chapter M: Major infectious diseases (34)

euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)

Communications ::Holy See (Vatican City)

Telephones - main lines in use:

5,120 (2005) country comparison to the world: 212

Telephone system:

general assessment: automatic digital exchange

domestic: connected via fiber optic cable to Telecom Italia network

international: country code - 39; uses Italian system

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 5, FM 3, shortwave 5 (2008)

Television broadcast stations:

1 (2008)

Internet country code:

.va

Internet hosts:

63 (2009) country comparison to the world: 205

Military ::Holy See (Vatican City)

Military branches:

Pontifical Swiss Guard Corps (Corpo della Guardia Svizzera Pontificia) (2009)

Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of Italy; ceremonial and limited security duties performed by Pontifical Swiss Guard

Transnational Issues ::Holy See (Vatican City)

Disputes - international:

none

page last updated on October 28, 2009

======================================================================

@Honduras (Central America and Caribbean)

Introduction ::Honduras

Background:

Once part of Spain's vast empire in the New World, Honduras became an independent nation in 1821. After two and a half decades of mostly military rule, a freely elected civilian government came to power in 1982. During the 1980s, Honduras proved a haven for anti-Sandinista contras fighting the Marxist Nicaraguan Government and an ally to Salvadoran Government forces fighting leftist guerrillas. The country was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998, which killed about 5,600 people and caused approximately $2 billion in damage.

Geography ::Honduras

Location:

Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Nicaragua and bordering the Gulf of Fonseca (North Pacific Ocean), between El Salvador and Nicaragua

Geographic coordinates:

15 00 N, 86 30 W

Map references:

Central America and the Caribbean

Area:

total: 112,090 sq km country comparison to the world: 102 land: 111,890 sq km

water: 200 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly larger than Tennessee

Land boundaries:

total: 1,520 km

border countries: Guatemala 256 km, El Salvador 342 km, Nicaragua 922 km

Coastline:

820 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: natural extension of territory or to 200 nm

Climate:

subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains

Terrain:

mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

highest point: Cerro Las Minas 2,870 m

Natural resources:

timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony, coal, fish, hydropower

Land use:

arable land: 9.53%

permanent crops: 3.21%

other: 87.26% (2005)

Irrigated land:

800 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

95.9 cu km (2000)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.86 cu km/yr (8%/12%/80%)

per capita: 119 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; extremely susceptible to damaging hurricanes and floods along the Caribbean coast

Environment - current issues:

urban population expanding; deforestation results from logging and the clearing of land for agricultural purposes; further land degradation and soil erosion hastened by uncontrolled development and improper land use practices such as farming of marginal lands; mining activities polluting Lago de Yojoa (the country's largest source of fresh water), as well as several rivers and streams, with heavy metals

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

has only a short Pacific coast but a long Caribbean shoreline, including the virtually uninhabited eastern Mosquito Coast

People ::Honduras

Population:

7,792,854 country comparison to the world: 93 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2009 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 38.1% (male 1,514,544/female 1,451,862)

15-64 years: 58.3% (male 2,278,508/female 2,267,527)

65 years and over: 3.6% (male 125,991/female 154,422) (2009 est.)

Median age:

total: 20.3 years

male: 20 years

female: 20.7 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.956% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 62

Birth rate:

26.27 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 61

Death rate:

5.41 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 180

Net migration rate:

-1.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 130

Urbanization:

urban population: 48% of total population (2008)

rate of urbanization: 2.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female

total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 24.03 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 91 male: 26.97 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 20.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 69.4 years country comparison to the world: 147 male: 67.86 years

female: 71.02 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate:

3.27 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 62

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.7% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 65

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

28,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 71

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

1,900 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 60

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: high

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria

water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)

Nationality:

noun: Honduran(s)

adjective: Honduran

Ethnic groups:

mestizo (mixed Amerindian and European) 90%, Amerindian 7%, black 2%, white 1%

Religions:

Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant 3%

Languages:

Spanish, Amerindian dialects

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 80%

male: 79.8%

female: 80.2% (2001 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 11 years

male: 11 years

female: 12 years (2004)

Education expenditures:

3.8% of GDP (1991) country comparison to the world: 121

Government ::Honduras

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Honduras

conventional short form: Honduras

local long form: Republica de Honduras

local short form: Honduras

Government type:

democratic constitutional republic

Capital:

name: Tegucigalpa

geographic coordinates: 14 06 N, 87 13 W

time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November

Administrative divisions:

18 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Atlantida, Choluteca, Colon, Comayagua, Copan, Cortes, El Paraiso, Francisco Morazan, Gracias a Dios, Intibuca, Islas de la Bahia, La Paz, Lempira, Ocotepeque, Olancho, Santa Barbara, Valle, Yoro

Independence:

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Constitution:

11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982; amended many times

Legal system:

rooted in Roman and Spanish civil law with increasing influence of English common law; recent judicial reforms include abandoning Napoleonic legal codes in favor of the oral adversarial system; accepts ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Jose Manuel ZELAYA Rosales (since 27 January 2006); Vice President Commissioner Aristides MEJIA Carranza (since 1 February 2009); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; because the president and vice president are elected on the same ticket, the position of "vice president commissioner" was created after Vice President Elvin SANTOS resigned in late 2008 to run for president in the November 2009 election

head of government: President Jose Manuel ZELAYA Rosales (since 27 January 2006); Vice President Commissioner Aristides MEJIA Carranza (since 1 February 2009)

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president

elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 27 November 2005 (next to be held in November 2009)

election results: Jose Manuel ZELAYA Rosales elected president - 49.8%, Porfirio "Pepe" LOBO Sosa 46.1%, other 4.1%

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (128 seats; members are elected proportionally by department to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 27 November 2005 (next to be held in November 2009)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PL 62, PN 55, PUD 5, PDC 4, PINU 2

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (15 judges are elected for seven-year terms by the National Congress)

Political parties and leaders:

Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Felicito AVILA]; Democratic Unification Party or PUD [Cesar HAM]; Liberal Party or PL [Patricia RODAS]; National Innovation and Unity Party or PINU [Jorge AQUILAR Paredes]; National Party of Honduras or PN [Porfirio LOBO]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras or CODEH; Confederation of Honduran Workers or CTH; Coordinating Committee of Popular Organizations or CCOP; General Workers Confederation or CGT; Honduran Council of Private Enterprise or COHEP; National Association of Honduran Campesinos or ANACH; National Union of Campesinos or UNC; Popular Bloc or BP; United Confederation of Honduran Workers or CUTH

International organization participation:

BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Eduardo Enrique REINA Garcia

chancery: Suite 4-M, 3007 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 966-2604

FAX: [1] (202) 966-9751

consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco

honorary consulate(s): Jacksonville

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Hugo LLORENS

embassy: Avenida La Paz, Apartado Postal No. 3453, Tegucigalpa

mailing address: American Embassy, APO AA 34022, Tegucigalpa

telephone: [504] 236-9320, 238-5114

FAX: [504] 238-4357

Flag description:

three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue, with five blue, five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band; the stars represent the members of the former Federal Republic of Central America - Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua; similar to the flag of El Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Nicaragua, which features a triangle encircled by the word REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom, centered in the white band

Economy ::Honduras

Economy - overview:

Honduras, the second poorest country in Central America, has an extraordinarily unequal distribution of income and high unemployment. The economy relies heavily on a narrow range of exports, notably bananas and coffee, making it vulnerable to natural disasters and shifts in commodity prices; however, investments in the maquila and non-traditional export sectors are slowly diversifying the economy. Economic growth remains dependent on the US economy its largest trading partner, and will decline in 2009 as a result of reduction in export demand and tightening global credit markets. Remittances represent over a quarter of GDP or nearly three-quarters of exports. The US-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) came into force in 2006 and has helped foster investment. Despite improvements in tax collections, the government's fiscal deficit is growing due to increases in current expenditures and financial losses from the state energy and telephone companies.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$33.8 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 102 $32.5 billion (2007 est.)

$30.57 billion (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate):

$14 billion (2008 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 104 6.3% (2007 est.)

6.6% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$4,400 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 152 $4,300 (2007 est.)

$4,200 (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 13.1%

industry: 30%

services: 56.9% (2008 est.)

Labor force:

2.991 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 99

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 39.2%

industry: 20.9%

services: 39.8% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate:

3.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 40 note: high level of underemployment with up to a third of the labor force seeking more work.

Population below poverty line:

50.7% (2004)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 0.7%

highest 10%: 42.2% (2006)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

53.8 (2003) country comparison to the world: 16 56.3 (1998)

Investment (gross fixed):

33.4% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 12

Budget:

revenues: $2.754 billion

expenditures: $3.09 billion; including capital expenditures of $106 million (2008 est.)

Public debt:

20.4% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 93 74.1% of GDP (2004 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

11.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 164 6.9% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

NA%

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

17.94% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 33 16.61% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$1.633 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 76 $1.6 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$5.574 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 63 $5.239 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$7.172 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 79 $6.298 billion (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA

Agriculture - products:

bananas, coffee, citrus; beef; timber; shrimp, tilapia, lobster; corn, African palm

Industries:

sugar, coffee, textiles, clothing, wood products

Industrial production growth rate:

4.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 60

Electricity - production:

6.05 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 106

Electricity - consumption:

4.696 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 109

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports:

11.8 million kWh (2007 est.)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 187

Oil - consumption:

52,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 96

Oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 195

Oil - imports:

46,130 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 91

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 161

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 177

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 173

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 67

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 169

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 169

Current account balance:

-$1.977 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 138 -$1.274 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$6.046 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 103 $5.642 billion (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

coffee, shrimp, bananas, gold, palm oil, fruit, lobster, lumber

Exports - partners:

US 62.1%, Guatemala 5.2%, El Salvador 5%, Mexico 4.1% (2008)

Imports:

$10.39 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 92 $8.82 billion (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and transport equipment, industrial raw materials, chemical products, fuels, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:

US 50%, Guatemala 7.6%, El Salvador 5.3%, Mexico 4.7%, Costa Rica 4.2% (2008)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$2.492 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 103 $2.546 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$3.209 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 120 $3.411 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Exchange rates:

lempiras (HNL) per US dollar - 18.983 (2008 est.), 18.9 (2007), 18.895 (2006), 18.92 (2005), 18.206 (2004)

Communications ::Honduras

Telephones - main lines in use:

825,800 (2008) country comparison to the world: 86

Telephones - mobile cellular:

6.211 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 78

Telephone system:

general assessment: the number of fixed-line connections are increasing but still limited; competition among multiple providers of mobile-cellular services is contributing to a sharp increase in the number of subscribers

domestic: beginning in 2003, private sub-operators allowed to provide fixed-lines in order to expand telephone coverage contributing to an increase in fixed-line teledensity to roughly 10 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership exceeded 80 per 100 persons in 2008

international: country code - 504; landing point for both the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the MAYA-1 fiber optic submarine cable system that together provide connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 241, FM 53, shortwave 12 (1998)

Television broadcast stations:

11 (plus 17 repeaters) (1997)

Internet country code:

.hn

Internet hosts:

15,691 (2009) country comparison to the world: 106

Internet users:

658,500 (2008) country comparison to the world: 102

Transportation ::Honduras

Airports:

106 (2009) country comparison to the world: 54

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 12

2,438 to 3,047 m: 3

1,524 to 2,437 m: 2

914 to 1,523 m: 4

under 914 m: 3 (2009)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 94

1,524 to 2,437 m: 2

914 to 1,523 m: 15

under 914 m: 77 (2009)

Railways:

total: 699 km country comparison to the world: 104 narrow gauge: 279 km 1.067-m gauge; 420 km 0.914-m gauge (2008)

Roadways:

total: 13,600 km country comparison to the world: 126 paved: 2,775 km

unpaved: 10,825 km (2000)

Waterways:

465 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2008) country comparison to the world: 84

Merchant marine:

total: 123 country comparison to the world: 47 by type: bulk carrier 10, cargo 57, chemical tanker 6, container 1, liquefied gas 1, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 25, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 1

foreign-owned: 42 (Bangladesh 1, Canada 1, China 3, Egypt 3, Greece 4, Hong Kong 1, Israel 1, Japan 4, South Korea 6, Lebanon 1, Mexico 1, Singapore 12, Taiwan 2, Tanzania 1, Vietnam 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

La Ceiba, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo, Tela

Military ::Honduras

Military branches:

Army, Navy (includes Naval Infantry), Honduran Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Hondurena, FAH) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for voluntary 2 to 3-year military service (2004)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,868,940

females age 16-49: 1,825,770 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,397,938

females age 16-49: 1,402,398 (2009 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 92,638

female: 88,993 (2009 est.)

Military expenditures:

0.6% of GDP (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 154

Transnational Issues ::Honduras

Disputes - international:

International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on the delimitation of "bolsones" (disputed areas) along the El Salvador-Honduras border in 1992 with final settlement by the parties in 2006 after an Organization of American States (OAS) survey and a further ICJ ruling in 2003; the 1992 ICJ ruling advised a tripartite resolution to a maritime boundary in the Gulf of Fonseca with consideration of Honduran access to the Pacific; El Salvador continues to claim tiny Conejo Island, not mentioned in the ICJ ruling, off Honduras in the Gulf of Fonseca; Honduras claims the Belizean-administered Sapodilla Cays off the coast of Belize in its constitution, but agreed to a joint ecological park around the cays should Guatemala consent to a maritime corridor in the Caribbean under the OAS-sponsored 2002 Belize-Guatemala Differendum; memorials and countermemorials were filed by the parties in Nicaragua's 1999 and 2001 proceedings against Honduras and Colombia at the ICJ over the maritime boundary and territorial claims in the western Caribbean Sea - final public hearings are scheduled for 2007

Illicit drugs:

transshipment point for drugs and narcotics; illicit producer of cannabis, cultivated on small plots and used principally for local consumption; corruption is a major problem; some money-laundering activity

page last updated on November 11, 2009

======================================================================

@Hong Kong (East & Southeast Asia)

Introduction ::Hong Kong

Background:

Occupied by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong was formally ceded by China the following year; various adjacent lands were added later in the 19th century. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and the UK on 19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China on 1 July 1997. In this agreement, China promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic system would not be imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong would enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years.

Geography ::Hong Kong

Location:

Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China

Geographic coordinates:

22 15 N, 114 10 E

Map references:

Southeast Asia

Area:

total: 1,104 sq km country comparison to the world: 183 land: 1,054 sq km

water: 50 sq km

Area - comparative:

six times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

total: 30 km

regional border: China 30 km

Coastline:

733 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 3 nm

Climate:

subtropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall

Terrain:

hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: South China Sea 0 m

highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m

Natural resources:

outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar

Land use:

arable land: 5.05%

permanent crops: 1.01%

other: 93.94% (2001)

Irrigated land:

20 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:

occasional typhoons

Environment - current issues:

air and water pollution from rapid urbanization

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution (associate member)

Geography - note:

more than 200 islands

People ::Hong Kong

Population:

7,055,071 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 100

Age structure:

0-14 years: 12.2% (male 450,833/female 411,997)

15-64 years: 74.6% (male 2,551,256/female 2,713,532)

65 years and over: 13.1% (male 434,090/female 493,363) (2009 est.)

Median age:

total: 42.3 years

male: 41.9 years

female: 42.6 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.504% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 155

Birth rate:

7.42 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 223

Death rate:

6.76 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 142

Net migration rate:

4.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 24

Urbanization:

urban population: 100% of total population (2008)

rate of urbanization: 1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female

total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 2.92 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 220 male: 3.1 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 2.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 81.86 years country comparison to the world: 6 male: 79.16 years

female: 84.79 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.02 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 222

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.1% (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 156

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

2,600 (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 134

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 200 (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 113

Nationality:

noun: Chinese/Hong Konger

adjective: Chinese/Hong Kong

Ethnic groups:

Chinese 95%, Filipino 1.6%, Indonesian 1.3%, other 2.1% (2006 census)

Religions:

eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%

Languages:

Chinese (Cantonese) 89.2% (official), other Chinese dialects 6.4%, English 3.2% (official), other 1.2% (2001 census)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school

total population: 93.5%

male: 96.9%

female: 89.6% (2002)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 14 years

male: 14 years

female: 13 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

3.9% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 112

Government ::Hong Kong

Country name:

conventional long form: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

conventional short form: Hong Kong

local long form: Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu

local short form: Xianggang

abbreviation: HK

Dependency status:

special administrative region of China

Government type:

limited democracy

Administrative divisions:

none (special administrative region of China)

Independence:

none (special administrative region of China)

National holiday:

National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949); note - 1 July 1997 is celebrated as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day

Constitution:

Basic Law, approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress, is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"

Legal system:

based on English common law

Suffrage:

direct election - 18 years of age for half the legislature and a majority of seats in 18 district councils; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years; indirect election - limited to about 220,000 members of functional constituencies and an 800-member election committee drawn from broad regional groupings, central government bodies, and municipal organizations

Executive branch:

chief of state: President of China HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003)

head of government: Chief Executive Donald TSANG Yam-kuen (since 24 June 2005)

cabinet: Executive Council or ExCo consists of 15 official members and 14 non-official members

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 [Frederick FUNG Kin-kee]; Civic Party [KUAN Hsin-chi]; Democratic Alliance for the 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); Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; Confederation of Trade Unions or CTU (pro-democracy) [LAU Chin-shek, president; LEE Cheuk-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 Patriotic Democratic Movement in China [Szeto WAH, chairman]; Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council (pro-Taiwan); Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce; Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union [CHEUNG Man-kwong, president]; Neighborhood and Workers' Service Center or NWSC [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

FAX: [852] 2845-1598

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:

NA%

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:

NA

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:

47 00 N, 20 00 E

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, 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

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

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]; Christian Democratic People's Party or KDNP [Zsolt SEMJEN]; Hungarian Civic Alliance or Fidesz [Viktor ORBAN, chairman]; Hungarian Democratic Forum 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, Schengen Convention, 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

FAX: [1] (202) 966-8135

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

FAX: [36] (1) 475-4764

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