Countries of the World/COUNTRYS.BIN/dp/0160/01604.txt

Text File | 1991-06-25 | 10KB | 216 lines

$Unique_ID{COW01604}
$Pretitle{365}
$Title{Hungary
Front Matter}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Eugene K. Keefe}
$Affiliation{HQ, Department of the Army}
$Subject{hungarian
country
economic
government
miles
national
soviet
percent
system
union}
$Date{1973}
$Log{Figure 1.*0160401.scf
}
Country:     Hungary
Book:        Hungary, A Country Study
Author:      Eugene K. Keefe
Affiliation: HQ, Department of the Army
Date:        1973

Front Matter

Authors:
Lyel E. Brenneman, William Giloane, Anne K. Long, James M. Moore, Neda
A. Walpole

Foreword

     This volume is one in a continuing series of books now being prepared by
the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress under the Country
Studies-Area Handbook Program. This book, however, is a reprint of a book
written by members of the research staff of Foreign Area Studies, The American
University. The last page of this book lists the other published studies.

     Most books in the series deal with a particular foreign country,
describing and analyzing its political, economic, social, and national
security systems and institutions, and the interrelationships of those systems
and the ways they are shaped by cultural factors. Each study is written by a
multidisciplinary team of social scientists. The authors seek to provide a
basic understanding of the observed society, striving for a dynamic rather
than a static portrayal. Particular attention is devoted to the people who
make up the society, their origins, dominant beliefs and values, their common
interests and the issues on which they are divided, the nature and extent of
their involvement with national institutions, and their attitudes toward each
other and toward their social system and political order.

     The books represent the analysis of the authors and should not be
construed as an expression of an official United States government position,
policy, or decision. The authors have sought to adhere to accepted standards
of scholarly objectivity. Corrections, additions, and suggestions for changes
from readers will be welcomed for use in future editions.

Chief
Federal Research Division
Library of Congress
Washington, D.C. 20540

Preface

     The Hungarian People's Republic was created in 1949 after the Communists
had taken over operation of the country. The first communist regime, cast in a
Stalinist mold, was repressive to a degree that ultimately brought about a
popular uprising in 1956. The revolt was put down by Soviet military might,
and a new regime selected by the Soviet Union was installed. That regime was
still in power in 1973. After a period of hard-line reconstruction following
the revolt, the leadership moderated its policies in order to placate the
people and stabilize the government.

     By 1973 the stability of the government seemed to be unquestioned. To all
outward appearances, Hungary was among the most loyal of the allies of the
Soviet Union and continued to be heavily influenced by it.

     The Area Handbook for Hungary is an effort to explain the workings of the
Hungarian communist system, that is, the post-1949 system; however, historical
factors are introduced where considered helpful to an understanding of the
period. Chapter 2, Historical Setting, is, of necessity, a very brief sketch
of Hungary's long history intended to aid in the comprehension of the present.
The authors have conscientiously attempted to set aside preconceptions in
order to present an objective overview of Hungarian life.

     English usage follows Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary. The
spelling of place names conforms to the rulings of the United States Board on
Geographic Names, but diacritical marks have been omitted. Measurements are
given in standard American or British terms. Tonnages are in metric tons
unless otherwise specified.

Country Summary

     Formal Name: Republic of Hungary (1989).

     1. COUNTRY: Communist state closely associated with the Soviet Union.
Long established monarchy, under a regent after 1919, formally terminated in
1946. Became Hungarian People's Republic in 1949 with Soviet-style
constitution.

     2. SIZE AND LOCATION: Area about 35,920 square miles; located in Eastern
Europe in middle basin of Danube River. Landlocked with 1,400 miles of border
touching on Romania, Yugoslavia, Austria, Czechoslovakia, and the Soviet
Union.

     3. TOPOGRAPHY: Mean elevation is low. Major topographic regions include
Great Plain east of Danube River, Transdanubian rolling hills west of the
river. Elevations in mountains along northern border rarely exceed 3,000 feet.

     4. CLIMATE: Generally East European continental, characterized by hot
summers and cold winters. Moderated by Mediterranean and Atlantic maritime
systems, particularly during summer months.

     5. POPULATION: About 10.4 million in 1972, with density of 290 persons
per square mile. Annual growth rate is a low 0.3 percent.

     6. ETHNIC GROUPS AND LANGUAGES: 96 percent of population is Magyar, or
Hungarian. Persons of German, Slovak, Serb, Croat, and Romanian origin are
guaranteed the right to use their languages and to preserve their cultural
heritage, but Hungarian, the official language, is spoken by the entire
population.

     7. RELIGION: Two-thirds of population is Roman Catholic, one-third is
Protestant. Of the latter, two-thirds are Calvinist and one-third Lutheran.
There are some 60,000 Jews and some 60,000 Eastern Orthodox. Influence of
religion on people is declining as the society becomes increasingly secular.

     8. GOVERNMENT: Two-branch government headed by the National Assembly, a
unicameral legislature, and the Council of Ministers, which is the executive
branch. Real power held by the Communist Party, headed by its first secretary,
the Political Bureau (Politburo), the Secretariat, and the Central Committee.

     9. ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS: Nineteen counties and five towns of county
rank are subdivided into 183 districts and towns of district rank. Districts
are subdivided into 3,135 villages. Governmental administration is by local
councils at each level.

     10. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS: Member of the Warsaw Treaty Organization
(Warsaw Pact), the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON), and the
United Nations (UN), including several UN specialized agencies.

     11. JUSTICE: Three-level court system includes Supreme Court and courts
at county and district levels. Military and labor courts fall in special
category responsible only to Supreme Court.

     12. COMMUNICATIONS: Although almost all mass media are owned and
regulated by the state, some latitude is given certain of them. Press, radio,
and television are the more strictly controlled, whereas control of films,
book publishing, and libraries is relatively light.

     13. EDUCATION: Free and compulsory through the first eight grades.
Vocational training stressed over the humanities. Marxism-Leninism is backbone
of the curriculum as well as of extracurricular activities.

     14. ECONOMY: Development programmed in five-year plans; overall economic
activity controlled by party and government. The New Economic Mechanism (NEM),
attempting broad economic reform via a decentralized management system, has
been in effect since 1968. Operates largely within COMECON framework;
particular reliance on ties with Soviet Union.

     15. LABOR: Work force in 1970 included 4.9 million wage earners from the
3.4 million males between fifteen and sixty-four years of age and the 3.3
million females between fifteen and fifty-nine. Over one-third of the work
force employed in industry, about one-fourth in agriculture.

     16. AGRICULTURE: Nearly three-quarters of the land is used for
agriculture, and 95 percent of it is included in collective or state farms.
Major crops are cereals, potatoes, sugar beets, and fodder. Livestock
production inadequate; its development stressed by government. Growth of
production held down by inadequate allocation of resources to the agricultural
sector and g