conventional long form: Republic of Hungary
conventional short form: Hungary
local long form: Magyar Koztarsasag
local short form: Magyarorszag

HU

parliamentary democracy

Budapest

19 counties (megyek, singular - megye), 20
urban counties* (singular - megyei varos), and 1 capital city**
(fovaros); Bacs-Kiskun, Baranya, Bekes, Bekescsaba*,
Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen, Budapest**, Csongrad, Debrecen*, Dunaujvaros*,
Eger*, Fejer, Gyor*, Gyor-Moson-Sopron, Hajdu-Bihar, Heves,
Hodmezovasarhely*, Jasz-Nagykun-Szolnok, Kaposvar*, Kecskemet*,
Komarom-Esztergom, Miskolc*, Nagykanizsa*, Nograd, Nyiregyhaza*,
Pecs*, Pest, Somogy, Sopron*, Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg, Szeged*,
Szekesfehervar*, Szolnok*, Szombathely*, Tatabanya*, Tolna, Vas,
Veszprem, Veszprem*, Zala, Zalaegerszeg*

1001 (unification by King Stephen I)

Saint Stephen's Day, 20 August (commemorates the
coronation of King Stephen I in 1000 AD)

18 August 1949, effective 20 August 1949, revised 19
April 1972; 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

rule of law based on Western model

18 years of age; universal

chief of state: President Arpad GONCZ (since 3 August 1990; previously
interim president since 2 May 1990)
head of government: Prime Minister Viktor ORBAN (since 6 July 1998)
cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the National Assembly on the
recommendation of the president
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year
term; election last held 19 June 1995 (next to be held before August
2000); prime minister elected by the National Assembly on the
recommendation of the president
election results: Arpad GONCZ reelected president; a total of 335
votes were cast by the National Assembly, Arpad GONCZ received 259;
Viktor ORBAN elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA

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 on 10 and 24 May 1998 (next to be held May/June
2002)
election results: percent of vote by party (5% or more of the vote
required for parliamentary representation in the first round) - MSZP
32.0%, FIDESZ 28.2%, FKGP 13.8%, SZDSZ 7.9%, MIEP 5.5%, MMP 4.1%, MDF
2.8%, KDNP 2.3%, MDNP 1.5%; seats by party - MSZP 134, FIDESZ 148,
FKGP 48, SZDSZ 24, MDF 17, MIEP 14, independent 1; note - the MDF won
17 single-member district seats; seating as of 1999 by party - MSZP
135, FIDESZ 146, FKGP 48, SZDSZ 24, MDF 17, MIEP 12, independents 3,
and 1 empty seat to be filled in a byelection

Constitutional Court, judges are elected by the
National Assembly for nine-year terms

Alliance of Free Democrats or SZDSZ
; Christian Democratic People's Party or KDNP
; Hungarian Civic Party or FIDESZ [Laszlo
KOVER, chairman]; Hungarian Democratic Forum or MDF [Ibolya DAVID,
chairman]; Hungarian Democratic People's Party or MDNP [Erzsebet
PUSZTAI, chairman]; Hungarian Justice and Life Party or MIEP [Istvan
CSURKA, chairman]; Hungarian Socialist Party or MSZP [Laszlo KOVACS,
chairman]; Hungarian Workers' Party or MMP ;
Independent Smallholders or FKGP

ABEDA, Australia Group, BIS,
CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NATO,
NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UNU,
UPU, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

chief of mission: Ambassador Geza JESZENSZKY
chancery: 3910 Shoemaker Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:  (202) 362-6730
FAX:  (202) 966-8135
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York

chief of mission: Ambassador Peter F. TUFO
embassy: V. 1054 Szabadsag Ter 12, Budapest
mailing address: pouch: American Embassy Budapest, Department of
State, Washington, DC 20521-5270
telephone:  (1) 475-4400, 475-4703 (after hours)
FAX:  (1) 475-4764

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white,
and green