Editing Economy of Hungary (section)

== Physical properties ==

=== Natural resources ===
{{main|Geography of Hungary}}
[[File:Hungary topographic map.jpg|thumb|Topographic map of Hungary]]
Hungary's total land area is 93,030&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> along with 690&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> of water surface area which altogether makes up 1% of Europe's area.

Nearly 75% of Hungary's landscape consists of flat plains. Additional 20% of the country's area consists of foothills whose altitude is 400 m at the most; higher hills and water surface makes up the remaining 5%.

The two flat plains that take up three-quarters of Hungary's area are the [[Great Hungarian Plain]] and the [[Little Hungarian Plain]]. Hungary's most significant natural resource is arable land. About 83% of the country's total territory is suitable for cultivation;<ref name="6601the_hungarian_agricu"/> of this portion, 75% (around 50% of the country's area) is covered by arable land, which is an outstanding ratio compared to other EU countries.<ref name="6601the_hungarian_agricu"/> Hungary lacks extensive domestic sources of energy and raw materials needed for further industrial development.

19% of the country is covered by forests. These are located mainly in the foothills such as the [[North Hungarian Mountains|North Hungarian]] and the [[Transdanubian Mountains]], and the [[Alpokalja]]. The composition of forests is various; mostly oak or beech, but the rest include fir, willow, acacia and plane.

[[File:Medicinal Bath Hévíz 01.jpg|thumb|left|180px|Medicinal bath in [[Hévíz]]]]
In European terms, Hungary's underground water reserve is one of the largest. Hence the country is rich in brooks and hot springs as well as medicinal springs and spas; as of 2003, there are 1250 springs that provide water warmer than 30&nbsp;°C.<ref name="6827a_h_v_zfelt_r_s___te">{{cite web |url=http://www.kvvm.hu/szakmai/karmentes/kiadvanyok/fav/tvkm/tvkm04.htm |title=A hévízfeltárás, -termelés, -hasznosítás alakulása (Figures of the Exploration, Production, and Utilization of Thermal Springs) |publisher=Hungarian Ministry of Environment and Water |language=hu |access-date=18 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070703130756/http://www.kvvm.hu/szakmai/karmentes/kiadvanyok/fav/tvkm/tvkm04.htm |archive-date=3 July 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> 90% of Hungary's drinking water is mostly retrieved from such sources.<ref name="6435magyarorsz_g_term_sz">{{cite web |url=http://www.eduline.hu/segedanyagtalalatok.aspx/letolt/2971 |title=Magyarország természetföldrajzi adottságai (Geographical Properties of Hungary) |language=hu |access-date=18 January 2010}}</ref>

The major rivers of Hungary are the [[Danube]] and the [[Tisza]]. The Danube also flows through parts of [[Germany]], [[Austria]], [[Slovakia]], [[Serbia]], and [[Romania]]. It is navigable within Hungary for 418&nbsp;km. The Tisza River is navigable for 444&nbsp;km in the country. Hungary has three major lakes. [[Lake Balaton]], the largest, is 78&nbsp;km long and from 3 to 14&nbsp;km wide, with an area of 592&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>. Lake Balaton is Central Europe's largest lake and a prosperous tourist spot and recreation area. Its shallow waters offer summer bathing and during the winter its frozen surface provides facilities for winter sports. Smaller bodies of water include [[Lake Velence]] (26&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) in Fejér County and [[Lake Fertő]] (82&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> within Hungary).

The waters of the country are in danger, since more water is going out of the county than in. In 2022, a severe drought which has impacted all of Europe is endangering among others, Lake Velence, Lake Balaton, the Danube and Tisza rivers. The flow of the aforementioned rivers have been modified in the late 19th century, and while it prevented larger floods and helped water transport, it has its downsides, such as the inability to support large-scale watering of crops, worsening the drought of 2022. Large-scale reforms and rebuilding of the Alföld water system is needed, but no such plans are being announced by the government as of 2022.

=== Infrastructure ===

==== Transport ====
[[File:Hungarian motorway constructions.png|thumb|right|180px|Total length of [[motorways in Hungary]]]]
{{main|Transport in Hungary}}

Hungary has 31,058&nbsp;km of roads and [[Motorways in Hungary|motorways]] of 1,118&nbsp;km. The total length of motorways has doubled in the last ten years with the most (106) kilometers built in 2006. Budapest is directly connected to the [[Austria]]n, [[Slovakia]]n, [[Slovenia]]n, [[Croatia]]n, [[Romania]]n and [[Serbia]]n borders via motorways.

Due to its location and geographical features, several transport corridors cross Hungary. [[Pan-European corridors]] no. IV, V, and [[Pan-European Corridor X|X]], and European routes no. [[European route E60|E60]], [[European route E71|E71]], [[European route E73|E73]], [[European route E75|E75]], and [[European route E77|E77]] go through Hungary. Thanks to its radial road system, all of these routes touch [[Budapest]].
[[File:Budapest_Ferihegy_2A_LHBP.JPG|thumb|left|Ferenc Liszt Airport]] 
There are five international, four domestic, four military and several non-public [[airports in Hungary]]. The largest airport is the [[Budapest Ferihegy International Airport]] (BUD) located at the southeastern border of Budapest. In 2008, the airport had 3,866,452 arriving and 3,970,951 departing passengers.<ref name="2474traffic_of_budapest_">{{cite web|url=http://portal.ksh.hu/pls/ksh/docs/eng/xstadat/xstadat_annual/tabl4_06_10ie.html |title=Traffic of Budapest/Ferihegy Airport |publisher=Hungarian Central Statistical Office |access-date=18 January 2010}} {{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

In 2006, the Hungarian railroad system was 7,685&nbsp;km long, 2,791&nbsp;km of it electrified.

==== Public utilities ====
Electricity is available in every settlement in Hungary.

[[Pipeline transport|Piped gas]] is available in 2873 settlements, 91.1% of all of them.<ref name="4993t_bb_villamosenergi_">{{cite web |url=http://www.mti.hu/cikk/438182/ |title=Több villamosenergiát, de kevesebb gázt fogyasztott a lakosság (People Use more Electricity but Less Gas) |date=8 November 2009 |publisher=Hungarian News Agency Corp. |language=hu |access-date=18 January 2010}} {{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> To avoid gas shortages due to [[Ukraine|Ukrainian]] pipeline shutdowns like the one in January 2009,<ref name="2986hungary_receives_no_">{{cite news |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKL765030320090107?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=10174&sp=true |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130201123211/http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKL765030320090107?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=10174&sp=true |url-status=dead |archive-date=1 February 2013 |title=Hungary receives no gas via Ukraine, industry suffers |author1=Krisztina Than |author2=Balazs Koranyi |date=7 January 2009 |work=Reuters|access-date=18 January 2010}}</ref> Hungary participates both in the [[Nabucco pipeline|Nabucco]] and the [[South Stream]] gas pipeline projects. Hungary also has strategical gas reserves: the latest reserve of 1.2 billion cubic meters was opened in October 2009.<ref name="2699_tadt_k_a_biztons_gi">{{cite web |url=http://szegedma.hu/hir/szeged/2009/10/atadtak-a-biztonsagi-foldgaztarolot-algyon/#more-35098 |title=Átadták a biztonsági földgáztárolót Algyőn (Security Gas Reserve Opened in Algyő) |date=1 October 2009 |publisher=Hungarian News Agency Corp. |language=hu |access-date=18 January 2010 |archive-date=10 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100510021016/http://szegedma.hu/hir/szeged/2009/10/atadtak-a-biztonsagi-foldgaztarolot-algyon/#more-35098 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2008, 94.9% of households had running water.<ref name="1756settlements_and_dwel">{{cite web|url=http://portal.ksh.hu/pls/ksh/docs/eng/xstadat/xstadat_annual/tabl2_03_08ie.html |title=Settlements and dwellings with public water supply |publisher=Hungarian Central Statistical Office |access-date=18 January 2010}} {{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Though it is the responsibility of municipal governments to provide people with healthy water supply,<ref name="6312hungarian_national_w">{{cite web |url=http://www.oieau.fr/ciedd/contributions/at3/contribution/REMAI.html |title=Hungarian National Wastewater Program |author1=Ibolya Gazdag |author2=János Rémai |publisher=Hungarian Ministry of Transport, Communication, and Water Management |access-date=18 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721015103/http://www.oieau.fr/ciedd/contributions/at3/contribution/REMAI.html |archive-date=21 July 2011}}</ref> the Hungarian government and the European Union offer subsidies to those who wish to develop [[water supplies]] or [[Sewage collection and disposal|sewage systems]].<ref name="8547hungary__water___was">{{cite web |url=http://www.envirodesk.be/node/48083 |title=Hungary: Water & Wastewater Industry |date=18 February 2009 |access-date=18 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130120195119/http://www.envirodesk.be/node/48083 |archive-date=20 January 2013}}</ref> Partly because of these subsidies, 71.3% of all dwellings are connected to the sewage system, up from 50,1% in 2000.<ref name="9132settlements_and_dwel">{{cite web|url=http://portal.ksh.hu/pls/ksh/docs/eng/xstadat/xstadat_annual/tabl2_03_09ie.html |title=Settlements and dwellings with public sewerage |publisher=Hungarian Central Statistical Office |access-date=18 January 2010}} {{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

Internet penetration has been rising significantly over the past few years: the ratio of households having an internet connection has risen from 22.1% (49% of which was broadband) in 2005 to 48.4% (87.3% of which was broadband) in 2008.<ref name="2830ict_usage_in_househo">{{cite web|url=http://portal.ksh.hu/pls/ksh/docs/eng/xstadat/xstadat_annual/tabl4_07_14ie.html |title=ICT usage in households and by individuals |publisher=Hungarian Central Statistical Office |access-date=18 January 2010}} {{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

The Ministry of Economy and Transport introduced the eHungary program in 2004 aiming to provide every person in Hungary with internet access by setting up "eHungary points" in public spaces like libraries, schools and cultural centers.<ref name="9054ehungary_program____">{{cite web |url=http://www.elost.org/hungary.pdf |title=eHungary Program 2.0 |publisher=Hungarian Ministry of Economy and Transport |access-date=18 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828105604/http://www.elost.org/hungary.pdf |archive-date=28 August 2008}}</ref> The program also includes "the introduction of the eCounsellor network – a service through which professionals provide assistance for citizens in the effective usage of electronic information, services and knowledge".<ref name="7428ehungary">{{cite web |url=http://www.epractice.eu/en/cases/ehungary |title=eHungary |author=Marianna Posfai |date=8 January 2008 |access-date=18 January 2010}}</ref>