HOSTNAME: environment variable or not?

[bob]

On my Redhat system HOSTNAME is an exported environment variable.  ie.

	echo $HOSTNAME

returns with a value.

On a Debian system I've been working with HOSTNAME is not an exported 
environment variable.   ie.

	export | less

doesn't show it.   Nor does the C function getenv("HOSTNAME") pick it up.   
Interestingly

	echo $HOSTNAME

does?

I'm confused.    Can someone enlighten me as to this bash nuance.

bob
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