Austria

Republic of AustriaRepublik Oesterreich

federal republicIndependence 12 November 1918 (from Austro-Hungarian Empire)

Austria as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 79 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalVienna
Area83,850 km2
LocationCentral Europe, between Germany and Hungary
1993

Every edition of Austria

Populationas each edition published it
7.92 million July 1993 est. · 7.64m in 1990
Population growth% a year
0.55% 1993 est. · 0.28% in 2025
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 39.4 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
76.4 years 1993 est. · 82.7 yrs in 2025
Fertility ratechildren per woman
1.47 children per woman 1993 est. · 1.5 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
7.3 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 6 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$18,000 1992 · $63,300 in 2025
GDP real growth% a year
1.8% 1992 · -1.2% in 2025

Geography

Central Europe, between Germany and Hungary

14 fields

Land useshare of 83,850 km2

arable land 17%permanent crops 1%meadows and pastures 24%forest and woodland 39%other 19%irrigated 40 km2 (1989)
Area
83,850km2
land area: 82,730 km2comparative area: slightly smaller than Maine
Coastline
0km
(landlocked)Maritime claims: none; landlocked
Land boundaries
2,496km
total · Czech Republic 362 km, Germany 784 km, Hungary 366 km, Italy 430 km, Liechtenstein 37 km, Slovakia 91 km, Slovenia 262 km, Switzerland 164 km

Location

Central Europe, between Germany and Hungary

Map references

Africa, Arctic Region, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

Climate

  • temperate;
  • continental, cloudy;
  • cold winters with frequent rain in lowlands and snow in mountains;
  • cool summers with occasional showers

Terrain

in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping

Natural resources

iron ore, petroleum, timber, magnesite, aluminum, lead, coal, lignite, copper, hydropower

Environment

population is concentrated on eastern lowlands because of steep slopes, poor soils, and low temperatures elsewhere

Note

  • landlocked;
  • strategic location at the crossroads of central Europe with many easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys;
  • major river is the Danube

People

14 fields
Population
7,915,145
(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 0.55% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth
11.54Death
10.42Net migration
4.42

Ethnic divisions

German 99.4%Croatian 0.3%Slovene 0.2%other 0.1%

Religions

Roman Catholic 85%Protestant 6%other 9%
Labor force
3.47million
(1989)by occupation: services 56.4%, industry and crafts 35.4%, agriculture and forestry 8.1%note: an estimated 200,000 Austrians are employed in other European countries; foreign laborers in Austria number 177,840, about 6% of labor force (1988)
Literacy
15and over can read and write
age · (1974)total population: 99%male: NA%female: NA%

Infant mortality rate

7.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:
76.4 years
male:
73.18 years
female:
79.8 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.47 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Austrian(s)
adjective:
Austrian

Languages

German

Government

Federal republic

21 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

43%
SPO 43%OVP 32.1%FPO 16.6%GAL 4.5%KPO 0.7%other 0.32%

Names

conventional long form:
Republic of Austria
conventional short form:
Austria
local long form:
Republik Oesterreich
local short form:
Oesterreich

Type

federal republic

Capital

Vienna

Administrative divisions

9 states (bundeslander, singular - bundesland); Burgenland, Karnten, Niederosterreich, Oberosterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien

Independence

12 November 1918 (from Austro-Hungarian Empire)

Constitution

1920; revised 1929 (reinstated 1945)

National holiday

National Day, 26 October (1955)

Political parties and leaders

  • Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPO), Franz VRANITZKY, chairman;
  • Austrian People's Party (OVP), Erhard BUSEK, chairman;
  • Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), Jorg HAIDER, chairman;
  • Communist Party (KPO), Walter SILBERMAYER, chairman;
  • Green Alternative List (GAL), Johannes VOGGENHUBER, chairman

Other political or pressure groups

  • Federal Chamber of Commerce and Industry;
  • Austrian Trade Union Federation (primarily Socialist);
  • three composite leagues of the Austrian People's Party (OVP) representing business, labor, and farmers;
  • OVP-oriented League of Austrian Industrialists;
  • Roman Catholic Church, including its chief lay organization, Catholic Action

Suffrage

19 years of age, universal; compulsory for presidential elections

Elections

President:
last held 24 May 1992 (next to be held 1996); results of second ballot - Thomas KLESTIL 57%, Rudolf STREICHER 43%
National Council:
  • last held 7 October 1990 (next to be held October 1994);
  • results - SPO 43%, OVP 32.1%, FPO 16.6%, GAL 4.5%, KPO 0.7%, other 0.32%;
  • seats - (183 total) SPO 80, OVP 60, FPO 33, GAL 10

Executive branch

president, chancellor, vice chancellor, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch

bicameral Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung) consists of an upper council or Federal Council (Bundesrat) and a lower council or National Council (Nationalrat)

Judicial branch

Supreme Judicial Court (Oberster Gerichtshof) for civil and criminal cases, Administrative Court (Verwaltungsgerichtshof) for bureaucratic cases, Constitutional Court (Verfassungsgerichtshof) for constitutional cases

Leaders

Chief of State:
President Thomas KLESTIL (since 8 July 1992)
Head of Government:
Chancellor Franz VRANITZKY (since 16 June 1986); Vice Chancellor Erhard BUSEK (since 2 July 1991)

Member of

AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, COCOM (cooperating country), CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G-9, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNDOF, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOSOM, UNTAC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Friedrich HOESS
chancery:
3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035
telephone:
(202) 895-6700
FAX:
(202) 895-6750
consulates general:
Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:
Ambassador Roy Michael HUFFINGTON
chancery:
Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1091, Unit 27937, Vienna
mailing address:
APO AE 09222
telephone:
[43] (1) 31-339
FAX:
[43] (1) 310-0682
consulate general:
Salzburg

Flag

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

Economy

19 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$18,000
(1992)
Real growth rate
1.8%
(1992)industrial production growth: growth rate 2.0% (1991)
Unemployment rate
6.4%
(1992 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$47.8 billionExpenditures
$53.0 billion
expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)

Overview

Austria boasts a prosperous and stable socialist market economy with a sizable proportion of nationalized industry and extensive welfare benefits. Thanks to an excellent raw material endowment, a technically skilled labor force, and strong links to German industrial firms, Austria occupies specialized niches in European industry and services (tourism, banking) and produces almost enough food to feed itself with only 8% of the labor force in agriculture.

Increased export sales resulting from German unification, continued to boost Austria's economy through 1991. However, Germany's economic difficulties in 1992 slowed Austria's GDP growth to 2% from the 3% of 1991. Austria's economy, moreover, is not expected to grow by more than 1% in 1993, and inflation is forecast to remain about 4%. Unemployment will likely remain at current levels at least until 1994.

Living standards in Austria are comparable with the large industrial countries of Western Europe. Problems for the l990s include an aging population, the high level of subsidies, and the struggle to keep welfare benefits within budgetary capabilities. The continued opening of Eastern European markets, however, will increase demand for Austrian exports.

Austria, a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), in 1992 ratified the European Economic Area Treaty, which will extend European Community rules on the free movement of people, goods, capital and services to the EFTA countries, and Austrians plan to hold a national referendum within the next two years to vote on EC membership.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $141.3 billion (1992)

Exports

$43.5 billion (1992 est.)

commodities:
machinery and equipment, iron and steel, lumber, textiles, paper products, chemicals
partners:
EC 65.8% (Germany 39%), EFTA 9.1%, Eastern Europe/former USSR 9.0%, Japan 1.7%, US 2.8% (1991)

Imports

$50.7 billion (1992 est.)

commodities:
petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, vehicles, chemicals, textiles and clothing, pharmaceuticals
partners:
EC 67.8% (Germany 43.0%), EFTA 6.9%, Eastern Europe/former USSR 6.0%, Japan 4.8%, US 3.9% (1991)

External debt

$11.8 billion (1990 est.)

Electricity

17,600,000 kW capacity; 49,500 million kWh produced, 6,300 kWh per capita (1992)

Industries

foods, iron and steel, machines, textiles, chemicals, electrical, paper and pulp, tourism, mining, motor vehicles

Agriculture

  • accounts for 3.2% of GDP (including forestry);
  • principal crops and animals - grains, fruit, potatoes, sugar beets, sawn wood, cattle, pigs, poultry;
  • 80-90% self-sufficient in food

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan route

Economic aid

donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $2.4 billion

Currency

1 Austrian schilling (S) = 100 groschen

Exchange rates

Austrian schillings (S) per US$1 - 11.363 (January 1993), 10.989 (1992), 11.676 (1991), 11.370 (1990), 13.231 (1989), 12.348 (1988)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Merchant marine, 29 ships by typeone square, one ship

cargo 23refrigerated cargo 1oil tanker 1chemical tanker 1bulk 329 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 154,159 GRT/256,765 DWT

Railroads

  • 5,749 km total;
  • 5,652 km government owned and 97 km privately owned (0.760-, 1.435- and 1.000-meter gauge);
  • 5,394 km 1.435-meter standard gauge of which 3,154 km is electrified and 1,520 km is double tracked;
  • 339 km 0.760-meter narrow gauge of which 84 km is electrified

Highways

  • 95,412 km total;
  • 34,612 km are the primary network (including 1,012 km of autobahn, 10,400 km of federal, and 23,200 km of provincial roads);
  • of this number, 21,812 km are paved and 12,800 km are unpaved;
  • in addition, there are 60,800 km of communal roads (mostly gravel, crushed stone, earth)

Pipelines

  • crude oil 554 km;
  • natural gas 2,611 km;
  • petroleum products 171 km

Ports

Vienna, Linz (Danube river ports)

Airports

total:
55
usable:
55
with permanent-surface runways:
20
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
6
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
4

Telecommunications

  • highly developed and efficient;
  • 4,014,000 telephones;
  • broadcast stations - 6 AM, 21 (545 repeaters) FM, 47 (870 repeaters) TV;
  • satellite ground stations for Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, Indian Ocean INTELSAT, and EUTELSAT systems

Defense Forces

Army (including Flying Division)

3 fields

Branches

Army (including Flying Division)

Manpower availability

  • males age 15-49 2,016,464;
  • fit for military service 1,694,140;
  • reach military age (19) annually 50,259 (1993 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $1.7 billion, 0.9% of GDP (1993 est.)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Austria.” The World Factbook 1993. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/austria/1993.

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