Austria

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

Austria as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 123 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
LocationCentral Europe, between Germany and Hungary
1994

Every edition of Austria

Populationas each edition published it
7.95 million July 1994 est. · 7.64m in 1990
Population growth% a year
0.45% 1994 est. · 0.55% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 39.4 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 76.4 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
1.48 children per woman 1994 est. · 1.5 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
7.1 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 6 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$17,000 1993 · $18,000 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
-0.5% 1993 · 1.8% in 1993

Geography

Central Europe, between Germany and Hungary

22 fields
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
Irrigated land
40sq km
(1989)

Location

Central Europe, between Germany and Hungary

Map references

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

total area

83,850 sq km

land area

82,730 sq km

comparative area

slightly smaller than Maine

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

arable land

17%

permanent crops

1%

meadows and pastures

24%

forest and woodland

39%

other

19%

current issues

  • some forest degradation caused by air and soil pollution;
  • soil pollution results from the use of agricultural chemicals;
  • air pollution results from emissions by coal- and oil-fired power stations and industrial plants

natural hazards

NA

international agreements

  • party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber, Wetlands;
  • signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Law of the Sea

Note

  • landlocked;
  • strategic location at the crossroads of central Europe with many easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys;
  • major river is the Danube;
  • population is concentrated on eastern lowlands because of steep slopes, poor soils, and low temperatures elsewhere

People

22 fields
Population
7,954,974
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 0.45% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
11.38Death
10.34Net migration
3.46

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)
Literacy
15and over can read and write
age · (1974 est.)

Infant mortality rate

7.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

total population

76.65 years

male

73.44 years

female

80.03 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.48 children born/woman (1994 est.)

noun

Austrian(s)

adjective

Austrian

Languages

German

total population

99%

male

NA%

female

NA%

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)

Government

Federal republic

35 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

43%
SPOE 43%OEVP 32.1%FPOE 16.6%GAL 4.5%KPOE 0.7%other 3.1%

Legislature, 183 seatsone dot, one seat

SPOE 80OEVP 60FPOE 33GAL 10

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, Niederoesterreich, Oberoesterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien

Independence

12 November 1918 (from Austro-Hungarian Empire)

National holiday

National Day, 26 October (1955)

Constitution

1920; revised 1929 (reinstated 1 May 1945)

Suffrage

19 years of age, universal; compulsory for presidential elections

chief of state

  • President Thomas KLESTIL (since 8 July 1992);
  • election last held 24 May 1992 (next to be held 1996);
  • results of second ballot - Thomas KLESTIL 57%, Rudolf STREICHER 43%

head of government

Chancellor Franz VRANITZKY (since 16 June 1986); Vice Chancellor Erhard BUSEK (since 2 July 1991)

cabinet

Council of Ministers; chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor

Legislative branch

bicameral Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung)

Federal Council (Bundesrat)

consists of 63 members representing each of the provinces on the basis of population, but with each province having at least 3 representatives

National Council (Nationalrat)

  • elections last held 7 October 1990 (next to be held October 1994);
  • results - SPOE 43%, OEVP 32.1%, FPOE 16.6%, GAL 4.5%, KPOE 0.7%, other 3.1%;
  • seats - (183 total) SPOE 80, OEVP 60, FPOE 33, GAL 10

Judicial branch

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

Political parties and leaders

  • Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPOE), Franz VRANITZKY, chairman;
  • Austrian People's Party (OEVP), Erhard BUSEK, chairman;
  • Freedom Party of Austria (FPOE), Joerg HAIDER, chairman;
  • Communist Party (KPOE), Walter SILBERMAYER, chairman;
  • Green Alternative List (GAL), Peter PILZ, chairman;
  • Liberal Forum (LF), Heidi SCHMIDT

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 (OEVP) representing business, labor, and farmers;
  • OEVP-oriented League of Austrian Industrialists;
  • Roman Catholic Church, including its chief lay organization, Catholic Action

Member of

AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, COCOM (cooperating), 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, ONUSAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNDOF, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOMIG, UNTAC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

chief of mission

Ambassador Helmut TUERK

chancery

3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035

telephone

(202) 895-6700

FAX

(202) 895-6750

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

chief of mission

Ambassador Swanee G. HUNT

chancery

Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1091, Vienna

mailing address

Unit 27937, Vienna

telephone

[43] (1) 313-39

FAX

[43] (1) 513-43-51

consulate(s) general

Salzburg

Flag

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

Economy

Austria boasts a prosperous and stable socialist market economy with a | sizable but falling proportion of nationalized industry and extensive | welfare benefits.

26 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$17,000
(1993)
Real growth rate
-0.5%
(1993)industrial production growth: growth rate -4.5% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate
7%
(1993 est.)

Overview

Austria boasts a prosperous and stable socialist market economy with a sizable but falling proportion of nationalized industry and extensive welfare benefits. Thanks to its 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, boosted Austria's economy through 1991, but Austria's GDP growth slowed to 2% in 1992 and -0.5% in 1993 due to the weak international economy, particularly in Germany - its largest trading partner. GDP growth will resume slowly in 1994, with estimates ranging from a 0.5% to a 1% increase.

Unemployment has risen to 7% as a result of the slowdown and will continue to rise in 1994. Problems for the l990s include an aging population, the high level of subsidies, and the struggle to keep welfare benefits within budgetary capabilities. Austria's government has taken measures to make the economy more liberal and open by introducing a major tax reform, privatizing state-owned firms, and liberalizing cross-border capital movements.

Although it will face increased competition, Austria should benefit from the continued opening of eastern European markets, as well as the 1 January 1994 start of the European Economic Area which extends the European Union rules on the free movement of people, capital, and goods and services to four members (including Austria) of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Austria has concluded membership negotiations with the European Union and is expected to join in early 1995, thus broadening European economic unity.

The government, however, plans to hold a national referendum on the matter on 12 June 1994; support for and opposition to membership appears about equal.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $134.4 billion (1993)

revenues

$52.2 billion

expenditures

$60.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est.)

Exports

$39.9 billion (f.o.b., 1993)

commodities

machinery and equipment, iron and steel, lumber, textiles, paper products, chemicals

partners

EC 63.5% (Germany 38.9%), EFTA 9.0%, Eastern Europe/FSU 12.3%, Japan 1.5%, US 3.35% (1993)

Imports

$48.5 billion (f.o.b., 1993)

commodities

petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, vehicles, chemicals, textiles and clothing, pharmaceuticals

partners

EC 66.8% (Germany 41.3%), EFTA 6.7%, Eastern Europe/FSU 7.5%, Japan 4.4%, US 4.4% (1993)

External debt

$16.2 billion (1993 est.)

capacity

17,600,000 kW

production

49.5 billion kWh

consumption per capita

6,300 kWh (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 and Eastern Europe

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 - 12.255 (January 1994), 11.632 (1993), 10.989 (1992), 11.676 (1991), 11.370 (1990), 13.231 (1989)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

15 fields

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

total

95,412 km

paved

21,812 km (including 1,012 km of autobahn)

unpaved

mostly gravel and earth 73,600 km

Pipelines

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

Ports

Vienna, Linz (Danube river ports)

Merchant marine

29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 158,724 GRT/259,594 DWT, bulk 3, cargo 23, oil tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2

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 2,018,954;
  • fit for military service 1,693,341;
  • reach military age (19) annually 48,710 (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

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

Central Intelligence Agency. “Austria.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/austria/1994.

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