Austria

Republic of AustriaRepublik Oesterreich

federal republicIndependence 1156 (from Bavaria)

Austria as the 1999 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 108 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

Position47 20 N, 13 20 E

Area83,858 sq km

LocationCentral Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia

Populationas each edition published it

8.14 million July 1999 est. · 7.64m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.09% 1999 est. · 0.55% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 39.4 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

77.48 years 1999 est. · 76.4 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.37 children per woman 1999 est. · 1.5 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

5.1 deaths per 1,000 live births 1999 est. · 6 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$22,700 1998 est. · $18,000 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

2.9% 1998 est. · 1.8% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

Background

Once the center of power for the large Austro-Hungarian empire, Austria was reduced to a small republic after its defeat in World War I. After the annexation to Nazi Germany in 1938 and subsequent occupation by the victorious Allied powers, Austria's 1955 State Treaty declared the country "permanently neutral" as a condition of the Soviet military withdrawal. The Soviet collapse relieved the external pressure to remain unaligned, but neutrality had evolved into a part of Austrian cultural identity, which has led to an ongoing public debate over whether Vienna legitimately can remain outside of European security structures. A wealthy country, Austria joined the European Union in 1995 and, like many EU members, is adjusting to the new European currency and struggling with high unemployment.

Geography

Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia

18 fields

Land useshare of 83,858 sq km

arable land 17%permanent crops 1%permanent pastures 23%forests and woodland 39%other 20% (1996 est.)irrigated 40 sq km (1993 est.)

Area

83,858sq km

land: 82,738 sq kmwater: 1,120 sq kmslightly smaller than Maine

Coastline

0km

(landlocked)Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Highest point

3,797m

Grossglocknerlowest point: Neusiedler See 115 m

Land boundaries

2,562km

border countries: Czech Republic 362 km, Germany 784 km, Hungary 366 km, Italy 430 km, Liechtenstein 35 km, Slovakia 91 km, Slovenia 330 km, Switzerland 164 km

Location

Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia

Geographic coordinates

47 20 N, 13 20 E

Map references

Europe

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, oil, timber, magnesite, lead, coal, lignite, copper, hydropower

Natural hazards

Environment--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 and from trucks transiting Austria between northern and southern Europe

Environment--international agreements

party to:: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography--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

15 fields

Population

8,139,299

(July 1999 est.)growth rate: 0.09% (1999 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1999 est.)

Birth

9.62Death

10.04Net migration

1.32

Ethnic groups

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

Religions

Roman Catholic 78%Protestant 5%other 17%

Literacy

99%

(1974 est.)definition: age 15 and over can read and writemale: NA%female: NA%

Age structure

0-14 years:: 17% (male 702,261; female 666,310)
15-64 years:: 68% (male 2,792,484; female 2,713,397)
65 years and over:: 15% (male 478,071; female 786,776) (1999 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.61 male(s)/female
total population:: 0.95 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

5.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:: 77.48 years
male:: 74.31 years
female:: 80.82 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.37 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Austrian(s)
adjective:: Austrian

Languages

German

Government

Federal republic; President Thomas KLESTIL (since 8 July 1992); Chancellor Viktor KLIMA (since 28 January 1997)

19 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

63%

-Thomas KLESTIL 63%Gertraud KNOLL 14%Heide SCHMIDT 11%Richard LUGNER 10%Karl NOWAK 2%presidential election last held 19 April 1998 (next to be held in the spring of 2004)

Legislature, 183 seatsone dot, one seat

-SPOe 71OeVP 53FPOe 40LF 10Greens 9

Country name

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

Data code

Government type

federal republic

Capital

Vienna

Administrative divisions

9 states (bundeslaender, singular--bundesland); Burgenland, Kaernten, Niederoesterreich, Oberoesterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien

Independence

1156 (from Bavaria)

National holiday

National Day, 26 October (1955)

Constitution

1920; revised 1929 (reinstated 1 May 1945)

Legal system

civil law system with Roman law origin;
judicial review of legislative acts by the Constitutional Court;
separate administrative and civil/penal supreme courts;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage

18 years of age;
universal;
compulsory for presidential elections

Executive branch

chief of state:: President Thomas KLESTIL (since 8 July 1992)
head of government:: Chancellor Viktor KLIMA (since 28 January 1997); Vice Chancellor Wolfgang SCHUESSEL (since 22 April 1995)
cabinet:: Council of Ministers chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor
elections:: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term;
presidential election last held 19 April 1998 (next to be held in the spring of 2004);
chancellor chosen by the president from the majority party in the National Council;
vice chancellor chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor
election results:: Thomas KLESTIL reelected president; percent of vote--Thomas KLESTIL 63%, Gertraud KNOLL 14%, Heide SCHMIDT 11%, Richard LUGNER 10%, Karl NOWAK 2%

Legislative branch

bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of Federal Council or Bundesrat (64 members; members represent each of the states on the basis of population, but with each state having at least three representatives; members serve a four- or six-year term) and the National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections:: National Council--last held 17 December 1995 (next to be held in the fall of 1999)
election results:: National Council--percent of vote by party--SPOe 38.3%, OeVP 28.3%, FPOe 22.1%, LF 5.3%, Greens 4.6%, other 1.4%;
seats by party--SPOe 71, OeVP 53, FPOe 40, LF 10, Greens 9

Judicial branch

Supreme Judicial Court or Oberster Gerichtshof;
Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof;
Constitutional Court or Verfassungsgerichtshof

Political parties and leaders

Social Democratic Party of Austria caucus floor leader and Alexander VAN DER BELLEN, party spokesman];

Political pressure groups and leaders

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

International organization participation

AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Helmut TUERK
chancery:: 3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035
consulate(s) general:: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Kathryn Walt HALL
embassy:: Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1091, Vienna
mailing address:: use embassy street address

Flag description

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

Economy

Austria has a well-developed market economy | with a high standard of living.

30 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$22,700

purchasing power parity? · (1998 est.)

Real growth rate

2.9%

(1998 est.)industrial production growth: 4% (1998 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

0.9%

(1998)

Unemployment rate

(1999 est.)

GDP--composition by sector(1997 est.)

agriculture 1.4%industry 30.8%services 67.8% (1997 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$50.4 billionExpenditures

$55.9 billion (1998 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Electricity

fossil fuel 34.4%hydro 65.6%nuclear 0% · other 0%

Electricity production

52.15 billion (1996)Electricity consumption

56.1 billion (1997)Electricity exports

9.8 billion (1997)Electricity imports

9 billion (1997)

Economy--overview

Austria has a well-developed market economy with a high standard of living. As a member of the European Monetary Union (EMU), Austria's economy is closely integrated with other EU member countries, especially with Germany. Austria's membership in the EU has drawn an influx of foreign investors attracted by Austria's access to the single European market.

Through privatization efforts, the 1996-98 budget consolidation programs, and austerity measures, Austria brought its total public sector deficit down to 2.5% of GDP in 1997 and public debt--at 66% of GDP in 1997--more or less in line with the 60% of GDP required by the EU's Maastricht criteria.

Cuts mainly affect the civil service and Austria's generous social system, the two major causes of the government deficit. To meet increased competition from both EU and Central European countries, Austria will need to emphasize knowledge-based sectors of the economy and deregulate the service sector, particularly telecommunications and energy.

The strong GDP growth of 1998 is expected to dwindle back to 2.3% in 1999, and observers caution that this projection may be revised downwards in view of the Asian and Brazilian crises and Germany's lower growth projection.

GDP

purchasing power parity--$184.5 billion (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Labor force

3.7 million (1998)

Labor force--by occupation

services 67.7%, industry and crafts 29%, agriculture and forestry 0.7% (salaried employees, 1997 est.)

Industries

construction, machinery, vehicles and parts, food, chemicals, lumber and wood processing, paper and paperboard, communications equipment, tourism (1997)

Agriculture--products

grains, potatoes, sugar beets, wine, fruit;
dairy products, cattle, pigs, poultry;
lumber

Exports

$62.5 billion (1998)

Exports--commodities

vehicles, machinery and equipment, paper and paperboard, metal goods, iron and steel, telecommunication equipment, textiles, medical and pharmaceutical products (1997)

Exports--partners

EU 62% (Germany 35.1%, Italy 8.3%), Central and Eastern Europe 17.6% (Hungary 4.9%), Japan 1.3%, US 3.7% (1997)

Imports

$65.8 billion (1998)

Imports--commodities

vehicles, machinery and equipment, apparel, metal goods, oil and oil products, office and data-processing machinery, medical and pharmaceutical products, telecommunication equipment, textiles (1997)

Imports--partners

EU 68.9% (Germany 41.7%, Italy 8%), Central and Eastern Europe 11% (Hungary 3.1%), Asia 7.1% (Japan 2.2%), US 5.4% (1997)

Debt--external

$24.33 billion (1997)

Economic aid--donor

ODA, $513 million (1997); of which, bilateral $298 million, multilateral $215 million

Currency

1 Austrian schilling (AS) = 100 groschen

Exchange rates

Austrian schillings (AS) per US$1--11.86 (January 1999), 12.379 (1998), 12.204 (1997), 10.587 (1996), 10.081 (1995), 11.422 (1994)

note: on 9 January 1999, the European Union introduced a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in some member countries at the rate of 0.8597 euros per US$ and a fixed rate of 13.7603 Austrian shillings per euro;

the euro will replace the local currency in consenting countries for all transactions in 2002

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields

Fixed lines

3.47 million

(1986 est.)

Telephone system

domestic:: highly developed and efficient
international:: satellite earth stations--2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 2 Eutelsat

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 61 (several hundred repeaters), shortwave 1 (Austria's single shortwave station, Radio Austria International, transmits its programs to the world in six languages using 12 frequencies and six communication satellite relays) (1998)

Radios

70% of all households had radiosaccoding to the 1993 census

Television broadcast stations

51 (in addition, there are 920 repeaters) (1998)

Televisions

2,418,584 (1984 est.)

Transportation

10 fields

Merchant marine, 22 ships by typeone square, one ship · (1998 est.)

bulk 1cargo 18combination bulk 2container 1

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

under 914 m

over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

under 914 m

total: 33 914 to 1,523 m: 4

Networkskm

Highways

129,061Railways

5,849Waterways

358 (1997)

Highways: paved: 129,061 km (including 1,613 km of expressways) · unpaved: 0 km (1997 est.) · Railways: (there is also 594 km of private tracks) · standard gauge: 5,470 km 1.435-m gauge (3,418 km electrified) · narrow gauge: 379 km 1.000-m and 0.760-m gauge (84 km electrified) (1997)