Austria

Republic of AustriaRepublik Oesterreich

federal republicIndependence 1156 (from Bavaria)

Austria as the 2000 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 110 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

8.13 million July 2000 est. · 7.64m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.25% 2000 est. · 0.55% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 39.4 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

77.68 years 2000 est. · 76.4 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.39 children per woman 2000 est. · 1.5 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

4.5 deaths per 1,000 live births 2000 est. · 6 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$23,400 1999 est. · $18,000 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

2% 1999 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. Following annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938 and subsequent occupation by the victorious Allies, Austria's 1955 State Treaty declared the country "permanently neutral" as a condition of Soviet military withdrawal. Neutrality, once ingrained as part of the Austrian cultural identity, has been called into question since the Soviet collapse and Austria's increasingly prominent role in European affairs. A prosperous country, Austria joined the European Union in 1995 and the euro monetary system in 1999.

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

3,798m

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

8,131,111

(July 2000 est.)growth rate: 0.25% (2000 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2000 est.)

Birth

9.9Death

9.91Net migration

2.46

Religions

Roman Catholic 78%Protestant 5%Muslim and other 17%

Literacy

98%

definition: age 15 and over can read and writemale: NA%female: NA%

Age structure

0-14 years:: 17% (male 697,283; female 663,459)
15-64 years:: 68% (male 2,787,555; female 2,731,446)
65 years and over:: 15% (male 474,067; female 777,301) (2000 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.61 male(s)/female
total population:: 0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate

4.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:: 77.68 years
male:: 74.52 years
female:: 80.99 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.39 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Austrian(s)
adjective:: Austrian

Ethnic groups

German 98%, Croatian, Slovene, other (includes Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks, Roma)

Languages

German

Government

Federal republic; President Thomas KLESTIL (since 8 July 1992); Chancellor Wolfgang SCHUESSEL (OeVP)(since 4 February 2000)

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)

National Council, 183 seats, elected 3 October 1999one dot, one seat

SPOe 65OeVP 52FPOe 52Greens 14

Percent of vote

SPOe 33.2%OeVP 26.9%FPOe 26.9%Greens 7.4%

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

19 years of age;
universal;
compulsory for presidential elections

Executive branch

chief of state:: President Thomas KLESTIL (since 8 July 1992)
head of government:: Chancellor Wolfgang SCHUESSEL (OeVP)(since 4 February 2000); Vice Chancellor Susanne RIESS-PASSER (FPOe) (since 4 February 2000)
cabinet:: Council of Ministers chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor
elections:: president elected by direct popular vote for a six-year term;
presidential election last held 19 April 1998 (next to be held in the spring of 2004);
chancellor traditionally chosen by the president from the plurality party in the National Council;
in the case of the current coalition, the chancellor was chosen from another party after the plurality party failed to form a government;
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%

note: government coalition - FPOe and OeVP

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 3 October 1999 (next to be held in the fall of 2003)
election results:: National Council - percent of vote by party - SPOe 33.2%, OeVP 26.9%, FPOe 26.9%, Greens 7.4%; seats by party - SPOe 65, OeVP 52, FPOe 52, Greens 14

Judicial branch

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

Political parties and leaders

Austrian People's Party or OeVP [Wolfgang SCHUESSEL, chairman];
Communist Party or KPOe [Walter BAIER, chairman];
Freedom Party of Austria or FPOe [Susanne RIESS-PASSER];
Liberal Forum or LF [Heide SCHMIDT];
Social Democratic Party of Austria or SPOe [Viktor KLIMA, chairman];
The Greens or GA [Alexander VAN DER BELLEN, party spokesman]

Political pressure groups and leaders

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

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, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNTAET, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Peter MOSER
chancery:: 3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035
telephone:: [1] (202) 895-6700
FAX:: [1] (202) 895-6750
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
telephone:: [43] (1) 313-39
FAX:: [43] (1) 310-0682

Flag description

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

Economy

Austria with its well-developed market economy and high standard of living is closely tied to other EU economies, especially Germany's.

30 fields

Real growth rate

(1999 est.)industrial production growth: 2.3% (1999)

Inflation, consumer prices

0.5%

(1999)

Unemployment rate

4.4%

(1999)

Labor force

3.7million

(1999)

GDP - composition by sector(1998 est.)

agriculture 1.3%industry 32.4%services 66.3% (1998 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$54 billionExpenditures

$59.5 billion (1999 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Electricity

fossil fuel 31.46%hydro 65.92%other 2.62% (1998)nuclear 0%

Electricity production

56.066 billion (1998)Electricity consumption

51.891 billion (1998)Electricity exports

10.5 billion (1998)Electricity imports

10.25 billion (1998)

Economy - overview

Austria with its well-developed market economy and high standard of living is closely tied to other EU economies, especially Germany'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 has brought its total public sector deficit down to 2.1% of GDP in 1999 and public debt - at 63.1% of GDP in 1998 - more or less in line with the 60% of GDP required by the EMU's Maastricht criteria.

Cuts mainly have affected the civil service and Austria's generous social benefit system, the two major causes of the government's 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. Growth, which slowed to 2.0% in 1999, probably will rebound to 2.8% in both 2000 and 2001.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $190.6 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $23,400 (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Labor force - by occupation

services 68%, industry and crafts 29%, agriculture and forestry 3% (1999 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

$62.9 billion (1999 est.)

Exports - commodities

machinery and equipment, paper and paperboard, metal goods, chemicals, iron and steel; textiles, foodstuffs (1998)

Exports - partners

EU 65% (Germany 36%, Italy 9%, France 5%), Switzerland 5%, Hungary 5%, US 4.5% (1999 est.)

Imports

$69.9 billion (1999 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, chemicals, metal goods, oil and oil products; foodstuffs (1998)

Imports - partners

EU 70% (Germany 42%, Italy 8%, France 5%), US 5%, Hungary 3%, Switzerland 3% (1999 est.)

Debt - external

$31.7 billion (1998)

Economic aid - donor

ODA, $452 million (1998)

Currency

1 Austrian schilling (AS) = 100 groschen

Exchange rates

euros per US$1 - 0.9867 (January 2000), 0.9386 (1999);
Austrian schillings (AS) per US$1 - 11.86 (January 1999), 12.91 (1999), 12.379 (1998), 12.204 (1997), 10.587 (1996), 10.081 (1995)

note: on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in some member countries at 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

8 fields

Mobile cellular

2.31 million

(1998)

Internet users

(1999)

Fixed lines

3.726 million

(plus 83,100 ISDN or Integrated Services Digital Network connections) (1997)

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 (plus several hundred repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios

6.08 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations

51 (plus 920 repeaters) (1999)

Televisions

4.25 million (1997)

Transportation

10 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

over 3,047 m

2,438 to 3,047 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

914 to 1,523 m

under 914 m

Paved 22Unpaved 33

Networkskm

Highways

200,000Railways

6,123Waterways

358 (1999)

Highways: paved: 200,000 km (including 1,613 km of expressways) · unpaved: 0 km (1999) · Railways: (3,523 km electrified) · standard gauge: 5,639 km 1.435-m gauge (3,429 km electrified) · narrow gauge: 484 km (13 km 0.600-m gauge, 468 km 0.760-m gauge - 94 km electrified, and 3 km 0.600-m gauge) (1999)

Railways

total:: 6,123 km (3,523 km electrified)
standard gauge:: 5,639 km 1.435-m gauge (3,429 km electrified)
narrow gauge:: 484 km (13 km 0.600-m gauge, 468 km 0.760-m gauge - 94 km electrified, and 3 km 0.600-m gauge) (1999)

Highways

200,000 km

paved:: 200,000 km (including 1,613 km of expressways)
unpaved:: 0 km (1999)

Pipelines

crude oil 777 km; natural gas 840 km (1999)

Ports and harbors

Linz, Vienna, Enns, Krems

Merchant marine

total:: 20 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 65,284 GRT/91,951 DWT
ships by type:: bulk 1, cargo 15, combination bulk 2, container 2 (1999 est.)