Austria

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

federal republicIndependence 1156 (from Bavaria)

Austria as the 2001 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 117 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 land: 82,738 sq km water: 1,120 sq km

LocationCentral Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia

Populationas each edition published it

8.15 million July 2001 est. · 7.64m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.24% 2001 est. · 0.55% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 39.4 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

77.84 years 2001 est. · 76.4 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.39 children per woman 2001 est. · 1.5 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

4.44 deaths per 1,000 live births 2001 est. · 6 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$25,000 2000 est. · $18,000 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

3.1% 2000 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 of 1991 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

Coastline

0km

(landlocked)Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Irrigated land

457sq km

(1995 est.)

Location

Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia

Geographic coordinates

47 20 N, 13 20 E

Map references

Europe

Area

total: 83,858 sq km land: 82,738 sq km water: 1,120 sq km

Land boundaries

total: 2,562 km 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

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

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Neusiedler See 115 m highest point: Grossglockner 3,798 m

Natural resources

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

Land use

arable land: 17% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 23% forests and woodland: 39% other: 20% (1996 est.)

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

18 fields

Population

8,150,835

(July 2001 est.)growth rate: 0.24% (2001 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2001 est.)

Birth

9.74Death

9.8Net migration

2.45

Religions

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.23%

(1999 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 16.57% (male 691,925; female 658,375) 15-64 years: 68.05% (male 2,802,019; female 2,744,536) 65 years and over: 15.38% (male 478,498; female 775,482) (2001 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: 0.62 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate

4.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 77.84 years male: 74.68 years female: 81.15 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.39 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

9,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 100 (1999 est.)

Nationality

noun: Austrian(s) adjective: Austrian

Ethnic groups

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

Languages

German

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% male: NA% female: NA%

Government

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

20 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

63%

Thomas KLESTIL 63%Gertraud KNOLL 14%Heide SCHMIDT 11%Richard LUGNER 10%Karl NOWAK note: government coalition - OeVP and FPOe 2%

Legislature, 183 seatsone dot, one seat

SPOe 65OeVP 52FPOe 52Greens 14

Country name

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

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); note - commemorates the passage of the law on permanent neutrality

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 - OeVP and FPOe

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];
Freedom Party of Austria or FPOe [Susanne RIESS-PASSER];
Social Democratic Party of Austria or SPOe [Alfred GUSENBAUER];
The Greens Alternative or GA [Alexander VAN DER BELLEN]

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, UNMEE, 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) 313-39-2060

FAX

[43] (1) 313-39-2057

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.

31 fields

Real growth rate

3.1%

(2000 est.)industrial production growth: 4.2% (2000)

Inflation, consumer prices

(2000 est.)

Unemployment rate

5.4%

(2000 est.)

Labor force

3.7million

(1999)

Electricity

Electricity production

59.283 billion (1999)Electricity consumption

53.231 billion (1999)Electricity exports

13.507 billion (1999)Electricity imports

11.605 billion (1999)

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 and proximity to EU aspirant economies.

In 2000, Austria moved to further cut government spending and raise taxes to meet EMU deficit targets after facing unexpected difficulties in reducing the public deficit. To meet increased competition from both EU and Central European countries, Austria will need to emphasize knowledge-based sectors of the economy and continue to deregulate the service sector. Growth is expected to remain at about 3% in 2001.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $203 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $25,000 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 2.2% industry: 30.4% services: 67.4% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Labor force - by occupation

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

Budget

revenues: $56.3 billion expenditures: $60.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

Industries

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

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 29.53% hydro: 67.65% nuclear: 0% other: 2.82% (1999)

Agriculture - products

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

Exports

$63.2 billion (2000 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

EU 64.2% (Germany 35.7%, Italy 8.7%, France 4.5%), Switzerland 5.9%, US 4.5%, Hungary 3.9% (1999)

Imports

$65.6 billion (2000 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, chemicals, metal goods, oil and oil products; foodstuffs

Imports - partners

EU 70.3% (Germany 42.5%, Italy 7.9%, France 5.3%), US 5.4%, Switzerland 3.0%, Hungary 2.8% (1999)

Debt - external

$16 billion (1999)

Economic aid - donor

ODA, $472 million (1999)

Currency

Austrian schilling (ATS); euro (EUR) note: on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced the euro as a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in Austria at a fixed rate of 13.7603 Austrian shillings per euro and will replace the local currency for all transactions in 2002

Currency code

ATS; EUR

Exchange rates

euros per US dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999);
Austrian schillings per US dollar - 11.86 (January 1999), 12.91 (1999), 12.379 (1998), 12.204 (1997), 10.587 (1996)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

10 fields

Mobile cellular

4.5 million

(2000)

Internet users

(2000)

Fixed lines

4 million

(3,600,000 analog main lines plus 400,000 ISDN or Integrated Services Digital Network connections) (1999) · country code .at

Telephone system

general assessment:: highly developed and efficient domestic: there are 48 main lines for every 100 persons and the system is nearly 100% digital;
the fiber optic net is very extensive;
all telephone applications and Internet services are available international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 2 Eutelsat (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 61 (plus several hundred repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios

6.08 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations

45 (plus 960 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions

4.25 million (1997)

Internet users

2.6 million (2000)

Transportation

10 fields

Railways

total: 6,095.2 km (3,643.3 km electrified) standard gauge: 5,564.2 km 1.435-m gauge (3,521.2 km electrified) narrow gauge: 497.1 km (33.9 km 1.000-m gauge - 28.1 km electrified, 497.1 km 0.760-m gauge - 94 km electrified) (2001)