Austria

Republic of AustriaRepublik Oesterreich

federal republicIndependence 1156 (from Bavaria)

Austria as the 2003 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 126 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

8.19 million July 2003 est. · 7.64m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.22% 2003 est. · 0.55% in 1993

Median ageyears

39.4 years 2002 · 44.5 yrs in 2025

Life expectancyyears at birth

78.17 years 2003 est. · 76.4 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.41 children per woman 2003 est. · 1.5 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

4.33 deaths per 1,000 live births 2003 est. · 6 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$27,900 2002 est. · $18,000 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

1.1% 2002 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 in 1945, Austria's status remained unclear for a decade. A State Treaty signed in 1955 ended the occupation, recognized Austria's independence, and forbade unification with Germany. A constitutional law that same year declared the country's "perpetual neutrality" as a condition for Soviet military withdrawal.

This neutrality, once ingrained as part of the Austrian cultural identity, has been called into question since the Soviet collapse of 1991 and Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995. A prosperous country, Austria entered the European Monetary Union in 1999.

Geography

Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia

18 fields

Land useshare of 83,858 sq km

arable land 16.89%permanent crops 0.99%other 82.12% (1998 est.)irrigated 457 sq km (2000 est.)

Area

83,858sq km

water: 1,120 sq kmland: 82,738 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

landslides;
avalanches;
earthquakes

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

19 fields

Population

8,188,207

(July 2003 est.)growth rate: 0.22% (2003 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2003 est.)

Birth

9.43Death

9.69Net migration

2.44

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2003 est.)78.17

75.02 · 81.48Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)4.33

4.38 · 4.29

TotalMale · femaleMedian age years (2002)39.4

38.2 · 40.7

MaleFemale

Ethnic groups

German 88%non-nationals 9.3% (includes Croatians, Slovenes, Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks, Roma)naturalized 2% (includes those who have lived in Austria at least three generations)

Religions

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.2%

(2001 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years:: 16.2% (male 678,944; female 646,390)
15-64 years:: 68.3% (male 2,827,736; female 2,768,480)
65 years and over:: 15.5% (male 490,979; female 775,678) (2003 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:: 0.63 male(s)/female
total population:: 0.95 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.41 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

9,900 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 100 (2001 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Austrian(s)
adjective:: Austrian

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); Chancellor Wolfgang SCHUESSEL (OeVP)(since 4 February 2000)

18 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 24 November 2002one dot, one seat

OeVP 79SPOe 69FPOe 19Greens 16

Percent of vote

OeVP 42.3%SPOe 36.9%FPOe 10.2%Greens 9%

Country name

conventional long form:: Republic of Austria
conventional short form:: Austria
local short form:: Oesterreich
local long form:: Republik 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 State Treaty restoring national sovereignty and the end of occupation and 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;
accepts 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 Wolfgang SCHUESSEL (OeVP)(since 4 February 2000); Vice Chancellor Hubert GORBACH (since 21 October 2003)
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;
vice chancellor chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor

note: government coalition - OeVP and FPOe

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)

election results:: National Council - percent of vote by party - OeVP 42.3%, SPOe 36.9%, FPOe 10.2%, Greens 9%; seats by party - OeVP 79, SPOe 69, FPOe 19, Greens 16
elections:: National Council - last held 24 November 2002 (next to be held in the fall of 2006)

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 [Herbert HAUPT];
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), CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, 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, UNMISET, UNMOGIP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Eva NOWOTNY
chancery:: 3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035
consulate(s) general:: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
FAX:: [1] (202) 895-6750
telephone:: [1] (202) 895-6700

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador William Lee LYONS BROWN, Jr.
embassy:: Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1090, Vienna
mailing address:: use embassy street address
telephone:: [43] (1) 31339, 31375, 31335
FAX:: [43] (1) 5125835

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.

43 fields

Real growth rate

1.1%

(2002 est.)industrial production growth: 3.8% (2001 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

1.8%

(2002 est.)

Unemployment rate

4.8%

(2002 est.)

Labor force

4.3million

(2001)

GDP - composition by sector(2002 est.)

agriculture 2%industry 33%services 65% (2002 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

31.5%

Germany

42.6%

9.3%

Italy

6.6%

5.4%

Switzerland

4.8%

4.3%

Hungary

5.1%

4.9%

4.7%

France

Netherlands

4.4%

Exports $70 billion f.o.b. (2001)Imports $74 billion c.i.f. (2001)(2002)

Budget

Revenues

$53 billionExpenditures

$54 billion (2001 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Electricity

fossil fuel 29.3%hydro 67.2%other 3.5% (2001)nuclear 0%

Electricity production

58.75 billion (2001)Electricity consumption

54.85 billion (2001)Electricity exports

14.25 billion (2001)Electricity imports

14.47 billion (2001)

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.

Slowing growth in Germany and elsewhere in the world held the economy to only 1.2% growth in 2001, 0.6% in 2002, and 0.8% in 2003.. To meet increased competition from both EU and Central European countries, Austria will need to emphasize knowledge-based sectors of the economy, continue to deregulate the service sector, and lower its tax burden. A key issue is the encouragement of much greater participation in the labor market by its ageing population.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $227.7 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $27,900 (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Distribution of family income - Gini index

31 (1995)

Labor force - by occupation

services 67%, industry and crafts 29%, agriculture and forestry 4% (2001 est.)

Industries

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

Oil - production

20,670 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption

262,400 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

35,470 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports

262,000 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves

85.69 million bbl (37257)

Natural gas - production

1.731 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

7.81 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

403 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

6.033 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

24.9 billion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products

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

Exports

$70 billion f.o.b. (2001)

Exports - commodities

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

Imports

$74 billion c.i.f. (2001)

Imports - commodities

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

Debt - external

$12.1 billion (2001 est.)

Economic aid - donor

ODA, $410 million (2000)

Currency

euro (EUR)

note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by the financial institutions of member countries;

on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

Currency code

EUR

Exchange rates

euros per US dollar - 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000), 0.94 (1999), 12.38 (1998)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Mobile cellular

6 million

(2001)

Internet users

(2000)

Fixed lines

4 million

(consisting of 3,600,000 analog main lines plus 400,000 Integrated Services Digital Network connections); in addition, there are 100,000 Asymmetric Digital Services lines (2001) · country code .at

Telephone system

general assessment:: highly developed and efficient
domestic:: there are 48 main lines for every 100 persons;
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 1 Eutelsat;
in addition, there are about 600 VSAT (very small aperture terminals) (2002)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 160 (plus several hundred repeaters), shortwave 1 (2001)

Television broadcast stations

45 (plus more than 1,000 repeaters) (2001)

Internet users

3.7 million (2002)

Transportation

10 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

over 3,047 m

2,438 to 3,047 m

914 to 1,523 m

under 914 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

Paved 24Unpaved 31

Networkskm

Highways

200,000Railways

6,024Waterways

358 (1999)

Highways: paved: 200,000 km (including 1,633 km of expressways) · unpaved: 0 km (2000) · Railways: (3,641 km electrified) · standard gauge: 5,566 km 1.435-m gauge (3,524 km electrified) · narrow gauge: 34 km 1.000-m gauge (28 km electrified); 424 km 0.760-m gauge (89 km electrified) (2002)

Railways

total:: 6,024 km (3,641 km electrified)
standard gauge:: 5,566 km 1.435-m gauge (3,524 km electrified)
narrow gauge:: 34 km 1.000-m gauge (28 km electrified); 424 km 0.760-m gauge (89 km electrified) (2002)