Austria

• temperate;
• continental, cloudy;
• cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains;
• moderate summers with occasional showers

total:

3.67 cu km/yr (35%/64%/1%)

per capita:

448 cu m/yr (1999)

• landslides;
• avalanches;
• earthquakes

• 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

• 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

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.71 male(s)/female

total population:

0.95 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

noun:

Austrian(s)

adjective:

Austrian

definition:

age 15 and over can read and write

total population:

98%

male:

NA

female:

NA

conventional long form:

Republic of Austria

conventional short form:

Austria

local long form:

Republik Oesterreich

local short form:

Oesterreich

name:

Vienna

geographic coordinates:

48 12 N, 16 22 E

time difference:

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

daylight saving time:

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

• 9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland);
• Burgenland, Kaernten (Carinthia), Niederoesterreich (Lower Austria), Oberoesterreich (Upper Austria), Salzburg, Steiermark (Styria), Tirol (Tyrol), Vorarlberg, Wien (Vienna)

• 976 (Margravate of Austria established);
• 17 September 1156 (Duchy of Austria founded);
• 11 August 1804 (Austrian Empire proclaimed);
• 12 November 1918 (republic proclaimed)

• 1920;
• revised 1929;
• reinstated 1 May 1945;
• note - during the period 1 May 1934-1 May 1945 there was a fascist (corporative) constitution in place

• 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

• 16 years of age;
• universal;
• note - reduced from 18 years of age in 2007

chief of state:

President Heinz FISCHER (SPOe) (since 8 July 2004)

head of government:

Chancellor Werner FAYMANN (SPOe) (since 2 December 2008); Vice Chancellor Josef PROELL (OeVP) (since 2 December 2008)

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 (eligible for a second term);
• presidential election last held 25 April 2004 (next to be held in April 2010);
• chancellor formally chosen by the president but determined by the coalition parties forming a parliamentary majority;
• vice chancellor chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor

election results:

Heinz FISCHER elected president; percent of vote - Heinz FISCHER 52.4%, Benita FERRERO-WALDNER 47.6%

note: government coalition - SPOe and OeVP

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

• Alliance for the Future of Austria or BZOe [Josef BUCHER];
• Austrian People's Party or OeVP [Josef PROELL];
• Freedom Party of Austria or FPOe [Heinz Christian STRACHE];
• Social Democratic Party of Austria or SPOe [Werner FAYMANN];
• The Greens [Eva GLAWISCHNIG]

• Austrian Trade Union Federation or OeGB (nominally independent but primarily Social Democratic);
• Federal Economic Chamber;
• OeVP-oriented Association of Austrian Industrialists or IV;
• Roman Catholic Church, including its chief lay organization, Catholic Action

other:

three composite leagues of the Austrian People's Party or OeVP representing business, labor, farmers, and other nongovernment organizations in the areas of environment and human rights

chief of mission:

Ambassador Christian PROSL

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, New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Scott F. KILNER

embassy:

Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1090, Vienna

mailing address:

use embassy street address

telephone:

[43] (1) 31339-0

FAX:

[43] (1) 3100682

• three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red;
• the flag design is certainly one of the oldest - if not the oldest - national banners in the world;
• according to tradition, following a fierce battle in the Third Crusade, Duke Leopold V of Austria's white tunic became completely blood-spattered;
• upon removal of his wide belt or sash, a white band was revealed;
• the red-white-red color combination was subsequently adopted as his banner

agriculture:

5.5%

industry:

27.5%

services:

67% (2005 est.)

lowest 10%:

3.3%

highest 10%:

22.5% (2004)

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

general assessment:

highly developed and efficient

domestic:

• fixed-line subscribership has been in decline since the mid-1990s with mobile-cellular subscribership eclipsing it by the late 1990s;
• the fiber-optic net is very extensive;
• all telephone applications and Internet services are available

international:

• country code - 43;
• satellite earth stations - 15;
• in addition, there are about 600 VSATs (very small aperture terminals) (2007)

total:

6,399 km

country comparison to the world: 29

standard gauge:

5,927 km 1.435-m gauge (3,688 km electrified)

narrow gauge:

384 km 1.000-m gauge (15 km electrified); 88 km 0.760-m gauge (10 km electrified) (2008)

total:

107,262 km

country comparison to the world: 39

paved:

107,262 km (includes 1,677 km of expressways) (2006)

• 18-35 years of age for compulsory military service;
• 16 years of age for male or female voluntary service;
• service obligation 6 months of training, followed by an 8-year reserve obligation (2009)

males age 16-49:

1,986,411

females age 16-49:

1,944,834 (2008 est.)

males age 16-49:

1,607,456

females age 16-49:

1,576,335 (2009 est.)

male:

50,540

female:

48,042 (2009 est.)

• transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for Western Europe;
• increasing consumption of European-produced synthetic drugs