Austria
Republic of AustriaRepublik Oesterreich
federal republicIndependence 12 November 1918 (republic proclaimed)
Austria as the 2012 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 159 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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.
The Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 and Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995 have altered the meaning of this neutrality. A prosperous, democratic country, Austria entered the EU Economic and Monetary Union in 1999.
Geography
Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia
20 fieldsLand useshare of 83,871 sq km
Climate
- temperate;
- continental, cloudy;
- cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains;
- moderate 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
oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 3.67 cu km/yr (35%/64%/1%)
- per capita:
- 448 cu m/yr (1999)
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-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
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 and Society
30 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2012 est.)
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2001 census)
Religions(2001 census)
Languages
German (official nationwide) 88.6%, Turkish 2.3%, Serbian 2.2%, Croatian (official in Burgenland) 1.6%, other (includes Slovene, official in Carinthia, and Hungarian, official in Burgenland) 5.3% (2001 census)
Sex ratio
- 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:
- 0.73 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.95 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Government
Federal republic; President Heinz FISCHER (SPOe) (since 8 July 2004); Chancellor Werner FAYMANN (SPOe) (since 2 December 2008)
21 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
National Council, 183 seats, elected 28 September 2008one dot, one seat
Percent of vote
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Republic of Austria
- conventional short form:
- Austria
- local long form:
- Republik Oesterreich
- local short form:
- Oesterreich
Capital
- 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
Administrative divisions
- 9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland);
- Burgenland, Karnten (Carinthia), Niederoesterreich (Lower Austria), Oberoesterreich (Upper Austria), Salzburg, Steiermark (Styria), Tirol (Tyrol), Vorarlberg, Wien (Vienna)
Independence
- 12 November 1918 (republic proclaimed);
- notable earlier dates: 976 (Margravate of Austria established);
- 17 September 1156 (Duchy of Austria founded);
- 11 August 1804 (Austrian Empire proclaimed)
National holiday
National Day, 26 October (1955); note - commemorates the passage of the law on permanent neutrality
Constitution
- 1 October 1920;
- revised 1929;
- reinstated 1 May 1945;
- revised many times;
- note - during the period 1 May 1934-1 May 1945 there was a fascist (corporative) constitution in place
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Heinz FISCHER (SPOe) (since 8 July 2004)
- head of government:
- Chancellor Werner FAYMANN (SPOe) (since 2 December 2008); Vice Chancellor Michael SPINDELEGGER (OeVP) (since 21 April 2011)
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)
- elections:
- president elected for a six-year term (eligible for a second term) by direct popular vote and formally sworn into office before the Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung;
- presidential election last held on 25 April 2010 (next to be held on 25 April 2016);
- 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 reelected president; percent of vote - Heinz FISCHER 79.33%, Barbara ROSENKRANZ 15.24%, Rudolf GEHRING 5.43%
note: government coalition - SPOe and OeVP
Legislative branch
bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of Federal Council or Bundesrat (62 seats; delegates appointed by state parliaments with each state receiving 3 to 12 seats in proportion to its population; members serve five- or six-year terms) and the National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members elected by popular vote for a five-year term under a system of proportional representation with partially-open party lists)
- elections:
- National Council - last held on 28 September 2008 (next to be held by September 2013)
- election results:
- National Council - percent of vote by party - SPOe 29.3%, OeVP 26%, FPOe 17.5%, BZOe 10.7%, Greens 10.4%, other 6.1%;
- seats by party - SPOe 57, OeVP 51, FPOe 34, BZOe 21, Greens 20;
- note - seats by party since 2010 - SPOe 57, OeVP 51, FPOe 39, BZOe 16, Greens 20
Judicial branch
- Supreme Judicial Court or Oberster Gerichtshof;
- Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof;
- Constitutional Court or Verfassungsgerichtshof
Political parties and leaders
- Alliance for the Future of Austria or BZOe [Josef BUCHER];
- Austrian People's Party or OeVP [Michael SPINDELEGGER];
- Freedom Party of Austria or FPOe [Heinz Christian STRACHE];
- Social Democratic Party of Austria or SPOe [Werner FAYMANN];
- The Greens [Eva GLAWISCHNIG];
- Communist Party of Austria of KPOe [Mirko MESSNER];
- "Team Stronach for Austria" [Frank STRONACHI]
Political pressure groups and leaders
- Austrian Trade Union Federation or OeGB (nominally independent but primarily Social Democratic);
- Federal Economic Chamber;
- Labor Chamber or AK (Social Democratic-leaning think tank);
- 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
International organization participation
ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIFIL, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Hans Peter MANZ
- 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
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador William C. EACHO III
- embassy:
- Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1090, Vienna
- mailing address:
- use embassy street address
- telephone:
- [43] (1) 31339-0
- FAX:
- [43] (1) 3100682
Flag description
- 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, in 1191, 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
National anthem
- name:
- "Bundeshymne" (Federal Hymn)
- lyrics/music:
- Paula von PRERADOVIC/Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART or Johann HOLZER (disputed)
note: adopted 1947; the anthem is also known as "Land der Berge, Land am Strome" (Land of the Mountains, Land on the River); Austria adopted a new national anthem after World War II to replace the former imperial anthem composed by Franz Josef HAYDN,
which had been appropriated by Germany in 1922 and was now associated with the Nazi regime
Economy
Austria, with its well-developed market economy, skilled labor force, and high standard of living, is closely tied to other EU economies, especially Germany's.
38 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2012 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Economy - overview
Austria, with its well-developed market economy, skilled labor force, and high standard of living, is closely tied to other EU economies, especially Germany's. Its economy features a large service sector, a sound industrial sector, and a small, but highly developed agricultural sector.
Following several years of solid foreign demand for Austrian exports and record employment growth, the international financial crisis of 2008 and subsequent global economic downturn led to a sharp but brief recession. Austrian GDP contracted 3.8% in 2009 but saw positive growth of about 2% in 2010 and 2.7% in 2011.
Growth fell below 1% in 2012. Unemployment did not rise as steeply in Austria as elsewhere in Europe, partly because the government subsidized reduced working hour schemes to allow companies to retain employees. Stabilization measures, stimulus spending, and an income tax reform pushed the budget deficit to 4.5% in 2010 and 2.6% in 2011, from only about 0.9% in 2008.
The international financial crisis of 2008 caused difficulties for Austria's largest banks whose extensive operations in central, eastern, and southeastern Europe faced large losses. The government provided bank support - including in some instances, nationalization - to support aggregate demand and stabilize the banking system.
Austria's fiscal position compares favorably with other euro-zone countries, but it faces considerable external risks, such as Austrian banks' continued high exposure to central and eastern Europe as well as political and economic uncertainties caused by the European sovereign debt crisis.
In 2011 the government attempted to pass a constitutional amendment limiting public debt to 60% of GDP by 2020, but it was unable to obtain sufficient support in parliament and instead passed the measure as a simple law. In March 2012, the Austrian parliament approved an austerity budget that will bring public finances into balance by 2016. In 2012, the budget deficit rose to 2.9% of GDP.
Distribution of family income - Gini index
26 (2007) · 31 (1995) country comparison to the world: 129
Public debt
74.3% of GDP (2012 est.) · 72.2% of GDP (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 34 note: this is general government gross debt, defined in the Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal value, outstanding at the end of the year; it covers the following categories of government liabilities (as defined in ESA95): currency and deposits (AF.2), securities other than shares excluding financial derivatives (AF.3, excluding AF.34), and loans (AF.4); the general government sector comprises the sub-sectors of central government, state government, local government and social security funds; as a percentage of GDP, the GDP used as a denominator is the gross domestic product in current year prices
Commercial bank prime lending rate
2.4% (31 December 2012 est.) · 3.3% (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 174
Stock of narrow money
$194.8 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $176.5 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 19 note: see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 17 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders
Stock of broad money
$426.5 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $400.8 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 26
Stock of domestic credit
$549 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $526.7 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 23
Current account balance
$8.17 billion (2012 est.) · $7.75 billion (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 29
Exports - commodities
machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, paper and paperboard, metal goods, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles, foodstuffs
Imports - commodities
machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal goods, oil and oil products; foodstuffs
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$25.16 billion (31 December 2011 est.) · $22.28 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 55
Debt - external
$883.5 billion (30 June 2011) · $755 billion (30 June 2010) country comparison to the world: 18
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
$290.2 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $271.3 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 19
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad
$313.9 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $300.7 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 19
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7838 (2012 est.) · 0.7185 (2011 est.) · 755 (2010 est.) · 0.7198 (2009 est.) · 0.6827 (2008 est.)
Energy
23 fieldsInstalled generating capacity, 21.11 million kW(2010 est.)
Electricity - from fossil fuels
19.6% of total installed capacity (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 191
Electricity - from nuclear fuels
0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 43
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants
38.7% of total installed capacity (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 55
Electricity - from other renewable sources
20.4% of total installed capacity (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 7
Natural gas - proved reserves
16.14 billion cu m (1 January 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 77
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
69.46 million Mt (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 49
Communications
7 fieldsTelephone system
- 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)
Broadcast media
- Austria's public broadcaster, Osterreichischer Rundfunk (ORF), was the main broadcast source until commercial radio and TV service was introduced in the 1990s;
- cable and satellite TV are available, including German TV stations (2008)
Transportation
10 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved only
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Railways
- total:
- 6,399 km
country comparison to the world: 29
- standard gauge:
- 5,927 km 1.435-m gauge (3,853 km electrified)
- narrow gauge:
- 384 km 1.000-m gauge (15 km electrified); 88 km 0.760-m gauge (10 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways
- total:
- 124,508 km
country comparison to the world: 37
- paved:
- 124,508 km (includes 1,719 km of expressways) (2012)
Merchant marine
registered in other countries: 3 (Cyprus 1, Kazakhstan 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2010) country comparison to the world: 134
Military
Land Forces (KdoLdSK), Air Forces (KdoLuSK)
6 fieldsMilitary service age and obligation
- registration requirement at age 17;
- males under the age of 35 must complete basic military training (6 month duration);
- males 17 to 50 years old in the militia or inactive reserve are subject to compulsory military service (2011)
Manpower available for military service
- males age 16-49:
- 1,941,110
- females age 16-49:
- 1,910,434 (2010 est.)
Transnational Issues
3 fieldsRefugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 18,473 (Russia); 8,636 (Afghanistan) (2011)
Illicit drugs
- transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for Western Europe;
- increasing consumption of European-produced synthetic drugs
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Austria.” The World Factbook 2012. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/austria/2012.