Austria

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

• landslides;
• avalanches;
• earthquakes

noun:

Austrian(s)

adjective:

Austrian

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.03 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.78 male(s)/female

total population:

0.96 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

• 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;
• water pollution;
• the Danube, as well as some of Austria’s other rivers and lakes, are threatened by pollution

particulate matter emissions:

12.43 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions:

61.45 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions:

6.34 megatons (2020 est.)

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

urban population:

59% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization:

0.68% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

4.836 million tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually:

1,240,918 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

25.7% (2015 est.)

municipal:

720 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial:

2.695 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural:

77.1 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Austria

conventional short form:

Austria

local long form:

Republik Oesterreich

local short form:

Oesterreich

etymology:

• the name Oesterreich means "eastern realm" or "eastern march" and dates to the 10th century;
• the designation refers to the fact that Austria was the easternmost extension of Bavaria, and, in fact, of all the Germans;
• the word Austria is a Latinization of the German name

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

etymology:

• the origin of the name is disputed but may derive from earlier settlements of the area;
• a Celtic town of Vedunia, established about 500 B.C., came under Roman dominance around 15 B.C. and became known as Vindobona;
• archeological remains of the latter survive at many sites in the center of Vienna

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

no official date of independence:

• 976 (Margravate of Austria established);
• 17 September 1156 (Duchy of Austria founded);
• 6 January 1453 (Archduchy of Austria acknowledged);
• 11 August 1804 (Austrian Empire proclaimed);
• 30 March 1867 (Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy established);
• 12 November 1918 (First Republic proclaimed);
• 27 April 1945 (Second Republic proclaimed)

history:

several previous; latest adopted 1 October 1920, revised 1929, replaced May 1934, replaced by German Weimar constitution in 1938 following German annexation, reinstated 1 May 1945

amendments:

• proposed through laws designated "constitutional laws" or through the constitutional process if the amendment is part of another law;
• approval required by at least a two-thirds majority vote by the National Assembly and the presence of one half of the members;
• a referendum is required only if requested by one third of the National Council or Federal Council membership;
• passage by referendum requires absolute majority vote;
• amended many times, last in 2020

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Austria

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

10 years

chief of state:

President Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (since 26 January 2017)

head of government:

Chancellor Karl NEHAMMER (since 6 December 2021); note - Chancellor Alexander SCHALLENBERG (since 9 October 2021) resigned on 12/2/21

cabinet:

Council of Ministers chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor

elections/appointments:

• president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 6-year term (eligible for a second term);
• elections last held on 24 April 2016 (first round), 22 May 2016 (second round, which was annulled), and 4 December 2016 (second round re-vote) (next election to be held in April 2022);
• chancellor appointed by the president but determined by the majority coalition parties in the Federal Assembly;
• vice chancellor appointed by the president on the advice of the chancellor

election results:

• Alexander VAN DER BELLEN elected in second round;
• percent of vote in first round - Norbert HOFER (FPOe) 35.1%, Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (independent, allied with the Greens) 21.3%, Irmgard GRISS (independent) 18.9%, Rudolf HUNDSTORFER (SPOe) 11.3%, Andreas KHOL (OeVP) 11.1%, Richard LUGNER (independent) 2.3%;
• percent of vote in second round - Alexander VAN DER BELLEN 53.8%, Norbert HOFER 46.2%

highest courts:

• Supreme Court of Justice or Oberster Gerichtshof (consists of 85 judges organized into 17 senates or panels of 5 judges each);
• Constitutional Court or Verfassungsgerichtshof (consists of 20 judges including 6 substitutes; Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof - 2 judges plus other members depending on the importance of the case)

judge selection and term of office:

• Supreme Court judges nominated by executive branch departments and appointed by the president;
• judges serve for life;
• Constitutional Court judges nominated by several executive branch departments and approved by the president;
• judges serve for life;
• Administrative Court judges recommended by executive branch departments and appointed by the president;
• terms of judges and members determined by the president

subordinate courts:

• Courts of Appeal (4);
• Regional Courts (20);
• district courts (120);
• county courts

• Austrian People's Party or OeVP [Karl NEHAMMER]
• Communist Party of Austria or KPOe [Mirko MESSNER]
• Freedom Party of Austria or FPOe [Herbert KICKI]
• The Greens [Werner KOGLER]
• NEOS - The New Austria [Beate MEINL-REISINGER]
• Social Democratic Party of Austria or SPOe [Pamela RENDI-WAGNER]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Martin WEISS (since 6 January 2020)

chancery:

3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035

telephone:

[1] (202) 895-6700

FAX:

[1] (202) 895-6750

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://www.austria.org/

consulate(s) general:

Los Angeles, New York, Washington

consulate(s):

Chicago

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant), Mario MESQUITA (since 12 July 2021)

embassy:

Boltzmanngasse 16, 1090, Vienna

mailing address:

9900 Vienna Place, Washington DC 20521-9900

telephone:

[43] (1) 31339-0

FAX:

[43] (1) 310-06-82

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://at.usembassy.gov/

• 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

Fitch rating:

AA+ (2015)

Moody's rating:

Aa1 (2016)

Standard & Poors rating: AA+ (2012)

agriculture:

0.7%

industry:

25.2%

services:

74.1% (2017 est.)

total:

10.5%

male:

11.3%

female:

9.5% (2020 est.)

lowest 10%:

2.8%

highest 10%:

23.5% (2012 est.)

• worldwide cable and satellite TV are available;
• the public incumbent ORF competes with three other major, several regional domestic, and up to 400 international TV stations;
• TV coverage is in principle 100%, but only 90% use broadcast media;
• Internet streaming not only complements, but increasingly replaces regular TV stations (2019)

number of registered air carriers:

11 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 130

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

12,935,505 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

373.51 million mt-km (2018)

total:

5,800 km (2017)

standard gauge:

5,300 km 1.435-m gauge (3,826 km electrified) (2016)

total:

137,039 km (2018)

paved:

137,039 km (includes 2,232 km of expressways) (2018)

total:

1

by type:

other 1 (2021)