Austria. English. |
| The World Factbook 2002 | ||
| Austria | 
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| Introduction | Austria |
| 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 of 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 | Austria |
| 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 water: 1,120 sq km land: 82,738 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly smaller than Maine |
| 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 |
| Coastline: |
0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime
claims: |
none (landlocked) |
| 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: 16.89%
permanent crops: 0.99% other: 82.12% (1998 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
457 sq km (2000 est.) |
| 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 | Austria |
| Population: |
8,169,929 (July 2002 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: 16.4%
(male 686,205; female 652,840) 15-64 years: 68.2% (male 2,814,866; female 2,756,777) 65 years and over: 15.4% (male 484,313; female 774,928) (2002 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
0.23% (2002 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
9.58 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
9.73 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
2.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 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 (2002 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
4.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population:
78 years female: 81.31 years (2002 est.) male: 74.85 years |
| Total
fertility rate: |
1.4 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.1% (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
843 (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
8 (2001 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun: Austrian(s)
adjective: Austrian |
| 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% |
| Languages: |
German |
| Literacy: |
definition: age 15
and over can read and write total population: 98% male: NA% female: NA% |
| Government | Austria |
| 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 Herbert HAUPT (since 28 February 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; 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 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 [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, 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, UNMOGIP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, 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 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-1091, 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 |
| Economy | Austria |
| 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 and 0.6% in 2002. 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. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $226 billion (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
0.6% (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power parity - $27,700 (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: 2% industry: 33% services: 65% (2002 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: 3% highest 10%: 23% (1995) |
| Distribution
of family income - Gini index: |
31 (1995) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
1.8% (2002 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
4.3 million (2001) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
services 67%, industry and crafts 29%, agriculture and forestry 4% (2001 est.) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
4.8% (2002 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $53 billion
expenditures: $54 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) |
| Industries: |
construction, machinery, vehicles and parts, food, chemicals, lumber and wood processing, paper and paperboard, communications equipment, tourism |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
3.8% (2001 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
60.285 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel: 28%
hydro: 69% other: 3% (2000) nuclear: 0% |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
54.764 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
15.11 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
13.809 billion kWh (2000) |
| 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 |
| Exports
- partners: |
EU 63% (Germany 35%, Italy 9%, France 5%), Switzerland 5%, US 5%, Hungary 4% (2000) |
| Imports: |
$74 billion c.i.f. (2001) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal goods, oil and oil products; foodstuffs |
| Imports
- partners: |
EU 68% (Germany 42%, Italy 7%, France 5%), US 6%, Switzerland 3%, Hungary 2% (2000) |
| Debt
- external: |
$12.1 billion (2001 est.) |
| Economic
aid - donor: |
ODA, $410 million (2000) |
| Currency: |
euro (EUR); Austrian schilling
(ATS) 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; ATS |
| Exchange
rates: |
euros per US dollar - 1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175 (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) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Communications | Austria |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
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) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
6 million (2001) |
| 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) |
| Radios: |
6.08 million (1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
45 (plus more than 1,000 repeaters) (2001) |
| Televisions: |
4.25 million (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.at |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
37 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
3.7 million (2002) |
| Transportation | Austria |
| 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: 33.9 km 1.000-m gauge (28.1 km electrified); 497.1 km 0.760-m gauge (94 km electrified) (2001 est.) |
| Highways: |
total: 133,361 km
paved: 133,361 km (including 1,613 km of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (1998) |
| Waterways: |
358 km (1999) |
| Pipelines: |
crude oil 777 km; natural gas 840 km (1999) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Enns, Krems, Linz, Vienna |
| Merchant
marine: |
total: 10 ships (1,000
GRT or over) totaling 46,563 GRT/59,278 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 6, combination bulk 1, container 2 (2002 est.) |
| Airports: |
55 (2001) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 24 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 14 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total: 31 31 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 27 (2002) |
| Heliports: |
1 (2002) |
| Military | Austria |
| Military
branches: |
Land Forces (KdoLdSK), Air Forces (KdoLuSK) |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
19 years of age (2002 est.) |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age 15-49: 2,092,623 (2002 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 15-49: 1,728,191 (2002 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males: 50,580 (2002 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$1,497.1 million (FY01/02) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
0.8% (FY01/02) |
| Transnational Issues | Austria |
| Disputes
- international: |
minor disputes with Czech Republic and Slovenia continue over nuclear power plants and post-World War II treatment of German-speaking minorities |
| Illicit
drugs: |
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for Western Europe |
Source:
The World Factbook 2002
Last Updated: 19 March 2003
2000-2007
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