Map of Austria | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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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. After the annexation to Nazi Germany in 1938 and subsequent occupation by the victorious Allied powers, Austria's 1955 State Treaty declared the country "permanently neutral" as a condition of the Soviet military withdrawal. The Soviet collapse relieved the external pressure to remain unaligned, but neutrality had evolved into a part of Austrian cultural identity, which has led to an ongoing public debate over whether Vienna legitimately can remain outside of European security structures. A wealthy country, Austria joined the European Union in 1995 and, like many EU members, is adjusting to the new European currency and struggling with high unemployment.


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Location: Central Europe, north of Italy

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 83,850 km²
Land: 82,730 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Maine

Land boundaries: Total 2,496 km, Czech Republic 362 km, Germany 784 km, Hungary 366 km, Italy 430 km, Liechtenstein 37 km, Slovakia 91 km, Slovenia 262 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
Extremes highest point: Grossglockner 3,797 m

Natural resources:

Land use
Arable land: 17%
Permanent crops: 1%
Permanent pastures: 24%
Forests and woodland: 39%
Other: 19%

Irrigated land: 40 km² (1989)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population:
Growth rate:

Nationality
Noun: Austrian(s)
Adjective: Austrian

Ethnic groups:

Languages: German

Religions:

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years:
15-64 years:
65 years and over:

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

Death rate:

Net migration rate:

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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
Current issues Natural hazards: NA
Current issues 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

Air pollutants

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: 0.58 male(s)/female
All ages:

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.53 years (1996), 76.9 years (1995)
Male: 73.38 years (1996), 73.7 years (1995)
Female: 80.27 years (1995 est.), 79.84 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate:

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over that can read and write (1974 est.)
Total population: 99%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Austria
Conventional short form: Austria
Local long form: Republik Österreich
Local short form: Österreich

Government type: Federal republic

Capital: Vienna

Administrative divisions: 9 states (bundesländer, singular_bundesland; Burgenland, Kärnten, Niederösterreich, Oberösterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien

Dependent areas

Independence: 12 November 1918 (from Austro-Hungarian Empire)

National holiday: National Day, 26 October (1955)

Constitution: 1920; revised 1929 (reinstated 1 May 1945)

Legal system: Civil law system with Roman law origin; judicial review of legislative acts by a Constitutional Court; separate administrative and civil/penal supreme courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal; compulsory for presidential elections

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Thomas KLESTIL (since 8 July 1992); election last held 24 May 1992 (next to be held 1998); results of second ballot_Thomas KLESTIL 57%, Rudolf STREICHER 43%
Head of government: Chancellor Franz VRANITZKY (since 16 June 1986) was chosen by the president from the majority party in the National Council; Vice Chancellor Wolfgang SCHUESSEL (since 22 April 1995) was chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor
Cabinet: Council of Ministers; chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor

Legislative branch: Bicameral Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung) Federal Council (Bundesrat):Consists of 63 members representing each of the provinces on the basis of population, but with each province having at least 3 representatives National Council (Nationalrat):elections last held 17 December 1995 (next to be held Fall 1999; results_SPOE 38.3%, OEVP 28.3%, FPOE 22.1%, Greens 4.6%, LF 5.3%, other 1.4%; seats_(183 total) SPOE 71, OEVP 53, FPOE 40, Greens 9, LF 10

Judicial branch: Supreme Judicial Court (Oberster Gerichtshof) for civil and criminal cases, Administrative Court (Verwaltungsgerichtshof) for bureaucratic cases, Constitutional Court (Verfassungsgerichtshof) for constitutional cases

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIH, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Austria has a well-developed market economy with a sizable_but falling_proportion of nationalized industry, an extensive social system, and a high standard of living. Austria's economy is closely integrated with Germany and other EU members_Austria joined the EU on 1 January 1995. Since the early 1980s, the Austrian economy has experienced stable growth. Following a mild recession in 1993, Austria's economy_driven by strong exports, investment, and private consumption_expanded 2.7% in 1994 and about 2.4% in 1995. The slowdown in 1995 was largely due to an appreciation of the Austrian schilling and its negative effect on exports and tourism. EU membership has had a positive impact on foreign investment and has helped to lower inflation. Despite Austria's generally favorable economic prospects, the government faces a number of economic challenges, especially budget consolidation. Smaller than expected revenues and rising welfare payments caused the budget deficit to climb to 7.1% of GDP in 1995. Austria also faces a growing unemployment problem. Although low by European standards, Austria's unemployment rate has risen gradually during the 1990s as companies restructured to meet competition from the EU single market and Eastern Europe.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: Accounts for 3.2% of GDP (including forestry; principal crops and animals_grains, fruit, potatoes, sugar beets, sawn wood, cattle, pigs, poultry; 80%-90% self-sufficient in food

Industries:

Industrial production growth rate: Growth rate 7.7% (first half 1995), 2.5% (1994 est.)

Labor force: 3.47 million (1989)
By occupation Services: 56.4%
By occupation Industry and crafts: 35.4%
By occupation Agriculture and forestry: 8.1%
By occupation note: An estimated 200,000 Austrians are employed in other European countries; foreign laborers in Austria number 177,840, about 5% of labor force (1988)

Unemployment rate:

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $65 billion (1996), $52.2 billion (1995)
Expenditures:

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: Calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: total value. $45.2 billion (1994)
Commodities:
Partners:

Imports: total value:$55.3 billion (1994)
Commodities:
Partners:

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external:

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Austrian schillings (S) per US$1_10.314 (January 1996), 10.081 (1995), 11.422 (1994), 11.632 (1993), 10.989 (1992), 11.676 (1991), 11.370 (1990)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 50.2 billion kWh

Electricity consumption
Per capita: 5,824 kWh (1993)

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system: 3.47 million telephones (1986 est.); highly developed and efficient
Local: NA
Intercity: NA
International: 2 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), and EUTELSAT earth stations

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: about $2.1 billion, 1.0% of GDP (1996 est.)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 55
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4 (1995 est.)
With paved runways under 914 m: 41

Airports with paved runways
Over 3047 m: 1
2438 to 3047 m: 5
15-24 to 2437 m: 1
914 to 1523 m: 4 (1995 est.)
Under 914 m: 41

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports: :1 (1995 est.)

Pipelines: Crude oil 554 km; petroleum products 171 km; natural gas 2,611 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 446 km

Merchant marine
Total: 29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 88,617 GRT/122,475 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 23, combination bulk 2, container 1, refrigerated cargo 2 (1995 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: Transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan route and Eastern Europe