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

top of page


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.


top of page


Location: Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia

Geographic coordinates: 47 20 N, 13 20 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 83,850 km²
Land: 82,730 km²
Water: 1,120 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Maine

Land boundaries
Total: 2,564 km
Border countries: (8) Czech Republic 362 km; , Germany 784 km; , Hungary 366 km; , Italy 430 km; , Liechtenstein 37 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
Extremes highest point: Grossglockner 3,797 m

Natural resources: iron ore, oil, timber, magnesite, lead, coal, lignite, copper, hydropower

Land use
Arable land: 17%
Permanent crops: 1%
Permanent pastures: 24%
Forests and woodland: 39%
Other: 19% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 40 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: NA

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


top of page


Population: 8,132,505 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: -0.02% (1997 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Austrian(s)
Adjective: Austrian

Ethnic groups: German 99.4%, Croatian 0.3%, Slovene 0.2%, other 0.1%

Languages: German

Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 6%, other 9%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 17% (male 717,989; female 681,897)
15-64 years: 68% (male 2,777,525; female 2,703,296)
65 years and over: 15% (male 464,802; female 786,996) (July 1997 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: -0.02% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 10.17 births/1000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 10.05 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.34 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)

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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 5.2 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.15 years
Male: 73.96 years
Female: 80.51 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.37 children born/woman (1997 est.)

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 can read and write
Total population: 99% (1974 est.)
Male: NA%
Female: NA%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


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

Government type: federal republic

Capital: Vienna

Administrative divisions: 9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland; Burgenland, Kaernten, Niederoesterreich, Oberoesterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien

Dependent areas

Independence: 1156 (from Bavaria)

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 the 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)
Head of government: Chancellor Viktor KLIMA (since 28 January 1997); Vice Chancellor Wolfgang SCHUESSEL (since 22 April 1995)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; presidential election last held 24 May 1992 (next to be held NA 1998); chancellor chosen by the president from the majority party in the National Council; vice chancellor chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor
Election results: Thomas KLESTIL elected president; percent of vote, second ballot - Thomas KLESTIL 57%, Rudolf STREICHER 43%

Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of Federal Council or Bundesrat (63 members; members represent each of the provinces on the basis of population, but with each province having at least three representatives) and the National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: National Council - last held 17 December 1995 (next to be held Fall 1999)
Election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - SPOe 38.3%, OeVP 28.3%, FPOe 22.1%, Greens 4.6%, LF 5.3%, other 1.4%; seats by party - SPOe 71, OeVP 53, FPOe 40, Greens 9, LF 10

Judicial branch: Supreme Judicial Court or Oberster Gerichtshof; Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof; Constitutional Court or Verfassungsgerichtshof

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 (observer), NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Helmut TUERK
In the us chancery: 3,524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20,008-3,035
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 895-6,700
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 895-6,750
In the us consulates general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Swanee G. HUNT
From the us embassy: Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1091, Vienna
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us telephone: [43] (1) 313-39
From the us FAX: [43] (1) 310-0682

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview: Austria has a well-developed market economy with a sizable - but falling - proportion of nationalized industry, an extensive social safety net, 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. EU membership has had a positive impact on foreign investment and has helped to lower inflation. In April 1996, the government passed a two-year austerity budget - including cuts in social allowances, a freeze on civil servants' wages, and new energy and capital gains taxes - designed to bring the economy in line with the Maastricht criteria for membership in the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). EMU convergence has become a top priority for Austria. Despite Austria's generally favorable prospects, the economy faces a number of medium-term challenges; for example, fiscal tightening is constraining expected growth, and unemployment is expected to increase.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 1.1% (1996 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 3%
Industry: 27%
Services: 70% (1994 est.)

Agriculture products: grains, fruit, potatoes, sugar beets; cattle, pigs, poultry; sawn wood

Industries: food, iron and steel, machines, textiles, chemicals, electrical, paper and pulp, tourism, mining, motor vehicles

Industrial production growth rate: 0.6% (1996 est.)

Labor force
Total: 3.648 million (1996)
By occupation services: 56.4%
By occupation industry and crafts: 35.4%
By occupation agriculture and forestry: 8.1%
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: 6.2% (December 1996)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $61.2 billion
Expenditures: $71 billion, including capital expenditures of $N/A

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: $55.5 billion (1996 est.)
Commodities: machinery and equipment, iron and steel, lumber, textiles, paper products, chemicals
Partners: EU 64.8% (Germany 38.1%, Italy 8.1%), Eastern Europe 11.8%, Japan 1.6%, US 3.5% (1994)

Imports
Total value: $65.8 billion (1996 est.)
Commodities: petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, vehicles, chemicals, textiles and clothing, pharmaceuticals
Partners: EU 68.4% (Germany 40%, Italy 8.8%), Eastern Europe 6.55%, Japan 4.3%, US 4.4% (1994)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $30.2 billion (1996 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Austrian schillings (AS) per US$1 - 11.302 (January 1997), 10.587 (1996), 10.081 (1995), 11.422 (1994), 11.632 (1993), 10.989 (1992)


top of page


Electricity access

Electricity production: 56.5 billion kWh (1995)

Electricity consumption
Per capita: 5,960 kWh (1995 est.)

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


top of page


Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system
Domestic: highly developed and efficient
International: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 2 Eutelsat

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $2.1 billion (1995)
Percent of gdp: 1% (1995)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 55 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 51
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: 3
With paved runways under 914 m: 41 (1996 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 4
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4 (1996 est.)

Airports with paved runways
Total: 51
Over 3047 m: 1
2438 to 3047 m: 5
15-24 to 2437 m: 1
914 to 1523 m: 3
Under 914 m: 41 (1996 est.)

Airports with unpaved runways
Total: 4
914 to 1523 m: 4 (1996 est.)

Heliports: 1 (1996 est.)

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

Railways
Total: 5,624 km
Standard gauge: 5,269 km 1.435-m gauge (3,263 km electrified)
Narrow gauge: 355 km 1.000-m and 0.760-m gauge (86 km electrified) (1995)

Roadways

Waterways: 446 km

Merchant marine
Total: 28 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 84,623 GRT/116,682 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 22, combination bulk 2, container 1, refrigerated cargo 2 (1996 est.)

Ports and terminals


top of page


Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for Western Europe