Map of Austria | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | 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. 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.


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Location: Central Europe north of Italy and Slovenia

Geographic coordinates: 47 20 N 13 20 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 83,871 km²
Rank: 114
Land: 82,445 km²
Water: 1426 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Maine

Land boundaries
Total: 2,562 km
Border countries: (8) 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 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

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Neusiedler See 115 m
Extremes highest point: Grossglockner 3,798 m

Natural resources: oil coal lignite timber iron ore copper zinc antimony magnesite tungsten graphite salt hydropower

Land use
Arable land: 16.59%
Permanent crops: 0.85%
Other: 82.56% (2005)

Irrigated land: 1170 km² (2008)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 84 km³ (2005)

Natural hazards: landslides; avalanches; earthquakes

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


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Population: 8,217,280 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 93
Growth rate: 0.034% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 189
Below poverty line: 6% (2008)

Nationality
Noun: Austrian
Adjective: Austrian

Ethnic groups: Austrians 91.1% former Yugoslavs 4% (includes Croatians Slovenes Serbs and Bosniaks) Turks 1.6% German 0.9% other or unspecified 2.4% (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)

Religions: Roman Catholic 73.6% Protestant 4.7% Muslim 4.2% other 3.5% unspecified 2% none 12% (2001 census)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 14%
15-64 years: 67.7% (male 2,793,725/female 2,769,840)
65 years and over: 18.2% (male 627,456/female 872,104) (2011 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 43 years
Male: 41.9 years
Female: 44 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.034% (2011 est.)
Rank: 189

Birth rate: 8.67 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 214

Death rate: 10.14 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 54

Net migration rate: 1.81 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 42

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 68% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 0.6% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

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
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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.051 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 4.32 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 195
Male: 5.23 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 3.35 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 79.78 years
Rank: 32
Male: 76.87 years
Female: 82.84 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 198

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 4.749 physicians/1000 population (2009)
Rank: 6

Hospital bed density: 7.71 beds/1000 population (2008)
Rank: 9

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 90
People living with hivaids: 15,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 84
Deaths: fewer than 100 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 149

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 11% (2008)
Rank: 53

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 5.4% of GDP (2007)
Rank: 47

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 98%
Male: NA
Female: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 15 years
Male: 15 years
Female: 15 years (2008)

Youth unemployment


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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
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 Kaernten (Carinthia) Niederoesterreich (Lower Austria) Oberoesterreich (Upper Austria) Salzburg Steiermark (Styria) Tirol (Tyrol) Vorarlberg Wien (Vienna)

Dependent areas

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

Legal system: civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts by the Constitutional Court

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage: 16 years of age; universal; note - reduced from 18 years of age in 2007

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Heinz FISCHER (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
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 [Josef PROELL]; Freedom Party of Austria or FPOe [Heinz Christian STRACHE]; Social Democratic Party of Austria or SPOe [Werner FAYMANN]; The Greens [Eva GLAWISCHNIG]

International organization participation: ADB (nonregional member) AfDB (nonregional member) Australia Group BIS BSEC (observer) CE CEI CERN EAPC EBRD ECB EIB EMU ESA EU FAO FATF G-9 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICRM IDA IEA IFAD IFC IFRCS IGAD (partners) ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC MIGA MINURSO NEA NSG OAS (observer) OECD OIF (observer) OPCW OSCE Paris Club PCA PFP Schengen Convention SECI (observer) UN UNCTAD UNDOF UNESCO UNFICYP UNHCR UNTSO UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Christian PROSL
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 consulate general: Chicago Los Angeles New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador William C. EACHO III
From the us embassy: Boltzmanngasse 16 A-1090 Vienna
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us telephone: [43] (1) 31,339-0
From the us fax: [43] (1) 3,100,682

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 symbols: black eagle

National anthem
Name: 'Bundeshymne'
Lyricsmusic: 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

National heritage


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Economy overview: Austria with its well-developed market economy 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 and global economic downturn in 2008 led to a sharp but brief recession. Austrian GDP contracted 3.9% in 2009 but saw positive growth of about 2% in 2010. Unemployment has not risen as steeply in Austria as elsewhere in Europe partly because its government has 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 3.5% of GDP in 2009 and 4.7% in 2010 from only about 1.3% in 2008. The international financial crisis 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 prevent insolvency and possible contagion. In the medium-term all large Austrian banks will need additional capital. Even after the global economic outlook improves Austria will need to continue restructuring emphasize knowledge-based sectors of the economy and encourage greater labor flexibility and labor participation to offset growing unemployment and Austria's aging population and low fertility rate.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 36
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 148

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 19
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.5%
Industry: 29.3%
Services: 69.2% (2010 est.)

Agriculture products: grains potatoes wine fruit; dairy products cattle pigs poultry; lumber

Industries: construction machinery vehicles and parts food metals chemicals lumber and wood processing paper and paperboard communications equipment tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 6.7% (2010 est.)
Rank: 61

Labor force: 3.611 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 95
By occupation agriculture: 5.5%
By occupation industry: 27.5%
By occupation services: 67% (2009 est.)

Unemployment rate: 7.2% (2009 est.)
Rank: 66

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 6% (2008)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 4%
Highest 10: 22% (2007)

Distribution of family income gini index: 31 (1995)
Rank: 136

Budget
Revenues: $183 billion
Expenditures: $200.6 billion (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -4.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 141

Taxes and other revenues: 48.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 20

Public debt: 69.8% of GDP (2009 est.)
Rank: 25

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 0.4% (2009 est.)
Rank: 53

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 3.101% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 179

Stock of narrow money: $181.5 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 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: $427.4 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 22

Stock of domestic credit: $606.2 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Rank: 22

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 39

Current account balance: $11 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 25

Exports: $135.3 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 30
Commodities: machinery and equipment motor vehicles and parts paper and paperboard metal goods chemicals iron and steel textiles foodstuffs
Partners: Germany 32.1% Italy 7.9% Switzerland 4.8% France 4.2% Czech Republic 4.1% (2010)

Imports: $138.6 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 28
Commodities: machinery and equipment motor vehicles chemicals metal goods oil and oil products; foodstuffs
Partners: Germany 44% Italy 6.8% Switzerland 5.9% Netherlands 4.1% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $18.05 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 55

Debt external: $755 billion (30 June 2010)
Rank: 17

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $286 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 19

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $290.9 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 18

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 62.98 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Production rank: 41
Consumption: 65.67 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 39
Exports: 18.76 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Imports: 776 million kWh (2009 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 1.716 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 58
Consumption: 9.116 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 49
Exports: 5.439 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 27
Imports: 12.13 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 21
Proven reserves: 16.14 billion m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 77

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 3.245 million (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 48
Mobile cellular: 12.241 million (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 58

Telephone 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 ORF was the main broadcast source until commercial radio and television service was introduced in the 1990s; cable and satellite TV are available including German TV stations (2008)

Internet
Country code: .at
Hosts: 3.266 million (2010)
Hosts rank: 29
Users: 6.143 million (2009)
Users rank: 43

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 0.8% of GDP (2009)
Rank: 145

Military and security forces

Military 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)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 55 (2010)
Rank: 85
With paved runways total: 25
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
With paved runways under 914 m: 14 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 30
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 26 (2010)

Heliports: 1 (2010)

Pipelines: gas 3,028 km; oil 663 km; refined products 157 km (2010)

Railways
Total: 6,399 km
Rank: 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) (2010)

Roadways
Total: 110,778 km
Rank: 39
Paved: 110,778 km (includes 1696 km of expressways) (2008)

Waterways: 358 km (2011)
Rank: 90

Merchant marine
Total: 2
Rank: 141
By type: cargo 2
Registered in other countries: 4 (Cyprus 1 Malta 1 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2) (2010)

Ports and terminals: Enns Krems Linz Vienna


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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