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

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

Land boundaries
Border countries: (8) Czech Republic 402 km; Germany 801 km; Hungary 321 km; Italy 404 km; Liechtenstein 34 km; Slovakia 105 km; Slovenia 299 km; Switzerland 158 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 highest point: Grossglockner 3,798 m

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

Land use
Permanent crops: 0.77%
Other: 82.98% (2011)

Irrigated land: 1170 km² (2007)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 77.7 km³ (2011)

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: 8,223,062 (July 2014 est.)
Rank: 95
Growth rate: 0.01% (2014 est.)
Growth rate rank: 191
Below poverty line: 6.2% (2012)

Nationality
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
15-24 years: 11.6% (male 488,564/female 468,891)
25-54 years: 42.9% (male 1,766,729/female 1,756,880)
55-64 years: 12.7% (male 515,913/female 528,988)
65 years and over: 19.2% (male 670,750/female 906,605) (2014 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 21.6 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 27.6 %
Potential support ratio: 3.6 (2014 est.)

Median age
Male: 43.2 years
Female: 45.3 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.01% (2014 est.)
Rank: 191

Birth rate: 8.76 births/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 214

Death rate: 10.38 deaths/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 42

Net migration rate: 1.76 migrant(s)/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 50

Population distribution

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 0.48% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: VIENNA (capital) 1.72 million (2011)

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 signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 28.5 (2011 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 196
Male: 5.01 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 3.27 deaths/1000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 32
Male: 77.25 years
Female: 83.24 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.43 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Rank: 202

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 69.6%

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 4.86 physicians/1000 population (2010)

Hospital bed density: 7.6 beds/1000 population (2010)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 88
People living with hivaids: 15,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 90
Deaths: fewer than 100 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 124

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 20.9% (2008)
Rank: 93

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 5.9% of GDP (2010)
Rank: 44

Literacy
Total population: 98%
Male: NA
Female: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 15 years
Female: 16 years (2011)

Youth unemployment


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

Government type: federal republic

Capital
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 Karnten (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: several previous; latest adopted 1 October 1920 revised 1929 replaced May 1934 (authoritarian-corporate constitution) replaced by German Weimar constitution in 1938 following German annexation; latest reinstated 1 May 1945 (1920 constitution with 1929 revisions); amended many times last in 2008 (2013)

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

Executive branch
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%

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 29 September 2013 (next to be held by September 2018)
Election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - SPOe 27.1% OeVP 23.8% FPOe 21.4% Greens 11.5% Team Stronach for Austria 5.8% NEOS - The New Austria 4.8% other 5.6%; seats by party - SPOe 53 OeVP 46 FPOe 42 Greens 22; Team Stronach for Austria 11 NEOS - The New Austria 9

Judicial branch
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

Political parties and leaders:

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

Diplomatic representation
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 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: golden eagle Alpine gentian edelweiss

National anthem
Lyrics and music: Paula von PRERADOVIC/Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART or Johann HOLZER (disputed)

National heritage


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Economy overview: Austria with its well-developed market economy skilled labor force 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 of 2008 and subsequent global economic downturn led to a sharp but brief recession. Austrian GDP contracted 3.8% in 2009 but saw positive growth of about 2% in 2010 and 2.7% in 2011. Growth fell to 0.6% in 2012. Unemployment did not rise as steeply in Austria as elsewhere in Europe partly because the government subsidized reduced working hour schemes to allow companies to retain employees. The 2012 unemployment rate of 4.3% was the lowest within the EU. Stabilization measures stimulus spending and an income tax reform pushed the budget deficit to 4.5% in 2010 and 2.6% in 2011 from only about 0.9% in 2008. The international financial crisis of 2008 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 support aggregate demand and stabilize the banking system. Austria's fiscal position compares favorably with other euro-zone countries but it faces external risks such as Austrian banks' continued exposure to Central and Eastern Europe as well as political and economic uncertainties caused by the European sovereign debt crisis. In 2011 the government attempted to pass a constitutional amendment limiting public debt to 60% of GDP by 2020 but it was unable to obtain sufficient support in parliament and instead passed the measure as a simple law. In March 2012 the Austrian parliament approved an austerity package consisting of a mix of expenditure cuts and new revenues that will bring public finances into balance by 2016. In 2012 the budget deficit rose to 3.1% of GDP.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 38

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 188

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 22

Gross national saving:
Rank: 56

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 19.2%
Investment in fixed capital: 20.8%
Investment in inventories: 0.5%
Exports of goods and services: 56.9%
Imports of goods and services: -52%: (2013 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 28.6%
Services: 69.8% (2013 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 paper and paperboard communications equipment tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 0.5% (2013 est.)
Rank: 158

Labor force: 3.737 million (2013 est.)
Rank: 94
By occupation industry: 26%
By occupation services: 68.5% (2012 est.)

Unemployment rate: 4.4% (2012 est.)
Rank: 46

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 6.2% (2012)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: 22% (2011)

Distribution of family income gini index: 31 (1995)
Rank: 132

Budget
Expenditures: $212.1 billion (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -2.9% of GDP (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 118

Taxes and other revenues: 47.9% of GDP (2013 est.)
Rank: 15

Public debt: 74.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 32

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.6% (2012 est.)
Rank: 74

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 2.5% (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 173

Stock of narrow money: $201.1 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 19

Stock of broad money: $414 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 25

Stock of domestic credit: $543 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 25

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 40

Current account balance: $7.085 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 23

Exports: $160.1 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 31
Commodities: machinery and equipment motor vehicles and parts paper and paperboard metal goods chemicals iron and steel textiles foodstuffs
Partners: Germany 29.31% Italy 6.25% Switzerland 5.08% United States 5% France 4.27% (2013 est.)

Imports: $163.2 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 29
Commodities: machinery and equipment motor vehicles chemicals metal goods oil and oil products; foodstuffs
Partners: Germany 40.39% Italy 6.13% Switzerland 5.36% (2013 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $25.16 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 54

Debt external: $786.1 billion (31 December 2011)
Rank: 20

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $265.3 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 22

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $331.4 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 19

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 69 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Production rank: 40
Consumption: 63.8 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Consumption rank: 40
Exports: 20.46 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 9
Imports: 23.26 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 8
Installed generating capacity: 21.11 million kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 37
Generation sources fossil fuels: 27.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 185
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 42
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 59.6% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 32
Generation sources other renewable sources: 12.8% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 18

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 29,480 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 66
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 80
Crude oil imports: 139,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 42
Crude oil proven reserves: 85 million bbl (1 January 2012 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 72

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 159,200 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products production rank: 61
Products consumption: 210,700 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 55
Products exports: 43,010 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products exports rank: 61
Products imports: 117,100 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products imports rank: 47

Natural gas
Production: 1.906 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Production rank: 59
Consumption: 9 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 51
Exports: 34.75 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 13
Imports: 42.56 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 13
Proven reserves: 10.82 billion m³ (1 January 2013 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 81

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 67.18 million Mt (2011 est.)

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 3.342 million (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 46
Mobile cellular: 13.59 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 62

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

Internet
Country code: .at
Hosts: 3.512 million (2012)
Hosts rank: 30
Users: 6.143 million (2009)
Users rank: 43

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 115

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: registration requirement at age 17 the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; 18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory service; males under the age of 35 must complete basic military training (6 month duration); males 18 to 50 years old in the militia or inactive reserve are subject to compulsory service (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 52 (2013)
Rank: 90
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: 13 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With unpaved runways: 24 (2013)

Heliports: 1 (2013)

Pipelines: gas 4,736 km; oil 663 km; refined products 157 km (2013)

Railways
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) (2008)

Roadways
Rank: 39
Paved: 124,508 km (includes 1719 km of expressways) (2012)

Waterways: 358 km (2011)
Rank: 90

Merchant marine
Rank: 137

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Stateless persons: 542 (2012)

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