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.

Map reference: Africa, Arctic Region, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total area total: 83,850 km²
Land: 82,730 km²

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

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

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

Irrigated land: 40 km² (1989)

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

Population: 7,954,974 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 0.45% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Austrian(s)

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

Languages: German

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

Population growth rate: 0.45% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 11.38 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 10.34 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: 3.46 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

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

Infant mortality rate: 7.1 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.65 years
Male: 73.44 years
Female: 80.03 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.48 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1974 est.)
Total population: 99%
Male: NA%
Female: NA%

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Austria
Conventional short form:

Government type: federal republic

Capital: Vienna

Administrative divisions: 9 states (bundeslander, singular - bundesland; Burgenland, Karnten, Niederoesterreich, Oberoesterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien

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

Suffrage: 19 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 1996); results of second ballot - Thomas KLESTIL 57%, Rudolf STREICHER 43%
Head of government: Chancellor Franz VRANITZKY (since 16 June 1986); Vice Chancellor Erhard BUSEK (since 2 July 1991)

Legislative branch: Army (including Flying Division)
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 7 October 1990 (next to be held October 1994); results - SPOE 43%, OEVP 32.1%, FPOE 16.6%, GAL 4.5%, KPOE 0.7%, other 3.1%; seats - (183 total) SPOE 80, OEVP 60, FPOE 33, GAL 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

International organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, COCOM (cooperating), CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G-9, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, ONUSAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNDOF, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOMIG, UNTAC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Swanee G. HUNT
From the us chancery: Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1091, Vienna
From the us telephone: [43] (1) 313-39
From the us fax: (202) 895-6,750
From the us consulates general: Salzburg
From the us mailing address: Unit 27,937, Vienna
From the us FAX: [43] (1) 513-43-51

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

Economy overview: Austria boasts a prosperous and stable socialist market economy with a sizable but falling proportion of nationalized industry and extensive welfare benefits. Thanks to its raw material endowment, a technically skilled labor force, and strong links to German industrial firms, Austria occupies specialized niches in European industry and services (tourism, banking) and produces almost enough food to feed itself with only 8% of the labor force in agriculture. Increased export sales resulting from German unification, boosted Austria's economy through 1991, but Austria's GDP growth slowed to 2% in 1992 and -0.5% in 1993 due to the weak international economy, particularly in Germany - its largest trading partner. GDP growth will resume slowly in 1994, with estimates ranging from a 0.5% to a 1% increase. Unemployment has risen to 7% as a result of the slowdown and will continue to rise in 1994. Problems for the l990s include an aging population, the high level of subsidies, and the struggle to keep welfare benefits within budgetary capabilities. Austria's government has taken measures to make the economy more liberal and open by introducing a major tax reform, privatizing state-owned firms, and liberalizing cross-border capital movements. Although it will face increased competition, Austria should benefit from the continued opening of eastern European markets, as well as the 1 January 1994 start of the European Economic Area which extends the European Union rules on the free movement of people, capital, and goods and services to four members (including Austria) of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Austria has concluded membership negotiations with the European Union and is expected to join in early 1995, thus broadening European economic unity. The government, however, plans to hold a national referendum on the matter on 12 June 1994; support for and opposition to membership appears about equal.

Real gdp growth rate: -0.5% (1993)

Real gdp per capita: $17,000 (1993)

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

Industrial production growth rate: -4.5% (1993 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 6% of labor force (1988)

Unemployment rate: 7% (1993 est.)

Budget: revenues:$52.2 billion

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $39.9 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
Commodities: machinery and equipment, iron and steel, lumber, textiles, paper products, chemicals
Partners: EC 63.5% (Germany 38.9%), EFTA 9.0%, Eastern Europe/FSU 12.3%, Japan 1.5%, US 3.35% (1993)

Imports: $48.5 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
Commodities: petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, vehicles, chemicals, textiles and clothing, pharmaceuticals
Partners: EC 66.8% (Germany 41.3%), EFTA 6.7%, Eastern Europe/FSU 7.5%, Japan 4.4%, US 4.4% (1993)

Debt external: $16.2 billion (1993 est.)

Exchange rates: Austrian schillings (S) per US$1 - 12.255 (January 1994), 11.632 (1993), 10.989 (1992), 11.676 (1991), 11.370 (1990), 13.231 (1989)

Electricity
Capacity: 17,600,000 kW
Production: 49.5 billion kWh
Consumption per capita: 6,300 kWh (1992)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: exchange rate conversion - $1.7 billion, 0.9% of GDP (1993)

Airports: 55
Usable: 55
With permanentsurface runways: 20
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 6
With runways 1220-2439 m: 4

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

Waterways: 446 km

Merchant marine: 29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 158,724 GRT/259,594 DWT, bulk 3, cargo 23, oil tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2

Disputes international: none

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