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. Following the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 and Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995 some Austrian's have called into question this neutrality. A prosperous democratic country Austria entered the European Monetary Union in 1999.

Geographic coordinates: 47 20 N 13 20 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 83,870 km²
Land: 82,444 km²
Water: 1,426 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: 16.91%
Permanent crops: 0.86%
Other: 82.23% (2001)

Irrigated land: 457 km² (2000 est.)

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

Population: 8,174,762 (July 2004 est.)
Growth rate: 0.14% (2004 est.)
Below poverty line: 3.9% (1999)

Nationality
Noun: Austrian
Adjective: Austrian

Ethnic groups: German 88.5% indigenous minorities 1.5% (includes Croatians Slovenes Hungarians Czechs Slovaks Roma) recent immigrant groups 10% (includes Turks Bosnians Serbians Croatians) (2001)

Languages: German (official nationwide) Slovene (official in Carinthia) Croatian (official in Burgenland) Hungarian (official in Burgenland)

Religions: Roman Catholic 73.6% Protestant 4.7% Muslim 4.2% other 0.1% none 17.4%

Age structure
0-14 years: 15.9% (male 665,680; female 633,560)
15-64 years: 68.1% (male 2,799,411; female 2,764,426)
65 years and over: 16% (male 518,748; female 792,937) (2004 est.)

Median age
Total: 40 years
Male: 38.8 years
Female: 41.2 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.14% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 8.9 births/1000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 9.56 deaths/1000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: 2 migrant(s)/1000 population (2004 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 and from trucks transiting Austria between northern and southern Europe
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, 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: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male/female
65 years and over: 0.65 male/female
Total population: 0.95 male/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 4.68 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 5.76 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 3.55 deaths/1000 live births (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.87 years
Male: 76 years
Female: 81.89 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.35 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 10,000 (2003 est.)
Deaths: less than 100 (2003 est.)

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

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

Independence: 1156 (Duchy of Austria founded); 12 November 1918 (republic proclaimed)

National holiday: National Day 26 October (1955); note - commemorates the State Treaty restoring national sovereignty and the end of occupation and the passage of the law on permanent neutrality

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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Heinz FISCHER (since 8 July 2004)
Head of government: Chancellor Wolfgang SCHUESSEL (OeVP)(since 4 February 2000); Vice Chancellor Hubert GORBACH (since 21 October 2003)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor
Elections: president elected by direct popular vote for a six-year term; presidential election last held 25 April 2004 (next to be held NA April 2010); chancellor traditionally chosen by the president from the plurality party in the National Council; vice chancellor chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor
Election results: Heinz FISCHER elected president; percent of vote - Heinz FISCHER (SPOe) 52.4%, Benita FERRERO-WALDNER (OeVP) 47.6%
Note: government coalition - OeVP and FPOe

Legislative branch
Elections: National Council - last held 24 November 2002 (next to be held in the fall of 2006)
Election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - OeVP 42.3%, SPOe 36.5%, FPOe 10.0%, Greens 9.5%; seats by party - OeVP 79, SPOe 69, FPOe 18, Greens 17

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

Political parties and leaders: Austrian People's Party or OeVP [Wolfgang SCHUESSEL]; Freedom Party of Austria or FPOe [Ursula HAUBNER]; Social Democratic Party of Austria or SPOe [Alfred GUSENBAUER]; The Greens [Alexander VAN DER BELLEN]

International organization participation: AfDB AsDB Australia Group BIS BSEC (observer) CE CEI CERN EAPC EBRD EIB EMU ESA EU FAO G- 9 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt ICFTU ICRM IDA IEA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM ISO ITU MIGA MINURSO NAM (guest) NEA NSG OAS (observer) OECD OPCW OSCE Paris Club PCA PFP UN UNCTAD UNDOF UNESCO UNFICYP UNHCR UNIDO UNITAR UNMEE UNMIK UNOMIG UNTSO UPU WCL WCO WEU (observer) WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Eva NOWOTNY
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 William Lee LYONS BROWN, Jr.
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, 31,375, 31,335
From the us fax: [43] (1) 3,100,682

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

Economy overview: Austria with its well-developed market economy and high standard of living is closely tied to other EU economies especially Germany's. Membership in the EU has drawn an influx of foreign investors attracted by Austria's access to the single European market and proximity to EU aspirant economies. Slow growth in Germany and elsewhere in the world held the economy to 0.7% growth in 2001 1.4% in 2002 and again less than 1% in 2003. However recent data signal that the recovery has started. The government estimates economic growth in 2004 of 1.7-2.1% and of 2.5% in 2005. The government is planning a EURO 500 billion income tax cut in 2004 though some economists doubt it will have stimulative effects in 2004 because it will be offset by higher health insurance contributions and higher taxes on energy. For 2005 Austria plans a tax cut of EURO 2.5 billion and harmonization of the various pension schemes. To meet increased competition from both EU and Central European countries particularly the new EU members Austria will need to emphasize knowledge-based sectors of the economy continue to deregulate the service sector and lower its tax burden. A key issue is the encouragement of much greater participation in the labor market by its aging population.

Real gdp growth rate: 0.7% (2003 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $30,000 (2003 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 3.5%
Industry: 25.7%
Services: 70.9% (2003 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: 1.9% (2003 est.)

Labor force: 3.425 million (2003)
By occupation agriculture and forestry: 4%
By occupation industry and crafts: 29%
By occupation services: 67% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate: 4.4% (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line: 3.9% (1999)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.5%
Highest 10: 22.5% (1995)

Distribution of family income gini index: 31 (1995)

Budget
Revenues: $67 billion
Expenditures: $70 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)

Public debt: 67.6% of GDP (2003)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.4% (2003 est.)

Current account balance: $-1.353 billion (2003)

Exports: $83.45 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: machinery and equipment motor vehicles and parts paper and paperboard metal goods chemicals iron and steel; textiles foodstuffs
Partners: Germany 31.9% Italy 9.6% Switzerland 5.2% US 4.9% France 4.8% UK 4.7% (2003)

Imports: $81.59 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: machinery and equipment motor vehicles chemicals metal goods oil and oil products; foodstuffs
Partners: Germany 43.2% Italy 6.7% Hungary 5.4% Switzerland 5% Netherlands 4.2% (2003)

Debt external: $15.5 billion (2003 est.)

Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003) 1.0626 (2002) 1.1175 (2001) 1.0854 (2000) 0.9386 (1999)

Electricity
Production: 58.75 billion kWh (2001)
Consumption: 54.85 billion kWh (2001)
Exports: 14.25 billion kWh (2001)
Imports: 14.47 billion kWh (2001)

Natural gas
Production: 1.731 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Consumption: 7.81 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Exports: 403 million m³ (2001 est.)
Imports: 6.033 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Proven reserves: 24.9 billion m³ (1 January 2002)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 3.881 million (2003)
Mobile cellular: 7,094,500 (2003)

Telephone system
General assessment: highly developed and efficient
Domestic: there are 48 main lines for every 100 persons; the fiber optic net is very extensive; all telephone applications and Internet services are available
International: country code - 43; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Eutelsat; in addition, there are about 600 VSAT (very small aperture terminals) (2002)

Internet
Country code: .at
Hosts: 387,006 (2004)
Users: 3.73 million (2003)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $1.497 billion (FY01/02)
Percent of gdp: 0.85% (June 2004)

Airports: 55 (2003 est.)
With paved runways total: 24
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: 14 (2004 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 31
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 27 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 1 (2003 est.)

Pipelines: gas 2,722 km; oil 663 km; refined products 149 km (2004)

Railways
Total: 6,021 km (3,552 km electrified)
Standard gauge: 5,565 km 1.435-m gauge (3,430 km electrified)
Narrow gauge: 34 km 1.000-m gauge (28 km electrified); 422 km 0.760-m gauge (94 km electrified) (2003)

Waterways: 358 km (2003)

Merchant marine
Total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 29,624 GRT/37,425 DWT
By type: cargo 4, container 2
Foreign owned: Netherlands 1
Registered in other countries: 34 (2004 est.)

Disputes international: minor disputes with the Czech Republic over the Temelin Nuclear Power Plant

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