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 EU in 1995 have altered the meaning of this neutrality. A prosperous, democratic country, Austria entered the EU Economic and Monetary Union in 1999.

Geographic coordinates: 47 20 N, 13 20 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 83,871 km²
Land: 82,445 km²
Water: 1426 km²
Rank: 115
Comparative: about the size of South Carolina; slightly more than two-thirds the size of Pennsylvania

Land boundaries
Total: 2,524 km
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
Note: (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: mostly mountains (Alps) in the west and south; mostly flat or gently sloping along the eastern and northern margins

Elevation
Mean elevation: 910 m
Elevation extremes: 115 m
Note: lowest point: Neusiedler See

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 38.4% (2014 est.)
Forest: 47.2% (2014 est.)
Other: 14.4% (2014 est.)

Irrigated land: 1170 km² (2012)

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
Distribution: the northern and eastern portions of the country are more densely populated; nearly two-thirds of the populace lives in urban areas: 8,793,370 (July 2018 est.)
Rank: 96
Growth rate: 0.42% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 160
Below poverty line: 3% (2017 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Austrian(s)
Adjective: Austrian

Ethnic groups:

Languages: German (official nationwide) 88.6%, Turkish 2.3%, Serbian 2.2%, Croatian (official in Burgenland) 1.6%, other (includes Slovene, official in South Carinthia, and Hungarian, official in Burgenland) 5.3% (2001 est.)

Religions: Catholic 73.8% (includes Roman Catholic 73.6%, other Catholic 0.2%), Protestant 4.9%, Muslim 4.2%, Orthodox 2.2%, other 0.8% (includes other Christian), none 12%, unspecified 2% (2001 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 14% (male 630,739 /female 600,663)
15-24 years: 10.82% (male 484,515 /female 467,064)
25-54 years: 42.1% (male 1,851,209 /female 1,851,100)
55-64 years: 13.63% (male 595,146 /female 603,249)
65 years and over: 19.44% (male 743,174 /female 966,511) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 49.2 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 21.1 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 28.1 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 3.6 (2015 est.)

Median age
Total: 44.2 years
Male: 42.9 years
Female: 45.4 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 12

Population growth rate: 0.42% (2018 est.)
Rank: 160

Birth rate: 9.5 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 199

Death rate: 9.7 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 42

Net migration rate: 4.8 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 25

Population distribution: the northern and eastern portions of the country are more densely populated; nearly two-thirds of the populace lives in urban areas

Urbanization
Urban population: 58.3% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 0.59% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 1.901 million VIENNA (capital) (2018)

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; water pollution; the Danube, as well as some of Austria’s other rivers and lakes, are threatened by pollution
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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
55-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 29 years (2014 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.4 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 3.7 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Female: 3 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Rank: 200

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 81.7 years (2018 est.)
Male: 79 years (2018 est.)
Female: 84.5 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 24

Total fertility rate: 1.48 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 199

Contraceptive prevalence rate:

Drinking water source
Urban: 0% of population
Rural: 0% of population
Total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

Physicians density: 5.23 physicians/1000 population (2016)

Hospital bed density: 7.6 beds/1000 population (2013)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 0% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 0% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2017 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 107
People living with hivaids: 7,400 (2017 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 110
Deaths note: <100 (2017 est.)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 20.1% (2016)
Rank: 105

Education expenditures: 5.4% of GDP (2014)
Rank: 53

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 16 years (2015)
Male: 16 years (2015)
Female: 16 years (2015)

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Austria
Conventional short form: Austria
Local long form: Republik Oesterreich
Local short form: Oesterreich
Etymology: the name Oesterreich means eastern realm or eastern march and dates to the 10th century; the designation refers to the fact that Austria was the easternmost extension of Bavaria, and, in fact, of all the Germans; the word Austria is a Latinization of the German name

Government type: federal parliamentary 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: etymology: the origin of the name is disputed but may derive from earlier settlements of the area; a Celtic town of Vedunia, established about 500 B.C., came under Roman dominance aound 15 B.C. and became known as Vindobona; archeological remains of the latter survive at many sites in the center of Vienna

Administrative divisions: 9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland); Burgenland, Kaernten (Carinthia), Niederoesterreich (Lower Austria), Oberoesterreich (Upper Austria), Salzburg, Steiermark (Styria), Tirol (Tyrol), Vorarlberg, Wien (Vienna)

Independence: no official date of independence: 976 (Margravate of Austria established); 17 September 1156 (Duchy of Austria founded); 6 January 1453 (Archduchy of Austria acknowledged); 11 August 1804 (Austrian Empire proclaimed); 30 March 1867 (Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy established); 12 November 1918 (First Republic proclaimed); 27 April 1945 (Second Republic proclaimed)

National holiday: National Day (commemorates passage of the law on permanent neutrality), 26 October (1955)

Constitution
History: several previous; latest adopted 1 October 1920, revised 1929, replaced May 1934, replaced by German Weimar constitution in 1938 following German annexation, reinstated 1 May 1945 (2016)
Amendments: proposed through laws designated constitutional laws or through the constitutional process if the amendment is part of another law; approval required by at least a two-thirds majority vote by the National Assembly if one-half of the members are present; a referendum is required only if requested by one-third of the National Council or Federal Council membership; passage by referendum requires absolute majority vote; amended many times, last in 2014 (2016)

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
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Austria
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Suffrage: 16 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (since 26 January 2017)
Head of government: Chancellor Sebastian KURZ (since 18 December 2017); Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian STRACHE (since 18 December 2017)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 6-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held on 24 April 2016 (first round), 22 May 2016 (second round, which was annulled), and 4 December 2016 (second round re-vote) (next election to be held in April 2022); chancellor appointed by the president but determined by the majority coalition parties in the Federal Assembly; vice chancellor appointed by the president on the advice of the chancellor
Election results: Alexander VAN DER BELLEN elected in second round; percent of vote in first round - Norbet HOFER (FPOe) 35.1%, Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (independent, allied with the Greens) 21.3%, Irmgard GRISS (independent) 18.9%, Rudolf HUNDSTORFER (SPOe) 11.3%, Andreas KHOL (OeVP) 11.1%, Richard LUGNER (independent) 2.3%; percent of vote in second round - Alexander VAN DER BELLEN 53.8%, Norbet HOFER 46.2%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court of Justice or Oberster Gerichtshof (consists of 85 judges organized into 17 senates or panels of 5 judges each); Constitutional Court or Verfassungsgerichtshof (consists of 20 judges including 6 substitutes; Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof - 2 judges plus other members depending on the importance of the case)
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: Austrian People's Party or OeVP [Sebastian KURZ]Communist Party of Austria or KPOe [Mirko MESSNER]Freedom Party of Austria or FPOe [Heinz-Christian STRACHE]The Greens [Werner KOGLER]NEOS - The New Austria [Matthias STROLZ]Pilz List or PILZ [Bruno ROSSMANN and Wolfgang ZINGGL]Social Democratic Party of Austria or SPOe [Christian KERN]

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), ICCt, 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, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Wolfgang WALDNER (since 28 January 2016)
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:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Trevor TRAINA (since 24 May 2018)
From the us embassy: Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1090, Vienna
From the us mailing address: Boltzmanngasse 16, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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: eagle, edelweiss, Alpine gentian; national colors: red, white

National anthem
Name: Bundeshymne (Federal Hymn)
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 by 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 thereafter associated with the Nazi regime; a gendered version of the lyrics was adopted by the Austrian Federal Assembly in fall 2011 and became effective 1 January 2012

Economy overview: Austria is a well-developed market economy with skilled labor force and high standard of living. It is closely tied to other EU economies, especially Germany's, but also the US’, its third-largest trade partner. Its economy features a large service sector, a sound industrial sector, and a small, but highly developed agricultural sector.Austrian economic growth strengthen in 2017, with a 2.9% increase in GDP. Austrian exports, accounting for around 60% of the GDP, were up 8.2% in 2017. Austria’s unemployment rate fell by 0.3% to 5.5%, which is low by European standards, but still at its second highest rate since the end of World War II, driven by an increased number of refugees and EU migrants entering the labor market.Austria's fiscal position compares favorably with other euro-zone countries. The budget deficit stood at a low 0.7% of GDP in 2017 and public debt declined again to 78.4% of GDP in 2017, after reaching a post-war high 84.6% in 2015. The Austrian government has announced it plans to balance the fiscal budget in 2019. Several external risks, such as Austrian banks' exposure to Central and Eastern Europe, the refugee crisis, and continued unrest in Russia/Ukraine, eased in 2017, but are still a factor for the Austrian economy. Exposure to the Russian banking sector and a deep energy relationship with Russia present additional risks.Austria elected a new pro-business government in October 2017 that campaigned on promises to reduce bureaucracy, improve public sector efficiency, reduce labor market protections, and provide positive investment incentives.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 45

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 110

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 31

Gross national saving:
Rank: 43

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 52.1% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 19.5% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 23.5% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 1.6% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 54.2% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -50.7% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.3% (2017 est.)
Industry: 28.4% (2017 est.)
Services: 70.3% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: grains, potatoes, wine, fruit; dairy products, cattle, pigs, poultry; lumber and other forestry products

Industries: construction, machinery, vehicles and parts, food, metals, chemicals, lumber and paper, electronics, tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 6.5% (2017 est.)
Rank: 35

Labor force: 4.26 million (2017 est.)
Rank: 90
By occupation agriculture: 0.7%
By occupation industry: 25.2%
By occupation services: 74.1% (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 80

Population below poverty line: 3% (2017 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 23.5% (2012 est.)
Highest 10: 23.5% (2012 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 131

Budget
Revenues: 201.7 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 204.6 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -0.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 67

Taxes and other revenues: 48.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 18

Public debt:
Rank: 37

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 111

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 147

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 189

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 19

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 19

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 25

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 40

Current account balance:
Rank: 25

Exports:
Rank: 32
Partners: Germany 29.4%, US 6.3%, Italy 6.2%, Switzerland 5.1%, France 4.8%, Slovakia 4.8% (2017)
Commodities: machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, manufactured goods, chemicals, iron and steel, foodstuffs

Imports:
Rank: 28
Commodities: machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal goods, oil and oil products, natural gas; foodstuffs
Partners: Germany 41.8%, Italy 5.8%, Switzerland 5.5%, Czech Republic 4.4%, Netherlands 4.2% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 57

Debt external:
Rank: 19

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 21

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 21

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2016)
Production: 60.78 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 48
Consumption: 64.6 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 41
Exports: 19.21 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 9
Imports: 26.37 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 6
Installed generating capacity: 24.79 million kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 36
Generation sources fossil fuels: 25% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 188
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 41
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 43% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 45
Generation sources other renewable sources: 31% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 17

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 14,260 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 72
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 88
Crude oil imports: 146,600 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 37
Crude oil proven reserves: 41.2 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 78

Refined petroleum
Products production: 186,500 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products production rank: 54
Products consumption: 268,000 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products consumption rank: 47
Products exports: 49,960 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products exports rank: 55
Products imports: 135,500 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products imports rank: 42

Natural gas
Production: 1.274 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 62
Consumption: 9.486 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 50
Exports: 5.437 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 29
Imports: 14.02 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 22
Proven reserves: 6.513 billion m³ (1 January 2018 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 84

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 63.93 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 53

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 3,762,801 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 43 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 36
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 14,924,340 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 170 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 66

Telephone system
General assessment: mobile-cellular subscribership is everywhere; cable networks are very extensive, the fiber-optic net is being developed; all telephone applications and Internet services are accessible; broadband is available in all large municipalities; regulatory measures have pomoted the reality of 5G use for 2020 (2017)
Domestic: highly developed and efficient; 43 per 100 fixed-line, 170 per 100 mobile-cellular; (2017)
International: country code - 43; earth stations available in the Astra, Intelsat, Eutelsat satellite systems (2018)

Broadcast media: worldwide cable and satellite TV are available; the public incumbent ORF competes with three other major, several regional domestic, and up to 400 international TV stations; TV coverage is in principle 100%, but only 90% use broadcast media; Internet streaming not only complements, but increasingly replaces regular TV stations (2018)

Internet
Country code: .at
Users total: 7,346,055 (July 2016 est.)
Users percent of population: 84.3% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 58

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 2,511,200 (2017 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 29 (2017 est.)
Rank: 46

Military expenditures:
Rank: 141

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 military service (6 months), or optionally, alternative civil/community service (9 months); males 18 to 50 years old in the militia or inactive reserve are subject to compulsory service; in a January 2012 referendum, a majority of Austrians voted in favor of retaining the system of compulsory military service (with the option of alternative/non-military service) instead of switching to a professional army system (2015)

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 11 (2015)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 130 (2015)
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 14,718,641 (2015)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 351.379 million
Note: mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: OE (2016)

Airports: 52 (2013)
Rank: 90
With paved runways total: 24 (2017)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2017)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 5 (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2017)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4 (2017)
With paved runways under 914 m: 13 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 28 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 24 (2013)

Heliports: 1 (2013)

Pipelines: 1888 km gas, 594 km oil, 157 km refined products (2017)

Railways
Total: 5,800 km
Note: 1.435-m gauge (3,826 km electrified) (2016)
Standard gauge: 5,300 km
Rank: 33

Roadways
Total: 138,696 km (2016)
Paved: 138,696 km
Note: (includes 2,208 km of expressways) (2016)
Rank: 38

Waterways: 358 km (2011)
Rank: 89

Ports and terminals
River port: Enns, Krems, Linz, Vienna (Danube)

Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 43,888 (Syria), 26,939 (Afghanistan), 11,301 (Russia), 7,414 (Iraq) (2016)
Stateless persons: 1,003 (2017)

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