Austria:: Population: 8,219,743
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Background
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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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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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Location:
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Central
Europe,
north of Italy and Slovenia
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Geographic coordinates:
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47 20 N,
13 20 E
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Area:
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total:
83,871 sq km land: 82,445 sq km water: 1,426 sq km
Size comparison: slightly smaller than Maine |
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Land Boundaries:
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total: 2,562
km border countries: 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
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Coastline:
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0 km (landlocked)
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Maritime claims:
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none
(landlocked)
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Climate:
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temperate;
continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in
lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers
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Terrain:
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in the
west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern and northern margins mostly
flat or gently sloping
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Neusiedler See 115 m highest point: Grossglockner 3,798 m
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Natural resources:
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oil,
coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite, tungsten,
graphite, salt, hydropower
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Land use:
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arable
land: 16.59% permanent crops: 0.85% other: 82.56% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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1,170 sq
km (2003)
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Natural hazards:
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landslides;
avalanches; earthquakes
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Current Environment Issues:
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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
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International Environment
Agreements:
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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 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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Population:
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8,219,743
(July 2012 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 14% (male 590,855/female 563,300) 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.)
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Median age:
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total:
43.4 years male: 42.3 years female: 44.5 years (2012 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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0.026%
(2012 est.)
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Birth rate:
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8.69
births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
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Death rate:
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10.23
deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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1.79
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01
male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 0.95
male(s)/female (2011 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
4.26 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.16 deaths/1,000 live births female:
3.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 79.91 years male: 77 years female: 82.97 years (2012 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.41
children born/woman (2012 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.3%
(2009 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with
HIV/AIDS:
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15,000
(2009 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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fewer
than 100 (2009 est.)
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Nationality:
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noun:
Austrian(s) adjective: Austrian
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Ethnic groups:
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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)
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Religions:
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Roman
Catholic 73.6%, Protestant 4.7%, Muslim 4.2%, other 3.5%, unspecified 2%,
none 12% (2001 census)
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Languages:
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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)
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% male: NA female: NA
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: Republic of Austria conventional short form: Austria local long form: Republik
Oesterreich local short form: Oesterreich
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Government type:
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federal
republic
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Capital:
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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
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Administrative divisions:
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9 states
(Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland); Burgenland, Karnten (Carinthia),
Niederosterreich (Lower Austria), Oberosterreich (Upper Austria), Salzburg,
Steiermark (Styria), Tirol (Tyrol), Vorarlberg, Wien (Vienna)
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Independence:
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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)
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National holiday:
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National
Day, 26 October (1955); note - commemorates the passage of the law on
permanent neutrality
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Constitution:
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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
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Legal system:
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civil law
system; judicial review of legislative acts by the Constitutional Court
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Suffrage:
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16 years
of age; universal; note - reduced from 18 years of age in 2007
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Executive branch:
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chief of
state: President Heinz FISCHER (SPOe) (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 (For more
information visit the World Leaders website ) 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
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Legislative branch:
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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
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme
Judicial Court or Oberster Gerichtshof; Administrative Court or
Verwaltungsgerichtshof; Constitutional Court or Verfassungsgerichtshof
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Political parties and leaders:
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Alliance
for the Future of Austria or BZOe [Josef BUCHER]; Austrian People's Party or
OeVP [Michael SPINDELEGGER]; Freedom Party of Austria or FPOe [Heinz
Christian STRACHE]; Social Democratic Party of Austria or SPOe [Werner
FAYMANN]; The Greens [Eva GLAWISCHNIG]
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Political pressure groups and
leaders:
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Austrian
Trade Union Federation or OeGB (nominally independent but primarily Social
Democratic); Federal Economic Chamber; Labor Chamber or AK (Social
Democratic-leaning think tank); OeVP-oriented Association of Austrian
Industrialists or IV; Roman Catholic Church, including its chief lay
organization, Catholic Action other: three composite leagues of the Austrian
People's Party or OeVP representing business, labor, farmers, and other
nongovernment organizations in the areas of environment and human rights
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International organization
participation:
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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, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD,
UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO, ZC
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Hans Peter MANZ chancery: 3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035 telephone: [1] (202) 895-6700
FAX: [1] (202) 895-6750 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
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Diplomatic representation from the
US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador William C. EACHO III embassy: Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1090, Vienna mailing address: use embassy street
address telephone: [43] (1) 31339-0 FAX: [43] (1) 3100682
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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 3.9% in 2009 but saw positive growth
of about 2% in 2010 and 3% in 2011. 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. Stabilization measures, stimulus spending, and an income tax
reform pushed the budget deficit to 4.7% in 2010 and 3.6% in 2011, from only
about 1.3% 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 considerable external
risks, such as Austrian banks'' continued high 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 budget that will bring public finances into balance by 2016.
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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GDP
(purchasing power parity): $356.5 billion (2011 est.) $345.8 billion (2010
est.) $338 billion (2009 est.) note: data are in 2011 US dollars
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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GDP
(official exchange rate): $419.2 billion (2011 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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3.1%
(2011 est.) 2.3% (2010 est.) -3.8% (2009 est.)
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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GDP - per
capita (PPP): $42,400 (2011 est.) $41,200 (2010 est.) $40,400 (2009 est.)
note: data are in 2011 US dollars
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
1.5% industry: 29.4% services: 69.1% (2011 est.)
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Labor force:
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3.668
million (2011 est.)
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture:
5.5% industry: 27.5% services: 67% (2009 est.)
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Unemployment rate:
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4.2%
(2011 est.) 4.4% (2010 est.)
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Population below poverty line:
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6% (2008)
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Household income or consumption by
percentage share:
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lowest
10%: 4% highest 10%: 22% (2007)
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Distribution of family income -
Gini index:
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26 (2007)
31 (1995)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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Inflation
rate (consumer prices): 3.5% (2011 est.) 1.7% (2010 est.)
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Investment (gross fixed):
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Investment
(gross fixed): 21% of GDP (2011 est.)
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Budget:
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revenues:
$202.6 billion expenditures: $216.6 billion (2011 est.)
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Public debt:
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73.6% of
GDP (2011 est.) 71.6% of GDP (2010 est.) note: this is general government
gross debt, defined in the Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general
government gross debt at nominal value, outstanding at the end of the year;
it covers the following categories of government liabilities (as defined in
ESA95): currency and deposits (AF.2), securities other than shares excluding
financial derivatives (AF.3, excluding AF.34), and loans (AF.4); the general
government sector comprises the sub-sectors of central government, state
government, local government and social security funds; as a percentage of
GDP, the GDP used as a denominator is the gross domestic product in current
year prices
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Agriculture - products:
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grains,
potatoes, wine, fruit; dairy products, cattle, pigs, poultry; lumber
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Industries:
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construction,
machinery, vehicles and parts, food, metals, chemicals, lumber and wood
processing, paper and paperboard, communications equipment, tourism
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Industrial production growth rate:
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7.5%
(2011 est.)
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Electricity - production:
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62.98
billion kWh (2009 est.)
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Electricity - consumption:
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65.67
billion kWh (2009 est.)
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Electricity - exports:
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18.76
billion kWh (2009 est.)
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Electricity - imports:
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776
million kWh (2009 est.)
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Oil - production:
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29,590
bbl/day (2010 est.)
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Oil - consumption:
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277,900
bbl/day (2010 est.)
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Oil - exports:
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46,020
bbl/day (2009 est.)
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Oil - imports:
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282,200
bbl/day (2009 est.)
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Oil - proved reserves:
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50
million bbl (1 January 2011 est.)
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Natural gas - production:
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1.716
billion cu m (2010 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption:
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9.116
billion cu m (2010 est.)
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Natural gas - exports:
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5.439
billion cu m (2010 est.)
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Natural gas - imports:
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12.13
billion cu m (2010 est.)
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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16.14
billion cu m (1 January 2011 est.)
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Current account balance:
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$8.2
billion (2011 est.) $11.46 billion (2010 est.)
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Exports:
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$173.6
billion (2011 est.) $147.7 billion (2010 est.)
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Exports - commodities:
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machinery
and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, paper and paperboard, metal goods,
chemicals, iron and steel, textiles, foodstuffs
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Exports - partners:
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Germany 32.2%, Italy 7.8%, Switzerland 4.4%, France 4.2% (2011)
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Imports:
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$183.3
billion (2011 est.) $152 billion (2010 est.)
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery
and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal goods, oil and oil products;
foodstuffs
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Imports - partners:
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Germany 42.8%, Italy 6.8%, Switzerland 5.6%, Netherlands 4.1% (2011)
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Reserves of foreign exchange and
gold:
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$25.17
billion (31 December 2011 est.) $22.28 billion
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Debt - external:
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$883.5
billion (30 June 2011) $755 billion (30 June 2010)
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Stock of direct foreign investment
- at home:
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$281.4 billion
(31 December 2011 est.) $273.3 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
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Stock of direct foreign investment
- abroad:
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$284.1
billion (31 December 2011 est.) $274.9 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
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Market value of publicly traded
shares:
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$82.37
billion (31 December 2011) $118 billion (31 December 2010) $107.2 billion (31 December 2009)
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Exchange rates:
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euros
(EUR) per US dollar - 0.7092 (2011 est.) 0.7519 (2010 est.) 0.7198 (2009
est.) 0.6827 (2008 est.) 0.7345 (2007 est.)
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Fiscal year:
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calendar
year
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Telephones in use:
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3.245
million (2009) country comparison to the world: 48
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Cellular Phones in use:
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12.241
million (2009)
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Telephone system:
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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)
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Radio broadcast stations:
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Television broadcast stations:
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Internet country code:
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.at
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Internet hosts:
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3.445
million (2010)
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Internet users:
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6.143
million (2009)
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Airports:
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52 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 91
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Airports (paved runways):
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total: 24
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 13 (2012)
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Airports (unpaved runways):
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total: 28
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 24 (2012)
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Heliports:
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1 (2012)
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Pipelines:
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gas 3,028
km; oil 663 km; refined products 157 km (2010)
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Railways:
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total: 6,399
km 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)
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Roadways:
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total: 110,778
km paved: 110,778 km (includes 1,696
km of expressways) (2006)
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Waterways:
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358 km (2011)
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Merchant marine:
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registered
in other countries: 3 (Cyprus 1, Kazakhstan 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2010)
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Ports and terminals:
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Enns,
Krems, Linz, Vienna
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Military branches:
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Land
Forces (KdoLdSK), Air Forces (KdoLuSK)
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Military service age and
obligation:
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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)
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Manpower available for military
service:
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males age
16-49: 1,941,110 females age 16-49: 1,910,434 (2010 est.)
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males age
16-49: 1,579,862 females age 16-49: 1,554,130 (2010 est.)
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