1995 Edition

Area

total area: 83,850 sq km land area: 82,730 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Maine

Climate

temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain in lowlands and snow in mountains; cool summers with occasional showers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

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 natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulpher 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea, Whaling

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

40 sq km (1989)

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

Land use

arable land: 17% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 24% forest and woodland: 39% other: 19%

Location

Central Europe, north of Italy

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

none; landlocked

Natural resources

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

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

Terrain

in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping

Age structure

0-14 years: 17% (female 681,087; male 711,127) 15-64 years: 67% (female 2,672,554; male 2,677,100) 65 years and over: 16% (female 791,762; male 453,034) (July 1995 est.)

Birth rate

11.21 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate

10.27 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Ethnic divisions

German 99.4%, Croatian 0.3%, Slovene 0.2%, other 0.1%

Infant mortality rate

6.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Labor force

3.47 million (1989) by occupation: services 56.4%, industry and crafts 35.4%, agriculture and forestry 8.1% note: an estimated 200,000 Austrians are employed in other European countries; foreign laborers in Austria number 177,840, about 5% of labor force (1988)

Languages

German

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 76.9 years male: 73.7 years female: 80.27 years (1995 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1974 est.) total population: 99%

Nationality

noun: Austrian(s) adjective: Austrian

Net migration rate

2.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Population

7,986,664 (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate

0.35% (1995 est.)

Religions

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

Total fertility rate

1.48 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Administrative divisions

9 states (bundeslaender, singular - bundesland); Burgenland, Kaernten, Niederoesterreich, Oberoesterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien

Capital

Vienna

Constitution

1920; revised 1929 (reinstated 1 May 1945)

Digraph

AU

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Helmut TUERK chancery: 3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035 telephone: [1] (202) 895-6700

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) cabinet: Council of Ministers; chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor

FAX

[1] (202) 895-6750 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

[43] (1) 310-0682 consulate(s) general: none (Salzburg closed September 1993)

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

Flag

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

Independence

12 November 1918 (from Austro-Hungarian Empire)

Judicial branch

Supreme Judicial Court (Oberster Gerichtshof) for civil and criminal cases, Administrative Court (Verwaltungsgerichtshof) for bureaucratic cases, Constitutional Court (Verfassungsgerichtshof) for constitutional cases

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

Legislative branch

bicameral Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung)

Member of

AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, ONUSAL, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIH, UNOMIL, UNOMOZ, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Names

conventional long form: Republic of Austria conventional short form: Austria local long form: Republik Oesterreich local short form: Oesterreich

National Council (Nationalrat)

elections last held 9 October 1994 (next to be held October 1998); results - SPOE 34.9%, OEVP 27.7%, FPOE 22.5%, Greens 7.3%, LF 6.0% other 1.6%; seats - (183 total) SPOE 65, OEVP 52, FPOE 42, Greens 13, LF 11

National holiday

National Day, 26 October (1955)

Other political or pressure groups

Federal Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Austrian Trade Union Federation (primarily Socialist); three composite leagues of the Austrian People's Party (OEVP) representing business, labor, and farmers; OEVP-oriented League of Austrian Industrialists; Roman Catholic Church, including its chief lay organization, Catholic Action

Political parties and leaders

Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPOE), Franz VRANITZKY, chairman; Austrian People's Party (OEVP), Erhard BUSEK, chairman; Freedom Movement (F) (was the Freedom Party of Austria, FPOE), Joerg HAIDER, chairman; Communist Party (KPOE), Walter SILBERMAYER, chairman; The Greens, Madeleine PETROVIC; Liberal Forum (LF), Heide SCHMIDT

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal; compulsory for presidential elections

Type

federal republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Swanee G. HUNT chancery: Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1091, Vienna mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [43] (1) 313-39

Agriculture

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

Budget

revenues: $52.2 billion expenditures: $60.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est.)

Currency

1 Austrian schilling (S) = 100 groschen

Economic aid

donor: ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $2.4 billion

Electricity

capacity: 17,230,000 kW production: 50.2 billion kWh consumption per capita: 5,824 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

Austrian schillings (S) per US$1 - 10.774 (January 1995), 11.422 (1994), 11.632 (1993), 10.989 (1992), 11.676 (1991), 11.370 (1990)

Exports

$44.1 billion (1994 est.) 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 3.4% (1993)

External debt

$21.5 billion (1994 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Illicit drugs

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

Imports

$53.8 billion (1994 est.) 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)

Industrial production

growth rate 2.5% (1994 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3% (1994)

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $139.3 billion (1994 est.)

National product per capita

$17,500 (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate

2.5% (1994 est.)

Overview

Austria boasts a prosperous and stable market economy with a sizable but falling proportion of nationalized industry and with 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. After 11 consecutive years of growth, the Austrian economy experienced a mild recession in 1993, but growth resumed in 1994. Unemployment is 4.3% and will likely stay at that level as companies adjust to the competition of EU membership beginning 1 January 1995. To prepare for EU membership, Austria's government has taken measures to open the economy by introducing a major tax reform, privatizing state-owned firms, and liberalizing cross-border capital movements. Problems for the 1990s include an aging population, the high level of industrial subsidies, and the struggle to keep welfare benefits within budgetary capabilities - the deficit climbed to over 4% of GDP in 1994.

Unemployment rate

4.3% (1994 est.)

Radio

broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 21 (repeaters 545), shortwave 0 radios: NA

Telephone system

4,014,000 telephones; highly developed and efficient local: NA intercity: NA international: 2 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), and EUTELSAT earth stations

Television

broadcast stations: 47 (repeaters 870) televisions: NA

Airports

total: 55 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 3 with paved runways under 914 m: 41 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 4

Highways

total: 110,000 km paved: 35,000 km (including 1,554 km of autobahn) unpaved: mostly gravel and earth 75,000 km (1992)

Inland waterways

446 km

Merchant marine

total: 32 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 152,885 GRT/235,719 DWT ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 25, oil tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1

Pipelines

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

Ports

Linz, Vienna

Railroads

total: 5,624 km standard gauge: 5,269 km 1.435-m gauge (3,162 km electrified) narrow gauge: 355 km 1.000-m and 0.760-m gauge (84 km electrified) (1994)

Branches

Army (includes Flying Division)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - about $1.8 billion, 0.9% of GDP (1994) ________________________________________________________________________ AZERBAIJAN Note--Azerbaijan continues to be plagued by an unresolved seven-year-old conflict with Armenian separatists over its Nagorno-Karabakh region. The Karabakh Armenians have declared independence and seized almost 20% of the country's territory, creating almost 1 million Azeri displaced persons in the process. Both sides have generally observed a Russian-mediated cease-fire in place since May 1994, and support the OSCE-mediated peace process, now entering its fourth year. Nevertheless, Baku and Xankandi (Stepanakert) remain far apart on most substantive issues from the placement and composition of a peacekeeping force to the enclave's ultimate political status, and prospects for a negotiated settlement remain dim.

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 2,026,567; males fit for military service 1,695,879; males reach military age (19) annually 46,821 (1995 est.)