1998 Edition

Area

total: 83,858 sq km land: 82,738 sq km water: 1,120 sq km

Area-comparative

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)

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Neusiedler See 115 m highest point: Grossglockner 3,797 m

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 coaland oil-fired power stations and industrial plants and from trucks transiting Austria between northern and southern Europe

Environment-international agreements

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

Geographic coordinates

47 20 N, 13 20 E

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

Irrigated land

40 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

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

Land use

arable land: 17% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 23% forests and woodland: 39% other: 20% (1996 est.)

Location

Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

iron ore, oil, timber, magnesite, lead, coal, lignite, copper, hydropower

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% (male 709,890; female 673,696) 15-64 years: 68% (male 2,783,569; female 2,707,113) 65 years and over: 15% (male 471,924; female 787,419) (July 1998 est.)

Birth rate

9.89 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate

10.05 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

5.16 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Languages

German

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 77.31 years male: 74.13 years female: 80.67 years (1998 est.)

Literacy

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

Nationality

noun: Austrian(s) adjective: Austrian

Net migration rate

0.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Population

8,133,611 (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate

0.05% (1998 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 78%, Protestant 5%, other 17%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.37 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Administrative divisions

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

Constitution

1920; revised 1929 (reinstated 1 May 1945)

Country name

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

Data code

AU

Executive branch

chief of state: President Thomas KLESTIL (since 8 July 1992) head of government: Chancellor Viktor KLIMA (since 28 January 1997); Vice Chancellor Wolfgang SCHUESSEL (since 22 April 1995) cabinet: Council of Ministers chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; presidential election last held 24 May 1992 (next to be held 19 April 1998); chancellor chosen by the president from the majority party in the National Council; vice chancellor chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor election results: Thomas KLESTIL elected president; percent of vote, second ballot-Thomas KLESTIL 57%, Rudolf STREICHER 43%

FAX

[1] (202) 895-6750 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Kathryn Walt HALL embassy: Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1091, Vienna mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [43] (1) 313-39

[43] (1) 310-0682

Flag description

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

Government type

federal republic

Independence

1156 (from Bavaria)

International organization participation

AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINUGUA, MINURSO, MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Helmut TUERK chancery: 3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035 telephone: [1] (202) 895-6700

Judicial branch

Supreme Judicial Court or Oberster Gerichtshof; Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof; Constitutional Court or Verfassungsgerichtshof Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party of Austria or SPOe [Viktor KLIMA, chairman]; Austrian People's Party or OeVP [Wolfgang SCHUESSEL, chairman]; Freedom Party of Austria or FPOe [Joerg HAIDER, chairman]; Communist Party or KPOe [Walter BEIER, chairman]; The Greens or GA [Madeleine PETROVIC, parliamentary caucus floor leader and Alexander VAN DER BELLEN, party spokesman]; Liberal Forum or LF [Heide SCHMIDT] Political pressure groups and leaders: Federal Chamber of Trade and Commerce; Austrian Trade Union Federation (primarily Socialist) or OeGB; three composite leagues of the Austrian People's Party or OeVP representing business, labor, and farmers; OeVP-oriented League of Austrian Industrialists or VOeI; Roman Catholic Church, including its chief lay organization, Catholic Action

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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of Federal Council or Bundesrat (64 members; members represent each of the provinces on the basis of population, but with each province having at least three representatives; members serve a fouror six-year term) and the National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: National Council-last held 17 December 1995 (next to be held Fall 1999) election results: National Council-percent of vote by party-SPOe 38.3%, OeVP 28.3%, FPOe 22.1%, LF 5.3%, Greens 4.6%, other 1.4%; seats by party-SPOe 71, OeVP 53, FPOe 40, LF 10, Greens 9

National capital

Vienna

National holiday

National Day, 26 October (1955)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal; compulsory for presidential elections

Agriculture-products

grains, potatoes, sugar beets, wine, fruit, dairy products; cattle, pigs, poultry; sawn wood

Budget

revenues: $53.6 billion expenditures: $61.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1996 est.)

Currency

1 Austrian schilling (AS) = 100 groschen

Debt-external

$29.4 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid

donor: ODA, $480 million; assistance to central and eastern Europe $400 million (1996)

Economy-overview

Austria, a member of the European Union since 1 January 1995, has a well-developed market economy with a high standard of living. With exports of goods and services reaching over 40% of GDP, Austria's economy is closely integrated with other EU member countries, especially with Germany. Austria's entry into the EU has drawn an influx of foreign investors attracted by Austria's access to the single European market. Austria is well on its way to meeting all Maastricht convergence criteria for monetary union, through privatization efforts, the 1996-98 budget consolidation programs, and austerity measures, which were expected to bring total public sector deficit down to 3% of GDP in 1997 and public debt in line with the 60% of GDP required by the EU. Cuts mainly affect the civil service and Austria's generous social system, the two major causes of the government deficit. To meet increased competition from both the EU and Central European countries, Austria will need to emphasize knowledge-based sectors of the economy and deregulate the service sector, particularly telecommunications and the energy sector. Economic prospects are expected to brighten in 1998 with GDP growth projected to be 2.5%.

Electricity-capacity

15.65 million kW (1996)

Electricity-consumption per capita

6,900 kWh (1996)

Electricity-production

54.8 billion kWh (1996)

Exchange rates

Austrian schillings (AS) per US$1-12.776 (January 1998), 12.204 (1997), 10.587 (1996), 10.081 (1995), 11.422 (1994), 11.632 (1993)

Exports

total value: $57.8 billion (1996) commodities: machinery and equipment, iron and steel, lumber, textiles, paper products, chemicals partners: EU 64.7% (Germany 37.7%, Italy 8.5%), Eastern Europe 14.9%, Japan 1.5%, US 3.1% (1996)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications

GDP

purchasing power parity-$174.1 billion (1997 est.)

GDP-composition by sector

agriculture: 1.5% industry: 31.6% services: 66.9% (1996)

GDP-per capita

purchasing power parity-$21,400 (1997 est.)

GDP-real growth rate

2.1% (1997 est.)

Imports

total value: $67.3 billion (1996) commodities: petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, vehicles, chemicals, textiles and clothing, pharmaceuticals partners: EU 70.7% (Germany 42.8%, Italy 8.7%), Eastern Europe 10%, Japan 2.4%, US 4.5% (1996)

Industrial production growth rate

1% (1996)

Industries

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

Inflation rate-consumer price index

1.3% (1997)

Labor force

total: 3.646 million (1996) by occupation: services 66.1%, industry and crafts 29.6%, agriculture and forestry 1.3% (salaried employees, 1996) note: an estimated 150,000 Austrians are employed abroad; foreign laborers in Austria number 298,000 (1996)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 5, FM 105 (repeaters 684), shortwave 0

Radios

70% of all households indicated that they had radios in the 1993 census

Telephone system

domestic: highly developed and efficient international: satellite earth stations-2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 2 Eutelsat

Telephones

3.47 million (1986 est.) note: 88% of all households had telephones in the 1993 census

Television broadcast stations

57 (repeaters 914)

Televisions

2,418,584 (1984 est.) note: 91% of households indicated that they had televisions in the 1993 census

Unemployment rate

7.1% (January 1998)

Airports

55 (1997 est.) Airports-with paved runways: total: 20 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 10 (1997 est.) Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 35 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 31 (1997 est.)

Heliports

1 (1997 est.)

Highways

129,055 km paved: 129,055 km (including 1,607 km of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 25 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 84,103 GRT/114,616 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 19, combination bulk 2, container 1, refrigerated cargo 2 (1997 est.)

Pipelines

crude oil 777 km; natural gas 909.1 km Ports and harbors: Linz, Vienna, Enns, Krems

Railways

total: 5,636 km standard gauge: 5,294 km 1.435-m gauge (3,263 km electrified) narrow gauge: 342 km 1.000-m and 0.760-m gauge (84 km electrified) (1996)

Waterways

356 km (1996)

Military branches

Army (includes Flying Division)

Military expenditures-dollar figure

$1.8 billion (1998 est.)

Military expenditures-percent of GDP

0.83% (1998 est.)

Military manpower-availability

males age 15-49: 2,098,409 (1998 est.) Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 1,744,035 (1998 est.)

Military manpower-military age

19 years of age

Military manpower-reaching military age annually

males: 46,854 (1998 est.)

Current issues

Azerbaijan continues to be plagued by an unresolved 10-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 Azerbaijani refugees in the process. Both sides have generally observed a Russian-mediated cease-fire in place since May 1994.

Disputes-international

none

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for Western Europe Introduction