Jurisdictions - Austria

Report on Austria

Introduction | Geography | People | Government | Economy| Communications | Transportation | Military | Transnational Issues

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, Austria's 1955 State Treaty declared the country "permanently neutral" as a condition of Soviet military withdrawal. Neutrality, once ingrained as part of the Austrian cultural identity, has been called into question since the Soviet collapse of 1991 and Austria's increasingly prominent role in European affairs. A prosperous country, Austria joined the European Union in 1995 and the euro monetary system in 1999.

 Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia

 47 20 N, 13 20 E

 Europe

total:  83,858 sq km

land:  82,738 sq km

water:  1,120 sq km

slightly smaller than Maine

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

0 km (landlocked)

none (landlocked)

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

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

lowest point:  Neusiedler See 115 m

highest point:  Grossglockner 3,798 m

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

arable land:  17%

permanent crops:  1%

permanent pastures:  23%

forests and woodland:  39%

other:  20% (1996 est.)

457 sq km (1995 est.)

NA

NA

party to:  Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, 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-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

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

8,150,835 (July 2001 est.)

0-14 years:  16.57% (male 691,925; female 658,375)

15-64 years:  68.05% (male 2,802,019; female 2,744,536)

65 years and over:  15.38% (male 478,498; female 775,482) (2001 est.)

0.24% (2001 est.)

9.74 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

9.8 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

2.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

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:  0.62 male(s)/female

total population:  0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

4.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

total population:  77.84 years

male:  74.68 years

female:  81.15 years (2001 est.)

1.39 children born/woman (2001 est.)

 0.23% (1999 est.)

 9,000 (1999 est.)

 less than 100 (1999 est.)

 noun:  Austrian(s)

adjective:  Austrian

German 98%, Croatian, Slovene, other (includes Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks, Roma)

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

German

definition:  age 15 and over can read and write

total population:  98%

male:  NA%

female:  NA%

 conventional long form:  Republic of Austria

conventional short form:  Austria

local long form:  Republik Oesterreich

local short form:  Oesterreich

federal republic

Vienna

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

1156 (from Bavaria)

National Day, 26 October (1955); note - commemorates the passage of the law on permanent neutrality

1920; revised 1929 (reinstated 1 May 1945)

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

19 years of age; universal; compulsory for presidential elections

chief of state:  President Thomas KLESTIL (since 8 July 1992)

head of government:  Chancellor Wolfgang SCHUESSEL (OeVP)(since 4 February 2000); Vice Chancellor Susanne RIESS-PASSER (FPOe) (since 4 February 2000)

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 19 April 1998 (next to be held in the spring of 2004); chancellor traditionally chosen by the president from the plurality party in the National Council; in the case of the current coalition, the chancellor was chosen from another party after the plurality party failed to form a government; vice chancellor chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor

election results:  Thomas KLESTIL reelected president; percent of vote - Thomas KLESTIL 63%, Gertraud KNOLL 14%, Heide SCHMIDT 11%, Richard LUGNER 10%, Karl NOWAK 2%

note:  government coalition - OeVP and FPOe

bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of Federal Council or Bundesrat (64 members; members represent each of the states on the basis of population, but with each state having at least three representatives; members serve a four- or 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 3 October 1999 (next to be held in the fall of 2003)

election results:  National Council - percent of vote by party - SPOe 33.2%, OeVP 26.9%, FPOe 26.9%, Greens 7.4%; seats by party - SPOe 65, OeVP 52, FPOe 52, Greens 14

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

Austrian People's Party or OeVP [Wolfgang SCHUESSEL]; Freedom Party of Austria or FPOe [Susanne RIESS-PASSER]; Social Democratic Party of Austria or SPOe [Alfred GUSENBAUER]; The Greens Alternative or GA [Alexander VAN DER BELLEN]

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

AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNTAET, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

chief of mission:  Ambassador Peter MOSER

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, and New York

chief of mission:  Ambassador-designate Lyons BROWN, Jr.

embassy:  Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1091, Vienna

mailing address:  use embassy street address

telephone:  [43] (1) 31339-0

FAX:  [43] (1) 3100682

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

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. In 2000, Austria moved to further cut government spending and raise taxes to meet EMU deficit targets after facing unexpected difficulties in reducing the public deficit. To meet increased competition from both EU and Central European countries, Austria will need to emphasize knowledge-based sectors of the economy and continue to deregulate the service sector. Growth is expected to remain at about 3% in 2001.

purchasing power parity - $203 billion (2000 est.)

3.1% (2000 est.)

purchasing power parity - $25,000 (2000 est.)

agriculture:  2.2%

industry:  30.4%

services:  67.4% (1999 est.)

NA%

NA

2% (2000 est.)

3.7 million (1999)

services 68%, industry and crafts 29%, agriculture and forestry 3% (1999 est.)

5.4% (2000 est.)

revenues:  $56.3 billion

expenditures:  $60.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

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

4.2% (2000)

59.283 billion kWh (1999)

fossil fuel:  29.53%

hydro:  67.65%

nuclear:  0%

other:  2.82% (1999)

53.231 billion kWh (1999)

13.507 billion kWh (1999)

11.605 billion kWh (1999)

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

$63.2 billion (2000 est.)

machinery and equipment, paper and paperboard, metal goods, chemicals, iron and steel; textiles, foodstuffs

EU 64.2% (Germany 35.7%, Italy 8.7%, France 4.5%), Switzerland 5.9%, US 4.5%, Hungary 3.9% (1999)

$65.6 billion (2000 est.)

machinery and equipment, chemicals, metal goods, oil and oil products; foodstuffs

EU 70.3% (Germany 42.5%, Italy 7.9%, France 5.3%), US 5.4%, Switzerland 3.0%, Hungary 2.8% (1999)

$16 billion (1999)

ODA, $472 million (1999)

Austrian schilling (ATS); euro (EUR)

ATS; EUR

euros per US dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); Austrian schillings per US dollar - 11.86 (January 1999), 12.91 (1999), 12.379 (1998), 12.204 (1997), 10.587 (1996)

calendar year

4 million (3,600,000 analog main lines plus 400,000 ISDN or Integrated Services Digital Network connections) (1999)

4.5 million (2000)

general assessment:  highly developed and efficient

domestic:  there are 48 main lines for every 100 persons and the system is nearly 100% digital; the fiber optic net is very extensive; all telephone applications and Internet services are available

international:  satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 2 Eutelsat (1999)

AM 1, FM 61 (plus several hundred repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)

6.08 million (1997)

45 (plus 960 repeaters) (1995)

4.25 million (1997)

.at

37 (2000)

2.6 million (2000)

total:  6,095.2 km (3,643.3 km electrified)

standard gauge:  5,564.2 km 1.435-m gauge (3,521.2 km electrified)

narrow gauge:  531 km (33.9 km 1.000-m gauge - 28.1 km electrified, 497.1 km 0.760-m gauge - 94 km electrified) (2001)

total:  133,361 km

paved:  133,361 km (including 1,613 km of expressways)

unpaved:  0 km (1998)

358 km (1999)

crude oil 777 km; natural gas 840 km (1999)

Linz, Vienna, Enns, Krems

total:  23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 86,905 GRT/117,417 DWT

ships by type:  bulk 1, cargo 18, combination bulk 2, container 2 (2000 est.)

55 (2000 est.)

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:  3

under 914 m:  14 (2000 est.)

total:  31

1,524 to 2,437 m:  1

914 to 1,523 m:  3

under 914 m:  27 (2000 est.)

1 (2000 est.)

 Army (includes Flying Division)

19 years of age

males age 15-49:  2,091,263 (2001 est.)

males age 15-49:  1,731,383 (2001 est.)

males:  50,580 (2001 est.)

$1.7 billion (FY98)

1.2% (FY98)

minor disputes with Czech Republic and Slovenia over nuclear power plants and post-World War II treatment of German-speaking minorities

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