Demographics - Austria
| GENERAL: | |||
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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. |
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| 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. | |||
| Following the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 and Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995, some Austrians have called into question this neutrality. A prosperous, democratic country, Austria entered the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999. | |||
| GEOGRAPHY: | |||
| Location: | Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia | ||
| Geographic coordinates: | 47 20 N, 13 20 E | ||
| Map references: | Europe | ||
| Area: | total: | 83,870 sq km | |
| land: | 82,444 sq km | ||
| water: | 1,426 sq km | ||
| 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 | ||
| Coastline: | 0 km (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: | in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping | ||
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: | Neusiedler See 115 m | |
| highest point: | Grossglockner 3,798 m | ||
| Natural resources: | oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower | ||
| Land use: | arable land: | 16.59% | |
| permanent crops: | 0.85% | ||
| other: | 82.56% | ||
| Irrigated land: | 457 sq km | ||
| Natural hazards: | landslides; avalanches; earthquakes | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| PEOPLE: | |||
| Population: | 8,192,880 | ||
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: | 15.4% (male 645,337/female 614,602) | |
| 15-64 years: | 67.5% (male 2,782,712/female 2,749,620) | ||
| 65 years and over: | 17.1% (male 567,752/female 832,857) | ||
| Median age: | total: | 40.9 years | |
| male: | 39.8 years | ||
| female: | 42 years | ||
| Population growth rate: | 0.09% | ||
| Birth rate: | 8.74 births/1,000 population | ||
| Death rate: | 9.76 deaths/1,000 population | ||
| Net migration rate: | 1.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population | ||
| Sex ratio: | 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: | 0.68 male(s)/female | ||
| total population: | 0.95 male(s)/female | ||
| Infant mortality rate: | total: | 4.6 deaths/1,000 live births | |
| male: | 5.65 deaths/1,000 live births | ||
| female: | 3.5 deaths/1,000 live births | ||
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: | 79.07 years | |
| male: | 76.17 years | ||
| female: | 82.11 years | ||
| Total fertility rate: | 1.36 children born/woman | ||
| Nationality: | noun: | Austrian(s) | |
| adjective: | Austrian | ||
| Ethnic groups: | Austrians 91.1%, former Yugoslavs 4% (includes Croatians, Slovenes, Serbs, and Bosniaks), Turks 1.6%, German 0.9%, other or unspecified 2.4% | ||
| Religions: |
Roman Catholic 73.6%, Protestant 4.7%, Muslim 4.2%, other 3.5%, unspecified 2%, none 12% |
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| Languages: | German (official nationwide), Slovene (official in Kaernten or Carinthia), Croatian (official in Burgenland), Hungarian (official in Burgenland) | ||
| Literacy: | definition: | age 15 and over can read and write | |
| total population: | 98% | ||
| GOVERNMENT: | |||
| Country name: | conventional long form: | Republic of Austria | |
| conventional short form: | Austria | ||
| local long form: | Republik Oesterreich | ||
| local short form: | Oesterreich | ||
| Government type: | federal republic | ||
| Capital: | Vienna | ||
| Administrative divisions: | 9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland); Burgenland, Kaernten, Niederoesterreich, Oberoesterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien (Vienna) | ||
| Independence: | 1156 (Duchy of Austria founded); 12 November 1918 (republic proclaimed) | ||
| National holiday: | National Day, 26 October (1955); note - commemorates the State Treaty restoring national sovereignty and the end of occupation and the passage of the law on permanent neutrality | ||
| Constitution: | 1920; revised 1929 (reinstated 1 May 1945) | ||
| 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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | ||
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal | ||
| Executive branch: | |||
| chief of state: | President Heinz FISCHER (since 8 July 2004) | ||
| head of government: | Chancellor Wolfgang SCHUESSEL (OeVP)(since 4 February 2000); Vice Chancellor Hubert GORBACH (since 21 October 2003) | ||
| 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 25 April 2004 (next to be held April 2010); chancellor traditionally chosen by the president from the plurality party in the National Council; vice chancellor chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor | ||
| election results: | Heinz FISCHER elected president; percent of vote - Heinz FISCHER (SPOe) 52.4%, Benita FERRERO-WALDNER (OeVP) 47.6% | ||
| note: | government coalition - OeVP and FPOe | ||
| Legislative branch: |
bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of Federal Council or Bundesrat (62 members; members represent each of the states on the basis of population, but with each state having at least 3 representatives; members serve a five- or six-year term) and the National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms) |
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| elections: | National Council - last held 24 November 2002 (next to be held in the fall of 2006) | ||
| election results: |
National Council - percent of vote by party - OeVP 42.3%, SPOe 36.5%, FPOe 10.0%, Greens 9.5%; seats by party - OeVP 79, SPOe 69, FPOe 18, Greens 17; seating as of May 2005 after split within the Freedom Party: OeVP 79, SPOe 69, Greens 17, BZOe 11, FPOe 7 |
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| Judicial branch: | Supreme Judicial Court or Oberster Gerichtshof; Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof; Constitutional Court or Verfassungsgerichtshof | ||
| Political parties and leaders: | Alliance for the Future of Austria or BZOe [Joerg HAIDER]; Austrian People's Party or OeVP [Wolfgang SCHUESSEL]; Freedom Party of Austria or FPOe [Heinz Christian STRACHE]; Social Democratic Party of Austria or SPOe [Alfred GUSENBAUER]; The Greens [Alexander VAN DER BELLEN] | ||
| Flag description: | three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red | ||
| ECONOMY: | |||
| Economy - overview: | Austria, with its well-developed market economy and high standard of living, is closely tied to other EU economies, especially Germany's. The Austrian economy also benefits greatly from strong commercial relations, especially in the banking and insurance sectors, with central, eastern, and southeastern Europe. The economy features a large service sector, a sound industrial sector, and a small, but highly developed agricultural sector. Membership in the EU has drawn an influx of foreign investors attracted by Austria's access to the single European market and proximity to the new EU economies. The current government has successfully pursued a comprehensive economic reform program, aimed at streamlining government, creating a more competitive business environment, further strengthening Austria's attractiveness as an investment location, pursuing a balanced budget, and implementing effective pension reforms. Weak domestic consumption and slow growth in Europe have held the economy to growth rates of 0.4% in 2002, 1.4% in 2003, 2.4% in 2004, and 1.8% in 2005. To meet increased competition from both EU and Central European countries, particularly the new EU members, Austria will need to continue restructuring, emphasizing knowledge-based sectors of the economy, and encouraging greater labor flexibility and greater labor participation by its aging population. | ||
| GDP - real growth rate: | 1.80% | ||
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | $32,900 | ||
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: | 2.30% | |
| industry: | 30.80% | ||
| services: | 66.90% | ||
| Labor force: | 3.49 million | ||
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture and forestry 3%, industry and crafts 27%, services 70% | ||
| Unemployment rate: | 5.10% | ||
| Population below poverty line: | 5.90% | ||
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 2.30% | ||
| Agriculture - products: |
grains, potatoes, sugar beets, wine, fruit; dairy products, cattle, pigs, poultry; lumber |
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| Industries: | construction, machinery, vehicles and parts, food, metals, chemicals, lumber and wood processing, paper and paperboard, communications equipment, tourism | ||
| Industrial production growth rate: | 3.20% | ||
| Exports - commodities: |
machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, paper and paperboard, metal goods, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles, foodstuffs |
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| Exports - partners: | Germany 32%, Italy 8.9%, US 6%, Switzerland 4.8%, France 4.2%, UK 4.2% | ||
| Imports - commodities: |
machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal goods, oil and oil products; foodstuffs |
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| Imports - partners: | Germany 46.3%, Italy 6.8%, Switzerland 4.3% | ||
| Currency (code): | euro (EUR) | ||
| note: | on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries | ||
| Fiscal year: | calendar year | ||
| TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES: | |||
| Disputes - international: | Austrian anti-nuclear activists have revived blockades of the Czech-Austrian border to protest operation of the Temelin nuclear power plant in the Czech Republic | ||
| Illicit drugs: | transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for Western Europe | ||
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