World Facts Index > Austria > Graz, Innsbruck, Salzburg, Vienna
 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. 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 of Austria
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Location:
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Central Europe, north of
Italy and Slovenia |
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Coordinates:
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47 20 N, 13 20 E |
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Area:
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total: 83,858 sq km
water: 1,120 sq km
land: 82,738 sq km |
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Area comparative:
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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 in lowlands and snow in
mountains; cool 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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iron ore, oil, timber,
magnesite, lead, coal, lignite, copper, hydropower |
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Natural hazards:
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landslides; avalanches;
earthquakes |
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Environment - current 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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Geography - note:
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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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More Geography
Population of Austria
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Population:
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8,205,533 (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 14.8% (male 621,326/female 592,131)
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 2,783,531/female 2,753,389)
65 years and over: 17.7% (male 599,415/female 855,741) |
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Median age:
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total: 41.7 years
male: 40.7 years
female: 42.8 years |
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Growth rate:
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0.064% |
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Birth rate:
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8.9 births/1,000 |
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Death rate:
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9.56 deaths/1,000 |
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Net migration rate:
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2 migrant(s)/1,000 |
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Infant mortality:
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4.48 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 79.36 years
male: 76.46 years
female: 82.41 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.38 children born/woman |
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Nationality:
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noun: Austrian(s)
adjective: Austrian |
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Ethnic groups:
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German 88.5%, indigenous minorities 1.5%
(includes Croatians, Slovenes, Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks, Roma), recent immigrant groups
10% (includes Turks, Bosnians, Serbians, Croatians) |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 74%, Protestant 5%, Muslim
4%, other 17% |
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Languages:
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German (official nationwide), Slovene
(official in Carinthia), Croatian (official in Burgenland), Hungarian (official in
Burgenland) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 98%
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Government
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of
Austria
local short form: Oesterreich
local long form: Republik Oesterreich |
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Government type:
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federal republic |
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Capital:
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Vienna |
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Administrative divisions:
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9 states (Bundeslaender, singular -
Bundesland); Burgenland, Kaernten, Niederoesterreich, Oberoesterreich, Salzburg,
Steiermark, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien |
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Independence:
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1156 (from Bavaria) |
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National holiday:
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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 |
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Constitution:
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1920; revised 1929 (reinstated 1 May 1945) |
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Legal system:
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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 |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal; compulsory for
presidential elections |
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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 Alfred GUSENBAUER (SPOe) (since 11 January 2007);
Vice Chancellor Wilhelm MOLTERER (OeVP) (since 11 January 2007)
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
(eligible for a second term); presidential election last held 25 April 2004
(next to be held in April 2010); 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 elected president; percent of vote - Heinz
FISCHER 52.4%, Benita FERRERO-WALDNER 47.6% |
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Legislative branch:
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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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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Judicial Court or Oberster
Gerichtshof; Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof; Constitutional Court or
Verfassungsgerichtshof |
Economy
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 outgoing government has successfully pursued a comprehensive
economic reform program, aimed at streamlining government and creating a more
competitive business environment, further strengthening Austria's
attractiveness as an investment location. It has implemented effective pension
reforms; however, lower taxes in 2005-06 led to a small budget deficit in 2006
and 2007. Boosted by strong exports, growth nevertheless reached 3.3% in both
2006 and 2007, although the economy may slow in 2008 because of the strong
euro, high oil prices, and problems in international financial markets. To
meet increased competition - especially from new EU members and Central
European countries - 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.
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GDP:
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$322 billion (2007 est.) |
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GDP growth rate:
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0.8% (2003 est.), 1.9% (2005 est.), $373.9
billion (2007 est.) |
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GDP per capita:
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$39,300 |
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GDP composition by sector:
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agriculture: 1.6%
industry: 30.3%
services: 68% |
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Population below poverty line:
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3.9% (1999), 5.9% (2004) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 3.3%
highest 10%: 22.5% |
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Inflation rate:
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1.2% (2003 est.), 2.3% (2005 est.) |
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Labor force:
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4.3 million (2001), 3.49 million (2005 est.),
2.2% (2007 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture: 3%
industry: 27%
services: 70% (2005 est.) |
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Unemployment:
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4.3% (2003 est.), 5.2% (2005 est.), 4.4% (2007
est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $177.5 billion
expenditures: $179.9 billion (2007 est.) |
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Industries:
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construction, machinery, vehicles and
parts, food, chemicals, lumber and wood processing, paper and paperboard, communications
equipment, tourism |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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3.8% (2001 est.), 4.7% (2005 est.), 5.7% (2007
est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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58.75 billion kWh (2001) |
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Electricity production by source:
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fossil fuel: 29.3%
hydro: 67.2%
other: 3.5%
nuclear: 0% |
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Agriculture:
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grains, potatoes, sugar beets, wine, fruit;
dairy products, cattle, pigs, poultry; lumber |
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Exports:
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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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Export partners:
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Germany 29.8%, Italy 8.8%, US 4.9%, Switzerland
4.3% (2007) |
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Imports:
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machinery and equipment, motor vehicles,
chemicals, metal goods, oil and oil products; foodstuffs |
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Import partners:
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Germany 45.5%, Italy 7.1%, Switzerland 5%,
Netherlands 4.3% (2007) |
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Currency:
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euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a
common currency to be used by the financial institutions of member countries; as of 1
January 2002, the euro became the only legal tender in EMU member countries, including
Austria |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
Copyright 2004 - 2008 worldfacts.us |