Access to THE WORLD FACTBOOK 1993 provided courtesy of The Libraries of the University of Missouri-St. Louis Match 18 DB Rec# - 55,765 Dataset-WOFACT Source :CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Source key :CI Program :WORLD FACTBOOK Program key :CI WOFACT Update sched. :Annually ID number :CI WOFACT 017 Title :AUSTRIA Date of record:02/16/1994 Keywords 3 : | AUSTRIA Text : AUSTRIA GEOGRAPHY Location: Central Europe, between Germany and Hungary Map references: Africa, Arctic Region, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 83,850 km2 land area: 82,730 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than Maine 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 Coastline: 0 km (landlocked) Maritime claims: none; landlocked International disputes: none Climate: temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain in lowlands and snow in mountains; cool summers with occasional showers Terrain: in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping Natural resources: iron ore, petroleum, timber, magnesite, aluminum, lead, coal, lignite, copper, hydropower Land use: arable land: 17% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 24% forest and woodland: 39% other: 19% Irrigated land: 40 km2 (1989) Environment: population is concentrated on eastern lowlands because of steep slopes, poor soils, and low temperatures elsewhere Note: landlocked; strategic location at the crossroads of central Europe with many easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys; major river is the Danube Population: 7,915,145 (July 1993 est.) Population growth rate: 0.55% (1993 est.) Birth rate: 11.54 births/1,000 population (1993 est.) Death rate: 10.42 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.) Net migration rate: 4.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.) Infant mortality rate: 7.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.4 years male: 73.18 years female: 79.8 years (1993 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.47 children born/woman (1993 est.) Nationality: noun: Austrian(s) adjective: Austrian Ethnic divisions: German 99.4%, Croatian 0.3%, Slovene 0.2%, other 0.1% Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 6%, other 9% Languages: German Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1974) total population: 99% male: NA% female: NA% 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 6% of labor force (1988) GOVERNMENT Names: conventional long form: Republic of Austria conventional short form: Austria local short form: Oesterreich Digraph: AU Type: federal republic Capital: Vienna Administrative divisions: 9 states (bundeslander, singular - bundesland); Burgenland, Karnten, Niederosterreich, Oberosterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien Independence: 12 November 1918 (from Austro-Hungarian Empire) Constitution: 1920; revised 1929 (reinstated 1945) 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 National holiday: National Day, 26 October (1955) Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPO), Franz VRANITZKY, chairman; Austrian People's Party (OVP), Erhard BUSEK, chairman; Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), Jorg HAIDER, chairman; Communist Party (KPO), Walter SILBERMAYER, chairman; Green Alternative List (GAL), Johannes VOGGENHUBER, chairman 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 (OVP) representing business, labor, and farmers; OVP-oriented League of Austrian Industrialists; Roman Catholic Church, including its chief lay organization, Catholic Action Suffrage: 19 years of age, universal; compulsory for presidential elections Elections: President: last held 24 May 1992 (next to be held 1996); results of second ballot - Thomas KLESTIL 57%, Rudolf STREICHER 43% National Council: last held 7 October 1990 (next to be held October 1994); results - SPO 43%, OVP 32.1%, FPO 16.6%, GAL 4.5%, KPO 0.7%, other 0.32%; seats - (183 total) SPO 80, OVP 60, FPO 33, GAL 10 Executive branch: president, chancellor, vice chancellor, Council of Ministers (cabinet) Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung) consists of an upper council or Federal Council (Bundesrat) and a lower council or National Council (Nationalrat) Judicial branch: Supreme Judicial Court (Oberster Gerichtshof) for civil and criminal cases, Administrative Court (Verwaltungsgerichtshof) for bureaucratic cases, Constitutional Court (Verfassungsgerichtshof) for constitutional cases Leaders: Head of Government: Chancellor Franz VRANITZKY (since 16 June 1986); Vice Chancellor Erhard BUSEK (since 2 July 1991) Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, COCOM (cooperating country), CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G-9, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNDOF, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOSOM, UNTAC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Friedrich HOESS chancery: 3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035 telephone: (202) 895-6700 FAX: (202) 895-6750 consulates general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Roy Michael HUFFINGTON chancery: Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1091, Unit 27937, Vienna mailing address: APO AE 09222 telephone: 43 (1) 31-339 FAX: 43 (1) 310-0682 consulate general: Salzburg Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red ECONOMY Overview: Austria boasts a prosperous and stable socialist market economy with a sizable proportion of nationalized industry and extensive welfare benefits. Thanks to an excellent 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. Increased export sales resulting from German unification, continued to boost Austria's economy through 1991. However, Germany's economic difficulties in 1992 slowed Austria's GDP growth to 2% from the 3% of 1991. Austria's economy, moreover, is not expected to grow by more than 1% in 1993, and inflation is forecast to remain about 4%. Unemployment will likely remain at current levels at least until 1994. Living standards in Austria are comparable with the large industrial countries of Western Europe. Problems for the l990s include an aging population, the high level of subsidies, and the struggle to keep welfare benefits within budgetary capabilities. The continued opening of Eastern European markets, however, will increase demand for Austrian exports. Austria, a member of the European Free Trade Association services to the EFTA countries, and Austrians plan to hold a national referendum within the next two years to vote on EC membership. National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $141.3 billion (1992) National product real growth rate: 1.8% (1992) National product per capita: $18,000 (1992) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4% (1992 est.) Unemployment rate: 6.4% (1992 est.) Budget: revenues $47.8 billion; expenditures $53.0 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.) Exports: $43.5 billion (1992 est.) commodities: machinery and equipment, iron and steel, lumber, textiles, paper products, chemicals partners: EC 65.8% (Germany 39%), EFTA 9.1%, Eastern Europe/former USSR 9.0%, Japan 1.7%, US 2.8% (1991) Imports: $50.7 billion (1992 est.) commodities: petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, vehicles, chemicals, textiles and clothing, pharmaceuticals partners: EC 67.8% (Germany 43.0%), EFTA 6.9%, Eastern Europe/former USSR 6.0%, Japan 4.8%, US 3.9% (1991) External debt: $11.8 billion (1990 est.) Industrial production: growth rate 2.0% (1991) Electricity: 17,600,000 kW capacity; 49,500 million kWh produced, 6,300 kWh per capita (1992) Industries: foods, iron and steel, machines, textiles, chemicals, electrical, paper and pulp, tourism, mining, motor vehicles 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 Illicit drugs: transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan route Economic aid: donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $2.4 billion Currency: 1 Austrian schilling (S) = 100 groschen Exchange rates: Austrian schillings (S) per US$1 - 11.363 (January 1993), 10.989 (1992), 11.676 (1991), 11.370 (1990), 13.231 (1989), 12.348 (1988) Fiscal year: calendar year owned (0.760-, 1.435- and 1.000-meter gauge); 5,394 km 1.435-meter standard gauge of which 3,154 km is electrified and 1,520 km is double tracked; 339 km 0.760-meter narrow gauge of which 84 km is electrified Highways: 95,412 km total; 34,612 km are the primary network (including 1,012 km of autobahn, 10,400 km of federal, and 23,200 km of provincial roads); of this number, 21,812 km are paved and 12,800 km are unpaved; in addition, there are 60,800 km of communal roads (mostly gravel, crushed stone, earth) Inland waterways: 446 km Pipelines: crude oil 554 km; natural gas 2,611 km; petroleum products 171 km Ports: Vienna, Linz (Danube river ports) Merchant marine: 29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 154,159 GRT/256,765 DWT; includes 23 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 1 oil tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 3 bulk Airports: total: 55 usable: 55 with permanent-surface runways: 20 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 6 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 4 Telecommunications: highly developed and efficient; 4,014,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 6 AM, 21 (545 repeaters) FM, 47 (870 repeaters) TV; satellite ground stations for Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, Indian Ocean INTELSAT, and EUTELSAT systems Defense forces Branches: Army (including Flying Division) Manpower availability: males age 15-49 2,016,464; fit for military service 1,694,140; reach military age (19) annually 50,259 (1993 est.) Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $1.7 billion, 0.9% of GDP (1993 est.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This section of THE WORLD FACTBOOK 1993 produced by the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was derived from the US Dept. of Commerce Economics and Statistics Division's NATIONAL TRADE DATA BANK CD-ROM, July, 1994, SuDoc No. C 1.88:994/7/v.1-2 / R. Muns, UM-St. Louis Libraries Local Filename: WF940017.TXT