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Background: |
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. The Soviet Union's
collapse in 1991 and Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995 have
altered the meaning of this neutrality. A prosperous, democratic country,
Austria entered the EU Economic and Monetary Union in 1999.
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|
Location: |
Central Europe, north of Italy and
Slovenia |
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Geographic coordinates: |
47 20 N, 13 20 E |
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Map references: |
Europe |
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Area: |
total: 83,870 sq km
land: 82,444 sq km
water: 1,426 sq km |
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Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than Maine
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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
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Coastline: |
0 km (landlocked) |
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Maritime claims: |
none (landlocked) |
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Climate: |
temperate; continental, cloudy; cold
winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains;
moderate summers with occasional showers |
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Terrain: |
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: |
lowest point: Neusiedler See
115 m
highest point: Grossglockner 3,798 m |
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Natural resources: |
oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore,
copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower
|
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Land use: |
arable land: 16.59%
permanent crops: 0.85%
other: 82.56% (2005) |
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Irrigated land: |
40 sq km (2003) |
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Total renewable water resources: |
84 cu km (2005) |
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Freshwater withdrawal
(domestic/industrial/agricultural): |
total: 3.67 cu km/yr
(35%/64%/1%)
per capita: 448 cu m/yr (1999) |
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Natural hazards: |
landslides; avalanches; earthquakes
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|
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 |
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Environment - international agreements: |
party to: Air Pollution, Air
Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air
Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic
Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not
ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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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
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|
Population: |
8,205,533 (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure: |
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)
(2008 est.) |
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Median age: |
total: 41.7 years
male: 40.7 years
female: 42.8 years (2008 est.) |
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Population growth rate: |
0.064% (2008 est.) |
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Birth rate: |
8.66 births/1,000 population (2008
est.) |
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Death rate: |
9.91 deaths/1,000 population (2008
est.) |
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Net migration rate: |
1.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2008 est.) |
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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: 0.7 male(s)/female
total
population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2008 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate: |
total: 4.48 deaths/1,000 live
births
male: 5.48 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.44
deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 79.36 years
male: 76.46 years
female: 82.41 years (2008 est.)
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Total fertility rate: |
1.38 children born/woman (2008 est.)
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Nationality: |
noun: Austrian(s)
adjective: Austrian |
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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% (2001 census) |
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Religions: |
Roman Catholic 73.6%, Protestant
4.7%, Muslim 4.2%, other 3.5%, unspecified 2%, none 12% (2001 census) |
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Languages: |
German (official nationwide) 88.6%,
Turkish 2.3%, Serbian 2.2%, Croatian (official in Burgenland) 1.6%, other
(includes Slovene, official in Carinthia, and Hungarian, official in Burgenland)
5.3% (2001 census) |
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Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over
can read and write
total population: 98%
male: NA
female: NA |
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Country name: |
conventional long form:
Republic of Austria
conventional short form: Austria
local
long form: Republik Oesterreich
local short form: Oesterreich
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|
Government type: |
federal republic |
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Capital: |
name: Vienna
geographic
coordinates: 48 12 N, 16 22 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours
ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time:
+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
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Administrative divisions: |
9 states (Bundeslaender, singular -
Bundesland); Burgenland, Kaernten (Carinthia), Niederoesterreich (Lower
Austria), Oberoesterreich (Upper Austria), Salzburg, Steiermark (Styria), Tirol
(Tyrol), Vorarlberg, Wien (Vienna) |
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Independence: |
976 (Margravate of Austria
established); 17 September 1156 (Duchy of Austria founded); 11 August 1804
(Austrian Empire proclaimed); 12 November 1918 (republic proclaimed) |
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National holiday: |
National Day, 26 October (1955); note
- commemorates the passage of the law on permanent neutrality |
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Constitution: |
1920; revised 1929; reinstated 1 May
1945; note - during the period 1 May 1934-1 May 1945 there was a fascist
(corporative) constitution in place |
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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 |
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Suffrage: |
16 years of age; universal; note -
reduced from 18 years of age in 2007 |
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Executive branch: |
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%
note: government
coalition - SPOe and OeVP |
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Legislative branch: |
bicameral Federal Assembly or
Bundesversammlung consists of Federal Council or Bundesrat (62 seats; members
chosen by state parliaments with each state receiving 3 to 12 members according
to its population; 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)
elections: National Council - last held 1
October 2006 (next scheduled for the fall of 2010)
election results:
National Council - percent of vote by party - SPOe 35.3%, OeVP 34.3%, Greens
11.1%, FPOe 11.0%, BZOe 4.1%, other 4.2%; seats by party - SPOe 68, OeVP 66,
Greens 21, FPOe 21, BZOe 7 |
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Judicial branch: |
Supreme Judicial Court or Oberster
Gerichtshof; Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof; Constitutional
Court or Verfassungsgerichtshof |
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Political parties and leaders: |
Alliance for the Future of Austria or
BZOe [Peter WESTENTHALER]; Austrian People's Party or OeVP [Wilhelm MOLTERER];
Freedom Party of Austria or FPOe [Heinz Christian STRACHE]; Social Democratic
Party of Austria or SPOe [Alfred GUSENBAUER]; The Greens [Alexander VAN DER
BELLEN] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders: |
Austrian Trade Union Federation or
OeGB (nominally independent but primarily Social Democratic); Federal Economic
Chamber; OeVP-oriented Association of Austrian Industrialists or IV; Roman
Catholic Church, including its chief lay organization, Catholic Action; three
composite leagues of the Austrian People's Party or OeVP representing business,
labor, farmers, and other nongovernment organizations in the areas of
environment and human rights |
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International organization participation: |
ACCT (observer), ADB (nonregional
members), AfDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC,
EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G-9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA,
IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU,
ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF
(observer), OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, SECI
(observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNOMIG,
UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador
Eva NOWOTNY
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, New York
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Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador
(vacant); Charge d'Affaires Scott KILNER
embassy: Boltzmanngasse 16,
A-1090, Vienna
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [43] (1) 31339-0
FAX: [43] (1) 3100682
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Flag description: |
three equal horizontal bands of red
(top), white, and red |
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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 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 (purchasing power parity): |
$319.7 billion (2007 est.) |
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GDP (official exchange rate): |
$366.7 billion (2007 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate: |
3.3% (2007 est.) |
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GDP - per capita (PPP): |
$39,000 (2007 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 1.6%
industry: 30.4%
services: 67.3% (2007 est.) |
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Labor force: |
3.56 million (2007 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture: 3%
industry: 27%
services: 70% (2005 est.) |
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Unemployment rate: |
4.3% (2007 est.) |
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Population below poverty line: |
5.9% (2004) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: 3.3%
highest 10%: 22.5% (2004) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index: |
26 (2005) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
1.9% (2007 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed): |
21.4% of GDP (2007 est.) |
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Budget: |
revenues: $176.4 billion
expenditures: $178.3 billion (2007 est.) |
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Public debt: |
61% of GDP (2007 est.) |
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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 |
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Industrial production growth rate: |
2.5% (2007 est.) |
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Electricity - production: |
61.02 billion kWh (2005 est.)
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Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 29.3%
hydro: 67.2%
nuclear: 0%
other: 3.5% (2001)
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Electricity - consumption: |
60.25 billion kWh (2005 est.)
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Electricity - exports: |
17.73 billion kWh (2005 est.)
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Electricity - imports: |
20.4 billion kWh (2005 est.)
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Oil - production: |
23,320 bbl/day (2005) |
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Oil - consumption: |
295,100 bbl/day (2005 est.)
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Oil - exports: |
34,680 bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - imports: |
157,500 bbl/day (2005) |
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Oil - proved reserves: |
62 million bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
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Natural gas - production: |
1.57 billion cu m (2005) |
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Natural gas - consumption: |
9.217 billion cu m (2005) |
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Natural gas - exports: |
936.1 million cu m (2005) |
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Natural gas - imports: |
9.063 billion cu m (2005) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves: |
14.39 billion cu m (1 January 2006
est.) |
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Current account balance: |
$12.61 billion (2007 est.) |
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Exports: |
$158.3 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
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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 30.2%, Italy 9%, US 5.8%,
Switzerland 4.7% (2006) |
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Imports: |
$157.4 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
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Imports - commodities: |
machinery and equipment, motor
vehicles, chemicals, metal goods, oil and oil products; foodstuffs |
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Imports - partners: |
Germany 45.5%, Italy 7%, Switzerland
4.5%, Netherlands 4.1% (2006) |
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Economic aid - donor: |
ODA, $1.498 billion (2006) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: |
$12.91 billion (2006 est.) |
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Debt - external: |
$752.5 billion (30 June 2007)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: |
$66.32 billion (2006 est.) |
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Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: |
$74.89 billion (2006 est.) |
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Market value of publicly traded shares: |
$126.3 billion (2005) |
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Currency (code): |
euro (EUR) |
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Currency code: |
EUR |
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Exchange rates: |
euros per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007),
0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003) |
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Fiscal year: |
calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use: |
3.564 million (2006) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular: |
9.255 million (2006) |
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Telephone system: |
general assessment: highly
developed and efficient
domestic: fixed-line subscribership has been
in decline since the mid-1990s with mobile-cellular subscribership elipsing it
by the late 1990s; the fiber-optic net is very extensive; all telephone
applications and Internet services are available
international:
country code - 43; satellite earth stations - 15; in addition, there are about
600 VSATs (very small aperture terminals) (2007) |
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Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 2, FM 65 (plus several hundred
repeaters), shortwave 1 (2001) |
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Radios: |
6.08 million (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations: |
10 (plus more than 1,000 repeaters)
(2001) |
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Televisions: |
4.25 million (1997) |
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Internet country code: |
.at |
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Internet hosts: |
2.427 million (2007) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
37 (2000) |
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Internet users: |
4.2 million (2006)
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Airports: |
55 (2007) |
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Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 25
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: 15 (2007) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 30
1,524 to
2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 26 (2007)
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Heliports: |
1 (2007) |
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Pipelines: |
gas 2,722 km; oil 663 km; refined
products 157 km (2007) |
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Railways: |
total: 6,383 km
standard gauge: 5,924 km 1.435-m gauge (3,772 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 371 km 1.000-m gauge; 88 km 0.760-m gauge (25 km
electrified) (2006) |
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Roadways: |
total: 133,718 km
paved: 133,718 km (includes 1,677 km of expressways) (2003)
|
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Waterways: |
358 km (2007) |
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Merchant marine: |
total: 7 ships (1000 GRT or
over) 31,705 GRT/40,627 DWT
by type: cargo 5, container 2
foreign-owned: 2 (Netherlands 2)
registered in other
countries: 4 (Cyprus 1, Malta 1, St Vincent and The Grenadines 2) (2007)
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Ports and terminals: |
Enns, Krems, Linz, Vienna
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Military branches: |
Land Forces (KdoLdSK), Air Forces
(KdoLuSK) |
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Military service age and obligation: |
18-35 years of age for compulsory
military service; 16 years of age for male or female voluntary service; service
obligation 7 months of training, followed by an 8-year reserve obligation (2006)
|
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Manpower available for military service: |
males age 16-49: 1,986,411
females age 16-49: 1,944,834 (2008 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service: |
males age 16-49: 1,617,385
females age 16-49: 1,583,886 (2008 est.) |
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Manpower reaching military service age annually: |
males age 16-49: 50,869
females age 16-49: 48,246 (2008 est.) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP: |
0.9% (2005 est.)
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| Transnational Issues |
Austria |
|
Disputes - international: |
in 2006, Austrian public protests for
the Czech Republic to close the Temelin nuclear power plant resulted in a
parliamentary motion threatening international legal action |
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This page was last updated on 15 May, 2008 | |
