Legend:
 Definition
 Field
Listing
 Rank
Order
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Background:
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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. 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 Monetary Union in
1999. |
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Location:
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Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia |
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Geographic coordinates:
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47 20 N, 13 20 E
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Map references:
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Europe |
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Area:
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total: 83,870 sq km
land: 82,444 sq km
water: 1,426 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 and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains;
moderate 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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oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc,
antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower
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Land use:
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arable land: 16.59%
permanent crops: 0.85%
other: 82.56% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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40 sq km (2003)
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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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Environment - international agreements:
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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:
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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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Population:
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8,199,783 (July 2007 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 15.1% (male 633,375/female 603,459)
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 2,781,291/female 2,749,539)
65 years and over: 17.5% (male 585,747/female
846,372) (2007 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 41.3 years
male: 40.2 years
female: 42.4 years (2007 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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0.077% (2007 est.)
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Birth rate:
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8.69 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Death rate:
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9.84 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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1.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.012 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.692 male(s)/female
total population: 0.953 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 4.54 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.56 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 79.21 years
male: 76.32 years
female: 82.26 years (2007 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.37 children born/woman (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.3% (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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10,000 (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than 100 (2003 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Austrian(s)
adjective: Austrian |
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Ethnic groups:
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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:
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Roman Catholic 73.6%, Protestant 4.7%, Muslim 4.2%, other
3.5%, unspecified 2%, none 12% (2001 census)
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Languages:
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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:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: NA
female: NA |
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Country name:
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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:
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federal republic
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Capital:
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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:
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9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland); Burgenland,
Kaernten (Carinthia), Niederoesterreich (Lower Austria),
Oberoesterreich (Upper Austria), Salzburg, Steiermark
(Styria), Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien (Vienna) |
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Independence:
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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:
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National Day, 26 October (1955); note - commemorates 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 |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Heinz FISCHER (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:
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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; to 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:
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Supreme Judicial Court or Oberster Gerichtshof;
Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof;
Constitutional Court or Verfassungsgerichtshof |
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Political parties and leaders:
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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:
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Austrian Trade Union Federation (nominally independent but
primarily Social Democratic) or OeGB; 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, and farmers and other non-government
organizations in the areas of environment and human rights
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International organization participation:
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ACCT (observer), AfDB, AsDB, 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:
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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:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Susan R. McCAW
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:
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three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red
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Economy - overview:
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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. Weak domestic
consumption and slow growth in Europe held the economy to
growth rates below 3% in 2002-05. Due to higher growth
across Europe, Austria grew 3.3 percent in 2006. 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):
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$284.1 billion (2006 est.) |
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$310.4 billion (2006 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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3.3% (2006 est.) |
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$34,700 (2006 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 1.6%
industry: 30.6%
services: 67.8% (2006 est.)
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Labor force:
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3.52 million (2006 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 rate:
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4.9% (2006 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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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% (2004) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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31 (2002) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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1.4% (2006 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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20.8% of GDP (2006 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $154.3 billion
expenditures: $158.3 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) |
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Public debt:
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62.1% of GDP (2006 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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grains, potatoes, sugar beets, wine, fruit; dairy products,
cattle, pigs, poultry; lumber
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Industries:
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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:
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5.7% (2006 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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61.02 billion kWh (2005 est.)
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Electricity - consumption:
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60.25 billion kWh (2005 est.)
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Electricity - exports:
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17.73 billion kWh (2005 est.) |
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Electricity - imports:
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20.4 billion kWh (2005 est.) |
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Oil - production:
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25,360 bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - consumption:
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282,000 bbl/day (2004 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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34,680 bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - imports:
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157,500 bbl/day (2005) |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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62 million bbl (1 January 2005)
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Natural gas - production:
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1.57 billion cu m (2005) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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9.217 billion cu m (2005) |
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Natural gas - exports:
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936.1 million cu m (2005) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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9.063 billion cu m (2005) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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14.39 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.) |
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Current account balance:
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$10.26 billion (2006 est.) |
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Exports:
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$134.3 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
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Exports - commodities:
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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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Exports - partners:
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Germany 30.2%, Italy 9%, US 5.9%, Switzerland 4.7% (2006)
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Imports:
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$133.7 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal
goods, oil and oil products; foodstuffs |
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Imports - partners:
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Germany 45.5%, Italy 7%, Switzerland 4.5%, Netherlands 4.1%
(2006) |
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Economic aid - donor:
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ODA, $681 million (2004) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$12.91 billion (2006 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$594.3 billion (October 2006 est.)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
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$66.32 billion (2006 est.) |
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Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
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$74.89 billion (2006 est.) |
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Market value of publicly traded shares:
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$126.3 billion (2005)
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Currency (code):
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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
financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January
2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday
transactions within the member countries |
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Exchange rates:
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euros per US dollar - 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054
(2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002)
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year
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Airports:
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55 (2007) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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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:
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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:
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1 (2007) |
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Pipelines:
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gas 2,722 km; oil 663 km; refined products 149 km (2006)
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Railways:
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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:
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total: 133,718 km
paved: 133,718 km (includes 1,677 km of expressways)
(2003)
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Waterways:
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358 km (2007) |
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Merchant marine:
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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:
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Enns, Krems, Linz, Vienna |
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Military branches:
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Land Forces (KdoLdSK), Air Forces (KdoLuSK) |
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Military service age and obligation:
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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:
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males age 18-49: 1,914,800
females age 18-49: 1,870,134 (2005 est.)
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males age 18-49: 1,550,441
females age 18-49: 1,515,365 (2005 est.)
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Manpower reaching military service age annually:
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males age 18-49: 48,967
females age 18-49: 46,633 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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0.9% (2005 est.) |
This page was last updated on 15
November, 2007
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