 .AT - Austria - Östereich
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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.
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. |
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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: 16.91%
permanent crops: 0.86%
other: 82.23% (2001) |
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Irrigated land: |
457 sq km (2000 est.) |
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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: |
8,184,691 (July 2005 est.)
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Age structure: |
0-14 years: 15.6% (male
656,058/female 624,574)
15-64 years: 67.8% (male
2,790,673/female 2,756,612)
65 years and over: 16.6% (male
543,626/female 813,148) (2005 est.) |
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Median age: |
total: 40.44 years
male: 39.3 years
female: 41.61 years (2005 est.)
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Population growth rate: |
0.11% (2005 est.) |
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Birth rate: |
8.81 births/1,000 population
(2005 est.) |
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Death rate: |
9.7 deaths/1,000 population
(2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate: |
1.97 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2005 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: 0.67
male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2005
est.) |
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Infant mortality rate: |
total: 4.66 deaths/1,000
live births
male: 5.74 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 78.92
years
male: 76.03 years
female: 81.96 years (2005
est.) |
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Total fertility rate: |
1.36 children born/woman (2005
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
0.3% (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
10,000 (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
less than 100 (2003 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),
Slovene (official in Carinthia), Croatian (official in Burgenland),
Hungarian (official in Burgenland) |
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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: |
Vienna |
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Administrative divisions: |
9 states (Bundeslaender,
singular - Bundesland); Burgenland, Kaernten, Niederoesterreich,
Oberoesterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien (Vienna)
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Independence: |
1156 (Duchy of Austria
founded); 12 November 1918 (republic proclaimed) |
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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 |
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Constitution: |
1920; revised 1929 (reinstated
1 May 1945) |
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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: |
18 years of age; universal;
compulsory for presidential elections |
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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 |
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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 three 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)
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 |
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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 [Ursula HAUBNER]; 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
(nominally independent but primarily Socialist) or OeGB; Federal Economic
Chamber; OeVP-oriented League of Austrian Industrialists or VOeI; 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: |
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, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM
(guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP,
UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK,
UNOMIG, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
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, and New York |
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Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador William Lee LYONS BROWN, Jr.
embassy: Boltzmanngasse
16, A-1090, Vienna
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [43] (1) 31339-0, 31375, 31335
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 economy features
up-to-date industrial and agricultural sectors. Timber is a key industry,
47% of the land area being forested. 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. Slow growth in
Europe has held the economy to 0.7% growth in 2001, 1.4% in 2002, 0.8% in
2003, and 1.9% in 2004. To meet increased competition from both EU and
Central European countries, particularly the new EU members, Austria will
need to emphasize knowledge-based sectors of the economy, continue to
deregulate the service sector, and encourage much greater participation in
the labor market by its aging population. The aging phenomenon, together
with already high health and pension costs, poses fundamental problems in
tax and welfare policies. |
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GDP: |
purchasing power parity -
$255.9 billion (2004 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate: |
1.9% (2004 est.) |
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GDP - per capita: |
purchasing power parity -
$31,300 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 2.3%
industry: 30.8%
services: 66.9% (2004 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed): |
22.6% of GDP (2004 est.) |
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Population below poverty line: |
3.9% (1999) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 22.5% (1995) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index: |
31 (1995) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
1.8% (2004 est.) |
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Labor force: |
3.45 million (2004 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture and forestry 4%,
industry and crafts 29%, services 67% (2001 est.) |
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Unemployment rate: |
4.4% (2004 est.) |
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Budget: |
revenues: $142.5 billion
expenditures: $146.4 billion, including capital expenditures of
NA (2004 est.) |
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Public debt: |
64.2% of GDP (2004 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: |
3.3% (2004 est.) |
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Electricity - production: |
58.49 billion kWh (2002) |
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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: |
55.09 billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports: |
14.7 billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - imports: |
15.4 billion kWh (2002) |
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Oil - production: |
20,670 bbl/day (2001 est.)
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Oil - consumption: |
262,400 bbl/day (2001 est.)
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Oil - exports: |
35,470 bbl/day (2001) |
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Oil - imports: |
262,000 bbl/day (2001) |
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Oil - proved reserves: |
85.69 million bbl (1 January
2002) |
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Natural gas - production: |
1.731 billion cu m (2001 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption: |
7.81 billion cu m (2001 est.)
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Natural gas - exports: |
403 million cu m (2001 est.)
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Natural gas - imports: |
6.033 billion cu m (2001 est.)
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Natural gas - proved reserves: |
24.9 billion cu m (1 January
2002) |
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Current account balance: |
$-3.283 billion (2004 est.)
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Exports: |
$102.7 billion f.o.b. (2004
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 31.4%, Italy 9%, US 6%,
Switzerland 4.8%, UK 4.4%, France 4.2% (2004) |
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Imports: |
$101.2 billion f.o.b. (2004
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 45.9%, Italy 6.7%,
Switzerland 4.3% (2004) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: |
$12.73 billion (2003) |
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Debt - external: |
$15.5 billion (2003 est.)
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Economic aid - donor: |
ODA, $520 million (2002) |
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Currency: |
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 |
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Currency code: |
EUR |
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Exchange rates: |
euros per US dollar - 0.8054
(2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000) |
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Fiscal year: |
calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use: |
3.881 million (2003) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular: |
7,094,500 (2003) |
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Telephone system: |
general assessment:
highly developed and efficient
domestic: there are 48 main
lines for every 100 persons; the fiber optic net is very extensive; all
telephone applications and Internet services are available
international: country code - 43; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Eutelsat; in
addition, there are about 600 VSAT (very small aperture terminals) (2002)
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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: |
387,006 (2004) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
37 (2000) |
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Internet users: |
3.73 million (2003)
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Railways: |
total: 6,021 km (3,552
km electrified)
standard gauge: 5,565 km 1.435-m gauge (3,430
km electrified)
narrow gauge: 34 km 1.000-m gauge (28 km
electrified); 422 km 0.760-m gauge (94 km electrified) (2003) |
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Highways: |
total: 200,000 km
paved: 200,000 km (including 1,645 km of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (2002) |
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Waterways: |
358 km (2003) |
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Pipelines: |
gas 2,722 km; oil 663 km;
refined products 149 km (2004) |
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Ports and harbors: |
Enns, Krems, Linz, Vienna
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Merchant marine: |
total: 8 ships (1,000
GRT or over) 29,624 GRT/37,425 DWT
by type: cargo 6, container
2
foreign-owned: 2 (Netherlands 2)
registered in other
countries: 19 (2005) |
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Airports: |
55 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 24
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: 14 (2004 est.)
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Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 31
1,524
to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 27
(2004 est.) |
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Heliports: |
1 (2004 est.) |
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Military branches: |
Land Forces (KdoLdSK), Air
Forces (KdoLuSK) |
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Military manpower - military age and obligation: |
18 years of age for compulsory
military service; 16 years of age for voluntary service; from 2007, at the
earliest, compulsory military service obligation will be reduced from 8
months to 6 (June 2004) |
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Military manpower - availability: |
males age 18-49:
1,914,800 (2005 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 18-49:
1,550,441 (2005 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age
annually: |
males: 48,967 (2005
est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure: |
$1.497 billion (FY01/02) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP: |
0.9% (2004) |
| Transnational Issues |
Austria |
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Disputes - international: |
none |
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Illicit drugs: |
transshipment point for
Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for Western
Europe |
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