NAVIGATION
|
HOME
• FLAG FINDER
• MAP FINDER
• SOURCES
• ADD YOURSELF TO THE ATLAS! COUNTRIES A-D • COUNTRIES E-K • COUNTRIES L-R • COUNTRIES S-Z |
NAVIGATION
Republic of Austria
Republik Oesterreich
INTRODUCTION
|
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 of that same year declared the country's "perpetual neutrality" as a condition for Soviet military withdrawal. This neutrality, once ingrained as part of the Austrian cultural identity, has been called into question since the Soviet collapse of 1991 and Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995. A prosperous country, Austria entered the European Monetary Union in 1999. |
GEOGRAPHY
|
Location:
|
Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia |
|
Geographic coordinates:
|
47 20 N, 13 20 E |
|
Map references:
|
Europe |
|
Area:
|
total: 83,858 sq km
water: 1,120 sq km land: 82,738 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly smaller than Maine |
|
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 |
|
Coastline:
|
0 km (landlocked) |
|
Maritime claims:
|
none (landlocked) |
|
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 |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point: Neusiedler See 115 m
highest point: Grossglockner 3,798 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
iron ore, oil, timber, magnesite, lead, coal, lignite, copper, hydropower |
|
Land use:
|
arable land: 16.89%
permanent crops: 0.99% other: 82.12% (1998 est.) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
457 sq km (2000 est.) |
|
Natural hazards:
|
landslides; avalanches; earthquakes |
|
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 |
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
|
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 |
PEOPLE
|
Population:
|
8,169,929 (July 2002 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 16.4% (male 686,205; female 652,840)
15-64 years: 68.2% (male 2,814,866; female 2,756,777) 65 years and over: 15.4% (male 484,313; female 774,928) (2002 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
0.23% (2002 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
9.58 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
9.73 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
2.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
|
Sex ratio:
|
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
4.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 78 years
female: 81.31 years (2002 est.) male: 74.85 years |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
1.4 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
0.1% (2001 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
843 (2001 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
8 (2001 est.) |
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Austrian(s)
adjective: Austrian |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
German 88%, non-nationals 9.3% (includes Croatians, Slovenes, Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks, Roma), naturalized 2% (includes those who have lived in Austria at least three generations) |
|
Religions:
|
Roman Catholic 78%, Protestant 5%, Muslim and other 17% |
|
Languages:
|
German |
|
Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98% male: NA% female: NA% |