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NAVIGATION
Republic of Austria
Republik Oesterreich
GOVERNMENT
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Austria
conventional short form: Austria local short form: Oesterreich local long form: Republik Oesterreich |
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Government type:
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federal republic |
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Capital:
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Vienna |
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Administrative divisions:
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9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland); Burgenland, Kaernten, Niederoesterreich, Oberoesterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien |
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Independence:
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1156 (from Bavaria) |
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National holiday:
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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:
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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; compulsory for presidential elections |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Thomas KLESTIL (since 8 July 1992)
head of government: Chancellor Wolfgang SCHUESSEL (OeVP)(since 4 February 2000); Vice Chancellor Herbert HAUPT (since 28 February 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 19 April 1998 (next to be held in the spring of 2004); chancellor traditionally chosen by the president from the plurality party in the National Council; in the case of the current coalition, the chancellor was chosen from another party after the plurality party failed to form a government; vice chancellor chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor note: government coalition - OeVP and FPOe election results: Thomas KLESTIL reelected president; percent of vote - Thomas KLESTIL 63%, Gertraud KNOLL 14%, Heide SCHMIDT 11%, Richard LUGNER 10%, Karl NOWAK 2% |
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of Federal Council or Bundesrat (64 members; members represent each of the states on the basis of population, but with each state having at least three representatives; members serve a four- or six-year term) and the National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - OeVP 42.3%, SPOe 36.9%, FPOe 10.2%, Greens 9%; seats by party - OeVP 79, SPOe 69, FPOe 19, Greens 16 elections: National Council - last held 24 November 2002 (next to be held in the fall of 2006) |
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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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Austrian People's Party or OeVP [Wolfgang SCHUESSEL]; Freedom Party of Austria or FPOe [Susanne RIESS-PASSER]; Social Democratic Party of Austria or SPOe [Alfred GUSENBAUER]; The Greens Alternative or GA [Alexander VAN DER BELLEN] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Austrian Trade Union Federation (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 |
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International organization participation:
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AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Peter MOSER
chancery: 3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York FAX: [1] (202) 895-6750 telephone: [1] (202) 895-6700 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador William Lee LYONS BROWN, Jr.
embassy: Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1091, 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 |
ECONOMY
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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. Membership in the EU has drawn an influx of foreign investors attracted by Austria's access to the single European market and proximity to EU aspirant economies. Slowing growth in Germany and elsewhere in the world held the economy to only 1.2% growth in 2001 and 0.6% in 2002. To meet increased competition from both EU and Central European countries, Austria will need to emphasize knowledge-based sectors of the economy, continue to deregulate the service sector, and lower its tax burden. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $226 billion (2002 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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0.6% (2002 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $27,700 (2002 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 2%
industry: 33% services: 65% (2002 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 23% (1995) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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31 (1995) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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1.8% (2002 est.) |
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Labor force:
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4.3 million (2001) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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services 67%, industry and crafts 29%, agriculture and forestry 4% (2001 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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4.8% (2002 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $53 billion
expenditures: $54 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) |
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Industries:
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construction, machinery, vehicles and parts, food, chemicals, lumber and wood processing, paper and paperboard, communications equipment, tourism |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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3.8% (2001 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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60.285 billion kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 28%
hydro: 69% other: 3% (2000) nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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54.764 billion kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - exports:
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15.11 billion kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - imports:
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13.809 billion kWh (2000) |
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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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Exports:
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$70 billion f.o.b. (2001) |
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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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EU 63% (Germany 35%, Italy 9%, France 5%), Switzerland 5%, US 5%, Hungary 4% (2000) |
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Imports:
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$74 billion c.i.f. (2001) |
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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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EU 68% (Germany 42%, Italy 7%, France 5%), US 6%, Switzerland 3%, Hungary 2% (2000) |
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Debt - external:
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$12.1 billion (2001 est.) |
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Economic aid - donor:
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ODA, $410 million (2000) |
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Currency:
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euro (EUR); Austrian schilling (ATS)
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; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries |
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Currency code:
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EUR; ATS |
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Exchange rates:
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euros per US dollar - 1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); Austrian schillings per US dollar - 11.86 (January 1999), 12.91 (1999), 12.379 (1998), 12.204 (1997) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |