After Kreisky's departure from the political scene in 1983,
Austrian foreign policy became more focused on European matters
and less on global issues. This shift was caused partly by the
increase in tensions between the United States and the Soviet
Union, as United States diplomacy under President Ronald Reagan
became more confrontational. In this climate, Austria's room to
pursue a foreign policy of mediation was more constricted.
Concern that the country faced exclusion from the increasing
political and economic integration of Europe being pursued by the
European Community (EC) was another factor that came to exert
strong influence on Austrian diplomacy. The traditional concept
of Austrian neutrality had held that membership in the EC was not
possible or desirable, even though the EC was not a military
alliance. The idea of ceding even limited areas of political and
economic sovereignty to a supranational organization was seen as
incompatible with neutrality.
As an alternative to the EC, Austria had joined with Britain,
Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and Switzerland to form the
European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in 1960. EFTA was
restricted to facilitating trade among its members and did not
involve the ceding of sovereign powers. Austria also negotiated a
special economic arrangement with the EC in 1972 that allowed for
the duty-free exchange of industrial manufactured goods.
By the mid-1980s, the opinion of Austria's political elites
had changed in favor of seriously considering the advantages and
disadvantages of EC membership. Many argued that Austria could
not expect to guarantee its economic future if it remained
outside the EC. Two-thirds of Austria's trade was with members of
the EC, with the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) by
far its largest trading partner. There was also a fear that the
country could become isolated within Europe as ideological
barriers between East and West were lowered.
A long period of debate among the major parties over EC
membership began in 1987, and the cabinet established a working
group to examine the issue. It gradually became clear that,
despite some misgivings over the expected impact of EC membership
in certain areas, the two major parties, the ÖVP and SPÖ, favored
applying for entry. The trade unions had some concerns about EC
membership's diminishing their strong bargaining powers in the
Austrian system of social partnership, but they, too, generally
favored joining
(see Social Partnership
, ch. 3). There was also
widespread concern that the high volume of highway traffic
passing through Austria en route to West Germany and Italy was
damaging the country's environment
(see Ecological Concerns
, ch.
2). Many Austrians believed that their country's environmental
laws were stricter than those of the EC. The priority of
protecting the environment led the Green deputies in parliament
to oppose joining the EC.
Within the two major parties, there was little concern over
the neutrality issue, and government leaders pointed out that
although the EC might someday add a military dimension to its
structure, for the foreseeable future it would remain primarily
an economic union with aspirations of developing greater
political unity. The new climate of glasnost in the Soviet
Union ushered in by Mikhail Gorbachev led Austrian leaders to
expect no objection from Moscow to an Austrian decision to seek
EC membership, and this expectation proved true.
The government reached an internal consensus in favor of
applying for membership in June 1989, and the following month,
Foreign Minister Alois Mock delivered the application to the EC
Commission in Brussels. Chancellor Vranitzky emphasized to his
countrymen that during the upcoming negotiations with Brussels
his government would seek clear understandings on the maintenance
of environmental standards and the preservation of Austria's
advanced social welfare system. Vranitzky also asserted that the
issue of limiting the volume of motor vehicle traffic passing
through Austrian territory would be handled separately from the
application to join the EC. Austria's application met with a
chilly reception from some quarters in Europe, especially from a
few politicians who argued that the admission of a neutral
country could hinder efforts at coordinating the foreign policies
of the EC's members. However, the momentous events of late 1989
and 1990--the freeing of Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland from
Soviet domination and there unification of Germany--made it clear
to all observers that Austrian neutrality would take on a new
dimension and might even be jettisoned altogether. The
disintegration of the communist system in the Soviet Union in
late 1991 further reinforced the impression that neutrality was
of little relevance in the new Europe.
In August 1991, after an examination of the Austrian
application, the EC issued an initial assessment that was
predominantly favorable. By late 1993, negotiations between
Austria and the European Union (EU), the organization's name as
of November 1993, were continuing over the terms of membership.
Most observers expected that the EU and Austria would be able to
reach an agreement on Austrian entry and that the country would
join the EU in January 1995. The main issues involved limiting
international road traffic through Alpine regions because of
environmental concerns, subsidies for Alpine farming, and foreign
ownership of residences in some parts of Austria. A less certain
matter was whether the Austrian government could convince a
majority of Austrians to support EU membership. The question of
joining the EU will be voted on in a popular referendum because
any governmental action that changes the constitution must pass
this test. Many opinion polls taken in the early 1990s showed
Austrians evenly divided over the merits of joining the EU. In
order to ensure approval by the electorate, the Austrian
government will have to gain significant concessions from the EU
in the negotiations and mount an effective public relations
campaign in favor of a yes vote.
|
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. In January 2009, Austria assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2009-10 term.
|
|
Location | | Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia
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|
Area(sq km) | | total: 83,871 sq km
land: 82,445 sq km
water: 1,426 sq km
|
|
Geographic coordinates | | 47 20 N, 13 20 E
|
|
Land boundaries(km) | | 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(km) | | 0 km (landlocked)
|
|
Climate | | temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers
|
|
Elevation extremes(m) | | lowest point: Neusiedler See 115 m
highest point: Grossglockner 3,798 m
|
|
Natural resources | | oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower
|
|
Land use(%) | | arable land: 16.59%
permanent crops: 0.85%
other: 82.56% (2005)
|
|
Irrigated land(sq km) | | 40 sq km (2003)
|
|
Total renewable water resources(cu km) | | 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)
|
|
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
|
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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 | | 8,210,281 (July 2009 est.)
|
|
Age structure(%) | | 0-14 years: 14.5% (male 609,748/female 581,144)
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 2,785,091/female 2,756,402)
65 years and over: 18% (male 612,613/female 865,283) (2009 est.)
|
|
Median age(years) | | total: 42.2 years
male: 41.1 years
female: 43.2 years (2009 est.)
|
|
Population growth rate(%) | | 0.052% (2009 est.)
|
|
Birth rate(births/1,000 population) | | 8.65 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
|
|
Death rate(deaths/1,000 population) | | 9.98 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
|
|
Net migration rate(migrant(s)/1,000 population) | | 1.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
|
|
Urbanization(%) | | urban population: 67% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.7% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
|
|
Sex ratio(male(s)/female) | | 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: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
|
|
Infant mortality rate(deaths/1,000 live births) | | total: 4.42 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.39 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
|
|
Life expectancy at birth(years) | | total population: 79.5 years
male: 76.6 years
female: 82.56 years (2009 est.)
|
|
Total fertility rate(children born/woman) | | 1.39 children born/woman (2009 est.)
|
|
Nationality | | noun: Austrian(s)
adjective: Austrian
|
|
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)
|
|
Religions(%) | | Roman Catholic 73.6%, Protestant 4.7%, Muslim 4.2%, other 3.5%, unspecified 2%, none 12% (2001 census)
|
|
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)
|
|
Country name | | conventional long form: Republic of Austria
conventional short form: Austria
local long form: Republik Oesterreich
local short form: Oesterreich
|
|
Government type | | federal republic
|
|
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
|
|
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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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
|
|
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 Werner FAYMANN (SPOe) (since 2 December 2008); Vice Chancellor Josef PROELL (OeVP) (since 2 December 2008)
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 in proportion to its population; members serve five- or six-year terms) and the National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: National Council - last held 28 September 2008 (next to be held by September 2013)
election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - SPOe 29.3%, OeVP 26%, FPOe 17.5%, BZOe 10.7%, Greens 10.4%, other 6.1%; seats by party - SPOe 57, OeVP 51, FPOe 34, BZOe 21, Greens 20
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|
Judicial branch | | Supreme Judicial Court or Oberster Gerichtshof; Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof; Constitutional Court or Verfassungsgerichtshof
|
|
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
other: 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
|
|
International organization participation | | ACCT (observer), ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), 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, MINURCAT, MINURSO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
|
|
Flag description | | three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red; the flag design is certainly one of the oldest - if not the oldest - national banners in the world; according to tradition, following a fierce battle in the Third Crusade, Duke Leopold V of Austria's white tunic became completely blood-spattered; upon removal of his wide belt or sash, a white band was revealed; the red-white-red color combination was subsequently adopted as his banner
|
|
Economy - overview | | Austria, with its well-developed market economy and high standard of living, is closely tied to other EU economies, especially Germany's. Its economy features a large service sector, a sound industrial sector, and a small, but highly developed agricultural sector. Following several years of solid foreign demand for Austrian exports and record employment growth, the global economic downturn in 2008 led to a recession that is likely to persist through 2009. The government's stabilization measures could increase the budget deficit to about 2.8% of GDP in 2009 and above 3% in 2010, from about 0.6% in 2008. The Austrian economy has benefited greatly in the past from strong commercial relations, especially in the banking and insurance sectors, with central, eastern, and southeastern Europe, but these sectors have been vulnerable to recent international financial instabilities, and some of Austria's largest banks have required government support. Even after the global economic outlook improves, Austria will need to continue restructuring, emphasizing knowledge-based sectors of the economy, and encouraging greater labor flexibility and greater labor participation to offset its aging population and exceedingly low fertility rate.
|
|
GDP (purchasing power parity) | | $331.2 billion (2008 est.)
$324.7 billion (2007 est.)
$313.7 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
|
|
GDP (official exchange rate) | | $414.8 billion (2008 est.)
|
|
GDP - real growth rate(%) | | 2% (2008 est.)
3.5% (2007 est.)
3.5% (2006 est.)
|
|
GDP - per capita (PPP) | | $40,400 (2008 est.)
$39,600 (2007 est.)
$38,300 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
|
|
GDP - composition by sector(%) | | agriculture: 1.9%
industry: 30.7%
services: 67.4% (2008 est.)
|
|
Labor force | | 3.633 million (2008 est.)
|
|
Labor force - by occupation(%) | | agriculture: 5.5%
industry: 27.5%
services: 67% (2005 est.)
|
|
Unemployment rate(%) | | 3.9% (2008 est.)
4.4% (2007 est.)
|
|
Population below poverty line(%) | | 5.9% (2004)
|
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share(%) | | lowest 10%: 3.3%
highest 10%: 22.5% (2004)
|
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index | | 26 (2007)
31 (1995)
|
|
Investment (gross fixed)(% of GDP) | | 22.4% of GDP (2008 est.)
|
|
Budget | | revenues: $196.4 billion
expenditures: $200.7 billion (2008 est.)
|
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices)(%) | | 3.2% (2008 est.)
2.2% (2007 est.)
|
|
Stock of domestic credit | | $606.2 billion (31 December 2008)
$504.8 billion (31 December 2007)
|
|
Market value of publicly traded shares | | $NA (31 December 2008)
$228.7 billion (31 December 2007)
$191.3 billion (31 December 2006)
|
|
Public debt(% of GDP) | | 62.6% of GDP (2008 est.)
64.2% of GDP (2004 est.)
|
|
Agriculture - products | | grains, potatoes, sugar beets, wine, fruit; dairy products, cattle, pigs, poultry; lumber
|
|
Industries | | construction, machinery, vehicles and parts, food, metals, chemicals, lumber and wood processing, paper and paperboard, communications equipment, tourism
|
|
Industrial production growth rate(%) | | 2.4% (2008 est.)
|
|
Current account balance | | $14.27 billion (2008 est.)
$12.03 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
Exports | | $179.1 billion (2008 est.)
$162.1 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
Exports - commodities(%) | | machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, paper and paperboard, metal goods, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles, foodstuffs
|
|
Exports - partners(%) | | Germany 29.5%, Italy 8.6%, US 4.3%, Switzerland 4.2% (2008)
|
|
Imports | | $179.2 billion (2008 est.)
$160.3 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
Imports - commodities(%) | | machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal goods, oil and oil products; foodstuffs
|
|
Imports - partners(%) | | Germany 44.5%, Italy 7.1%, Switzerland 5.2%, Netherlands 4.1% (2008)
|
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | | $16.7 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$18.22 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
|
|
Debt - external | | $832.8 billion (31 December 2008)
$801.4 billion (31 December 2007)
|
|
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | | $261.9 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$247.9 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
|
|
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | | $270 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$240.9 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
|
|
Exchange rates | | euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
|
|
Currency (code) | | euro (EUR)
|
|
Telephones - main lines in use | | 3.285 million (2008)
|
|
Telephones - mobile cellular | | 10.816 million (2008)
|
|
Telephone system | | general assessment: highly developed and efficient
domestic: fixed-line subscribership has been in decline since the mid-1990s with mobile-cellular subscribership eclipsing 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)
|
|
Internet country code | | .at
|
|
Internet users | | 5.937 million (2008)
|
|
Airports | | 55 (2009)
|
|
Pipelines(km) | | gas 2,721 km; oil 663 km; refined products 157 km (2008)
|
|
Roadways(km) | | total: 107,262 km
paved: 107,262 km (includes 1,677 km of expressways) (2006)
|
|
Ports and terminals | | Enns, Krems, Linz, Vienna
|
|
Military branches | | Land Forces (KdoLdSK), Air Forces (KdoLuSK)
|
|
Military service age and obligation(years of age) | | 18-35 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age for male or female voluntary service; service obligation 6 months of training, followed by an 8-year reserve obligation; conscripts cannot be deployed in military operations outside Austria (2009)
|
|
Manpower available for military service | | males age 16-49: 1,986,411
females age 16-49: 1,944,834 (2008 est.)
|
|
Manpower fit for military service | | males age 16-49: 1,607,456
females age 16-49: 1,576,335 (2009 est.)
|
|
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually | | male: 50,540
female: 48,042 (2009 est.)
|
|
Military expenditures(% of GDP) | | 0.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
|
|
Disputes - international | | while threats of international legal action never materialized in 2007, 915,220 Austrians, with the support of the newly elected Freedom Party, signed a petition in January 2008, demanding that Austria block the Czech Republic's accession to the EU unless Prague closed its nuclear power plant in Temelin, bordering Austria
|
|
Electricity - production(kWh) | | 58.64 billion kWh (2007 est.)
|
|
Electricity - production by source(%) | | fossil fuel: 29.3%
hydro: 67.2%
nuclear: 0%
other: 3.5% (2001)
|
|
Electricity - consumption(kWh) | | 61.89 billion kWh (2007 est.)
|
|
Electricity - exports(kWh) | | 14.93 billion kWh (2008 est.)
|
|
Electricity - imports(kWh) | | 19.8 billion kWh (2008 est.)
|
|
Oil - production(bbl/day) | | 24,850 bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
|
Oil - consumption(bbl/day) | | 285,400 bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
|
Oil - exports(bbl/day) | | 45,580 bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
|
Oil - imports(bbl/day) | | 305,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
|
Economic aid - donor | | ODA, $1.498 billion (2006)
|
|
Oil - proved reserves(bbl) | | 50 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - production(cu m) | | 1.532 billion cu m (2008 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - consumption(cu m) | | 8.65 billion cu m (2008 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - exports(cu m) | | 2.788 billion cu m (2008)
|
|
Natural gas - proved reserves(cu m) | | 16.14 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
|
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate(%) | | 0.2% (2007 est.)
|
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | | 9,800 (2007 est.)
|
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths | | fewer than 100 (2003 est.)
|
|
Literacy(%) | | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: NA
female: NA
|
|
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)(years) | | total: 15 years
male: 15 years
female: 16 years (2006)
|
|
Education expenditures(% of GDP) | | 5.4% of GDP (2005)
|
