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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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Common Name: Austria
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Local Official Name: Oesterreich
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Abbreviated Name: Republic of Austria
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Official Name: Republik Oesterreich
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Official Script Name: Austria
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Local Common Name: Austria
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Former Name: Austria
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Territory of: NA
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Head of State: President Heinz FISCHER
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Government Type: federal republic
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Independence: 1156 October (from Bavaria)
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Constitution: 1920; revised 1929 (reinstated 1945 May 1)
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National Holiday: National Day, 26 October
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International Organization Participation: 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, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIS, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
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Administrative Divisions: 9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland); Burgenland, Kaernten (Carinthia), Niederoesterreich, Oberoesterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark (Styria), Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien (Vienna)
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Dependent Areas: NA
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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
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Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches: 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 (eligible for a second 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
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 3 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
Judicial Branch:
Supreme Judicial Court or Oberster Gerichtshof; Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof; Constitutional Court or Verfassungsgerichtshof
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Party 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 [Heinz Christian STRACHE]; Social Democratic Party of Austria or SPOe [Alfred GUSENBAUER]; The Greens [Alexander VAN DER BELLEN]
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International Disputes: Austrian anti-nuclear activists have revived blockades of the Czech-Austrian border to protest operation of the Temelin nuclear power plant in the Czech Republic
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Illicit Drugs: transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for Western Europe
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Location of Austria: Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia
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Continent: Europe
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Land Area Total: 83,870 sq km
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Region: Central Europe |
Land Area Land: 82,444 sq km
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Capitol City: Vienna
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Land Area Water: 1,426 sq km
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Latitude: 047 20 N
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Border Boundary Land: 2,562 km
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Longitude: 013 20 E
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Border Boundary Coastline: 0 km
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Arable Land: 16.59 %
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Pastures: 0.00 %
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Crops: 0.85 %
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Woodlands and Forests: 0.00
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Highest Elevation: 3,798 m
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Location: Grossglockner
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Lowest Elevation: 115 m
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Location: Neusiedler See
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Largest City in Austria: Vienna
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Vienna Largest City Population: 2,068,000
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Threatened Species: 64
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Environmental 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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Environmental 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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Irrigated Land: 40
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Bordering 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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Natural Resources: oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower
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Geographical Terrain: in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping
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Comparative Area of Austria: slightly smaller than Maine
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Austria's Geography: 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
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General Climate: temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain in lowlands and snow in mountains; cool summers with occasional showers
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Natural Hazards: landslides; avalanches; earthquakes
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Economic Overview: 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 current government has successfully pursued a comprehensive economic reform program, aimed at streamlining government, creating a more competitive business environment, further strengthening Austria's attractiveness as an investment location, pursuing a balanced budget, and implementing effective pension reforms. Weak domestic consumption and slow growth in Europe have held the economy to growth rates of 0.4% in 2002, 1.4% in 2003, 2.4% in 2004, and 1.8% in 2005. To meet increased competition from both EU and Central European countries, particularly the new EU members, 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: $267,600,000,000 USD
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Currency: euro
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GDP per Capita: $32,700 USD
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Currency Code: EUR
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GDP Growth Rate: 1.90 %
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Currency Exchange Rate History: euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)
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GDP of Agriculture: 1.80 %
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GDP of Industry: 30.40 %
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GDP of Services: 67.80 % |
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Inflation Rate: 2.30 % |
Population in Poverty: 5.90 %
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Unemployment Rate: 5.20 %
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Tourism: 17,467,000.00 visitors each year
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Consumption by lowest 10%: 3.30 %
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Budget Revenue in USD: $148,600,000,000 USD
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Consumption by upper 10%: 22.50 %
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Budget Expenditures in USD: $154,500,000,000 USD
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Electricity Production: 63,690,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Exports: 13,530,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Consumption: 64,780,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Imports: 16,630,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Production by Source:
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Fossil Fuel Electricity Production: 28.46%
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Nuclear Electricity Production: 0.00%
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Hydro Electricity Production: 68.64%
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Other Electricity Production: 2.90%
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Oil Production: 17,810 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Production: 1,960,000,000 cu m
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Oil Consumption: 249,000 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Consumption: 9,010,000,000 cu m
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Oil Exports: 30,140 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Exports: 0 cu m
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Oil Imports: 152,600 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Imports: 7,050,000,000 cu m
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Proven Oil Reserves: 84,300,000 barrels
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Proven Natural Gas Reserves: 23,200,000,000 cu m
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External Debt: $510,600,000,000 USD |
Received in economic aid: $681,000,000 USD
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Donated in economic aid: $0 USD
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Agricultural Products: grains, potatoes, sugar beets, wine, fruit; dairy products, cattle, pigs, poultry; lumber
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Primary Industries: construction, machinery, vehicles and parts, food, metals, chemicals, lumber and wood processing, paper and paperboard, communications equipment, tourism
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Industrial Growth Rate: 4.70 %
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Import Amount in USD: $118,800,000,000 USD - machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal goods, oil and oil products; foodstuffs
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Import Partners: Germany 45.9%, Italy 6.6%, Switzerland 4.5%
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Export Amount in USD: $122,500,000,000 USD - machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, paper and paperboard, metal goods, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles, foodstuffs
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Export Partners: Germany 31.2%, Italy 8.7%, US 5.8%, Switzerland 5.2%, France 4.2%
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GINI Index: 31.00%
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Labor Force Number of People: 3,490,000
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Labor Force by Occupations: services 70%, industry and crafts 27%, agriculture and forestry 3%
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Radio Broadcast Stations: 68 |
Number of People with Radios: 6,080,000 |
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Television Broadcast Stations: 10 |
Number of People with Televisions: 4,250,000 |
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Number of People with Mainline Telephones: 3,791,000 |
Number of People with Mobile Phones: 7,990,000 |
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Internet Service Providers: 1,812,776 |
Internet Users: 4,650,000 |
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Internet Country Code: .at |
Newspapers: 296 |
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Two Letter Country Code: AU |
Weights and Measures: |
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Phone Country Code: 43 |
Electricity Voltage: 230 Volts |
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Telephone Systems: 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 - 15; in addition, there are about 600 VSAT (very small aperture terminals)
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Highways: 133,718 km |
Railways: 6,011 km
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Gas And Oil Pipelines: 3,534 km |
Waterways: 358 km
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Airports: 25 |
Heliports: 1
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Motor Vehicles: 583 per 1,000 people |
CO2 Emissions: 66,604,000 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
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Per capita CO2 emissions: 7.50 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
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Merchant Marines: total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 34,072 GRT/44,437 DWT
by type: cargo 6, container 2
foreign-owned: 2 (Netherlands 2)
registered in other countries: 14 (Liberia 13, Malta 1)
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Ports and Harbors: Enns, Krems, Linz, Vienna
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Population: 8,192,880 people type - nationality |
Birth Rate: 8.74 births per 1,000 people |
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Population Density: 97.00 people per sq km |
Death Rate: 9.76 deaths per 1,000 people |
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Population Growth: 0.09% per year |
Fertility Rate per Women: 1.36 babies born per woman |
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Population Male 0-14: 645,337 |
Population Female 0-14: 614,602 |
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Population Male 15-64: 2,782,712 |
Population Female 15-64: 2,749,620 |
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Population Male 65+: 567,752 |
Population Female 65+: 832,857 |
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Population 0-14: 15.40% |
Literacy Rate: 98.00% |
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Population 15-64: 67.50% |
Literacy rate of Males: 0.00% |
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Population 65+: 17.10% |
Literacy rate of Females: 0.00% |
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Population that is Male: 47.50
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Population that is Female: 52.50% |
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Life expectancy at birth in years: 79.07 years |
Infant mortality rate - baby deaths per 1000 births: 4.60 Babies die per 1,000 births |
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Life expectancy at birth for Males: 76.17 years |
Life expectancy at birth for Females: 82.11 years |
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Rate of AIDS/HIV infection: 0.30%
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Number of people living with AIDS or HIV: 10,000
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Number of people who died of AIDS: 0 |
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Disease Risk:
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Diseases:
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Net Migration Rate per 1,000 people: 1.94
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Nationality: 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%
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Primary Language: German
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Other Languages: German (official nationwide), Slovene (official in Carinthia), Croatian (official in Burgenland), Hungarian (official in Burgenland)
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Primary Religion: Roman Catholic
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Other Religions: Roman Catholic 73.6%, Protestant 4.7%, Muslim 4.2%, other 3.5%, unspecified 2%, none 12%
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Branches: Land Forces (KdoLdSK), Air Forces (KdoLuSK)
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Manpower Fit to Serve: 18 years
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Manpower Available: 3,784,967 People
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Manpower Fit to Serve: 3,065,806 People
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Amount of Manpower Available each Year: 95,600 People per year
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Expenditures: $1,497,100,000 USD per year
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Expenditures as a Percentage of GDP: 0.90
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Note: Phrasebase uses a variety of sources when compiling the facts and information presented above. This information is continually updated throughout the year.
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Austria Spa and Resort Directory
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Austria Home Exchanges and Home Swaps
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Austria Vacation Rentals And Holiday Villas
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