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Austria Country Guide
Explore Austria in Europe
The topography includes in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps) with along the eastern and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping. The average density of population is approximately 98 per km². The notable climate conditions in Austria can be described as temperate with continental, cloudy, cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains and moderate summers with occasional showers. Possible natural disasters include landslides or avalanches or earthquakes.
To reach someone in Austria dial +43 prior to a number. There are 3,253,000 installed telephones. And there are 11,773,000 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 900/1800/3G MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".at". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 230V - 50Hz.
About the flag and history of Austria
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, in 1191, 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.
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.
Geography Quick-Facts
| Summary | Continent: Europe Neighbours: Switzerland, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Italy, Slovenia, Liechtenstein Capital: Vienna |
| Size | 83,858 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 32,377 square miles (mi² or sqmi) slightly smaller than Maine |
| Population | 8,205,000 |
| Currency | Name Euro, Currency Code:EUR |
| Country Top Level Domain (cTLD) | .at |
| Telephone Country Prefix | +43 |
| Mobile Phone Connections | 11,773,000 |
| Landline Phone Connections | 3,253,000 |
Country Position in World Rankings
Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).
Geography
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 83,871 (sq km) | 114 |
People and Society
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 8,221,646 | 94 |
| Population growth rate | 0.02 (%) | 190 |
| Birth rate | 8.73 (births/1,000 population) | 213 |
| Death rate | 10.31 (deaths/1,000 population) | 45 |
| Net migration rate | 1.78 (migrant(s)/1,000 population) | 45 |
| Maternal mortality rate | 4.00 (deaths/100,000 live births) | 179 |
| Infant mortality rate | 4.21 (deaths/1,000 live births) | 196 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 80.04 (years) | 33 |
| Total fertility rate | 1.42 (children born/woman) | 201 |
| Health expenditures | 11.00 (% of GDP) | 21 |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 0.30 (%) | 91 |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | 15,000 | 84 |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | 100 | 121 |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 20.90 (%) | 93 |
| Education expenditures | 6.00 (% of GDP) | 39 |
| Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 | 8.30 (%) | 118 |
Economy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | 364,900,000,000 | 38 |
| GDP - real growth rate | 0.80 (%) | 166 |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | 43,100 | 21 |
| Labor force | 4,434,000 | 86 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.30 (%) | 36 |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 26.30 | 128 |
| Investment (gross fixed) | 22.00 (% of GDP) | 72 |
| Taxes and other revenues | 48.10 (% of GDP) | 18 |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -3.10 (% of GDP) | 113 |
| Public debt | 74.60 (% of GDP) | 33 |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.60 (%) | 58 |
| Commercial bank prime lending rate | 3.30 (%) | 174 |
| Stock of narrow money | 194,800,000,000 | 19 |
| Stock of broad money | 426,500,000,000 | 25 |
| Stock of domestic credit | 549,000,000,000 | 24 |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | 88,600,000,000 | 43 |
| Industrial production growth rate | 7.50 (%) | 31 |
| Current account balance | 8,090,000,000 | 27 |
| Exports | 163,100,000,000 | 30 |
| Imports | 170,500,000,000 | 29 |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 26,500,000,000 | 52 |
| Debt - external | 808,100,000,000 | 19 |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | 151,500,000,000 | 29 |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | 204,200,000,000 | 22 |
Energy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 69,000,000,000 (kWh) | 41 |
| Electricity - consumption | 63,800,000,000 (kWh) | 41 |
| Electricity - exports | 16,750,000,000 (kWh) | 11 |
| Electricity - imports | 24,980,000,000 (kWh) | 8 |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 21,110,000 (kW) | 36 |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 27.50 (% of total installed capacity) | 184 |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 59.60 (% of total installed capacity) | 32 |
| Electricity - from other renewable sources | 12.80 (% of total installed capacity) | 17 |
| Crude oil - production | 17,630 (bbl/day) | 74 |
| Crude oil - imports | 139,000 (bbl/day) | 44 |
| Crude oil - proved reserves | 85,000,000 (bbl) | 76 |
| Refined petroleum products - production | 159,200 (bbl/day) | 65 |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 210,700 (bbl/day) | 56 |
| Refined petroleum products - exports | 43,010 (bbl/day) | 63 |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 117,100 (bbl/day) | 44 |
| Natural gas - production | 1,600,000,000 (cu m) | 60 |
| Natural gas - consumption | 9,270,000,000 (cu m) | 50 |
| Natural gas - exports | 4,960,000,000 (cu m) | 32 |
| Natural gas - imports | 14,280,000,000 (cu m) | 21 |
| Natural gas - proved reserves | 23,900,000,000 (cu m) | 76 |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 71,000,000 (Mt) | 47 |
Communications
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | 3,388,000 | 48 |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 13,023,000 | 60 |
| Internet hosts | 3,512,000 | 30 |
| Internet users | 6,143,000 | 43 |
Transportation
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 52 | 90 |
| Railways | 6,399 (km) | 29 |
| Roadways | 124,508 (km) | 37 |
| Waterways | 358 (km) | 90 |
| Merchant marine | 3 | 134 |
Military
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Military expenditures | 0.80 (% of GDP) | 147 |
Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases
List of current world heritage sites
| Name | Since |
|---|---|
| City of Graz – Historic Centre and Schloss Eggenberg The City of Graz – Historic Centre and Schloss Eggenberg bear witness to an exemplary model of the living heritage of a central European urban complex influenced by the secular presence of the Habsburgs and the cultural and artistic role played by th ... | 1999 |
| Fertö / Neusiedlersee Cultural Landscape The Fertö/Neusiedler Lake area has been the meeting place of different cultures for eight millennia. This is graphically demonstrated by its varied landscape, the result of an evolutionary symbiosis between human activity and the physical environment ... | 2001 |
| Hallstatt-Dachstein / Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape Human activity in the magnificent natural landscape of the Salzkammergut began in prehistoric times, with the salt deposits being exploited as early as the 2nd millennium BC. This resource formed the basis of the area’s prosperity up to the middle of ... | 1997 |
| Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg Salzburg has managed to preserve an extraordinarily rich urban fabric, developed over the period from the Middle Ages to the 19th century when it was a city-state ruled by a prince-archbishop. Its Flamboyant Gothic art attracted many craftsmen and ar ... | 1996 |
| Historic Centre of Vienna Vienna developed from early Celtic and Roman settlements into a Medieval and Baroque city, the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It played an essential role as a leading European music centre, from the great age of Viennese Classicism through t ... | 2001 |
| Palace and Gardens of Schönbrunn From the 18th century to 1918, Schönbrunn was the residence of the Habsburg emperors. It was designed by the architects Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and Nicolaus Pacassi and is full of outstanding examples of decorative art. Together with its g ... | 1996 |
| Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps This serial property of 111 small individual sites encompasses the remains of prehistoric pile-dwelling (or stilt house) settlements in and around the Alps built from around 5000 to 500 B.C. on the edges of lakes, rivers or wetlands. Excavations, onl ... | 2011 |
| Semmering Railway The Semmering Railway, built over 41 km of high mountains between 1848 and 1854, is one of the greatest feats of civil engineering from this pioneering phase of railway building. The high standard of the tunnels, viaducts and other works has ensured ... | 1998 |
| Wachau Cultural Landscape The Wachau is a stretch of the Danube Valley between Melk and Krems, a landscape of high visual quality. It preserves in an intact and visible form many traces - in terms of architecture, (monasteries, castles, ruins), urban design, (towns and villag ... | 2000 |