The 2005 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

- 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 Austria

      Population:

       8,184,691 (July 2005 est.)

      Age structure:

       0–14 years: 15.6% (male 656,058/female 624,574)

       15–64 years: 67.8% (male 2,790,673/female 2,756,612)

       65 years and over: 16.6% (male 543,626/female 813,148) (2005 est.)

      Median age:

       total: 40.44 years

       male: 39.3 years

       female: 41.61 years (2005 est.)

      Population growth rate:

       0.11% (2005 est.)

      Birth rate:

       8.81 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

      Death rate:

       9.7 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

      Net migration rate:

       1.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

      Sex ratio:

       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: 0.67 male(s)/female

       total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

       total: 4.66 deaths/1,000 live births

       male: 5.74 deaths/1,000 live births

       female: 3.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

      Life expectancy at birth:

       total population: 78.92 years

       male: 76.03 years

       female: 81.96 years (2005 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

       1.36 children born/woman (2005 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

       0.3% (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

       10,000 (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

       less than 100 (2003 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), Slovene (official in Carinthia),

       Croatian (official in Burgenland), Hungarian (official in Burgenland)

      Literacy:

       definition: age 15 and over can read and write

       total population: 98%

       male: NA%

       female: NA%

      Government Austria

      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:

       Vienna

      Administrative divisions:

       9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland); Burgenland,

       Kaernten, Niederoesterreich, Oberoesterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark,

       Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien (Vienna)

      Independence:

       1156 (Duchy of Austria founded); 12 November 1918 (republic

       proclaimed)

      National holiday:

       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

      Constitution:

       1920; revised 1929 (reinstated 1 May 1945)

      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

      Suffrage:

       18 years of age; universal; compulsory for presidential elections

      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; 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 three 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