AUSTRIA
BASIC INFO:
Population 2017 8,754,413
GDP per capita 2017 (PPI, US$)... 49,900
GDP 2017 (PPI, US$ billions) 439.6
Unemployment 2017 5.6%
Total Area 83,871 sq km
Urban Population 58.3%
Life expectancy at birth (years) 81.6
Mortality rate, (per 1,000 live births) 3.4
Illiteracy (% of population age 15+) 1%
History:
The Austro-Hungarian Empire played a decisive role in central European history. It occupied strategic territory containing the southeastern routes to Western Europe and the north-south routes between Germany and Italy. Although present-day Austria is only a tiny remnant of the old empire, it retains this unique position.
Soon after the Republic of Austria was created at the end of World War I, it faced the strains of catastrophic inflation and of redesigning a government meant to rule a great empire into one that would govern only 6 million citizens. In the early 1930s, worldwide depression and unemployment added to these strains and shattered traditional Austrian society. Resultant economic and political conditions led in 1933 to a dictatorship under Engelbert Dollfuss. In February 1934, civil war broke out, and the Socialist Party was outlawed. In July, a coup d'etat by the National Socialists failed, but Dollfuss was assassinated by Nazis. In March 1938, Austria was incorporated into the German Reich, a development commonly known as the "Anschluss" (annexation).
At the Moscow conference in 1943, the Allies declared their intention to liberate Austria and reconstitute it as a free and independent state. In April 1945, both Eastern- and Western-front Allied forces liberated the country. Subsequently, Austria was divided into zones of occupation similar to those in Germany.
Under the 1945 Potsdam agreements, the Soviets took control of German assets in their zone of occupation. These included 7% of Austria's manufacturing plants, 95% of its oil resources, and about 80% of its refinery capacity. The properties were returned to Austria under the Austrian State Treaty. This treaty, signed in Vienna on May 15, 1955, came into effect on July 27, and, under its provisions, all occupation forces were withdrawn by October 25, 1955. Austria became free and independent for the first time since 1938.
Various political parties and people have come into the government, including controversial individuals such as Bruno Kreisky and Kurt Waldheim. Conflict has arisen over the past several years over the presence of foreigners and the high rate of unemployment, as well as the emergence of the right-wing (some say, neo-Nazi) Freedom party
Government:
Government type:
federal parliamentary republic
Capital:
name: Vienna
Administrative divisions:
9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland); Burgenland, Kaernten (Carinthia), Niederoesterreich (Lower Austria), Oberoesterreich (Upper Austria), Salzburg, Steiermark (Styria), Tirol (Tyrol), Vorarlberg, Wien (Vienna)
Independence:
no official date of independence: 976 (Margravate of Austria established); 17 September 1156 (Duchy of Austria founded); 6 January 1453 (Archduchy of Austria acknowledged); 11 August 1804 (Austrian Empire proclaimed); 30 March 1867 (Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy established); 12 November 1918 (First Republic proclaimed); 27 April 1945 (Second Republic proclaimed)
National holiday:
National Day (commemorates passage of the law on permanent neutrality), 26 October (1955)
Constitution:
history: several previous; latest adopted 1 October 1920, revised 1929, replaced May 1934 (authoritarian corporate state), replaced by German Weimar constitution in 1938 following German annexation, reinstated 1 May 1945
amendments: proposed through laws designated “constitutional laws” or through the constitutional process if the amendment is part of another law; approval required by at least a two-thirds majority vote by the National Assembly if one-half of the members are present; a referendum is required only if requested by one-third of the National Council or Federal Council membership; passage by referendum requires absolute majority vote; amended many times, last in 2014 (2016)
Legal system:
civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts by the Constitutional Court
International law organization participation:
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship:
citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Austria
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years
Suffrage:
16 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (since 26 January 2017)
head of government: Chancellor Sebastian KURZ (since 18 December 2017); Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian STRACHE (since 18 December 2017)
cabinet: Council of Ministers chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor
elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 6-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held on 24 April 2016 (first round), 22 May 2016 (second round, which was annulled), and 4 December 2016 (second round re-vote); next election to be held in April 2022; chancellor appointed by the president but determined by the majority coalition parties in the Federal Assembly; vice chancellor appointed by the president on the advice of the chancellor
election results: Alexander VAN DER BELLEN elected in second round; percent of vote in first round - Norbet HOFER (FPOe) 35.1%, Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (independent, allied with the Greens) 21.3%, Irmgard GRISS (independent) 18.9%, Rudolf HUNDSTORFER (SPOe) 11.3%, Andreas KHOL (OeVP) 11.1%, Richard LUGNER (independent) 2.3%; percent of vote in second round - Alexander VAN DER BELLEN 53.8%, Norbet HOFER 46.2%
Legislative branch:
description: bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of:
National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)
Federal Council or Bundesrat (61 seats; members appointed by state parliaments with each state receiving 3 to 12 seats in proportion to its population; members serve 5- or 6-year terms)
elections: National Council - last held on 29 September 2013 (next to be held on 15 October 2017); note - an early election was called after the coalition government collapsed
National Council - percent of vote by party - OeVP 31.5%, SPOe 26.9%, FPOe 26%, NEOS 5.3%, PILZ 4.4%, other 5.9%; seats by party - OeVP 62, SPOe 52, FPOe 51, NEOS 10, PILZ 8
election results:
Judicial branch:
highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice or Oberster Gerichtshof (consists of 85 judges organized into 17 senates or panels of 5 judges each); Constitutional Court or Verfassungsgerichtshof (consists of 20 judges including 6 substitutes; Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof - 2 judges plus other members depending on the importance of the case)
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges nominated by executive branch departments and appointed by the president; judges serve for life; Constitutional Court judges nominated by several executive branch departments and approved by the president; judges serve for life; Administrative Court judges recommended by executive branch departments and appointed by the president; terms of judges and members determined by the president
subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal (4); Regional Courts (20); district courts (120); county courts
Political parties and leaders:
Austrian People's Party or OeVP [Sebastian KURZ]
Communist Party of Austria or KPOe [Mirko MESSNER]
Freedom Party of Austria or FPOe [Heinz-Christian STRACHE]
The Greens [Werner KOGLER]
NEOS - The New Austria [Matthias STROLZ]
Pilz List or PILZ [Bruno ROSSMANN and Wolfgang ZINGGL]
Social Democratic Party of Austria or SPOe [Christian KERN]
AUSTRIA National Air Transport System
number of registered air carriers: 11
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 130
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 14,718,641
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 351.379 million mt-km (2015)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:
OE (2016)
Airports:
52 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 90
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 24
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 13 (2017)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 28
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 24 (2013)
Heliports:
1 (2013)
Pipelines:
gas 1,888 km; oil 594 km; refined products 157 km (2017)
Railways:
total: 5,800 km (2017)
standard gauge: 5,300 km 1.435-m gauge (3,826 km electrified) (2016)
country comparison to the world: 33
Rnumber of registered air carriers: 11
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 130
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 14,718,641
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 351.379 million mt-km (2015)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:
OE (2016)
Airports:
52 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 90
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 24
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 13 (2017)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 28
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 24 (2013)
Heliports:
1 (2013)
Pipelines:
gas 1,888 km; oil 594 km; refined products 157 km (2017)
Railways:
total: 5,800 km (2017)
standard gauge: 5,300 km 1.435-m gauge (3,826 km electrified) (2016)
country comparison to the world: 33
Roadways:
total: 138,696 km
paved: 138,696 km (includes 2,208 km of expressways) (2016)
country comparison to the world: 39
Waterways:
358 km (2011)
country comparison to the world: 89
Ports and terminals:
river port(s): Enns, Krems, Linz, Vienna (Danube)
total: 138,696 km
paved: 138,696 km (includes 2,208 km of expressways) (2016)
Tourism
Tourism is a very important industry for Austria. In 2016 Austria had 41.5 million tourist. They brought in EUR40 billion to the Austrian economy. The Austrian tourist infastructure is one of the best in the world.
Post a Comment