Austria
Republic of Austria
Capital: Vienna
History
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
Metric Units
|
Total Area
|
83,871
sq km
|
| Land Boundaries |
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 |
0
km
|
| Terrain |
in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping |
| Minimum Elevation |
115
m
|
| Maximum Elevation |
3,798
m
|
| Climate |
temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers |
| Natural Resources |
oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower |
| Arable Land |
16.25% |
| Permanent Crops |
0.77% |
Economy
Budget & Debt
Trade
| Exports |
$163.1 billion |
| Export Items |
machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, paper and paperboard, metal goods, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles, foodstuffs |
| Export Partners |
Germany 32.3%, Italy 7.8%, Switzerland 4.4%, France 4.2% (2011) |
| Imports |
$170.5 billion |
| Import Items |
machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal goods, oil and oil products |
| Import Partners |
Germany 42.8%, Italy 6.8%, Switzerland 5.5%, Netherlands 4% (2011) |
People
| Population |
8,221,646 |
| Population Growth |
0.02% |
| 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) |
| Religion |
Roman Catholic 73.6%, Protestant 4.7%, Muslim 4.2%, other 3.5%, unspecified 2%, none 12% (2001 census) |
| Life Expectancy |
80.04 years |
| Infant Mortality |
0.95 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Maternal Mortality |
0.6 deaths/100,000 live births |
Energy
