 Definition  Field Listing  Rank
Order
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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 Austrian's have called into question this neutrality.
A prosperous, democratic country, Austria entered the European
Monetary Union in 1999. Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Location: |
Central
Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia |
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Geographic coordinates: |
47 20 N, 13
20 E |
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Map references: |
Europe
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Area: |
total:
83,870 sq km
land: 82,444 sq km
water: 1,426
sq km |
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Area - comparative: |
slightly
smaller than Maine |
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Land boundaries: |
total: 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 |
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Coastline: |
0 km
(landlocked) |
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Maritime claims: |
none
(landlocked) |
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Climate: |
temperate;
continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow
in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional
showers |
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Terrain: |
in the west
and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern and northern
margins mostly flat or gently sloping |
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Elevation extremes: |
lowest
point: Neusiedler See 115 m
highest point:
Grossglockner 3,798 m |
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Natural resources: |
oil, coal,
lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite,
tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower |
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Land use: |
arable
land: 16.91%
permanent crops: 0.86%
other:
82.23% (2001) |
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Irrigated land: |
457 sq km
(2000 est.) |
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Natural hazards: |
landslides;
avalanches; earthquakes |
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Environment - current 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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Environment - international agreements: |
party
to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, 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: Air Pollution-Persistent
Organic Pollutants |
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Geography - 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
Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Population: |
8,174,762
(July 2004 est.) |
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Age structure: |
0-14
years: 15.9% (male 665,680; female 633,560)
15-64
years: 68.1% (male 2,799,411; female 2,764,426)
65 years
and over: 16% (male 518,748; female 792,937) (2004 est.) |
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Median age: |
total: 40 years
male: 38.8 years
female: 41.2 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate: |
0.14% (2004
est.) |
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Birth rate: |
8.9
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate: |
9.56
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate: |
2
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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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: 0.65 male(s)/female
total population:
0.95 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate: |
total:
4.68 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.76 deaths/1,000
live births
female: 3.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2004
est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 78.87 years
male: 76 years
female: 81.89 years (2004 est.) |
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Total fertility rate: |
1.35 children
born/woman (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
0.3% (2003
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
10,000 (2003
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
less than 100
(2003 est.) |
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Nationality: |
noun:
Austrian(s)
adjective: Austrian |
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Ethnic groups: |
German
88.5%, indigenous minorities 1.5% (includes Croatians, Slovenes,
Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks, Roma), recent immigrant groups 10%
(includes Turks, Bosnians, Serbians, Croatians) (2001) |
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Religions: |
Roman
Catholic 73.6%, Protestant 4.7%, Muslim 4.2%, other 0.1%, none 17.4%
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Languages: |
German
(official nationwide), Slovene (official in Carinthia), Croatian
(official in Burgenland), Hungarian (official in Burgenland) |
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Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: NA
female: NA Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
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Country name: |
conventional long form: Republic of Austria
conventional short form: Austria
local long
form: Republik Oesterreich
local short form:
Oesterreich |
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Government type: |
federal
republic |
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Capital: |
Vienna
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Administrative divisions: |
9 states
(Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland); Burgenland, Kaernten,
Niederoesterreich, Oberoesterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark, Tirol,
Vorarlberg, Wien |
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Independence: |
1156 (from
Bavaria) |
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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 |
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Constitution: |
1920;
revised 1929 (reinstated 1 May 1945) |
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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 of
age; universal; compulsory for presidential elections |
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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 NA
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 |
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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
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Judicial branch: |
Supreme
Judicial Court or Oberster Gerichtshof; Administrative Court or
Verwaltungsgerichtshof; Constitutional Court or
Verfassungsgerichtshof |
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Political parties and leaders: |
Austrian
People's Party or OeVP [Wolfgang SCHUESSEL]; Freedom Party of
Austria or FPOe [Herbert HAUPT]; Social Democratic Party of Austria
or SPOe [Alfred GUSENBAUER]; The Greens [Alexander VAN DER BELLEN]
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Political pressure groups and leaders: |
Austrian
Trade Union Federation (nominally independent but primarily
Socialist) or OeGB; Federal Economic Chamber; OeVP-oriented League
of Austrian Industrialists or VOeI; Roman Catholic Church, including
its chief lay organization, Catholic Action; three composite leagues
of the Austrian People's Party or OeVP representing business, labor,
and farmers and other non-government organizations in the areas of
environment and human rights |
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International organization participation: |
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, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer),
OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO,
UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMISET, UNOMIG, UNTSO,
UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Eva NOWOTNY
chancery: 3524
International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035
telephone: [1] (202) 895-6700
FAX: [1] (202)
895-6750
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and
New York |
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Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador William Lee LYONS BROWN, Jr.
embassy: Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1090, Vienna
mailing
address: use embassy street address
telephone: [43]
(1) 31339, 31375, 31335
FAX: [43] (1) 5125835 |
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Flag description: |
three equal
horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Economy - overview: |
Austria,
with its well-developed market economy and high standard of living,
is closely tied to other EU economies, especially Germany's.
Membership in the EU has drawn an influx of foreign investors
attracted by Austria's access to the single European market and
proximity to EU aspirant economies. Slow growth in Germany and
elsewhere in the world held the economy to 0.7% growth in 2001, 1.4%
in 2002, and again less than 1% in 2003. However, recent data signal
that the recovery has started. The government estimates economic
growth in 2004 of 1.7-2.1% and of 2.5% in 2005. The government is
planning a EURO 500 billion income tax cut in 2004, though some
economists doubt it will have stimulative effects in 2004, because
it will be offset by higher health insurance contributions and
higher taxes on energy. For 2005, Austria plans a tax cut of EURO
2.5 billion and harmonization of the various pension schemes. To
meet increased competition from both EU and Central European
countries, particularly the new EU members, Austria will need to
emphasize knowledge-based sectors of the economy, continue to
deregulate the service sector, and lower its tax burden. A key issue
is the encouragement of much greater participation in the labor
market by its aging population. |
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GDP: |
purchasing
power parity - $245.3 billion (2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate: |
0.7% (2003
est.) |
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GDP - per capita: |
purchasing
power parity - $30,000 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 3.5%
industry: 25.7%
services: 70.9% (2003 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed): |
22.5% of GDP
(2003) |
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Population below poverty line: |
3.9% (1999)
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Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest
10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 22.5% (1995) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini
index: |
31 (1995)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
1.4% (2003
est.) |
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Labor force: |
3.425 million
(2003) |
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Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture
and forestry 4%, industry and crafts 29%, services 67% (2001 est.)
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Unemployment rate: |
4.4% (2003
est.) |
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Budget: |
revenues: $67 billion
expenditures: $70
billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
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Public debt: |
67.6% of GDP
(2003) |
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Agriculture - products: |
grains,
potatoes, sugar beets, wine, fruit; dairy products, cattle, pigs,
poultry; lumber |
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Industries: |
construction, machinery, vehicles and parts, food, chemicals,
lumber and wood processing, paper and paperboard, communications
equipment, tourism |
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Industrial production growth rate: |
1.9% (2003
est.) |
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Electricity - production: |
58.75 billion
kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption: |
54.85 billion
kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - exports: |
14.25
billion kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - imports: |
14.47
billion kWh (2001) |
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Oil - production: |
20,670
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption: |
262,400
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports: |
35,470
bbl/day (2001) |
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Oil - imports: |
262,000
bbl/day (2001) |
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Oil - proved reserves: |
85.69 million
bbl (1 January 2002) |
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Natural gas - production: |
1.731 billion
cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption: |
7.81 billion
cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports: |
403 million
cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports: |
6.033 billion
cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves: |
24.9 billion
cu m (1 January 2002) |
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Current account balance: |
$-1.353
billion (2003) |
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Exports: |
$83.45
billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Exports - commodities: |
machinery
and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, paper and paperboard, metal
goods, chemicals, iron and steel; textiles, foodstuffs |
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Exports - partners: |
Germany
31.9%, Italy 9.6%, Switzerland 5.2%, US 4.9%, France 4.8%, UK 4.7%
(2003 est.) |
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Imports: |
$81.59
billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Imports - commodities: |
machinery
and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal goods, oil and oil
products; foodstuffs |
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Imports - partners: |
Germany
43.2%, Italy 6.7%, Hungary 5.4%, Switzerland 5%, Netherlands 4.2%
(2003 est.) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: |
$12.73
billion (2003) |
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Debt - external: |
$15.5 billion
(2003 est.) |
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Economic aid - donor: |
ODA, $520
million (2002) |
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Currency: |
euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union
introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by the financial
institutions of member countries; as of 1 January 2002, the euro
became the only legal tender in EMU member countries, including
Austria |
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Currency code: |
EUR |
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Exchange rates: |
euros per US
dollar - 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000),
0.9386 (1999) |
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Fiscal year: |
calendar
year Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Railways: |
total:
6,021 km (3,552 km electrified)
standard gauge: 5,565 km
1.435-m gauge (3,430 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 34 km
1.000-m gauge (28 km electrified); 422 km 0.760-m gauge (94 km
electrified) (2003) |
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Highways: |
total:
200,000 km
paved: 200,000 km (including 1,633 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (2000) |
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Waterways: |
358 km
(2003) |
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Pipelines: |
gas 2,722
km; oil 687 km; refined products 149 km (2003) |
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Ports and harbors: |
Enns, Krems,
Linz, Vienna |
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Merchant marine: |
total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 29,624 GRT/37,425 DWT
by type: cargo 4, container 2
foreign-owned:
Netherlands 1
registered in other countries: 34 (2003
est.) |
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Airports: |
55 (2003
est.) |
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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: 3
under 914 m: 14 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 31
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to
1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 27 (2003 est.) |
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Heliports: |
1 (2003
est.) Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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