Population: 8,184,691 (July 2005 est.)
Capital: Vienna
Languages: German (official
nationwide), Slovene (official in Carinthia), Croatian (official in Burgenland), Hungarian (official in Burgenland)
Religions: Roman Catholic 73.6%, Protestant 4.7%, Muslim 4.2%, other 3.5%, unspecified 2%, none 12% (2001 census)
Government: federal republic
Climate: temperate; continent_idal, cloudy; cold
winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers
Terrain: in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping
Geography: 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
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)
Economy: Austria, with its well-developed market economy and high standard of living, is closely tied to other EU economies,
especially Germany's. The economy features up-to-date industrial and agricultural sectors. Timber is a key industry, 47% of
the land area being forested. Membership in the EU has drawn an influx of foreign investors attracted by Austria's access to
the single European market and proximity to the new EU economies. Slow growth in Europe has held the economy to 0.7% growth in
2001, 1.4% in 2002, 0.8% in 2003, and 1.9% in 2004 and 2005. 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 encourage much greater participation in the labor market by its aging population. The aging
phenomenon, together with already high health and pension costs, poses fundamental problems in tax and welfare policies.
GDP per capita: purchasing power parity - $32,900 (2005 est.)
GDP real growth: 1.9% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate: 5.1% (2005 est.)
Internet country code: .at
Dial code: +43
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 Austrians have called into question this
neutrality. A prosperous, democratic country, Austria entered the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999.