Austria (2003) | Gibraltar (2002) | |
Administrative divisions | 9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland); Burgenland, Kaernten, Niederoesterreich, Oberoesterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 16.2% (male 678,944; female 646,390)
15-64 years: 68.3% (male 2,827,736; female 2,768,480) 65 years and over: 15.5% (male 490,979; female 775,678) (2003 est.) |
0-14 years: 18.5% (male 2,633; female 2,509)
15-64 years: 66.3% (male 9,456; female 8,907) 65 years and over: 15.2% (male 1,803; female 2,406) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | grains, potatoes, sugar beets, wine, fruit; dairy products, cattle, pigs, poultry; lumber | none |
Airports | 55 (2002) | 1 (2001) |
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 (2002) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 31
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 27 (2002) |
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Area | total: 83,858 sq km
land: 82,738 sq km water: 1,120 sq km |
total: 6.5 sq km
land: 6.5 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Maine | about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
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. This neutrality, once ingrained as part of the Austrian cultural identity, has been called into question since the Soviet collapse of 1991 and Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995. A prosperous country, Austria entered the European Monetary Union in 1999. | Strategically important, Gibraltar was ceded to Great Britain by Spain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; the British garrison was formally declared a colony in 1830. In referendums held in 1967 and 2002, Gibraltarians ignored Spanish pressure and voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency. |
Birth rate | 9.43 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 11.19 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $53 billion
expenditures: $54 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) |
revenues: $307 million
expenditures: $284 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est. ) |
Capital | Vienna | Gibraltar |
Climate | temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain in lowlands and snow in mountains; cool summers with occasional showers | Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 12 km |
Constitution | 1920; revised 1929 (reinstated 1 May 1945) | 30 May 1969 |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Austria
conventional short form: Austria local long form: Republik Oesterreich local short form: Oesterreich |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Gibraltar |
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; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries |
Gibraltar pound (GIP) |
Death rate | 9.69 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 8.88 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $12.1 billion (2001 est.) | $NA |
Dependency status | - | overseas territory of the UK |
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 |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
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 |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | minor disputes with Czech Republic and Slovenia continue over nuclear power plants and post-World War II treatment of German-speaking minorities | Spain and UK are discussing "total shared sovereignty" to resolve 300-year dispute over Gibraltar, but resolution is subject to a constitutional referendum by Gibraltarians, who have largely expressed opposition to any form of cession to Spain |
Economic aid - donor | ODA, $410 million (2000) | - |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $NA; note - if an agreement between Spain and the UK is reached, could receive 50 million euros from the EU |
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. Slowing growth in Germany and elsewhere in the world held the economy to only 1.2% growth in 2001, 0.6% in 2002, and 0.8% in 2003.. To meet increased competition from both EU and Central European countries, 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 ageing population. | Gibraltar benefits from an extensive shipping trade, offshore banking, and its position as an international conference center. The British military presence has been sharply reduced and now contributes about 11% to the local economy. The financial sector accounts for 20% of GDP; tourism (almost 6 million visitors in 1998), shipping services fees, and duties on consumer goods also generate revenue. In recent years, Gibraltar has seen major structural change from a public to a private sector economy, but changes in government spending still have a major impact on the level of employment. |
Electricity - consumption | 54.85 billion kWh (2001) | 90.21 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - exports | 14.25 billion kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - imports | 14.47 billion kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | 58.75 billion kWh (2001) | 97 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 29.3%
hydro: 67.2% nuclear: 0% other: 3.5% (2001) |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Neusiedler See 115 m
highest point: Grossglockner 3,798 m |
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m |
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 | limited natural freshwater resources: large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rainwater (no longer used for drinking water) and adequate desalination plant |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
- |
Ethnic groups | German 88%, non-nationals 9.3% (includes Croatians, Slovenes, Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks, Roma), naturalized 2% (includes those who have lived in Austria at least three generations) | Spanish, Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese |
Exchange rates | euros per US dollar - 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000), 0.94 (1999), 12.38 (1998) | Gibraltar pounds per US dollar - 0.6981 (January 2002), 0.8977 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997); note - the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Thomas KLESTIL (since 8 July 1992)
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 19 April 1998 (next to be held in the spring of 2004); 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: Thomas KLESTIL reelected president; percent of vote - Thomas KLESTIL 63%, Gertraud KNOLL 14%, Heide SCHMIDT 11%, Richard LUGNER 10%, Karl NOWAK 2% note: government coalition - OeVP and FPOe |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor and Commander-in-Chief David DURIE (since 5 April 2000); note - Sir Francis RICHARDS was appointed governor 18 December 2002 and will take office in May 2003
head of government: Chief Minister Peter CARUANA (since 17 May 1996) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed from among the 15 elected members of the House of Assembly by the governor in consultation with the chief minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor |
Exports | 35,470 bbl/day (2001) | $81.1 million f.o.b. (1997) |
Exports - commodities | machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, paper and paperboard, metal goods, chemicals, iron and steel; textiles, foodstuffs | (principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8% |
Exports - partners | Germany 31.5%, Italy 9.3%, Switzerland 5.4%, US 4.9%, UK 4.9%, France 4.7%, Hungary 4.3% (2002) | UK, Morocco, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, US, Germany |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red | two horizontal bands of white (top, double width) and red with a three-towered red castle in the center of the white band; hanging from the castle gate is a gold key centered in the red band |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $227.7 billion (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $500 million (1997 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 2%
industry: 33% services: 65% (2002 est.) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $27,900 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $17,500 (1997 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 1.1% (2002 est.) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 47 20 N, 13 20 E | 36 8 N, 5 21 W |
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 | strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea |
Heliports | 1 (2002) | - |
Highways | total: 200,000 km
paved: 200,000 km (including 1,633 km of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (2000) |
total: 46.25 km
paved: 46.25 km unpaved: 0 km (2001) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 22.5% (1995) |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for Western Europe | - |
Imports | 262,000 bbl/day (2001) | $492 million c.i.f. (1997) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal goods, oil and oil products; foodstuffs | fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs |
Imports - partners | Germany 42.6%, Italy 6.6%, Hungary 5.1%, Switzerland 4.8%, Netherlands 4.4% (2002) | UK, Spain, Japan, Netherlands |
Independence | 1156 (from Bavaria) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 3.8% (2001 est.) | NA% |
Industries | construction, machinery, vehicles and parts, food, chemicals, lumber and wood processing, paper and paperboard, communications equipment, tourism | tourism, banking and finance, ship-building and repairing; tobacco, mineral water, beer |
Infant mortality rate | total: 4.33 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.38 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
5.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.8% (2002 est.) | 1.5% (1998) |
International organization participation | AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, 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, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMISET, UNMOGIP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC | Interpol (subbureau) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 37 (2000) | 2 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 457 sq km (2000 est.) | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Judicial Court or Oberster Gerichtshof; Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof; Constitutional Court or Verfassungsgerichtshof | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal |
Labor force | 4.3 million (2001) | 14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers) |
Labor force - by occupation | services 67%, industry and crafts 29%, agriculture and forestry 4% (2001 est.) | services 60%, industry 40%, agriculture NEGL% |
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 |
total: 1.2 km
border countries: Spain 1.2 km |
Land use | arable land: 16.89%
permanent crops: 0.99% other: 82.12% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
Languages | German | English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese |
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 | English law |
Legislative branch | bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of Federal Council or Bundesrat (64 members; members represent each of the states on the basis of population, but with each state having at least three representatives; members serve a four- 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 36.9%, FPOe 10.2%, Greens 9%; seats by party - OeVP 79, SPOe 69, FPOe 19, Greens 16 |
unicameral House of Assembly (18 seats - 15 elected by popular vote, one appointed for the Speaker, and two ex officio members; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 10 February 2000 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - GSD 58%, GSLP 41%; seats by party - GSD 8, GSLP 7 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 78.17 years
male: 75.02 years female: 81.48 years (2003 est.) |
total population: 79.23 years
male: 76.37 years female: 82.25 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: NA
total population: above 80% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia | Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain |
Map references | Europe | Europe |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 3 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 27,551 GRT/34,225 DWT
ships by type: cargo 4, container 1 (2002 est.) |
total: 75 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 900,400 GRT/1,277,611 DWT
ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 35, chemical tanker 6, container 10, multi-functional large-load carrier 3, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 14, roll on/roll off 2 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belgium 1, Cyprus 1, France 2, Germany 55, Greece 6, Ireland 1, Monaco 2, Norway 3, United Kingdom 13 (2002 est.) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military branches | Land Forces (KdoLdSK), Air Forces (KdoLuSK) | no regular indigenous military forces; British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $1.497 billion (FY01/02) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 0.8% (FY01/02) | - |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 2,093,821 (2003 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 1,725,123 (2003 est.) | - |
Military manpower - military age | 19 years of age (2003 est.) | - |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 49,090 (2003 est.) | - |
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 | National Day, 10 September (1964); note - day of the national referendum to decide whether to remain with the UK or go with Spain |
Nationality | noun: Austrian(s)
adjective: Austrian |
noun: Gibraltarian(s)
adjective: Gibraltar |
Natural hazards | landslides; avalanches; earthquakes | NA |
Natural resources | iron ore, oil, timber, magnesite, lead, coal, lignite, copper, hydropower | NEGL |
Net migration rate | 2.44 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Pipelines | gas 2,722 km; oil 687 km; refined products 149 km (2003) | 0 km |
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 Alternative or GA [Alexander VAN DER BELLEN] | Gibraltar Social Democrats or GSD [Peter CARUANA]; Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or GSLP [Joseph John BOSSANO] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Austrian Trade Union Federation (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 | Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives Organization; Women's Association |
Population | 8,188,207 (July 2003 est.) | 27,714 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0.22% (2003 est.) | 0.23% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Enns, Krems, Linz, Vienna | Gibraltar |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 160 (plus several hundred repeaters), shortwave 1 (2001) | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | 37,000 (1997) |
Railways | total: 6,024 km (3,641 km electrified)
standard gauge: 5,566 km 1.435-m gauge (3,524 km electrified) narrow gauge: 34 km 1.000-m gauge (28 km electrified); 424 km 0.760-m gauge (89 km electrified) (2002) |
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Religions | Roman Catholic 78%, Protestant 5%, Muslim and other 17% | Roman Catholic 76.9%, Church of England 6.9%, Muslim 6.9%, Jewish 2.3%, none or other 7% (1991) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal; compulsory for presidential elections | 18 years of age; universal, plus other UK subjects who have been residents six months or more |
Telephone system | general assessment: highly developed and efficient
domestic: there are 48 main lines for every 100 persons; the fiber optic net is very extensive; all telephone applications and Internet services are available international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Eutelsat; in addition, there are about 600 VSAT (very small aperture terminals) (2002) |
general assessment: adequate, automatic domestic system and adequate international facilities
domestic: automatic exchange facilities international: radiotelephone; microwave radio relay; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 4 million (consisting of 3,600,000 analog main lines plus 400,000 Integrated Services Digital Network connections); in addition, there are 100,000 Asymmetric Digital Services lines (2001) | 19,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 6 million (2001) | 1,620 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 45 (plus more than 1,000 repeaters) (2001) | 1 (plus three low-power repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping | a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar |
Total fertility rate | 1.41 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 1.65 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 4.8% (2002 est.) | 13.5% (1996) (1996) |
Waterways | 358 km (1999) | none |