definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% male: NA female: NA
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years male: 15 years female: 16 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
5.4% of GDP (2005)
Government
Austria
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Austria
conventional short form: Austria
local long form: Republik Oesterreich
local short form: Oesterreich
Government type:
federal republic
Capital:
name: Vienna geographic coordinates: 48 12 N, 16 22 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
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:
976 (Margravate of Austria established); 17 September 1156 (Duchy of Austria founded); 11 August 1804 (Austrian Empire proclaimed); 12 November 1918 (republic proclaimed)
National holiday:
National Day, 26 October (1955); note - commemorates the passage of the law on permanent neutrality
Constitution:
1920; revised 1929; reinstated 1 May 1945; note - during the period 1 May 1934–1 May 1945 there was a fascist (corporative) constitution in place
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
Suffrage:
16 years of age; universal; note - reduced from 18 years of age in 2007
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Heinz FISCHER (SPOe) (since 8 July 2004) head of government: Chancellor Werner FAYMANN (SPOe) (since 2 December 2008); Vice Chancellor Josef PROELL (OeVP) (since 2 December 2008) 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 (eligible for a second term); presidential election last held 25 April 2004 (next to be held in April 2010); chancellor formally chosen by the president but determined by the coalition parties forming a parliamentary majority; vice chancellor chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor election results: Heinz FISCHER elected president; percent of vote - Heinz FISCHER 52.4%, Benita FERRERO-WALDNER 47.6% note: government coalition - SPOe and OeVP
Legislative branch:
bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of Federal Council or Bundesrat (62 seats; members chosen by state parliaments with each state receiving 3 to 12 members according to its population; members serve a five- or six-year term) and the National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: National Council - last held 28 September 2008 (next to be held by September 2013) election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - SPOe 29.3%, OeVP 26%, FPOe 17.5%, BZOe 10.7%, Greens 10.4%, other 6.1%; seats by party - SPOe 57, OeVP 51, FPOe 34, BZOe 21, Greens 20
Judicial branch:
Supreme Judicial Court or Oberster Gerichtshof; Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof; Constitutional Court or Verfassungsgerichtshof
Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for the Future of Austria or BZOe [Stefan PETZNER];
Austrian People's Party or OeVP [Wilhelm MOLTERER]; Freedom Party of
Austria or FPOe [Heinz Christian STRACHE]; Social Democratic Party
of Austria or SPOe [Werner FAYMANN]; The Greens [Alexander VAN DER
BELLEN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Austrian Trade Union Federation or OeGB (nominally independent but primarily Social Democratic); Federal Economic Chamber; OeVP-oriented Association of Austrian Industrialists or IV; Roman Catholic Church, including its chief lay organization, Catholic Action other: three composite leagues of the Austrian People's Party or OeVP representing business, labor, farmers, and other nongovernment organizations in the areas of environment and human rights
International organization participation:
ACCT (observer), ADB (nonregional members), AfDB (nonregional
members), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CE, CEI, CERN,
EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G-9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM
(guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE,
Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), UN,
UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UNWTO,
UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Deputy Chief of Mission Andreas Riecken 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, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador David F. GIRARD-DICARLO embassy: Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1090, Vienna mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [43] (1) 31339–0 FAX: [43] (1) 3100682
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red
Economy
Austria
Economy - overview:
