Part 46

Terrain: in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping lowest point: Neusiedler See 115 m highest point: Grossglockner 3,797 m

Natural resources: iron ore, oil, timber, magnesite, lead, coal, lignite, copper, hydropower

Land use: arable land: 17% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 24% forest and woodland: 39% other: 19%

Irrigated land: 40 sq km (1989)

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 natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol

Geographic 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

People ------

Population: 8,023,244 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 18% (male 720,696; female 685,179) 15-64 years: 67% (male 2,726,122; female 2,659,162) 65 years and over: 15% (male 451,231; female 780,854) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.41% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 11.19 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 10.43 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 3.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

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: 0.58 male(s)/female all ages: 0.94 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 6.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.53 years male: 73.38 years female: 79.84 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.49 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality: noun: Austrian(s) adjective: Austrian

Ethnic divisions: German 99.4%, Croatian 0.3%, Slovene 0.2%, other 0.1%

Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 6%, other 9%

Languages: German

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1974 est.) total population: 99% male: NA% female: NA%

Government ----------

Name of country: conventional long form: Republic of Austria conventional short form: Austria local long form: Republik Oesterreich local short form: Oesterreich

Data code: AU

Type of government: federal republic

Capital: Vienna

Administrative divisions: 9 states (bundeslaender, singular - bundesland); Burgenland, Kaernten, Niederoesterreich, Oberoesterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien