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Administrative divisions:
9 states (Bundeslaender, singular
- Bundesland); Burgenland, Kaernten, Niederoesterreich, Oberoesterreich,
Salzburg, Steiermark, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien (Vienna)
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Capital: Vienna
Constitution: 1920;
revised 1929 (reinstated 1 May 1945)
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic
of Austria
conventional short form: Austria
local long form: Republik Oesterreich
local short form: Oesterreich
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) 31339-0, 31375,
31335
FAX: [43] (1) 3100682
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
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 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
Government type:
federal republic
Independence: 1156
(Duchy of Austria founded); 12 November 1918 (republic proclaimed)
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, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM
(guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP,
UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK,
UNOMIG, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTO, ZC
Judicial branch:
Supreme Judicial Court or Oberster
Gerichtshof; Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof; Constitutional
Court or Verfassungsgerichtshof
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
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; seating as
of May 2005 after split within the Freedom Party: OeVP 79, SPOe 69, Greens
17, BZOe 11, FPOe 7
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
Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for the Future of Austria
or BZOe [Joerg HAIDER]; Austrian People's Party or OeVP [Wolfgang SCHUESSEL];
Freedom Party of Austria or FPOe [Ursula HAUBNER]; Social Democratic Party
of Austria or SPOe [Alfred GUSENBAUER]; The Greens [Alexander VAN DER BELLEN]
Flag description: three
equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red |
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