Economy
Overview: Austria boasts a prosperous and
stable capitalist economy with a sizable
proportion of nationalized industry and
extensive welfare benefits. Thanks to an
excellent raw material endowment, a
technically skilled labor force, and strong links
with West German industrial firms,
Austria has successfully occupied specialized
niches in European industry and services
(tourism, banking) and produces almost
enough food to feed itself with only 8% of
the labor force in agriculture. Living
standards are roughly comparable with the
large industrial countries of Western
Europe. Problems for the 1990s include an
aging population and the struggle to keep
welfare benefits within budget capabilities.
GDP: $103.2 billion, per capita $13,600; real growth rate 4.2% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.7% (1989)
Unemployment: 4.8% (1989)
Budget: revenues $34.2 billion; expenditures $39.5 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (1988)
Exports: $31.2 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities—machinery and equipment, iron and steel, lumber, textiles, paper products, chemicals; partners—FRG 35%, Italy 10%, Eastern Europe 9%, Switzerland 7%, US 4%, OPEC 3%
Imports: $37.9 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities—petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, vehicles, chemicals, textiles and clothing, pharmaceuticals; partners—FRG 44%, Italy 9%, Eastern Europe 6%, Switzerland 5%, US 4%, USSR 2%
External debt: $12.4 billion (December 1987)
Industrial production: growth rate 5.8% (1989 est.)
Electricity: 17,562,000 kW capacity; 49,290 million kWh produced, 6,500 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: foods, iron and steel, machines, textiles, chemicals, electrical, paper and pulp, tourism, mining
Agriculture: accounts for 4% of GDP (including forestry); principal crops and animals grains, fruit, potatoes, sugar beets, sawn wood, cattle, pigs poultry; 80-90% self-sufficient in food
Aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-87), $1.7 billion
Currency: Austrian schilling (plural—schillings); 1 Austrian schilling (S) = 100 groschen
Exchange rates: Austrian schillings (S) per US$1—11.907 (January 1990), 13.231 (1989), 12.348(1988), 12.643(1987), 15.267(1986), 20.690(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 6,028 km total; 5,388 km
government owned and 640 km privately
owned (1.435- and 1.000-meter gauge);
5,403 km 1.435-meter standard gauge of
which 3,051 km is electrified and 1,520
km is double tracked; 363 km 0.760-meter
narrow gauge of which 91 km is
electrified
Highways: 95,412 km total; 34,612 are the primary network (including 1,012 km of autobahn, 10,400 km of federal, and 23,200 km of provincial roads); of this number, 21,812 km are paved and 12,800 km are unpaved; in addition, there are 60,800 km of communal roads (mostly gravel, crushed stone, earth)
Inland waterways: 446 km
Ports: Vienna, Linz (river ports)
Merchant marine: 29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 209,311 GRT/366,401 DWT; includes 23 cargo, 1 container, 5 bulk
Pipelines: 554 km crude oil; 2,611 km natural gas; 171 km refined products Civil air: 25 major transport aircraft Airports: 55 total, 54 usable; 19 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: highly developed and efficient; 4,014,000 telephones; extensive TV and radiobroadcast systems; stations—6 AM, 21 (544 repeaters) FM, 47 (867 repeaters) TV; satellite stations operating in INTELSAT 1 Atlantic Ocean earth station and 1 Indian Ocean earth station and EUTELSAT systems
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Flying Division
Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,970,189; 1,656,228 fit for military service; 50,090 reach military age (19) annually
Defense expenditures: 1.1% of GDP, or $1.1 billion (1989 est.)
The Bahamas
_Bahamas.jpg)
See regional map III
Geography
Total area: 13,940 km²; land area: 10,070
km²
Comparative area: slightly larger than Connecticut
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 3,542 km
Maritime claims:
- Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation
- Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
- Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream
Terrain: long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills
Natural resources: salt, aragonite, timber
Land use: 1% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; NEGL% meadows and pastures; 32% forest and woodland; 67% other
Environment: subject to hurricanes and other tropical storms that cause extensive flood damage
Note: strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain
People
Population: 246,491 (July 1990), growth
rate 1.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 17 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 21 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 75 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Bahamian(s); adjective—Bahamian
Ethnic divisions: 85% black, 15% white
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