Long-form name: Republic of Austria

Type: federal republic

Capital: Vienna

Administrative divisions: 9 states (bundeslander, singular--bundesland); Burgenland, Karnten, Niederosterreich, Oberosterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien

Independence: 12 November 1918 (from Austro-Hungarian Empire)

Constitution: 1920, revised 1929 (reinstated 1945)

Legal system: civil law system with Roman law origin; judicial review of legislative acts by a Constitutional Court; separate administrative and civil/penal supreme courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: National Day, 26 October (1955)

Branches: bicameral legislature (Federal Assembly--Federal Council, National Council); directly elected president whose functions are largely representational; independent federal judiciary

Leaders: @m5Chief of State--President Kurt WALDHEIM (since 8 July 1986); @m5Head of Government--Chancellor Franz VRANITZKY (since 16 June 1986); Vice Chancellor Alois MOCK (since 16 June 1986)

Suffrage: universal over age 19; compulsory for presidential elections

Elections: presidential, every six years (next 1992); parliamentary, every four years (next 1990)

Political parties and leaders: Socialist Party of Austria (SPO), Franz Vranitzky, chairman; Austrian People's Party (OVP), Alois Mock, chairman; Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), Jorg Haider, chairman; Communist Party (KPO), Franz Muhri, chairman; Green Alternative List (GAL), Andreas Wabl, chairman

Voting strength: 1986 parliamentary election--SP0 43.1%, OVP 41.3%, FPO 9.7%, GAL 4.8%, KPO .7%, other .32%; 1986 presidential election--(53.9% of 4.7 million votes cast) SP0 80 seats, OVP 77 seats, FP0 18 seats, GAL 8 seats

Communists: membership 15,000 est.; activists 7,000-8,000

Other political or pressure groups: Federal Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Austrian Trade Union Federation (primarily Socialist); three composite leagues of the Austrian People's Party (OVP) representing business, labor, and farmers; OVP-oriented League of Austrian Industrialists; Roman Catholic Church, including its chief lay organization, Catholic Action

Member of: ADB, Council of Europe, CCC, DAC, ECE, EFTA, EMA, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, WSG; Austria is neutral and is not a member of NATO or the EC

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Friedrich HOESS; Embassy at 2343 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-4474; there are Austrian Consulates General in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York; US--Ambassador Henry A. GRUNWALD; Embassy at Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1091, Vienna (mailing address is APO New York 09108); telephone �43� (222) 31-55-11; there is a US Consulate General in Salzburg

Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red

NOTE: The information regarding Austria on this page is re-published from the 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Austria Government 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Austria Government 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.