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

AU

federal republic

Vienna

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

1156 (from Bavaria)

National Day, 26 October (1955)

1920; revised 1929 (reinstated 1 May 1945)

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

19 years of age; universal; compulsory for presidential
elections

chief of state: President Thomas KLESTIL (since 8 July 1992)
head of government: Chancellor Wolfgang SCHUESSEL (OeVP)(since 4
February 2000); Vice Chancellor Susanne RIESS-PASSER (FPOe) (since 4
February 2000)
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 19 April 1998 (next to be held
in the spring of 2004); chancellor traditionally chosen by the
president from the plurality party in the National Council; in the
case of the current coalition, the chancellor was chosen from another
party after the plurality party failed to form a government; vice
chancellor chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor
election results: Thomas KLESTIL reelected president; percent of vote
- Thomas KLESTIL 63%, Gertraud KNOLL 14%, Heide SCHMIDT 11%, Richard
LUGNER 10%, Karl NOWAK 2%
note: government coalition - FPOe and OeVP

bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung
consists of Federal Council or Bundesrat (64 members; members
represent each of the states on the basis of population, but with each
state having at least three representatives; members serve a four- 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 3 October 1999 (next to be
held in the fall of 2003)
election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - SPOe
33.2%, OeVP 26.9%, FPOe 26.9%, Greens 7.4%; seats by party - SPOe 65,
OeVP 52, FPOe 52, Greens 14

Supreme Judicial Court or Oberster Gerichtshof;
Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof; Constitutional Court
or Verfassungsgerichtshof

Austrian People's Party or OeVP
; Communist Party or KPOe [Walter BAIER,
chairman]; Freedom Party of Austria or FPOe ;
Liberal Forum or LF ; Social Democratic Party of
Austria or SPOe ; The Greens or GA [Alexander
VAN DER BELLEN, party spokesman]

Austrian Trade Union Federation
(primarily Socialist) or OeGB; Federal Economic Chamber; OeVP-oriented
League of Austrian Industrialists or VOeI; Roman Catholic Church,
including its chief lay organization, Catholic Action; three composite
leagues of the Austrian People's Party or OeVP representing business,
labor, and farmers

AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group,
BIS, BSEC (observer), CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU,
ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW,
OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNTAET, UNTSO, UPU, WCL,
WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

chief of mission: Ambassador Peter MOSER
chancery: 3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035
telephone:  (202) 895-6700
FAX:  (202) 895-6750
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

chief of mission: Ambassador Kathryn Walt HALL
embassy: Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1091, Vienna
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone:  (1) 313-39
FAX:  (1) 310-0682

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