Overview
Once the center of power for the large Austro-Hungarian Empire, Austria was reduced to a small republic after its defeat in World War I. Nazi Germany annexed Austria in 1938, and the victorious Allies then occupied the country in 1945. As a result, Austria's status remained unclear for a decade after World War II, until a State Treaty signed in 1955 ended the occupation, recognized Austria's independence, and forbade unification with Germany. A constitutional law that same year declared the country's "perpetual neutrality" as a condition for Soviet military withdrawal. Austria joined the EU in 1995, but the obligation to remain neutral kept it from joining NATO, although the country became a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace program in 1995. Austria entered the EU Economic and Monetary Union in 1999.
Geography
- Location
- Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia
- Total Area
- 83,871 sq km
- Climate
- temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers
- Terrain
- mostly mountains (Alps) in the west and south; mostly flat or gently sloping along the eastern and northern margins
- Natural Resources
- oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower
- Coastline
- 0 km (landlocked)
- Land Borders
- 2,524 km
People & Society
- Population
- 9,174,390 (2025 est.)
- Religions
- Roman Catholic 55.2%, Muslim 8.3%, Orthodox 4.9%, Evangelical Christian 3.8%, Jewish 0.1%, other 5.4%, none 22.4% (2021 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Austrian 80.8%, German 2.6%, Bosnian and Herzegovinian 1.9%, Turkish 1.8%, Serbian 1.6%, Romanian 1.3%, other 10% (2018 est.)
- Life Expectancy
- 82.7 years (2024 est.)
- Urbanization
- 59.5% of total population (2023)
Government
- Government Type
- federal parliamentary republic
- Capital
- Vienna
- Independence
- no official date of independence: 976 (Margravate of Austria established); 17 September 1156 (Duchy of Austria founded); 6 January 1453 (Archduchy of Austria acknowledged); 11 August 1804 (Austrian Empire proclaimed); 30 March 1867 (Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy established); 12 November 1918 (First Republic proclaimed); 27 April 1945 (Second Republic proclaimed)
- Constitution
- several previous; latest adopted 1 October 1920, revised 1929, replaced May 1934, replaced by German Weimar constitution in 1938 following German annexation, reinstated 1 May 1945
- Legal System
- civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legislative acts
- Executive Branch
- President Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (since 26 January 2017)
Economy
- Economic Overview
- one of the strongest EU and euro economies; diversified trade portfolios and relations; enormous trade economy; Russian energy dependence, but investing in alternative energy; aging labor force but large refugee population; large government debt
- GDP (Official Rate)
- $521.642 billion (2024 est.)
- Major Industries
- construction, machinery, vehicles and parts, food, metals, chemicals, lumber and paper, electronics, tourism
Infrastructure & Communications
- Railways
- 6,123 km (2022) 3,523 km electrified