Archives 2021

As one of the most prosperous and stable EU Member States, Austria offers its investors ideal conditions. The Austrian economic system can be characterized as a free market economy with a strong social focus by also taking into account the weaker members of society. Austria also features a tried and tested system of economic and social partnership, which has traditionally played a strong and reconciliatory role in wage and price policies.

Austria is a highly developed industrialized country with an important service sector. The most important industries are food and luxury commodities, mechanical engineering and steel construction, chemicals, and vehicle manufacturing.

In the field of agriculture, Austria is witnessing a strong trend towards organic farming. With an overall share of 22%, organic farms in Austria occupy a leading position among the EU Member States. 

As regards raw materials and energy production, Austria can draw on an abundance of resources. It has natural resources of iron ore, non-ferrous metals, important minerals and earths. The constant growth of the industrial sector, however, increasingly requires supplementary imports. This is also true of fuels, energy resources, and the electricity-generating industry. Austria has its own resources of petroleum and natural gas. The generation of hydroelectric power is constantly being expanded, which makes Austria the leader in the field of hydroelectric power in the European Union.

Austria’s industrial and commercial sectors are characterized by a high proportion of medium-sized companies. Austrian industry covers every branch of manufacturing, from basic goods to the labor-intensive production of highly processed products. The construction of plants and systems (encompassing the planning, delivery, and assembly of turn-key production facilities, including the required know-how and operational expertise) is making up an increasingly important share. This field is strongly export-oriented, as is the electronics sector (including, for instance, the production of integrated circuits).

Austria is world-famous for its arts and crafts, most notably fine hand-crafted items, costumized jewellery, ceramics, and glassware.

Tourism is an essential pillar of the Austrian economy. Austria is a mountainous country with one of the largest natural land reserves in central Europe.

In the global-political arena, Austria is increasingly becoming an international meeting point, which is illustrated by the large number of summits and conferences held in Austria. At the same time, the country’s relevance as a vital transit country between the economic areas of Europe is increasing, especially for European energy supplies, including petroleum, natural gas, and electricity.

For current economic statistics please visit the websites of

Statistik Austria:
http://www.statistik.at/web_en

Federal Ministry of Sustainability and Tourism

https://www.bmnt.gv.at/land/bio-lw/zahlen-fakten/BIO_WELTWEIT.html

https://www.bmnt.gv.at/english/

https://www.austria.org/economy

ANTIQUITY

The Alpine lands and the fertile plains of the Danube Valley had already been settled in prehistoric times. Rich deposits of mineral resources, especially salt and iron, facilitated the development of a prosperous Celtic population, which by the 1st century BC had become an important trading partner of the neighbouring Roman Empire. Around the time of the birth of Christ, this Noric kingdom was absorbed by the Romans and became an imperial province along with the other parts of present-day Austria that had been conquered and subdued at the same time: Rhaetia (western Austria) and Pannonia (eastern Lower Austria and Burgenland).

The Romans ruled over the region by the Danube for almost 500 years and founded numerous settlements. Yielding to the onslaught of tribal migrations, the Romans eventually withdrew from the Danube region abandoning their once-flourishing cities, such as Carnuntum in Pannonia.

Until the end of the 8th century, waves of migrants continued to flood across the area of present-day Austria: Germanic peoples crossed the Danube, while Hunnic horsemen from the east pressed as far westward as France. Later, eastern Austria was settled by the Avars, and Baiuvarii from the southern German area advanced along the Danube. Slavic peoples settled in northern Lower Austria, Carinthia and in southern Styria.

At the end of the 8th century, Charlemagne established the Carolingian East March between the rivers Enns, Raab and Drau (Drava) as a bulwark against further Avar advance. The Alpine region had gradually been christianized by Irish and Scottish monks by the end of the Roman period.

THE MIDDLE AGES

When the Babenbergs, a Bavarian noble family, were entrusted with the administration of the region in 976, Austria was still rather sparsely populated. With a clear sense of purpose the Babenbergs expanded their power in the centuries that followed, and with skillful marital policies they became one of the empire’s leading families. In 1156, Austria was elevated to the status of a duchy and was granted important privileges. By the time the last male Babenberg died in the mid-13th century, the dynasty had significantly expanded their dominion.

Following the brief interregnum of the Přemysl ruler Otakar II, the Habsburgs, whose origins lay in Swabia, were enfeoffed with the Duchy of Austria in 1282. With great skill and sense of purpose they constantly expanded their sphere of influence, acquiring the duchies of Styria, Carinthia and Tyrol through contracts of succession and adding Gorizia and Istria (with Trieste) to the areas under their control. Duke Albert V, who had married the daughter of Emperor Sigismund, himself became the first Habsburg to wear the imperial crown, following the death of his father-in-law in 1437.

MODERN AGE

Over the centuries that followed Albert’s successors wore the crown of the Holy Roman Empire with only short interruptions. The House of Habsburg used skilful marital policies to expand its territory, adding Burgundy and the Netherlands, and also ruling Spain. In 1522, the Habsburg dynasty was divided into a Spanish and an Austrian line, and the latter also acquired Bohemia and Hungary when the last Jagiellonian king died in 1526. The 16th and 17th centuries were marked by conflict with the Ottoman Empire, whose vast armies advanced through Austria and were beaten off at the gates of Vienna twice. Having successfully pushed back the Ottoman expansion, Austria acquired additional territories, emerging as a great European power.

In the second half of the 18th century, Empress Maria Theresa and her son Joseph II introduced sweeping reforms that provided the basis for a modern administrative government. The changes brought about on the map of Europe by the French Revolution and the subsequent Napoleonic Wars led to the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, and in 1806 Emperor Francis II renounced the Roman imperial crown. Two years earlier he had followed the lead of Napoleon and declared Austria an empire.

After suffering a number of crushing defeats in the course of the formation of the Italian state, the Habsburgs were forced to make concessions to a rising wave of nationalism. In 1867, Emperor Francis Joseph approved the establishment of the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary. This multinational state collapsed after the First World War, not least because of the drive for independence among its numerous nationalities.

20TH CENTURY

As the surviving state of the former Dual Monarchy, Austria was proclaimed a republic in 1918, but it was difficult for this small nation to find its place in the new European order. In 1938 the country fell prey to the pressure of aggression by Hitler’s Germany and the unstable domestic political situation.

Until the signing of the Austrian State Treaty in 1955, the independent Republic of Austria, which had been set up in 1945 with the help of the Allied Forces, remained occupied by the four great powers: France, Great Britain, the Soviet Union and the United States. In 1955, the Austrian Parliament passed a constitutional law to guarantee permanent Austrian neutrality, and in the same year the country became a member of the United Nations.

Over the decades that followed, Austria became a valued and important member of the European project, initially as a member of EFTA. Following many years of efforts to promote the European integration, Austria became a member of the European Union on 1 January 1995. It held the Presidency of the EU Council in 1998 and again in 2006.

https://www.austria.org/history

Weather conditions vary only slightly across the country, the lowland regions in the north and east have more continental influenced conditions with colder winters and hotter summers with moderate precipitation throughout the year. The southeastern areas of Austria have longer and warmer, almost Mediterranean-like summers. 

Austria, located in the European heartland, lies within a temperate climatic zone. Austria’s landscapes include major and minor mountain ranges, hills and plains. 

In the western part of the country the influence of the temperate Atlantic climate is felt more strongly. Consequently, this part is subject to less extreme weather conditions; winters are usually mild and summers rather warm. The west is also characterized by high precipitation. The diversity of topographical and climatic conditions results in a very versatile flora and fauna.

The geographic features in the more mountainous regions of the country have given rise to yet another climate zone, the Alpine climate, which causes winters to be colder than at lower altitudes. Temperatures depend largely on altitude, with averages 41 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius) lower for each additional 985 ft (300 m) of elevation. The country’s highest mountain is the Grossglockner (3,797m or 12,457 ft). Be aware that whatever the season, if you’re at a high altitude, the weather can change quickly and dramatically. 

Temperatures 
The coldest month in Austria is usually January. The winter snow cover lasts from late December through March in the valleys, from November through May at about 5,905 ft or 1,800 m, and becomes in many years permanent above about 8,202 ft or 2,500 m. Temperatures begin to rise again in February. In March, temperatures may rise up to 54 degrees Fahrenheit (12 degrees Celsius). Summers can be hot, with temperatures sometimes reaching 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) or more (maximum temperatures revolve around around 95 degrees Fahrenheit or 35 degrees Celsius in July). Summer evenings are usually cool.

Precipitation 
Precipitation is quite evenly distributed over the entire year. However, the months May, September and the first half of October tend to be the driest; April and November tend to be the wettest periods.  

Again, altitude determines the precipitation pattern; while high-level areas in the Alps may have a high average rainfall in excess of 2000 mm per year, while some regions in the flatlands of Austria have only 600 mm annually. From June through August, rain usually comes in the form of sometimes heavy thunderstorms, these storms can bring heavy hail and snowfall in the mountainous regions of the Alps, even in summer.

Required clothing 
Lightweights with rainwear for summer, waterproof Medium- to Heavyweights for winter. A sweater is necessary almost any time of year.

Koeppen-Geiger Classification 
The climate of Austria can be classified as Cfb Climate; a warm temperated humid climate with the warmest month lower than 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22 degrees Celsius) over average and four or more months above 50 (10 degrees Celsius) over average. The climate of the Mountainous Regions of Austria can be classified as Dfb Climate; a humid snow climate with the warmest month between 50 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit (10 – 22 degrees Celsius), the coldest month below 26 degrees Fahrenheit (-3 degrees Celsius) and at last four or more months above 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). 

http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/reports/climate/Austria.htm

https://www.austria.org/climate

In 2016, 8 739 806 people were living in Austria according to final results of Statistics Austria. 287 946 people (~ +3.3%) more than at the beginning of 2013. As in previous years, the population growth could be mainly attributed to gains from international migration, while birth surpluses and statistical adjustments only made for comparatively small increases of the population figure.
 

POPULATION GROWTH

Fertility
87 675 children were born in Austria in 2016, which corresponds to a crude birth rate of 10.0 live births per 1 000 population. The total fertility rate was 1.53 children per woman. This average is therefore well below the “replacement level” of approx. 2 children per woman. Measured by the “net reproduction rate”, the generation currently at reproductive ages will numerically reproduce itself by 74 per cent. The fact that the period fertility is so low in Austria is also due to the ever rising age at childbirth (“postponement” of births). The mean fertility age in 2016 was 30.6 years, i.e. 0.4 years higher than in 2012. 

Mortality and Life Expectancy (incl. infant mortality)
80 669 deaths were recorded in Austria in 2016, which corresponds to a crude death rate of 9.2 deaths per 1 000 population. In 2016 the life expectancy of an Austrian male at birth was 79.1 years, i.e. 0.8 years higher than in 2012. The life expectancy at birth for women has risen by 0.7 years since 2012, to a current figure of 84.0 years.
The infant mortality rate – infant deaths per 1 000 live births – was 3.1 per thousand in Austria in 2016. Since 1997 this figure has always been below the 5-per-thousand mark, since 2006 even below the 4-per-thousand mark. The total of infant deaths in the first week of life and stillbirths is called the number of “perinatal deaths”. In 2016 there were 5.2 per 1000 live births.

International migration
Austria recorded an international net-migration gain of 64 676 people in 2016, about 43% less than in the previous year because of the refugee crisis (2015: +113 067). Migration statistics, calculated by Statistics Austria and derived from data of the Central Register of Residence, showed an inflow of 174 310 people in 2016 and an outflow of 109 634. As in previous years, Austrian citizens had a negative migration balance of 5044, meaning a significant increase of migration loss over the previous year. However, a migration gain of 69720 people was recorded for foreign citizens.

Components of population change
From a demographic perspective, Austria’s population growth can be attributed first and foremost to a positive net migration (balance of immigration and emigration). In contrast, the natural increase (balance of births and deaths) makes only a comparatively small contribution to population growth. Marked differences, however, occurred between federal territories: Population gains mainly resulted from natural population increases in Vorarlberg, while migration gains accounted for a small part. In contrast, there was a surplus of deaths over births registered in Burgenland, Lower Austria, Styria and Carinthia. In Vienna, the large population increase was nearly exclusively the result of net-migration gains.

In 2016 on average some 1.898 million people (~ 22.1% of the population) with foreign background were living in Austria.  1.414,9 million of them were born abroad, while 483 100 people were descendants of foreign-born parents but born in Austria and thus counted as “second generation”. 

The figure of  174.310 arrivals from abroad and 109.634 departures to foreign countries produced an international net migration of 64.676 people in 2016. Migration gains thus were about 43% lower than in 2015 (+113.067 people). As in previous years, Austrian citizens had a negative migration balance of 5044, meaning a significant decrease of migration loss compared to the previous year (-5450). However, a migration gain of  69.720 people was recorded for foreign citizens, significantly lower than in 2015 (+118.517).

About 50% of migration gains with foreign citizens could be allotted to EU citizens (+34.123 people). The largest sub-group was formed of Romanians citizens (+7.531), followed by Hungarians (+5.972 people) and Germans (+5.442). 

The migration balance of third country nationals reached +35.371 people in 2016. Almost 23% of migration gains with third-country nationals were with citizens of European states outside the EU. The largest sub-group were citizens of afghanistan (+8.992 people), followed by Syrians (+7.839 people).

At the level of the federal states, Vienna remained the prime destination for international immigration to Austria. The federal capital accounted for about 32.7% of net migration (+21.139 people), followed by Upper Austria (+11.118), Lower Austria (+7.044) and Styria (+6.343). Within the federal provinces, international immigration focused on the state capitals and their environs; in Tyrol, Salzburg and Carinthia, it also gravitated towards tourist regions and in the case of Lower Austria towards the southern suburbs of Vienna.

Migration within Austria
Since the beginning of the 1970s Austria`s population change is determined almost exclusively by migratory movements, since births and deaths are largely balanced. Corresponding to the relation of the numbers of births and deaths, internal migration has a regionally varying influence on the evolution of the population.

There were 817.139 cases of people migrating within Austria in 2016, up from 795.028 in 2015. The majority of these internal migrations involved relatively short distances, with around 53% of cases concerning moves within a municipality. 

As a result of Vienna being the single city in Austria with more than 1 million inhabitants and the resulting intensified functional linkages with surrounding regions, migration gains from internal migration occurred more frequently in the East of Austria than in other parts of the country. Most migrants are between 20 and 34 years old and are Austrian nationals, albeit the relative frequency of internal migration is higher with foreigners. Age-specific patterns of internal migration show a pronounced trend for suburbanisation, which with increasing age, also extends to further outlying areas. Only young adults aged 18 to 26 years predominantly move to central cities to benefit from their larger offer of educational and vocational opportunities.

Population by demographic characteristics
Decline in the surplus of women, aging population, continuing growth of the Austrian population with a foreign background: These headlines reflect some of the principal results of the 2016 Register-based Census relating to the demographic topics. 

The gender ratio of 866 men to 1 000 women calculated by the 1951 Population Census had, by 2017, increased to 966 men to 1 000 women. One reason for the excess of women – the men who fell during the two World Wars – has become ever less significant as more and more war widows have died. The fact that there is nevertheless a larger proportion of women is related to the higher life expectancy of females. 

For instance, the average age has increased by 0.2 since 2016 (2017: 42.5). The proportion of elderly people in 2017 was 18.5%; the “quotient of seniors” (ratio of people aged 65 and above to 100 people of primary working age between 20 and 64 years) was 61.9. The quotient of young people (ratio of children and youngsters up to 19 years to 100 people of primary working age) was 19.6 in 2017. Despite a growing number and proportion of seniors, the “overall dependency quotient” has slightly increased compared to 2016 (61.5 against 61.6 in 2017).

Population by the Level of Education
The level of education of the population relates to the highest level of education completed. In Austria, 1 065 008 people have completed a tertiary education according to the Register-based Census 2011. Compared to the last census 2001 this number has risen by about 333600 people, or 45.6%. The number of graduates on the secondary level has also risen. Young women reached already a higher level of education than their male companions.

During the last ten years the overall education level has risen again: the younger generation is better educated, and the old, generally less educated (because of worse education possibilities in the past) people are dying away. The percentage of the population with more than just a lower secondary degree has risen from 60.8% to 71.7% or in other words by almost one million people. 

DEMOGRAPHIC FORECAST

According to the assumptions for fertility, mortality and migration by Statistics Austria, the total population of Austria will increase to 9.43 million people (+9%) until 2030. In 2015, the reference year for the new population projection, Austria had a population of 8.63 million.

Diverse regional development: Vienna will see the highest growth
According to the main scenario, the population development will vary substantially among the nine provinces during the next decades. Vienna (+18%) is expected to have the most marked population growth until 2040, followed by Lower Austria, Tyrol and Vorarlberg. Carinthia is the only province being expected to lose some population until 2060.

Population Growth will be Accompanied by Aging
Children and youngsters under 20 years are projected to account for a slightly smaller proportion of the total population, namely 19% in 2060 as compared to 19.6% in 2017. The majority of the provinces will follow this trend, except Vienna, where rising proportions are expected. As the “baby-boom generation” (those born between 1955 and 1970) will reach the retirement age after 2015, the size of the elderly population (ages 65 and over) is projected to increase in all of the nine provinces. Thus for Austria as a whole, the proportion of the elderly population will grow from 18.6% in 2017 to 28.1% by 2060. By then, Carinthia (34%) as well as Burgenland (33%) are expected to remain the “oldest” regions while the western part of Austria (Tyrol and Vorarlberg) as well as Vienna will still rank as the “youngest” regions. Vienna will hold a share of 23% elderly people by 2060. The average age of Austria’s population will significantly increase over the next decades from 42.5 (2017) to 47.0 years (2060).

Increase of the foreign born population
A further increase of the foreign born population due to migration is expected. In the year 2017, 1.675 million people born in a foreign country lived in Austria. This averages 19% of the total population. The number of this population group will rise to 2.06 million  until the year 2030, and to 2.49 million until 2060. The share of foreign born population will increase to 22% (2030) and 25% (2060), respectively. Currently, Vienna holds a population ratio of 35% (2017) of foreign born persons. This share will increase to slightly more than 41% in the year 2040.

LANGUAGES OF AUSTRIA

The majority of the population speaks German, which is also the country’s official language. It is the language used in media, in schools, and formal announcements. The variety of German used, Austrian German is partially influenced by Austro-Bavarian and uses many “Germanized” words and expressions deriving from it. 

Austro-Bavarian
The main native language of Austria outside Vorarlberg is Austro-Bavarian, which is spoken using many different dialects. The northern parts of Austria (including Vienna) speak Central Austro-Bavarian dialects and the southern parts Southern Austro-Bavarian dialects. Austro-Bavarian differs heavily from high German, making it hard for German speakers of different regions to understand the native population.

Alemannic
Alemannic is spoken in Vorarlberg. Vorarlberg uses a High Alemannic, the same dialect group as that spoken in Northern Switzerland (outside Basel) and parts of southern Alsace, France. To most Germans and Austrians outside of Vorarlberg it is very difficult to understand, as it is more similar to Swiss German, with many grammatical and pronunciation differences.

Minority languages
A number of minority languages are spoken in Austria, some of which have official status.

• Serbian: is the largest minority language, with usage by 2.4% of Austrians.
• Turkish: is the second minority language, spoken by some 2.3% of the population.
• Burgenland Croatian: Burgenland Croatian, an official language in Burgenland, is spoken by 2.5% of Austrians, and Burgenland Croats are recognized as a minority and have enjoyed special rights following the Austrian State Treaty (Staatsvertrag) of 1955.
• Hungarian: While little spoken today, Hungarian has traditionally held an important position in Austria (or, more correctly, Austria-Hungary). Today, Hungarian is spoken by around 20,000 people (.05% of the Austrian population) in Burgenland.
• Slovene: an official language in Carinthia, is spoken by 0.3% of Austrians. Carinthian Slovenes are recognized as a minority and have enjoyed special rights following the Austrian State Treaty (Staatsvertrag) of 1955.

European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
Austria ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages on 28 June 2001 for the following languages in respect of specific Länder

• Croatian of Burgenland
• Slovene (in Carinthia and Styria)
• Hungarian (in Burgenland and Vienna)
• Czech (in Vienna)
• Slovak (in Vienna)
• Romani (in Burgenland)

ETHNIC GROUPS

The Austrian Federal Constitution calls for the respect and promotion of ethnic groups resident in Austria. Special rights for Croatian (around 30,000), Slovenian (13,000 to 40,000 Slovenes in the Austrian state of Carinthia), Hungarian, Czech and Slovak ethnic groups and for Roma are established in the Ethnic Group Act [Volksgruppengesetz] of 1976 and a number of other laws and regulations.

The rights of the Croatian and Slovenian ethnic groups are also set forth in the State Treaty of Vienna (1955).The Slovenes in the Austrian state of Styria (estimated at a number between 1,600 and 5,000) are not recognised as a minority and do not enjoy special rights, although the State Treaty of 27 July 1955 states otherwise. The Ethnic Groups Act of 1976 only recognises members of indigenous (autochthonous) ethnic groups, a term that applies to Austrian citizens whose families have been living in Austria for at least three generations.

Source:

https://www.statistik.at/web_de/statistiken/menschen_und_gesellschaft/bevoelkerung/index.html

https://www.austria.org/population

The end of the Cold War enabled Austria to move from its peripheral position at the borderline between “East” and “West” closer to the centre of a larger Europe. The East-West conflict, which had been the determining factor before the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the consequent collapse of Communism, was replaced by new forms of partnership and cooperation across Europe.

In this context, Austria embarked on a new and important course: On January 1, 1995, it joined the European Union (EU). Since then, it has held the Presidency of the Council of the EU in 1998 and 2006. The next turn is scheduled from July through December in 2018. For Austria, its EU membership not only entailed its participation in a successful and future-oriented economic project that it had wanted to join for a long time, but it also offered the opportunity to become part of a peace project promising stability and security on the European continent. With this in mind, Austria has since focussed its efforts on fostering the integration of neighbouring states in Eastern and Central Europe and the Western Balkans.

In February 1995, Austria accepted the invitation to participate in NATO’s Partnership for Peace. Under the Individual Partnership Programme, Austria therefore supports NATO in peace missions, crisis management activities and rescue operations in disaster areas. Austria is thus continuing its long-standing tradition of active membership of the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). In this context, Austria participated, for instance, in missions in Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Afghanistan. Through its membership of international organisations, like the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Council of Europe, Austria has undertaken every effort to support and proactively contribute to their peace and security policies. In this spirit Austria has been actively participating in UN missions in the Middle East (UNDOF, UNTSO), in Cyprus (UNFICYP) and in Africa (UNOWA) by providing troops and also by dispatching personnel to a large number of other UN and OSCE missions.

Vienna is one of the headquarters of the United Nations and hosts the IAEA, UNIDO, CTBTO and further members of the UN organisation family (UNODC, UNCOPUOS). Moreover, the Secretariat of the Permanent Council of the OSCE, OPEC and the OPEC Fund as well as the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (for the protection of human and fundamental rights) are based in the Austrian capital.

Vienna has frequently been the venue of superpower summits that set the course of history and a meeting place of a large number of important international negotiations. Today, the Austrian capital hosts international conferences and congresses held to deliberate on current challenges and problems as well as prospects for their resolution. Recent conferences include those on the role of women in conflict prevention and crisis management as well as on human trafficking. The latter also reflected the sense of urgency felt in Austria and internationally to fight human trafficking both in Europe and at the international level.

Austria has found new and far-reaching opportunities to strengthen its position in the world. Readiness to actively secure peace and combat misguided developments on the world stage are among the priorities of Austrian foreign policy, both within the Union and internationally. In particular, the activities launched by Austria in this context include negotiation diplomacy, crisis management, stability policy as well as disaster relief and reconstruction.

Austria also contributes to the international efforts to pursue a climate-sensitive energy policy by undertaking measures aimed at a sustainable national environmental and energy policy. In addition to its own strict national legislation Austria has also adopted additional provisions in the field of landscape conservation which had been agreed upon within the European Union. Austria abides by its decision to remain a nonnuclear country, which was taken just before the commissioning of the Zwentendorf nuclear power plant. This followed a clear rejection of nuclear power by Austrian voters in a referendum. Against this background, nuclear power plants in neighbouring countries are a particular concern of Austria’s safety interests.

Despite changing conditions, Austria continues a long-standing tradition of making an active contribution to maintaining peace and security.

https://www.austria.org/position-in-the-world

Overview

Austria is a landlocked country of approximately 8.7 million inhabitants in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The territory of Austria covers 83,878 square kilometres (32,385 sq mi) and has a temperate and alpine climate. Austria’s terrain is highly mountainous due to the presence of the Alps; only 32% of the country is below 500 metres (1,640 ft), and its highest point the Grossglockner is 3,798 metres (12,460 ft). The majority of the population speaks German, which is also the country’s official language. Other local official languages are Croatian, Hungarian and Slovene.

Austria is a parliamentary representative democracy. The capital and largest city, with a population exceeding 1.8 million, is Vienna. Austria is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, with a nominal per capita GDP of $46,972 (2018 est.). The country has developed a high standard of living and in 2016 was ranked 24rd in the world for its Human Development Index. Austria has been a member of the United Nations since 1955, joined the European Union in 1995, and is a founder of the OECD. Austria also signed the Schengen Agreement in 1995, and adopted the European currency, the euro, in 1999.

As a federal republic, Austria is comprised of nine independent federal states (also referred to as provinces): Burgenland, Carinthia, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, Vorarlberg and Vienna.

The origins of Austria date back to the time of the Roman Empire when a Celtic kingdom was conquered by the Romans in approximately 15 BC and later became Noricum, a Roman province, in the mid-1st century AD—an area which mostly encloses today’s Austria. In 788 AD, the Frankish king Charlemagne conquered the area and introduced Christianity. Under the native Habsburg dynasty, Austria became one of the great powers of Europe. In 1867, the Austrian Empire was reformed into Austria-Hungary.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed in 1918 with the end of World War I. The First Austrian Republic was established in 1919. In the 1938 Anschluss, Austria was occupied and annexed by Nazi Germany. This lasted until the end of World War II in 1945, after which Austria was occupied by the Allies and its former democratic constitution was restored. In 1955, the Austrian State Treaty re-established Austria as a sovereign state, ending the occupation. In the same year, the Austrian Parliament created the Declaration of Neutrality which declared that the country would become permanently neutral.

https://www.austria.org/overview