Austria

Location

• Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia
• note 1: landlocked; strategic location at the crossroads of central Europe with many easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys; major river is the Danube; population is concentrated on eastern lowlands because of steep slopes, poor soils, and low temperatures elsewherenote 2: the world's largest and longest ice cave system at 42 km (26 mi) is the Eisriesenwelt (Ice Giants World) inside the Hochkogel mountain near Werfen, about 40 km south of Salzburg; ice caves are bedrock caves that contain year-round ice formations; they differ from glacial caves, which are transient and are formed by melting ice and flowing water within and under glaciers

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Vienna	1,691,468	Capital
Graz	303,270
Linz	204,846
Favoriten	201,882
Donaustadt	187,007
Floridsdorf	162,779
Salzburg	157,245
Innsbruck	132,493
Ottakring	104,627
Simmering	101,420

Size

• 32,378 square miles
• 83,858 square kilometers
• about the size of South Carolina; slightly more than two-thirds the size of Pennsylvania

History

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.

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

Languages

German (official nationwide) 88.6%, Turkish 2.3%, Serbian 2.2%, Croatian (official in Burgenland) 1.6%, other (includes Slovene, official in southern Carinthia, and Hungarian, official in Burgenland) 5.3% (2001 est.)major-language sample(s): Das World Factbook, die unverzichtbare Quelle für grundlegende Informationen. (German)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

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.)note:  data on Muslim is a 2016 estimate; data on other/none/unspecified are from 2012-2018 estimates

Government

federal parliamentary republic

• Constitution: history: 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 1945amendment process: proposed through laws designated "constitutional laws" or through the constitutional process if the amendment is part of another law; approval required by at least a two-thirds majority vote by the National Assembly and the presence of one-half of the members; a referendum is required only if requested by one-third of the National Council or Federal Council membership; passage by referendum requires absolute majority vote
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 16 years of age; universal
• Legal System: civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legislative acts
• Executive Branch: chief of state: President Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (since 26 January 2017)head of government: Chancellor Christian STOCKER (since 3 March 2025)cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the chancellor and appointed by the presidentelection/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 6-year term (eligible for a second term); chancellor appointed by the president but determined by the majority coalition parties in the Federal Assembly; vice chancellor appointed by the president on the advice of the chancellormost recent election date: 9 October 2022election results: 2022: Alexander VAN DER BELLEN reelected in first round; percent of vote - Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (independent) 56.7%, Walter ROSENKRANZ (FPO) 17.7%, Dominik WLAZNY (Beer Party) 8.3%, Tassilo WALLENTIN (independent) 8.1%, Gerald GROSZ (independent) 5.6%2016: Alexander VAN DER BELLEN elected in second round; percent of vote in first round - Norbert HOFER (FPOe) 35.1%, Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (independent, allied with the Greens) 21.3%, Irmgard GRISS (independent) 18.9%, Rudolf HUNDSTORFER (SPOe) 11.3%, Andreas KHOL (OeVP) 11.1%, Richard LUGNER (independent) 2.3%; percent of vote in second round - Alexander VAN DER BELLEN 53.8%, Norbert HOFER 46.2%expected date of next election: 2028
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice or Oberster Gerichtshof (consists of 85 judges organized into 17 senates or panels of 5 judges each); Constitutional Court or Verfassungsgerichtshof (consists of 20 judges including 6 substitutes; Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof - 2 judges plus other members depending on the importance of the case)judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges nominated by executive branch departments and appointed by the president; judges serve for life; Constitutional Court judges nominated by several executive branch departments and approved by the president; judges serve for life; Administrative Court judges recommended by executive branch departments and appointed by the president; terms of judges and members determined by the presidentsubordinate courts: Courts of Appeal (4); Regional Courts (20); district courts (120); county courts
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: Parliament (Parlament)legislative structure: bicameral

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• 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
• Budget: revenues: $231.132 billion (2023 est.)expenditures: $241.516 billion (2023 est.)note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower
• Industries: construction, machinery, vehicles and parts, food, metals, chemicals, lumber and paper, electronics, tourism
• Agricultural Products: milk, sugar beets, maize, wheat, barley, potatoes, pork, grapes, triticale, soybeans (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 31.5% (2022 est.)arable land: 16% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 0.8% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 14.7% (2022 est.)forest: 47.2% (2022 est.)other: 21.3% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: cars, garments, vaccines, vehicle parts/accessories, refined petroleum (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: Germany 34%, China 7%, Italy 7%, Switzerland 5%, Czechia 4% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: cars, packaged medicine, vaccines, vehicle parts/accessories, nitrogen compounds (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: Germany 25%, USA 9%, Italy 7%, Switzerland 5%, Hungary 4% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports