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. Following annexation by Nazi
Germany in 1938 and subsequent occupation by the victorious
Allies in 1945, Austria's status remained unclear for a decade.
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. Following the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 and
Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995, some Austrians
have called into question this neutrality. A prosperous,
democratic country, Austria entered the Economic and Monetary
Union in 1999.
Location:
Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia
Area:
83,870 sq km
Border countries:
Czech Republic 362 km, Germany 784 km,
Hungary 366 km, Italy 430 km, Liechtenstein 35 km, Slovakia 91
km, Slovenia 330 km, Switzerland 164 km
Climate:
temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters
with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in
mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers
Geography:
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 elsewhere
Population:
8,192,880
Nationality:
Austrian(s)
Ethnic groups:
Austrians 91.1%, former Yugoslavs 4% (includes
Croatians, Slovenes, Serbs, and Bosniaks), Turks 1.6%, German
0.9%, other or unspecified 2.4%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 73.6%, Protestant 4.7%, Muslim 4.2%,
other 3.5%, unspecified 2%, none 12%
Languages:
German (official nationwide), Slovene (official in Carinthia), Croatian (official in Burgenland), Hungarian
(official in Burgenland)
Government type:
federal republic
Capital:
Vienna
Time zone:
GMT/UTC +01:00
National holiday:
26 October (1955)
Currency:
euro (EUR)
Communications:
Telephones - main lines in use: 3.705 million;
Telephone system:
highly developed and efficient
Transportation:
Airports: 55, Railways: 6,011 km, Roadways:
133,718 km, Waterways: 358 km