General 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.
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.
The Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 and Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995 have altered the meaning of this neutrality. A prosperous, democratic country, Austria entered the EU Economic and Monetary Union in 1999.
Demographics
With an area of 83,858 sq km (32,378 sq mi), is a landlocked country in Central Europe, extending 573 km (356 mi) E-W and 294 km (183 mi) N-S.
Comparatively, Austria is slightly smaller than the state of Maine. Bounded on the N by Germany and the Czech Republic, on the E by Hungary, on the S by Slovenia and Italy, and on the W by Liechtenstein and Switzerland, Austria has a total boundary length of 2,562 km (1,588 mi).
• Country name: Republic of Austria
• Capital Name: Vienna
• Location: Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia
• Population: 8,205,533 (July 2008 est.)
• Nationality: Austrian(s)
• Languages: German (official nationwide) 88.6%, Turkish 2.3%, Serbian 2.2%, Croatian (official in Burgenland) 1.6%, other (includes Slovene, official in Carinthia, and Hungarian, official in Burgenland) 5.3% (2001 census)
• 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% (2001 census)
Economy
Austria has been a member of the European Union since 1 January 1995.
Austria has a well-developed market economy with a high standard of living. With exports of goods and services reaching over 40% of GDP Austria's economy is closely integrated with other EU member countries especially with Germany.
Austria's entry into the EU has drawn an influx of foreign investors attracted by Austria's access to the single European market.
• GDP (purchasing power parity): $317.8 billion (2007 est.)
• GDP - real growth rate: 3.4% (2007 est.)
• GDP - per capita (PPP): $38,400 (2007 est.)
• Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.2% (2007 est.)
• Exports: $164.9 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
• Imports: $162.7 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Government
Civil law system with Roman law origin; judicial review of legislative acts by the Constitutional Court; separate administrative and civil/penal supreme courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.
• Administrative divisions: 9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland); Burgenland, Kaernten (Carinthia), Niederoesterreich (Lower Austria), Oberoesterreich (Upper Austria), Salzburg, Steiermark (Styria), Tirol (Tyrol), Vorarlberg, Wien (Vienna)
• Legal system: Based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence.
• Constitution: 1920; revised 1929; reinstated 1 May 1945; note - during the period 1 May 1934-1 May 1945 there was a fascist (corporative) constitution in place.
• Independence: 976 (Margravate of Austria established); 17 September 1156 (Duchy of Austria founded); 11 August 1804 (Austrian Empire proclaimed); 12 November 1918 (republic proclaimed).
References
The Austrian Federal Chancellery - Official Website
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) - The World Factbook
Nation Master - World Data Center
Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia
Lonely Planet - Travel Guidebook
