Data at glance of Austria - average on period

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.

Environment

Area: 83,871 km2

Climate: temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers

Natural resources: oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower

Ethnic characteristics

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.)note: data represent population by country of birth

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

Capital: Vienna

Government type: federal parliamentary republic

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

Legislative branch

Description: legislature name: Parliament (Parlament)legislative structure: bicameral