Austria — a federal republic in the heart of Central Europe

Austria is a landlocked country in Central Europe covering 83,879 km², with a population of 8,979,894 and Vienna as its capital. Founded as a republic on 12 November 1918 after the collapse of the Habsburg monarchy, it has since become one of the continent’s more prosperous states, with a nominal GDP of approximately USD 579.47 billion in 2025. Its geography is dominated by the Alps, its rivers drain into two seas, and Vienna functions as one of only four cities in the world hosting a permanent United Nations headquarters.

Key facts

  • Capital: Vienna
  • Continent: Europe
  • Population: 8,979,894
  • Area: 83,879 km²
  • Official language: German; Austrian Sign Language
  • Currency: euro
  • Head of state: Alexander Van der Bellen
  • ISO code: AT
  • Founded: 12 November 1918

Geography and Natural Environment

The Alps define Austria’s physical character. The country’s highest point, the Grossglockner, reaches 3,798 metres (12,461 ft) above sea level in the central Alps. Two major rivers mark the country’s drainage: the Danube, Austria’s longest river, flows eastward into the Black Sea, and the Drava River follows close behind in total length.

Austria’s water resources are extensive. The country has more than 25,000 water bodies with a surface area greater than 250 m², of which over 2,000 exceed 1 hectare. The southern province of Carinthia alone contains over 1,200 lakes. That abundance of water also drives the country’s electricity supply: hydropower alone accounts for approximately 66.7% of electricity generation, and the government has set a target of 100% renewable electricity production by 2030.

As of 2024, the median age in Austria is 43.4 years, and 58.1% of the population, approximately 5,300,327 people, lives in urban areas. German is the official language; Austrian Sign Language holds equal official status.

History

The Habsburg dynasty shaped Austria’s trajectory for more than six centuries. Rudolf I of Habsburg established the dynasty’s grip on the region in 1273, and through strategic marriages and territorial expansion, the Habsburgs ruled until 1918, building Austria into a major European power.

Between September 1814 and June 1815, Vienna hosted the Congress of Vienna, chaired by Austrian statesman Klemens von Metternich. The congress redrew the map of Europe following the Napoleonic Wars and fixed the continent’s borders for a generation.

The republic proclaimed on 12 November 1918 adopted its constitution in 1920. That constitution was re-enacted in 1945 after the Second World War. The Allied occupation of Austria ended with the Austrian State Treaty, signed on 15 May 1955, which restored full sovereignty. Austria formally declared permanent neutrality in October 1955, and that declaration was subsequently anchored in the constitution.

Government and Political System

Austria is a federal parliamentary republic. Its constitution divides the country into nine federal states, known as Bundesländer, one of which is the capital Vienna. The Federal President is directly elected by popular vote for a term of six years and serves as the highest representative of the republic. Alexander Van der Bellen holds that office.

On the international stage, Austria’s elected status has grown. In June 2026, Austria was elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2027–2028 term, defeating Germany in the vote; Austria received 131 votes, making this its fourth term on the Council.

Economy and Trade

Austria’s nominal GDP reached approximately USD 579.47 billion in 2025, placing the country among the world’s 29th largest economies. The export quota in 2024 stood at 55.7% of GDP, with Germany, the USA, and Italy ranked as the three most important trade partners.

Machinery and vehicles led Austrian exports in 2025, accounting for 37.2% of total outbound trade at EUR 70.79 billion, according to data from Statistics Austria.

Tourism contributes substantially to the economy. In 2024, overnight stays reached 154.29 million and total visitor arrivals rose to 46.71 million, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 1%. Tourism generated approximately EUR 53.5 billion in 2024 and created over 541,000 jobs, representing roughly one in six jobs in the Austrian economy.

Vienna as an International Hub

Vienna hosts the headquarters of several major international organisations: the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations Office at Vienna, UNIDO, UNODC, OPEC, and the OSCE. This concentration makes Vienna one of only four UN headquarters cities in the world.

The UN presence in Vienna, as of 2025, secures nearly 20,000 jobs and generates an annual economic impact of approximately EUR 1.7 billion for Austria, according to the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs.

Culture and Heritage

Austria holds 9 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, among them the Historic Centre of Salzburg, the Historic Centre of Vienna, and the Hallstatt-Dachstein/Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape. In 2011, UNESCO officially added Viennese coffeehouse culture to Austria’s national inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage, recognising the Wiener Kaffeehaus as a place of social and intellectual life.

The Salzburg Festival, founded in 1920 by Max Reinhardt, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, and Richard Strauss, is an annual summer performing arts event held over five to six weeks in Salzburg. It presents opera, theatre, and concerts, drawing audiences from across the world.

Did you know

  • The salt mine at Hallstatt in the Salzkammergut region of Upper Austria is the oldest known salt mine in the world. Archaeological artefacts date human use back 7,000 years to the Neolithic period, and the site is still actively worked. (earthmagazine.org)
  • Vienna was the birthplace of modern psychoanalysis. Sigmund Freud lived and worked at Berggasse 19 in Vienna for nearly 50 years, developing his theories on dreams and the subconscious mind there. The address is now the Sigmund Freud Museum. (15funfacts.com)
  • The Hallstatt era, an early Iron Age culture dated approximately 800 BC to 400 BC that spread from France to the Black Sea, takes its name from the Austrian village of Hallstatt. The village was so economically important for salt production that it gave its name to an entire archaeological period in European prehistory. (classroom.ricksteves.com)
  • Tourism in Austria generated approximately EUR 53.5 billion in 2024, creating over 541,000 jobs. That figure means tourism accounts for roughly one in six jobs in the Austrian economy. (gowithguide.com)
  • Austria has over 1,200 lakes in the single southern province of Carinthia alone. Five of them are known collectively as the Five Sister Lakes, or Fünf Schwesterseen. (nationsencyclopedia.com)

Data sources

Data updated: 2026-10-31