Austria Government

Austria is a democratic republic with a federal parliament. The legislature consists of two chambers: the National and the Federal Councils. Before becoming a democratic republic, Austria existed as a monarchy until 1918. The first republic of Austria took effect until 1938 when Germany took control of the country.

Elections in Austria are held at the federal level and at the local level. At the federal level, the President and the 183 members of the National Council are elected. The Federal Council (Bundesrat) has 61 members who are elected by the nine states of Austria. A president must garner 50% plus one vote to assume office. If none of the candidates achieve the threshold, then the first and second candidates compete in a runoff. Presidential elections are held after six years while elections for the National Council are held after five years. A president can serve for a maximum of two terms.

The Federal Assembly congregates at the Austrian Parliament Building in Vienna. The president’s official workplace and residence is the Hofburg; an imperial palace in the capital city of Vienna. The Austrian Chancellor resides at the Ballhausplatz building, also in Vienna.

The major political parties in Austria include the Austrian People's Party, the Freedom Party of Austria, and the New Austria and Liberal Forum.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Vienna
Languages	German (official nationwide) 88.6%, Turkish 2.3%, Serbian 2.2%, Croatian (official in Burgenland) 1.6%, other (includes Slovene, official in South Carinthia, and Hungarian, official in Burgenland) 5.3% (2001 est.)
Ethnic Groups	Austrians 91.1%, former Yugoslavs 4% (includes Croatians, Slovenes, Serbs, and Bosniaks), Turks 1.6%, Germans 0.9%, other or unspecified 2.4% (2001 census)
Religion	Catholic 73.8% (includes Roman Catholic 73.6%, other Catholic 0.2%), Protestant 4.9%, Muslim 4.2%, Orthodox 2.2%, other 0.8% (includes other Christian), none 12%, unspecified 2% (2001 est.)
Government	Federal parliamentary republic
Independance	12 November 1918 (republic proclaimed); notable earlier dates: 976 (Margravate of Austria established); 17 September 1156 (Duchy of Austria founded); 11 August 1804 (Austrian Empire proclaimed)
Area	83,871.00 km²
Water Area	1,426.00 km²
Land Area	82,445.00 km²
Population	8,711,770.00 The northern and eastern portions of the country are more densely populated; nearly two-thirds of the populace lives in urban areas
Location	Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia
No. Bordering Countries	8
Bordering Countries	Czech Republic 402 km, Germany 801 km, Hungary 321 km, Italy 404 km, Liechtenstein 34 km, Slovakia 105 km, Slovenia 299 km, Switzerland 158 km
GDP(PPP)	$417,000,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$47,900.00 (USD)
Export Partners	its major export partners are Germany, the United States, Italy, and Switzerland.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, and paper and paperboard.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are Germany, Italy, and China.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, and chemicals.
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
Learn More	Austria

Austria Government

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