Population: 8,188,207 (July 2003 est.)
Area: 32,377 sq mi (83,858 sq km), slightly smaller than Maine
Bordering Countries: (from n. clockwise) Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary (Ungarn), Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland (Schweiz), Liechtenstein
Coastline: Austria is landlocked, although it once had the Adriatic port of Trieste, now in Italy.
Lowest Point: Neusiedler See (Lake Neusiedl) 115 m
Highest Point: Großglockner 3,798 m
Major Cities: Vienna (Wien, capital) 1,600,000, Graz 240,000, Linz 190,000, Salzburg 144,000, Innsbruck 110,000
Religions: Roman Catholic (Katholisch) 78%, Protestant (Evangelisch) 5%, Other or non-affiliated 17%
Government: Federal republic with a parliamentary democracy. Austria's first constitution as a republic went into force on November 10, 1920. After the restoration of Austrian sovereignty in 1955, that same constitution (with revisions in 1925 and 1929) again went into effect.
Legislature: There are two legislative bodies. The Nationalrat is Austria's House of Representatives or lower house of parliament (Parlament). Its members are elected to four-year terms in popular elections. The Bundesrat (Federal Council) is Austria's upper house. Its members are elected by the members of the Länder parliaments.
Heads of Government: The federal president (der Bundespräsident) holds office for a six-year term and can be re-elected only once. Voting in presidential elections is compulsory in most Austrian provinces. Although he has little real political power, the Austrian president has several constitutional duties, chief among which are the appointment of the Federal Chancellor and the right to dissolve parliament. The current federal president is Thomas Klestil (ÖVP, Austrian People's Party).
The federal chancellor (der Bundeskanzler) is appointed by the Bundespräsident, usually from one of the ruling political parties. The chancellor is the head of parliament and the country's political leader. The current Austrian federal chancellor is Dr. Wolfgang Schüssel (ÖVP, Austrian People's Party).
Courts: The Federal Constitutional Court (der Bundesverfassungsgerichtshof) is the highest court of the land and the guardian of the constitution. There are lower federal and state courts.
Länder: Austria has nine federal provinces (Bundesländer) with governmental powers similar to those of U.S. states. Each province has its own legislature (Landtag) and governor (Landeshauptmann, appointed by the members of the Landtag).
Monetary Unit: The euro (der Euro) replaced the Schilling when Austria joined 11 other European countries that put the euro into circulation in January 2002. See Der Euro kommt.
More About Austria:
Bundesländer: Austria's Federal Provinces (with map)
Almanac: European Mountains
Almanac: European Rivers
German History: History Contents Page
Money: Der Euro
WEB: Austria - Wikipedia
WEB: Österreich - Wikipedia