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Austria Background Information

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 Monetary Union in 1999.

Austria Quickstats

  • Population: 8,199,783 (July 2007 est.)
  • Area: 83,870 sq km
  • Density: 99 /km² (99th)
  • GDP (total): $279.5 billion (34th)
  • GDP (per capita): $35,500 (8th)
  • Literacy: 98%

Languages of Austria

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  • Currency: euro (€) ² (EUR)
  • Dial code: +43

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