Government & People

With an area of 83.858 sq km, Austria consists of 9 independent federal states (Burgenland, Carinthia, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, Vorarlberg and Vienna) with their own provincial governments. The federal legislation is exercised by the national council (Nationalrat) together with the Upper House of Parliament (Bundesrat) – the two chambers of Parliament. Austria is a member of the European Union, the United Nations as well as most UN organizations.

Of the approximately 8 million inhabitants of Austria, 98% speak German. The six ethnic groups officially recognized in Austria (Burgenlandic Croatians, Roma, Slovaks, Slovenians, Czechs and Hungarians) are concentrated in the east and south of the country.

Approximately 74 % of Austrians are Roman Catholic, 5 % are Protestant, the rest belongs to other faiths.

Austria's Nine Regions:

Burgenland
Carinthia
Lower Austria
Upper Austria
Salzburg
Styria
Tirol
Vorarlberg
Vienna

Further Information:

Austrian Encyclopaedia: www.aeiou.at
Foreign Ministry : www.bmaa.gv.at
Federal Chancellery: www.austria.gv.at