Austria, officially the Republic of Austria, is a nation in the southerly part of Central Europe. It is a federation of 9 states, one of which is the funding Vienna, the largest city as well as state by populace. The country is bordered by Germany to the northwest, the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia to the northeast, Hungary to the eastern, Slovenia as well as Italy to the south, and Switzerland and also Liechtenstein to the west. It occupies a landlocked location of 83,879 km2 (32,386 sq mi) and also has a population of roughly 9 million individuals.

Austria emerged from the residues of the Eastern as well as Hungarian March at the end of the initial millennium. Originally a margraviate of Bavaria, it later on developed into a duchy of the Holy Roman Realm in 1156, and then an archduchy in 1453. Since the 16th century, Vienna began working as the administrative royal resources and also Austria thus ended up being the heartland of your home of Habsburg. Adhering to the Empire’s dissolution in 1806, Austria established its very own empire, which became a world power and also the leading participant of the German Confederation. The Austrian Empire’s defeat in the Austro-Prussian Battle of 1866 result in completion of the Confederation and also paved the way for the establishment of Austria-Hungary a year later on.

Following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914, Emperor Franz Joseph stated war on Serbia, which ultimately escalated into World War I. The Realm’s defeat and also subsequent collapse brought about the proclamation of the Republic of German-Austria in 1918 and also later on the Initial Austrian Republic in 1919. During the interwar period, anti-parliamentarian beliefs culminated in the formation of an Austrofascist tyranny under Engelbert Dollfuss in 1934. A year prior to the break out of The second world war, Austria was annexed right into Nazi Germany by Adolf Hitler, as well as it came to be a sub-national department. Following its freedom in 1945 and an extensive period of Allied profession, the country regained its sovereignty as well as stated its perpetual neutrality in 1955.

Austria is a parliamentary representative freedom with a popularly chosen president as president and also a chancellor as head of government and also president. Major metropolitan areas include Vienna, Graz, Linz, Salzburg and Innsbruck. Austria is constantly noted as one of the richest nations worldwide by GDP per capita, among the countries with the highest possible standard of life, and also was placed 18th in the world for its Human being Advancement Index in 2020.

Austria has been a member of the United Nations since 1955 as well as of the European Union because 1995. It plays host to the OSCE and also OPEC and also is a founding participant of the OECD and Interpol. It additionally signed the Schengen Contract in 1995, as well as embraced the euro currency in 1999.