3 GeoFroggy

Country Name

Conventional long form: Republic of Austria

Conventional short form: Austria

Local long form: Republik Oesterreich

Local short form: Oesterreich

Administrative Divisions

9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland); Burgenland, Kaernten (Carinthia), Niederoesterreich (Lower Austria), Oberoesterreich (Upper Austria), Salzburg, Steiermark (Styria), Tirol (Tyrol), Vorarlberg, Wien (Vienna)

Independence

no official date of independence: 976 (Margravate of Austria established); 17 September 1156 (Duchy of Austria founded); 6 January 1453 (Archduchy of Austria acknowledged); 11 August 1804 (Austrian Empire proclaimed); 30 March 1867 (Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy established); 12 November 1918 (First Republic proclaimed); 27 April 1945 (Second Republic proclaimed)

National Holiday

National Day (commemorates passage of the law on permanent neutrality), 26 October (1955)

Constitution

History: several previous; latest adopted 1 October 1920, revised 1929, replaced May 1934, replaced by German Weimar constitution in 1938 following German annexation, reinstated 1 May 1945

Legal System

civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts by the Constitutional Court

International Law Organization Participation

Accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Citizenship by birth: no

Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Austria

Dual citizenship recognized: no

Residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Suffrage

16 years of age; universal

Executive Branch

Chief of state: President Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (since 26 January 2017)

Head of government: Chancellor Karl NEHAMMER (since 6 December 2021); note - Chancellor Alexander SCHALLENBERG (since 9 October 2021) resigned on 12/2/21

Cabinet: Council of Ministers chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor

Elections appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 6-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held on 24 April 2016 (first round), 22 May 2016 (second round, which was annulled), and 4 December 2016 (second round re-vote) (next election to be held in April 2022); chancellor appointed by the president but determined by the majority coalition parties in the Federal Assembly; vice chancellor appointed by the president on the advice of the chancellor

Election results: Alexander VAN DER BELLEN elected in second round; percent of vote in first round - Norbert HOFER (FPOe) 35.1%, Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (independent, allied with the Greens) 21.3%, Irmgard GRISS (independent) 18.9%, Rudolf HUNDSTORFER (SPOe) 11.3%, Andreas KHOL (OeVP) 11.1%, Richard LUGNER (independent) 2.3%; percent of vote in second round - Alexander VAN DER BELLEN 53.8%, Norbert HOFER 46.2%

Legislative Branch

Description: bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of

Elections: Federal Council - last appointed - NANational Council - last held on 29 September 2019 (next to be held in 2024); note - election was originally scheduled for 2022, but President VAN DER BELLEN called for an early election

Election results: Federal Council - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition (as of September 2021) - men 39, women 22, percent of women 36.1% National Council - percent of vote by party - OeVP 37.5%, SPOe 21.2%, FPOe 16.2%, The Greens 13.9%, NEOS 8.1%, other 3.1%; seats by party - OeVP 71, SPOe 40, FPOe 31, The Greens 26,  NEOS 15; composition (as of September 2021) - men 109, women 74, percent of women 40.4%; note - total Federal Assembly percent of women 39.3%

Judicial Branch

Highest courts: Supreme Court of Justice or Oberster Gerichtshof (consists of 85 judges organized into 17 senates or panels of 5 judges each); Constitutional Court or Verfassungsgerichtshof (consists of 20 judges including 6 substitutes; Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof - 2 judges plus other members depending on the importance of the case)

Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges nominated by executive branch departments and appointed by the president; judges serve for life; Constitutional Court judges nominated by several executive branch departments and approved by the president; judges serve for life; Administrative Court judges recommended by executive branch departments and appointed by the president; terms of judges and members determined by the president

Subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal (4); Regional Courts (20); district courts (120); county courts

Political Parties and Leaders

Austrian People's Party or OeVP [Karl NEHAMMER]Communist Party of Austria or KPOe [Mirko MESSNER]Freedom Party of Austria or FPOe [Herbert KICKI]The Greens [Werner KOGLER]NEOS - The New Austria [Beate MEINL-REISINGER]Social Democratic Party of Austria or SPOe [Pamela RENDI-WAGNER]

Flag Description

Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red; the flag design is certainly one of the oldest - if not the oldest - national banners in the world; according to tradition, in 1191, following a fierce battle in the Third Crusade, Duke Leopold V of Austria's white tunic became completely blood-spattered; upon removal of his wide belt or sash, a white band was revealed; the red-white-red color combination was subsequently adopted as his banner

National Symbols

National Anthem

Lyrics music: Paula von PRERADOVIC/Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART or Johann HOLZER (disputed)

Year

Government Type

  • Federal parliamentary republic

Capital

  • Name
    Vienna
  • Geographic Coordinates
    48 12 N, 16 22 E
  • Time Difference
    UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
  • Daylight Saving Time
    +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
  • Etymology
    the origin of the name is disputed but may derive from earlier settlements of the area; a Celtic town of Vedunia, established about 500 B.C., came under Roman dominance around 15 B.C. and became known as Vindobona; archeological remains of the latter survive at many sites in the center of Vienna

Diplomatic Representation in the US

  • Chief Of Mission
    Ambassador Martin WEISS (since 6 January 2020)
  • Chancery
    3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035
  • Telephone
    [1] (202) 895-6700
  • FAX
    [1] (202) 895-6750
  • Email Address And Website
    washington-ka@bmeia.gv.at
  • Https
    //www.austria.org/
  • Consulates General
    Los Angeles, New York, Washington
  • Consulates
    Chicago

Diplomatic Representation from the US

  • Chief Of Mission
    Ambassador (vacant), Mario MESQUITA (since 12 July 2021)
  • Embassy
    Boltzmanngasse 16, 1090, Vienna
  • Mailing Address
    9900 Vienna Place, Washington DC  20521-9900
  • Telephone
    [43] (1) 31339-0
  • FAX
    [43] (1) 310-06-82
  • Email Address And Website
    ConsulateVienna@state.gov
  • Https
    //at.usembassy.gov/

International Organization Participation

  • ADB (nonregional member)
  • AfDB (nonregional member)
  • Australia Group
  • BIS
  • BSEC (observer)
  • CD
  • CE
  • CEI
  • CERN
  • EAPC
  • EBRD
  • ECB
  • EIB
  • EMU
  • ESA
  • EU
  • FAO
  • FATF
  • G-9
  • IADB
  • IAEA
  • IBRD
  • ICAO
  • ICC (national committees)
  • ICCt
  • ICRM
  • IDA
  • IEA
  • IFAD
  • IFC
  • IFRCS
  • IGAD (partners)
  • ILO
  • IMF
  • IMO
  • Interpol
  • IOC
  • IOM
  • IPU
  • ISO
  • ITSO
  • ITU
  • ITUC (NGOs)
  • MIGA
  • MINURSO
  • NEA
  • NSG
  • OAS (observer)
  • OECD
  • OIF (observer)
  • OPCW
  • OSCE
  • Paris Club
  • PCA
  • PFP
  • Schengen Convention
  • SELEC (observer)
  • UN
  • UNCTAD
  • UNESCO
  • UNFICYP
  • UNHCR
  • UNIDO
  • UNIFIL
  • UNTSO
  • UNWTO
  • UPU
  • WCO
  • WFTU (NGOs)
  • WHO
  • WIPO
  • WMO
  • WTO
  • ZC