Austria's Location: West Of Germany?

Austria is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is bordered by Germany to the northwest, the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia to the northeast, Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west.

Austria's location at the crossroads of central Europe has made it a place of transit for centuries. The Danube Valley, for instance, has historically been an aquatic link to the Balkan Peninsula and the Orient.

Austria's proximity to Germany has also meant that the two countries have close relations. Both countries have German as their official language, and the ancestors of Austrians were the Germanic Baiuvarii (ancient German Bavarians).

Austria and Germany share a border and have a close relationship due to their shared history

Austria and Germany share a border, with Germany lying to the northwest of Austria. The two countries have a close relationship due to their shared history, with German being the official language of both countries.

The ancestors of Austrians were the Germanic Baiuvarii (ancient German Bavarians). In early history, the Baiuvarii established the Duchy of Bavaria, which was ruled by Francia of West Germanic Franks from 555 to 843. This included the March of Pannonia, which would later become Austria in c. 970. From 843 to 962, Bavarian Austria came under the rule of East Francia (the Kingdom of Germany). It then separated from the Duchy of Bavaria to become a sovereign state in 1156.

From 1156 to 1806, Austria (excluding its non-German lands) and other German states under the Kingdom of Germany were parts of the Holy Roman Empire, which was officially a German polity from 1512 and mostly led by Austria itself. The Holy Roman Empire also encompassed the bulk of present-day territories of Germany, Austria, Bohemia (Czech Republic), Slovenia, northern Italy, and western Poland. From 1440 until the Empire's dissolution in 1806, the House of Habsburg was the ruling family.

Austria was part of the German Confederation from 1815 to 1866 and led it. However, in 1866, Austria was separated from Germany, and the German Confederation was dissolved. The following year, the multi-ethnic Austro-Hungarian Empire was established and led by Austria. This empire included Germans, Hungarians, Croats, Czechs, Poles, Rusyns, Serbs, Slovaks, Slovenes, and Ukrainians, as well as large Italian and Romanian communities.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there were growing desires for unification between Germany and Austria, particularly among Austrian pan-German nationalists. However, these desires were complicated by the rise of nationalism and the emerging nationalist movements within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Many Austrians, especially those involved with the pan-German movements, hoped for the collapse of the empire, which would allow for the annexation of Austria by Germany.

In 1918, after World War I and the fall of the Austro-Hungarian and German Empires, Austria briefly renamed itself the Republic of German-Austria in an attempt to unite with Germany. However, this was forbidden by the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, created by the winners of World War I against both Germany and Austria. Despite this, the desire for annexation remained strong in both countries.

In 1938, Nazi Germany, led by Austrian-born Adolf Hitler, annexed Austria into Germany in what became known as the Anschluss. This annexation was seen as a reunification by many, and Hitler himself referred to it as such. However, after World War II, Austria claimed independence and separated from Germany for the second time on April 27, 1945. The Austrian State Treaty of 1955 also banned any future reunification of Germany and Austria.

Since the end of World War II, there has been no serious effort to unite Germany and Austria. Austria began to develop a separate national identity from Germany, although the two countries continued to cooperate closely in economic and cultural fields during the Cold War. Today, Austria and Germany maintain strong and amicable political relations. They are both members of the European Union and have the same currency and a free border.

Austria is landlocked and predominantly mountainous, with the Alps being its most prominent feature

Austria is indeed west of Germany, and it is a landlocked country, which means that it does not have a coastline along a body of water, such as an ocean or a sea. Instead, Austria is dominated by mountains, specifically the Alps, which cover a large portion of the country.

The Alps are a young, folded mountain range that forms a contiguous chain of mountain groups, massifs, and valleys. They run across the country in a wide arc, covering over 60% of Austria's total area. The Austrian Central Alps are the highest and most rugged part of the range, with peaks often exceeding 3,000 meters (9,800 feet). This central region includes well-known peaks such as the Grossglockner, which, at 3,798 meters (12,461 feet), is Austria's highest point, and the Wildspitze, the second-highest peak, reaching 3,774 meters (12,382 feet).

The Alps not only provide stunning scenery but also offer a multitude of outdoor activities. In winter, the mountains attract skiers and snowboarders to world-famous resorts like Kitzbühel and St. Anton. Summer activities include hiking and mountaineering, with numerous trails winding through the mountains, offering breathtaking views and a chance to experience the Alpine flora and fauna.

Beyond the Alps, Austria has other notable mountain ranges. The Northern Limestone Alps, for example, run across the north of the country and include popular tourist destinations like the Dachstein Mountains and the Totes Gebirge range. The Southern Limestone Alps, in contrast, offer a different landscape with their distinctive sharp peaks and deep valleys. This range includes the Karawanks, a mountain range shared with Slovenia, and the Carnic Alps, which form a natural border with Italy.

Austria's landscape is characterized by its mountainous terrain, and the Alps play a significant role in shaping the country's geography, culture, and economy. The mountains provide a stunning backdrop to many Austrian cities and towns, influencing local traditions and offering a wide range of outdoor pursuits.

Austria is a federation of nine states, including Vienna, which is both a city and a state

Austria is a federation of nine states, each with its own elected government and legislative authority. The states are further subdivided into districts and statutory cities. The nine states are:

• Vienna, which is both a city and a state. It is the largest city/state in Austria, with a population of approximately 1.9 million people. It is also the capital of Austria and one of the richest regions in the EU.
• Lower Austria, the country's largest state by area, covering 7,408 square miles. It is the second-largest state in Austria by population, with approximately 1.6 million people.
• Upper Austria, the third most populous state in Austria, with a population of approximately 1.4 million people. It is the fourth most extensive state, with an area of about 4,626 square miles.
• Styria, situated in Southeast Austria, is the second-largest state after Lower Austria, covering 6,332 square miles. It has a population of approximately 1.2 million people.
• Tyrol, located in Western Austria, is the third-largest state by land area, covering approximately 4,897 square miles. It has a population of about 750,000 people.
• Carinthia
• Salzburg
• Vorarlberg
• Burgenland

Vienna, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, and Burgenland are within the Danube Valley, while the remaining five states are situated almost entirely in the Alps.

Austria's official language is German, but several other languages are also recognised

Austro-Bavarian is the main dialect outside Vorarlberg and has approximately 8.3 million speakers in Austria. The northeastern parts of Austria, including the capital Vienna, speak Central Austro-Bavarian dialects, while the southern parts speak Southern Austro-Bavarian dialects. Austro-Bavarian differs greatly from Standard German, making it difficult for German speakers from other regions to understand.

Alemannic, or Swiss German, is the main dialect in Vorarlberg and is spoken by about 300,000 people. It is very difficult for German speakers to understand.

In addition to these dialects, a number of minority languages are spoken in Austria, some of which have official status. According to the European Commission, Austria's "recognised minority languages are Hungarian, Slovenian, Burgenland-Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Romany and sign language." In the mixed-language districts of Carinthia, Slovene is also considered an official language, and in some districts of Burgenland, Hungarian and Croatian have equal status to German as an official language.

Austria's linguistic history is tied to its political history. It was part of the Holy Roman Empire until 1806 and later became part of the German Confederation. Since gaining independence, Austria has worked hard to establish a distinct identity for itself and its people. While Austrians speak German officially, the majority identify as Austrian rather than German, with 91.1% of the population identifying as ethnically Austrian.

Austria is a semi-presidential representative democracy with a popularly elected president as head of state

Austria's first attempt at republican governance after the fall of the monarchy in 1918 was severely hampered by the crippling economic burden of war reparations required by the victorious Allies. The Republic gradually developed into the Austrofascist dictatorship between 1933 and 1934 under Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss, who was assassinated by Nazi party agents in 1934. The First Republic ended with the Anschluss (annexation) to Nazi Germany in 1938.

Following the defeat of the German Reich in 1945, Austria resumed its republican government, after it fully regained its independence from the occupying Allied Powers. Austria's political system after the re-establishment of democracy and self-determination is referred to as the Second Republic. The country is governed according to the principles of representative democracy and the rule of law. The constitutional framework of the politics of Austria and the marrow of the constitution's practical implementation are widely agreed to be robust and adequately conducive to peaceful change.

Austria's constitution characterises the republic as a federation consisting of nine autonomous federal states (Bundesländer). The federation and all its states have written constitutions defining them as republican entities governed according to the principles of representative democracy. The country's head of state is the Federal President (Bundespräsident), elected by popular vote for a term of six years and limited to two consecutive terms of office. The president is largely a ceremonial figurehead, allowing the chancellor to become chief executive instead. The Federal Chancellor (Bundeskanzler) is appointed by the Federal President and is head of the government. The federal cabinet consists of the Federal Chancellor appointed by the president and a number of ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the chancellor. The federal cabinet answers to the National Council and can be forced to resign through a motion of no confidence.

Frequently asked questions