Austria (, ; german: Österreich ), officially the Republic of Austria (german: Republik Österreich, links=no, ), is a
landlocked
A landlocked country is a country that does not have territory connected to an ocean or whose coastlines lie on endorheic basin, endorheic basins. There are currently 44 landlocked countries and 5 list of states with limited recognition, partial ...
East Alpine country in the southern part of
Central Europe
Central Europe is an area of Europe
Europe is a which is also recognised as part of , located entirely in the and mostly in the . It comprises the westernmost peninsulas of the of Eurasia, it shares the continental landmass of with both ...

. It is composed of nine
federated states
A federated state (which may also be referred to as a state, a province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territori ...
(''Bundesländer''), one of which is
Vienna
Vienna ( ; german: Wien ; bar, Wean, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian ) is the Capital city, national capital, largest city, and one of States of Austria, nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's List of cities and towns in Austria, mos ...

, Austria's capital and largest city. It is bordered by
Germany
)
, image_map =
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, map_width = 250px
, capital = Berlin
Berlin (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3,769,495 inh ...

to the northwest, the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, also known by its short-form name Czechia and formerly known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to ...
to the north,
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to th ...

to the northeast,
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a in . Spanning of the , it is bordered by to the north, to the northeast, to the east and southeast, to the south, and to the southwest and to the west. Hungary has a population of 10 million, mostl ...

to the east,
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic ( it, Repubblica Italiana, l ...

and
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic ( it, Repubblica Italiana, links=no ), is a country consisting of a peninsula delimited by the Alps
The Alps ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps; sl, Alpe ) are the highest ...

to the south, and
Switzerland
, french: Suisse(sse), it, svizzero/svizzera or , rm, Svizzer/Svizra
, government_type = Federalism, Federal semi-direct democracy under an assembly-independent Directorial system, directorial republic
, leader_title1 = Fe ...

and
Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein ( ; ), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: link=no, Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a German-speaking
The German language (, ) is a West Germanic language mainly spoken in Central Europe
Central Europ ...

to the west. Austria occupies an area of and has a population of nearly 9 million
people
A people is any plurality of person
A person (plural people or persons) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason
Reason is the capacity of consciously applying logic
Logic is an interdisciplinary field wh ...
. While
German
German(s) may refer to:
Common uses
* of or related to Germany
* Germans, Germanic ethnic group, citizens of Germany or people of German ancestry
* For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
* German language
The German la ...

is the country's
official language
An official language is a language given a special status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically the term "official language" does not refer to the language used by a people or country, but by its government (e.g. judiciar ...

,
many Austrians communicate informally in a variety of
Bavarian dialects
Austro-Bavarian (also known as Austrian or Bavarian; or ; german: Bairisch ) is a West Germanic language spoken in parts of Bavaria and most of Austria. Before 1945, Austro-Bavarian was also prevalent in parts of the southern Czech Republic
...
.
Austria initially emerged as a
margraviate around 976 and developed into a
duchy
A duchy, also called a dukedom, is a medieval
In the history of Europe
The history of Europe concerns itself with the discovery and collection, the study, organization and presentation and the interpretation of past events and affair ...
and
archduchy
Archduke (feminine: Archduchess; German: ''Erzherzog'', feminine form: ''Erzherzogin'') was the title borne from 1358 by the Habsburg
The House of Habsburg (; ; alternatively spelled Hapsburg in English; german: Haus Habsburg, es, Casa de H ...
. In the 16th century, Austria started serving as the heart of the
Habsburg Monarchy
Habsburg Monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie), or Danubian Monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich) is a modern umbrella term
In linguistics, hyponymy (from Greek language, Greek ὑπό, ''hupó'', "u ...

and the junior branch of the
House of Habsburg
The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in English (german: Haus Habsburg ; es, Casa de Habsburgo ; hu, Habsburg-család), also known as the House of Austria (german: link=no, Haus Österreich; es, link=no, Casa de Austria), ...
– one of the most influential
royal dynasties in history. As an archduchy, it was a major component and administrative centre of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire ( la, Sacrum Romanum Imperium; german: Heiliges Römisches Reich) was a multi-ethnic complex of territories in Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town i ...
. Early in the 19th century, Austria established
its own empire, which became a
great power and the leading force of the
German Confederation
The German Confederation (german: Deutscher Bund) was an association of 39 predominantly German-speaking sovereign states in Central Europe, created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 as a replacement of the former Holy Roman Empire, which had ...

, but pursued its own course independently of the other German states following its defeat in the
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War or Seven Weeks' War, known in Germany as ("German War") and by a variety of other names, was fought in 1866 between the Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire (german: Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling ') was ...
in 1866. In 1867, in
compromise
To compromise is to make a deal between different parties where each party gives up part of their demand. In arguments, compromise is a concept of finding agreement through communication
Communication (from Latin ''communicare'', meaning "to ...
with
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a in . Spanning of the , it is bordered by to the north, to the northeast, to the east and southeast, to the south, and to the southwest and to the west. Hungary has a population of 10 million, mostl ...

, the
was established.
Austria was involved in
World War I
World War I, often abbreviated as WWI or WW1, also known as the First World War or the Great War, was a global war
A world war is "a war engaged in by all or most of the principal nations of the world". The term is usually reserved for ...

under Emperor
Franz Joseph
en, Francis Joseph Charles
, mother = Princess Sophie of Bavaria
Princess Sophie of Bavaria (Sophie Friederike Dorothea Wilhelmine; 27 January 1805 – 28 May 1872) was born to King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria and his second wife Ca ...

following the assassination of
, the presumptive successor to the Austro-Hungarian throne. After the defeat and the dissolution of the Monarchy, the
Republic of German-Austria
The Republic of German-Austria (german: Republik Deutschösterreich or ) was a country created following World War I
World War I or the First World War, often abbreviated as WWI or WW1, was a global war originating in Europe that last ...
was proclaimed with the intent of union with
Germany
)
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, map_width = 250px
, capital = Berlin
Berlin (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3,769,495 inh ...
, but the
Allied Powers did not support the new state and it remained unrecognized. In 1919 the
First Austrian Republic
The First Austrian Republic (german: Republik Österreich) was created after the signing of the on 10 September 1919—the settlement after the end of which ended the of —and ended with the establishment of the Austrofascist based upon a ...
became the legal successor of
Austria
Austria (, ; german: Österreich ), officially the Republic of Austria (german: Republik Österreich, links=no, ), is a landlocked Eastern Alps, East Alpine country in the southern part of Central Europe. It is composed of nine States o ...
. In 1938, the Austrian-born
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 to 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming Cha ...

, who became the
Chancellor
Chancellor ( la, links=no, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the ''cancellarii
Cancelli are lattice-work, placed before a window, a door-way, the tribunal o ...
of the
German Reich
''German Reich'' (german: Deutsches Reich, ) was the constitutional name for the German nation state
A nation state is a state in which a great majority shares the same culture
Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social b ...
, achieved the annexation of
Austria
Austria (, ; german: Österreich ), officially the Republic of Austria (german: Republik Österreich, links=no, ), is a landlocked Eastern Alps, East Alpine country in the southern part of Central Europe. It is composed of nine States o ...

by the
Anschluss
The ''Anschluss'' (, or ''Anschluß'' before the German orthography reform of 1996, "joining"), also known as the ''Anschluss Österreichs'' (, en, Annexation of Austria), was the annexation of Federal State of Austria, Austria into Nazi Ge ...

. Following the defeat of
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945, was ...

in 1945 and an extended
period of Allied occupation, Austria was re-established as a sovereign and self-governing democratic nation known as the Second Republic.
Austria is a
parliamentary
A parliamentary system or parliamentary democracy is a system of democratic
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
*A proponent of democracy
Democracy ( gr, δημοκρατία, ''dēmokratiā'', from ''dēmos'' 'people' an ...
representative democracy
Representative democracy, also known as indirect democracy, is a type of democracy where elected persons represent
Represent may refer to:
* Represent (Compton's Most Wanted album), ''Represent'' (Compton's Most Wanted album) or the title song ...
with a directly elected Federal
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
A president is a leader of an organization, company, community, club, trade union, university or other group. The relationship between a president and a Chief Executive Officer, chi ...
as head of state and a
Chancellor
Chancellor ( la, links=no, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the ''cancellarii
Cancelli are lattice-work, placed before a window, a door-way, the tribunal o ...
as head of the federal government. Major
urban areas of Austria include
Vienna
Vienna ( ; german: Wien ; bar, Wean, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian ) is the Capital city, national capital, largest city, and one of States of Austria, nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's List of cities and towns in Austria, mos ...

,
Graz
Graz ( , ; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austria
Austria (, ; german: Österreich ), officially the Republic of Austria (german: Republik Österreich, links=no, ), is a landlocked
A landlocked country is a country that ...

,
Linz
Linz ( , ; cs, Linec) is the capital of Upper Austria
Upper Austria (german: Oberösterreich ; bar, Obaöstareich) is one of the nine states
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly m ...
,
Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the ...

and
Innsbruck
Innsbruck (; bar, Innschbruck, label=Austro-Bavarian
Austro-Bavarian (also known as Austrian or Bavarian; or ; german: Bairisch ) is a West Germanic language spoken in parts of Bavaria and most of Austria. Before 1945, Austro-Bavarian was ...

. Austria is consistently ranked in the top 20
richest countries in the world by GDP per capita terms. The country has achieved a
high standard of living and in 2018 was ranked 20th in the world for its
Human Development Index
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistic composite index of life expectancy
Life expectancy is a statistical measure of the average time an organism is expected to live, based on the year of its birth, its current age, and ot ...
. Vienna consistently ranks in the top internationally on quality-of-life indicators.
The Second Republic
declared its perpetual
in foreign political affairs in 1955. Austria has been a member of the United Nations since 1955 and
joined the European Union in 1995.
It plays host to the
OSCE
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization
An intergovernmental organization (IGO) or international organization is an organization composed primarily o ...
and
OPEC
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC, ) is an intergovernmental organization
An intergovernmental organization (IGO) is an organization composed primarily of sovereign states (referred to as ''member states''), or o ...

and is a founding member of the
OECD
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; french: Organisation de Coopération et de Développement Économiques, OCDE) is an intergovernmental economic organisation with 38 member countries, founded in 1961 to st ...

and
Interpol
The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and crime control. Headquartere ...

.
Austria also signed the
Schengen Agreement
The Schengen Agreement ( , ) is a treaty which led to the creation of Europe's Schengen Area
The Schengen Area ( , ) is an area comprising 26 European countries that have officially abolished all passport and all other types of border ...
in 1995,
and adopted the
euro
The euro (currency symbol, symbol: euro sign, €; ISO 4217, code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 of the Member state of the European Union, member states of the European Union. This group of states is known as the eurozone or euro area ...

currency in 1999.
Etymology
The German name for Austria, , derives from the
Old High German
Old High German (OHG, german: Althochdeutsch, German abbr. ) is the earliest stage of the German language
German ( Standard High German: , ) is a West Germanic language mainly spoken in Central Europe
Central Europe is an area of Euro ...
, which meant "eastern realm" and which first appeared in the "Ostarrîchi document" of 996.
This word is probably a translation of
Medieval Latin
Medieval Latin was the form of Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language
A classical language is a language
A language is a structured system of communication
Communication (from Latin ''communicare'', meaning "to share ...
into a local (Bavarian) dialect.
Austria was a prefecture of Bavaria created in 976. The word "Austria" is a Latinisation of the German name and was first recorded in the 12th century.
At the time, the Danube basin of Austria (
Upper and
Lower Austria
Lower Austria (german: Niederösterreich; Austro-Bavarian
Austro-Bavarian (also known as Austrian or Bavarian; or ; german: Bairisch ) is a West Germanic language spoken in parts of Bavaria and most of Austria. Before 1945, Austro-Bavarian w ...
) was the easternmost extent of Bavaria.
History
The Central European land that is now Austria was settled in pre-Roman times by various
Celt
The Celts (, see Names of the Celts#Pronunciation, pronunciation of ''Celt'' for different usages) are. "CELTS location: Greater Europe time period: Second millennium B.C.E. to present ancestry: Celtic a collection of Indo-European languages, ...

ic tribes. The Celtic kingdom of
Noricum
Noricum () is the Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken in the area around Rome, known as Latium. Through the power of t ...
was later claimed by the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Rōmānum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of governme ...

and made a province. Present-day Petronell-
Carnuntum
Carnuntum (Carnous, Καρνους, in Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the used in and the from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: (), Dark Ages (), the period (), ...

in eastern Austria was an important army camp turned capital city in what became known as the Upper Pannonia province. Carnuntum was home for 50,000 people for nearly 400 years.
Middle Ages
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the area was invaded by
Bavarians
Bavarians ( Bavarian: ''Boarn'', Standard German
Standard German, High German, or more precisely Standard High German (german: Standarddeutsch, , or, in Switzerland, ), is the standardized variety of the German language
The German l ...

,
Slavs
Slavs are an ethno-linguistic group of people who speak the various Slavic languages of the larger Balto-Slavic language, Balto-Slavic linguistic group of the Indo-European languages. They are native to Eurasia, stretching from Central Europe, ...

and
Avars
Avar(s) or AVAR may refer to:
Peoples and states
* Avars (Caucasus), a modern Northeast Caucasian-speaking people in the North Caucasus, Dagestan, Russia
**Avar language, the modern Northeast Caucasian language spoken by the Avars of the North Ca ...
.
Charlemagne
Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was King of the Franks
The Franks—Germanic-speaking peoples that invaded the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century—were first led by i ...

, King of the Franks, conquered the area in AD 788, encouraged colonization, and introduced Christianity.
[Johnson 19] As part of
Eastern Francia
East Francia (Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken in the area around Rome, known as Latium. Through the power of the Roman ...
, the core areas that now encompass Austria were bequeathed to the house of
Babenberg
Babenberg was a noble dynasty of Austrian margraves and dukes. Originally from Bamberg in the Duchy of Franconia (present-day Bavaria
Bavaria (; German language, German and Bavarian language, Bavarian: ''Bayern'' ), officially the Free State ...
. The area was known as the ''
marchia Orientalis'' and was given to
Leopold of Babenberg in 976.
[Johnson 20–21]

The first record showing the name Austria is from 996, where it is written as ''
Ostarrîchi'', referring to the territory of the Babenberg March.
In 1156, the
Privilegium Minus
The ' is the denotation of a deed
In common law, a deed (anciently "an evidence") is any legal instrument
''Legal instrument'' is a legal term of art that is used for any formally executed written document that can be formally attributed t ...
elevated Austria to the status of a duchy. In 1192, the Babenbergs also acquired the Duchy of
Styria
Styria (german: Steiermark ; Croatian
Croatian may refer to:
*Croatia
*Croatian cuisine
*Croatian language
*Croatian name
*Croats, people from Croatia, or of Croatian descent
*Citizens of Croatia, see demographics of Croatia
See also
* Croat ...
. With the death of
Frederick IIFrederick II, Frederik II or Friedrich II may refer to:
* Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor (1194–1250), King of Sicily from 1198; Holy Roman Emperor from 1220
* Frederick II of Denmark (1534–1588), king of Denmark and Norway 1559–1588
* Freder ...
in 1246, the line of the Babenbergs was extinguished.
[Johnson 21]
As a result,
Ottokar II of Bohemia
Ottokar II ( cs, Přemysl Otakar II; , in Městec Králové, Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region
Historical regions (or historical areas) are geographical
...

effectively assumed control of the duchies of Austria, Styria, and
Carinthia
Carinthia (german: Kärnten ; sl, Koroška ) is the southernmost Austrian state or ''Land''. Situated within the Eastern Alps
Eastern Alps is the name given to the eastern half of the Alps, usually defined as the area east of a line from L ...
.
His reign came to an end with his defeat at
at the hands of
Rudolph I of Germany
Rudolf I (1 May 1218 – 15 July 1291) was the first king of Germany from the House of Habsburg. The first of the count-kings of Kingdom of Germany, Germany, he reigned from 1273 until his death.
Rudolf's imperial election of 1273, election ...
in 1278. Thereafter, until World War I, Austria's history was largely that of its ruling dynasty, the
Habsburgs
The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in English (german: Haus Habsburg ; es, Casa de Habsburgo ; hu, Habsburg-család), also known as the House of Austria (german: link=no, Haus Österreich; es, link=no, Casa de Austria), ...
.
In the 14th and 15th centuries, the
Habsburgs
The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in English (german: Haus Habsburg ; es, Casa de Habsburgo ; hu, Habsburg-család), also known as the House of Austria (german: link=no, Haus Österreich; es, link=no, Casa de Austria), ...

began to accumulate other provinces in the vicinity of the Duchy of Austria. In 1438, Duke
Albert V of Austria was chosen as the successor to his father-in-law,
Emperor Sigismund
Sigismund of Luxembourg (15 February 1368 – 9 December 1437) was prince-elector of Margraviate of Brandenburg, Brandenburg from 1378 until 1388 and from 1411 until 1415, king of Hungary and Croatia in union with Hungary, Croatia from 1387, king ...
. Although Albert himself only reigned for a year, henceforth every emperor of the Holy Roman Empire was a Habsburg, with only one exception.
The Habsburgs began also to accumulate territory far from the hereditary lands. In 1477,
Archduke MaximilianArchduke Maximilian may refer to:
* Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (1459–1519)
* Archduke Maximilian Ernest of Austria (1583–1616)
* Archduke Maximilian Francis of Austria (1756–1801)
* Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico (1832–1867)
* Archduke ...

, only son of
, married the heiress Maria of
Burgundy
Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and a former administrative region
Administration may refer to:
Management of organizations
* Management
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organizati ...
, thus acquiring most of the
Netherlands
)
, national_anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map = EU-Netherlands.svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 = BES islands location map.svg
, map_caption2 =
, image_map3 ...

for the family.
[Lonnie Johnson 25][Brook-Shepherd 11] In 1496, his son
married
Joanna the Mad
Joanna I (6 November 1479 – 12 April 1555), known historically as Joanna the Mad ( es, link=no, Juana la Loca), was Queen of Castile from 1504 and Queen of Aragon from 1516 to 1555. Modern Spain
,
* gl, Reino de España,
* oc, R ...
, the heiress of
and
Aragon
Aragon ( or , Spanish and an, Aragón , ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community
In Spain, an autonomous community ( es, comunidad autónoma) is a first-level political divisions of Spain, political and administrative division, created in acc ...
, thus acquiring Spain and its Italian, African,
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

and
New World
The "New World" is a term for the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 33: "
In_1526,_following_the_Battle_of_Mohács.html" ;"title="6c: from ...
appendages for the Habsburgs.
In 1526, following the Battle of Mohács">6c: from ...
appendages for the Habsburgs.