Information about Austria and Vienna


Austria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1 July 2018.
Find out more about the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the European Union on the Austrian EU Presidency website.

The Republic of Austria, with an area of 83.858 sq km, is located in the heart of Europe and is bordered by the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Germany. The current population is about 8,8 million.

Austria is a parliamentary representative democracy. Austria joined the European Union in 1995, has been a member of the United Nations since 1955, and is one of the founding members of the OECD. Austria signed the Schengen Agreement in 1995, and adopted the European currency, the euro, in 1999.

The capital and largest city, with a population exceeding 1.8 million, is Vienna. The city is famous for its cultural events, stunning architecture, classical concerts, cozy wine taverns and coffee houses. A must-see are also its many greenspace and recreational areas such as the Donauinsel, the Prater and the Wienerwald.

Austria is divided into nine independent federal states (Bundesländer): Vienna, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Carinthia, Styria and Burgenland.

The official language is German, which is spoken by 98% of the population, furthermore there are six ethnic groups officially recognised in Austria (Burgenlandic Croatians, Roma, Slovaks, Slovenians, Czechs and Hungarians).

Source and further information


Vienna, the capital of Austria, will host the third European Union Youth Conference in the sixth cycle of the Structured Dialogue.