Backgrounder: Basic facts about Austria

A landlocked country of central Europe. Settled by Celtic tribes, the region was conquered (15 B.C.-A.D. 10) by the Romans and later (8th century) by Charlemagne, who made it a border state of the Carolingian Empire.

The National Flag

In the 13th century, Austria passed to the Hapsburg family and remained the core of their vast holdings until the dissolution of Austria-Hungary in 1918, when Austria became a republic.

The National Emblem

Annexed by Adolf Hitler in 1938, Austria regained full sovereignty in 1955. Vienna is the capital and the largest city. Population: 8,334,000.