The German-speaking country, officially known as the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked European country with nearly 8.8 million residents. Lying within the Alps, the country is extremely mountainous, and only 32% of the country is below 500 meters. German and Bavarian dialects of German are the country’s national language.

Austria is comprised of nine states, and is a parliamentary representative democracy. Vienna has a population of 1.8 million, making it the capital and the largest city in the country. In terms of GDP, the country consistently ranks atop the list as one of the richest countries in the world. Austria is a member of the European Union, United Nations, and one of the founders of the OECD.

The Parliament is located in Vienna, and the Federal Constitution of 1920 began the federal, representative democratic republic as Austria is known as today. The Federal President is the head of the state, and the Federal Chancellor is the chairman of the federal government.

When Austria joined the European Union in 1995, EU Law was merged with Austrian constitutional law as the highest law in the land.  The Austrian court system has two main jurisdictions: tribunals and courts that deal with public law, and courts of ordinary jurisdiction that handle matters like competition law, criminal law and other private laws. The Austrian Supreme Court is one of three judicial bodies charged with final appellate jurisdiction in the Republic of Austria.

Austria is consistently ranked atop the list of countries with the richest economies based on GDP. The highly industrialized market, and tourism, are the leading contributors to the country’s prominent economic success. Since joining the EU, Austria has also lessened its trade reliance on Germany, and reduced economic dependence on the country as well. Foreign investors have also increased greatly since Austria became a member of the EU, increasing the country’s GDP as well.

News relating to the country’s relations with the EU, Germany, and other member states, international relations with the United States, financial sector news, international trade, foreign relations, data protection and consumer privacy, and litigation, are among the many news stories covered by the National Law Review. The site provides detailed stories which directly affect the country, its citizens, and foreign relations throughout Europe and the US.