Burgenland

Burgenland (ˈbʊʁɡn̩lant; Őrvidék; Gradišće; Austro-Bavarian: Burgnland; Slovene: Gradiščanska; Hradsko) is the easternmost and least populous province of Austria. It consists of two statutory cities and seven rural districts, with a total of 171 municipalities. It is long from north to south but much narrower from west to east ( wide at Sieggraben). The region is part of the Centrope Project. The name of Burgenland was invented/coined in 1922, after its territories became part of Austria. Burgenland is the third-smallest of Austria's nine provinces at . The province's highest point is exactly on the border to Hungary, on the Geschriebenstein, above sea level. The highest point entirely within Burgenland is 879 metres above sea level; the lowest point (which is also the lowest point of Austria) at , is in the municipal area of Apetlon. Burgenland borders the Austrian province Styria to the southwest, and the province Lower Austria to the northwest. To the east it borders Hungary (Vas County and Győr-Moson-Sopron County). In the extreme north and south there are short borders with Slovakia (Bratislava Region) and Slovenia (Mura Statistical Region) respectively. Burgenland and Hungary share the Neusiedler See (Hungarian: Fertő-tó), a lake known for its reeds and shallowness, as well as its mild climate throughout the year. The Neusiedler See is Austria's largest lake. It is a tourist attraction, bringing ornithologists, sailors, and wind and kite surfers into the region north of the lake. 2020 Burgenland state election Burgenland's provincial assembly (Landtag) has 36 seats. At the election held on 26 January 2020, the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) won an absolute majority of 19 seats, the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) won 11 seats, the Freedom Party (FPÖ) won 4 seats and the Green Party won 2 seats. The voting age for regional elections in Burgenland was reduced to 16 years in 2003. The province's Gross domestic product (GDP) was 9 billion € in 2018, accounting for 2.3% of Austria's economic output.