Austria
A landlocked country in central Europe, Austria, though small, is
a country of startling contrasts. Its geographical diversity spans
from the Austrian Alps in the west to the Danube Basin in the east.
It borders the Czeck Republic and Germany to the north, Hungry and
Slovakia to the east, Italy and Slovenia to the south, and Liechtenstein
and Switzerland to the west. Predominantly a mountainous country,
Austria has nearly half of its population covered with forests.
Once a world power as the center of the famed Austro-Hungarian Empire,
Austria was relegated to a minor republic after it faced defeat in
World War I. It was occupied by Nazi Germany in 1938. Its subsequent
annexation by the victorious Allies in 1945 made the country’s
future uncertain, which became clear in 1955 under the State treaty.
The treaty recognized Austria's independence. Today Austria is a parliamentary
representative democracy consisting of nine federal states. Apart
from Switzerland, Austria is the other European country that has declared
their everlasting neutrality.
Austria’s former position as a centre of world power has contributed
a lot to its rich culture and history. One of its claims to fame is
that the country has been home to many famous musicians, poets, writers,
scientists, physicists, psychologists and economists. Joseph Haydn,
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Anton Bruckner, Franz Schubert, Johann Strauss,
Sr., Johann Strauss, Arnold Schoenberg and Anton Webern are some of
the composers who were born in Austrai. Austria has also been birthplace
of the world famous psychologist Sigmund Freud.
Travel overview
Austria offers some of the most spectacular travel destinations in
the world. The present capital Vienna once served as the centre of
the Habsburg power that ruled the country for well over 600 years.
The city is home to many architectural structures including the Hofburg
(Imperial Palace) and the adjoining Augustinian Church. Other attractions
in the city of Vienna include Belvedere Palace, the Museum of Fine
Arts and the Sigmund Freud Museum.
Salzburg, the city of Mozart, is a serene abode surrounded by high
mountains. A visit to the 11th-century Hohensalzburg Castle, the Museum
of Fine Arts, and St. Peter's Abbey in the city is absolute must.
Pay a visit to interesting Hellbrunn Palace located four kilometres
to the south of Salzburg.
Among the off-the-beaten-track destinations in Austria Wels and Steyr
find a place of prominence. Explore the beauty of Rust and Gurk along
with the Eisriesenwelt Caves whose claim to fame lies in that they
are the largest accessible ice caves in the world. Another fascinating
place is Bad Ischl, the famous spa, the leisurely refuge of the Austrian
Emperors during their holidays in the Upper Austria.
Austria attracts the tourists round the year. While the ideal time
for sightseeing is summer you can enjoy skiing at the slopes of the
Alps during winter. The Arlberg region with St. Anton or Upper Austria
with Radstadt has some of the best skiing resorts in Austria. You
can enjoy a stay in the snow, skiing or hiking at the Gemuetlichkeit
up in the Alps.
Capital: Vienna
Location: Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia
Climate: temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters
Total Area: 83,870 sq km
Total Population: 8,199,783
Population Growth Rate: 0.077%
Sex Ratio: 0.953 male(s)/female
Literacy: 98%
Ethnic Groups: Austrians, former Yugoslavs (includes Croatians, Slovenes,
Serbs, and Bosniaks, Turks , German
Irrigated land: 40 sq km
Languages: German, Slovene, Croatian, Hungarian
Time Zone: UTC+1
Currency: euro
Neighbouring countries: Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland
Type of govt.: federal republic
Head of Govt.: Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer
Major Political Parties: Alliance for the Future of Austria or BZOe;
Austrian People's Party or OeVP; Freedom Party of Austria or FPOe;
Social Democratic Party of Austria or SPOe; The Greens
Participation in International Organizations: ACCT (observer), AfDB,
AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC,
EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,
ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer),
OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, SECI (observer),
UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNOMIG, UNTSO,
UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Major Agricultural Products: grains, potatoes, sugar beets, wine,
fruit; dairy products, cattle, pigs, poultry; lumber
Natural Resources & Minerals: oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron
ore, copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt,
hydropower
Industry & Transport: construction, machinery, vehicles and parts,
food, metals, chemicals, lumber and wood processing, paper and paperboard,
communications equipment, tourism
Airports: 55
Railways: 6,011 km
Roadways:
133,718 km
Waterways: 358 km
Major Trade Partners: Germany, Italy, US, Switzerland, France
Exports: $133.3 billion
Imports: $134.3 billion
