Austria

More Information

Austria's Information


Capital	Vienna
Languages	German (official nationwide) 88.6%, Turkish 2.3%, Serbian 2.2%, Croatian (official in Burgenland) 1.6%, other (includes Slovene, official in South Carinthia, and Hungarian, official in Burgenland) 5.3% (2001 est.)
Ethnic Groups	Austrians 91.1%, former Yugoslavs 4% (includes Croatians, Slovenes, Serbs, and Bosniaks), Turks 1.6%, Germans 0.9%, other or unspecified 2.4% (2001 census)
Religion	Catholic 73.8% (includes Roman Catholic 73.6%, other Catholic 0.2%), Protestant 4.9%, Muslim 4.2%, Orthodox 2.2%, other 0.8% (includes other Christian), none 12%, unspecified 2% (2001 est.)
Government	Federal parliamentary republic
Independance	12 November 1918 (republic proclaimed); notable earlier dates: 976 (Margravate of Austria established); 17 September 1156 (Duchy of Austria founded); 11 August 1804 (Austrian Empire proclaimed)
Area	83,871.00 km²
Water Area	1,426.00 km²
Land Area	82,445.00 km²
Population	8,711,770.00 The northern and eastern portions of the country are more densely populated; nearly two-thirds of the populace lives in urban areas
Location	Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia
No. Bordering Countries	8
Bordering Countries	Czech Republic 402 km, Germany 801 km, Hungary 321 km, Italy 404 km, Liechtenstein 34 km, Slovakia 105 km, Slovenia 299 km, Switzerland 158 km
GDP(PPP)	$417,000,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$47,900.00 (USD)
Export Partners	its major export partners are Germany, the United States, Italy, and Switzerland.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, and paper and paperboard.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are Germany, Italy, and China.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, and chemicals.
Climate	Temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers
Terrain	Mostly mountains (Alps) in the west and south; mostly flat or gently sloping along the eastern and northern margins

Where is Austria?

Located in Central Europe, Austria has a 2,524.00 km border with Czech Republic (402 km), Germany (801 km), Hungary (321 km), Italy (404 km), Liechtenstein (34 km), Slovakia (105 km), Slovenia (299 km) and Switzerland (158 km).

The capital is Austria is Vienna. It is the largest and most populous city in the country. The city is located at the easternmost end of the Alps in the Vienna Basin along the banks of the Danube River. It was adopted as the capital of modern Austria in 1918. The city’s urban environment has a population of about 1.89 million. Vienna is the ninth most populous city in the EU and the second largest Germany speaking city in the EU after Berlin. Vienna experiences an oceanic climate classified as Cfb (oceanic) –climate by the Köppen classification. The summers are warm with average temperatures of between of 24 to 33 °C.

Geography

Austria has a mean elevation of 910 m above sea level.

It has a temperate, continental climate with cold, rainy winters and moderate summers. Its terrain consists of mountains in the west and south, and is mostly flat elsewhere.

Population

Austria has a population of 8,711,770 making it the 94th largest in the world. The northern and eastern portions of the country are the most densely populated.

German is the official language. The major ethnic group reported is Austrian. The population is predominantly Catholic.

Austrian German is the official language of Austria. The state of Burgenland recognizes Burgenland Croatian as its official language while the state Carinthia recognize Slovene as the official language. Austrian German is very similar to standard German. It consists of 26 alphabets and eight vowels; five vowels are similar to the English vowels while the other three (ä, ö, and ü) have short and long variants. Of the 8.8 million people living in Austria, approximately 88.8% consider German to be their mother tongue, while 2.4% state Serbian, 2.3% Turkish, 1.63% Croatian, and 0.73% English. Serbian is the largest minority language alongside Turkish, Burgenland Croatian, and Hungarian.

Government

Austria is an independent country. It proclaimed itself a republic in 1918. Its constitution was last ratified in 1920.

Austria is a democratic republic with a president, chancellor, and a bicameral parliament. The president is the head of state while the chancellor is the head of government. A popular majority vote elects the president, who then elects the chancellor. The parliament consists of the National and Federal Councils. Both legislative councils hold their session at the Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung). The president resides at the Hofburg; an imperial palace in the capital city of Vienna while the Austrian Chancellor resides at the Ballhausplatz building, also in Vienna. The presidential elections are held every six years while the national Council elections are held every five years. A president can serve a maximum of two terms.

Economy

Factoring in Purchasing Power Parity, Austria's GDP is $417,000,000,000.00 (USD) with $47,900.00 (USD) per capita. This makes it the 46th largest economy and its citizens the 31st richest in the world. The currency of Austria is the Euro (EUR).

its major export partners are Germany, the United States, Italy, and Switzerland. Its main exports are machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, and paper and paperboard. Its major import partners are Germany, Italy, and China. Its major imports include machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, and chemicals.

Flag

The Austrian flag consists of three equal horizontal stripes of red, white and red. It was adopted in 1918 as a flag, but it was not until 1945 when the Allied forces defeated Germany that the flag become the national flag of modern Austria. The origin of the flag can be traced back to the 12th century. The other variant of the flag consists of the national flag with the coat of arms at the center.