Austria
is a landlocked country in central Europe.
It borders Germany,
the Czech
Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy,
Switzerland
and Liechtenstein.
Austria is slightly smaller than Maine, approximately
83,858 square kilometers, and the capital is Vienna.
The Danube
River flows for 220 miles through Austria
plus two thirds of the country is dominated by the Alps.
Austria has a temperate climate. The population of Austria
in July, 2006 was estimated at 8,192,880.
Austria is a parliamentary representative democracy divided into nine federal states. Austria is one of six European countries that have declared permanent neutrality. They have been a member of the United Nations since 1955 and joined the European Union in 1995. Religious freedom was declared a constitutional right in 1867. 73 percent of Austria's population are registered Roman Catholics and 5 percent are Protestants.
The official language of Austria is German and is spoken by almost all residents of the country. Other languages include Turkish, Serbian, Croatian, Hungarian and Bosnian. Austria has a social market economy and a high standard of living. The currency is the Euro(€) which has been used since January 1, 2002.
Web Sites
- CIA: The World Factbook
- U.S. Department of State
- Austrian Embassy in the U.S.
- Library of Congress Country Studies
- BBC News Country Profile
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