Austria - History, Politics, Administrative divisions, Geography, Economy, Demographics, Religion, Culture

Official name Republic of Austria, Ger Republik Österreich

Local name Österreich Timezone GMT +1 Area 83 854 km²/32 368 sq mi population total (2002e) 8 077 000 Status Republic Date of independence 1955 Capital Vienna (Wien) Languages German (official), Croatian, Slovene Ethnic groups Austrian (99%), Croatian, Slovakian, Turkish, German Religions Roman Catholic (85%), Protestant (12%), Muslim (1%), Jewish (1%) Physical features One of the most mountainous countries in Europe; lies at E end of the Alps; highest point, Grossglockner, 3797 m/12 457 ft; largest lake, Neusiedler See; divided into three regions: Alpine; the highland Bohemian Massif; and the hilly lowland region, including the Vienna basin; R Danube drains whole country; most densely forested country in central Europe (40% of land is forested). Climate Three climatic regions: the Alps (often sunny in winter, but cloudy in summer); the Danube valley and Vienna basin (driest region); and the SE, a region of often severe winters but warmer summers; average annual temperature: 2°C (Jan), 20°C (Jul) in Vienna; most rain in summer months; average annual rainfall 868 mm/34 in; winters cold, especially with winds from the E or NE; humid, continental climate in NE. Currency 1 euro (EUR) = 100 cents (previous to 2002, 1 Schilling (ATS) = 100 groschen) Economy Mixed free market; principal agricultural areas to the N of the Alps, and along both sides of the Danube; principal crops: cereals; dairy cattle and pigs; wine industry; wide range of metal and mineral resources; tourism (summer and winter); well-developed transportation networks; river ports at Linz and Vienna; airports at Vienna, Graz, Linz, Klagenfurt, Salzburg, Innsbruck; much power produced hydroelectrically. GDP (2002e) $227·7 bn, per capita $27 900 Human Development Index (2002) 0·926 History Early Iron-Age settlement at Hallstatt; later Illyrian settlers driven out by the Celts; part of Roman Empire until 5th-c, then occupied by Germanic tribes, most signifcantly Bavarians; Charlemagne drove out the Slavic Avars who also settled in the region; area became a duchy and passed to the Habsburg family in 1282, who made it the foundation of their Empire; Hungarian nationalism and Habsburg defeats in 19th-c led to the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary from 1867; nationalist protest resulted in assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in 1914 and World War 1, which ended the Austrian Empire; republic established, 1918; annexed by the German Reich in 1938 (the Anschluss) and named Ostmark; occupied by British, American, French, and Russian troops from 1945; obtained independence, 1955; neutrality declared, since when Austria has been a haven for many refugees; joined European Union, 1995; governed by a Federal Assembly; Federal President appoints a Federal Chancellor.

Republik Österreich Republic of Austria
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: none
Anthem: Land der Berge, Land am Strome (German for "Land of Mountains, Land on the River")
Capital (largest city)	Vienna 48°12′N 16°21′E
Official languages	German 1
Government	Republic
- President	Heinz Fischer
- Chancellor	Wolfgang Schüssel
Independence
- Austrian State Treaty in force	July 27, 1955
- Declaration of Neutrality	October 26, 1955
Accession to EU	January 1, 1995
Area
- Total	83,871 km² (115th) 32,378 sq mi
- Water (%)	1.3
Population
- 2006 estimate	8,292,322 (92nd)
- 2001 census	8,032,926
- Density	99/km² (99th) 256/sq mi
GDP (PPP)	2005 estimate
- Total	$275.02 billion (34th)
- Per capita	$33,615 (8th)
GDP (nominal)	2005 estimate
- Total	$307.07 billion (23rd)
- Per capita	$37,117 (12th)
HDI  (2004)	0.944 (high) (14th)
Currency	Euro (€) 2 (EUR)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Internet TLD	.at 3
Calling code	+43 (details)
1 Slovenian, Croatian, Hungarian are officially recognised regional languages and Austrian Sign Language is a protected minority language throughout the country. 2 Prior to 1999: Austrian Schilling. 3 The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states.

For other uses, see Austria (disambiguation).

Austria (German: Österreich, Czech: Rakousko, Slovenian: Avstrija;

Austria is a parliamentary representative democracy consisting of nine federal states and is one of six European countries that have declared permanent neutrality and one of the few countries that included the concept of everlasting neutrality in their constitution. It was originally known after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire from 1918 as the Republic of German Austria (Republik Deutschösterreich), but the state was forced to change its name to "Republic of Austria" in 1919 peace Treaty of Saint-Germain.

During the monarchy, Austria was known as the Austrian Empire (Kaisertum Österreich), however no official designation existed since the empire was strongly multiethnic.

History

Holy Roman Empire

The territory of Austria, originally known as the Celtic kingdom of Noricum, was a long time ally of Rome.

After Frederick II, Duke of Austria died in 1246 and left no successor, Rudolf I of Habsburg gave the lands to his sons marking the beginning of the line of the Habsburgs, who continued to govern Austria until the 20th century.

The Emperors sign from this time (~1500 a.c.) "aeiou" is not really decrypted but most likely it's either "Austriae Est Imperare Orbi Universo" or "Austriae Erit In Orbe Ultima" (German: "Alles Erdreich ist Oesterreich Untertan")

Maximilian II was one of the older brothers of Maria Antonia Josefa Johanna von Habsburg-Lothringen, Archduchess of Austria from her birth in 1755 to her marriage in 1768.

Modern history

Just two years before the abolition of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, in 1804 the Empire of Austria was founded, which was transformed in 1867 into the dual-monarchy Austria-Hungary. After the Entente powers forbade German Austria to unite with Germany, they also forbade the name, and then it was changed to simply Republic of Austria.

Austria became part of Germany in 1938 through the Anschluss and remained under Nazi rule until the end of World War II. After the defeat of the Axis Powers, the Allies occupied Austria until 1955, when the country became a fully independent republic under the condition that it would remain neutral in the growing conflict between the Communist Eastern Bloc and the non-Communist West (see: Austrian State Treaty). After the collapse of communist states in Eastern Europe, Austria became increasingly involved in European affairs, in 1995 joining the European Union, and in 1999 adopting the Euro monetary system.

Politics

Austria became a federal, parliamentarian, democratic republic through the Federal Constitution of 1920.

Administrative divisions

A federal republic, Austria is divided into nine states, (German: Bundesländer).

		State (Bundesland)	Capital	Population (Rank)
	1	Burgenland	Eisenstadt	277,569 (9.)
	2	Carinthia (Kärnten)	Klagenfurt	559,404 (6.)
	3	Lower Austria (Niederösterreich)	St. Pölten	1,545,804 (2.)
	4	Upper Austria (Oberösterreich)	Linz	1.376.797 (3.)
	5	Salzburg	Salzburg	515,327 (7.)
	6	Styria (Steiermark)	Graz	1,183,303 (4.)
	7	Tyrol (Tirol)	Innsbruck	673,504 (5.)
	8	Vorarlberg	Bregenz	372,791 (8.)
	9	Vienna (Wien)	Vienna (Wien)	1,651,437 (1.)

Geography

Austria is a largely mountainous country due to its location in the Alps.

Austria may be divided into 5 different areas.

Climate

The greater part of Austria lies in the cool/temperate climate zone in which humid westerly winds predominate.

The six highest mountains in Austria are:

	Name	Height	Range
1	Großglockner	3797 m (12,457 ft)	Hohe Tauern
2	Wildspitze	3768 m (12,362 ft)	Ötztal Alps
3	Weißkugel	3739 m (12,267 ft)	Ötztal Alps
4	Großvenediger	3674 m (12,054 ft)	Hohe Tauern
5	Similaun	3606 m (11,831 ft)	Ötztal Alps
6	Großes Wiesbachhorn	3571 m (11,715 ft)	Hohe Tauern

Economy

Austria has a well-developed social market economy and a high standard of living.

Germany has historically been the main trading partner of Austria, making it vulnerable to rapid changes in the German economy. But since Austria became a member state of the European Union it has gained closer ties to other European Union economies, reducing its economic dependence on Germany.

See also: List of Austrian companies

Demographics

Austria's population was estimated in October, 2006 as 8,292,322 persons.

German-speaking Austrians, by far the country's largest group, form roughly 90% of Austria's population.

Politics concerning ethnic groups (Volksgruppenpolitik)

An estimated 25,000–40,000 Slovenians in the Austrian state of Carinthia as well as Croatians and Hungarians in Burgenland were recognized as a minority and have enjoyed special rights following the Austrian State Treaty (Staatsvertrag) of 1955.

Religion

While northern and central Germany was the origin of the Reformation, Austria (and Bavaria) was the heart of the Counter-Reformation in the 16th and 17th century, when the absolute monarchy of Habsburg imposed a strict regime to maintain Catholicism's power and influence among Austrians. Religious freedom was declared a constitutional right in the Austro-Hungarian Ausgleich in 1867 thus paying tribute to the fact that the monarchy was home of numerous religions beside Roman Catholicism such as Greek, Serbian, Romanian, Russian, and Bulgarian Orthodox Christians, Jews, Muslims (Austria neighboured the Ottoman empire for centuries), Mormons and both Calvinist and Lutheran Protestants.

Still Austria remained largely influenced by Catholicism.

As of the end of the twentieth century about 73% of Austria's population were registered as Roman Catholic, while about 5% considered themselves Protestants.

See also: Buddhism in Austria, Hinduism in Austria, Islam in Austria, Paganism in the Eastern Alps, Roman Catholicism in Austria

Culture

These are articles of the List of Austrians series

Artists and architects

Monarchs

Mountaineers

Music

Politicians

Scientists

Sports

Writers

Though Austria is a small country, its history as a European power and its cultural environment have generated a broad contribution to art and science. Ludwig van Beethoven spent the better part of his life in Vienna

Complementing its status as a land of artists, Austria has always been a country of poets, writers and novelists.

Austria was the cradle of numerous scientists including physicists Ludwig Boltzmann, Lise Meitner, Erwin Schrödinger, Ernst Mach, Wolfgang Pauli, Richard von Mises and Christian Doppler, philosophers Ludwig Wittgenstein and Karl Popper, biologists Gregor Mendel and Konrad Lorenz as well as mathematician Kurt Gödel.