The Republic of Austria (German: Republik Österreich) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It borders Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The state is a representative democracy governed in accordance with principles of Parliamentarism. German (called Deutsch in German; in German the term germanisch is equivalent to English Germanic), is a member of the western group of Germanic languages and is one of the worlds major languages. ... A landlocked country is one that has no coastline. ... Historical lands and provinces in Central Europe Central Europe is the region of Europe between Eastern Europe and Western Europe. ... National motto: Truth prevails ( Czech: Pravda vítězí) Official language Czech Capital Praha ( Prague) President Václav Klaus Prime Minister Stanislav Gross Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 114th 78,866 km² 2% Population  - Total ( 2003)  - Density Ranked 76th 10. ... National motto: None Official language Slovak Capital Bratislava President Ivan Gašparovič Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 126th 49,035 km² Negligible Population  - Total ( 2004)  - Density Ranked 103rd 5,379,455 109/km² Independence January 1, 1993 (division of Czechoslovakia) Currency Slovak koruna Time zone  - in summer CET... The Republic of Hungary (Magyar Köztársaság) or Hungary (Magyarország) is a landlocked country in Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia. ... The Republic of Slovenia ( Slovenian: Republika Slovenija) is a coastal sub-Alpine country in south central Europe bordering Italy to the west, the Adriatic Sea to the southwest, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north. ... The Italian Republic or Italy ( Italian: Repubblica Italiana or Italia) is a country in southern Europe. ... The Swiss Confederation or Switzerland is a landlocked federal state in Europe, with neighbours Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein. ... The Principality of Liechtenstein ( German: Fürstentum Liechtenstein) is a small, doubly landlocked country in Central Europe bordered by Switzerland to its west and by Austria to its east. ... Representative democracy comprises a form of democracy and theory of civics wherein voters choose (in free, secret, multi-party elections) representatives to act in their interests, but not as their proxies—i. ... A parliamentary system, or parliamentarism, is distinguished by the executive branch of government being dependent on the direct or indirect support of the parliament, often expressed through a vote of confidence. ...

(In Detail) (Full size)
National motto: none
Official languages	German
Capital	Vienna
Largest city	Vienna
President	Heinz Fischer
Chancellor	Wolfgang Schüssel
Area  - Total:  - % water:	Ranked 112th 83,858 km² 1.3%
Population  - Total:  - Density:	Ranked 86th 8,150,836 (2000) 97/km²
GDP (2003)   - Total   - Total   - GDP/capita   - GDP/capita	$580 billion (16th) (PPP) $518 billion (13th) $29,972 (9th) (PPP) $31,202 (11th)
Independence	27 July 1955
Currency	Euro (€)¹ = 100 cents
Time zone  - in summer:	CET (UTC+1) CEST (UTC+2)
National anthem	Land der Berge, Land am Strome
Internet TLD	.at
Calling Code	+43
1 Prior to 2002, Austrian Schilling
edit (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Austria_infobox&action=edit)

Origin and history of the name

The German name Österreich can be translated into English as the "eastern realm", which is derived from the Old German Ostarrîchi. The term probably originates in a vernacular translation of the Medieval Latin name for the region: Marchia orientalis, which translates as "eastern border," as it was situated at the eastern edge of the Holy Roman Empire, that was also mirrored in the name Ostmark applied after Anschluss to the Third Reich. Interestingly, the derivation of the Latin name from the original Old German gives rise to the use of "Aust-" for east, rather than south as in Classical Latin. German (called Deutsch in German; in German the term germanisch is equivalent to English Germanic), is a member of the western group of Germanic languages and is one of the worlds major languages. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Old German could refer to: Old High German Old Low German (also Old Saxon) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Ostarrîchi is an Old High German name found to the famous Ostarrîchi document of 996, where it refers to the Margraviate ruled by the Babenberg Count Henry I located mostly in what is today Lower Austria. ... This article addresses vernacular language; see also vernacular architecture. ... Medieval Latin refers to the Latin used in the Middle Ages, after the fall of the Roman empire but before the rise of vernacular languages in the Renaissance. ... The Holy Roman Empire ( German: Heiliges Römisches Reich) ( Italian: Sacro Romano Impero) ( Latin: Sacrum Romanum Imperium) ( Czech: Svatá říše římská) ( French: Saint Empire Romain Germanique) ( Polish: Święte Cesarstwo Rzymskie Narodu Niemieckiego) ( Dutch: Heilige Roomse Rijk) was a political conglomeration of lands in Central Europe in the Middle Ages and the... Ostmark (Eastern March) is a modern German term to translate the term Ostarrîchi a vernacular for marcia orientalis that appears in a single later 10th century document. ... The general German term Anschluss is part of the specific political incident Anschluss Österreichs referring to the inclusion of Austria in a Greater Germany in 1938. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Classical Latin is the language used by the principal exponents of that language in what is usually regarded as classical Latin literature. ...

History

Main article: History of Austria This is the history of Austria. ...

After being conquered by the Romans, Huns, Lombards, Ostrogoths, Bavarii and Franks, Austria was under the rule of the Babenbergs from the 10th to the 13th century. The Babenbergs were then succeeded by the Habsburgs, whose line continued to govern Austria until the 20th century. Roman or Romans has several meanings, primarily related to the Roman citizens, but also applicable to typography, math, and a commune. ... Many historians consider the Huns (meaning person in Mongolian language) the first Mongolian and Turkic people mentioned in European history. ... The Lombards were a Germanic tribe in history. ... This article deals with the continental Ostrogoths. ... Bavarii was a large and powerful tribe which emerged late in Teutonic tribal times, in what is now the Czech Republic (Bohemia). ... The Franks were one of several west Germanic tribes who entered the late Roman Empire from Frisia as foederati and established a lasting realm in an area that covers most of modern-day France and the region of Franconia in Germany, forming the historic kernel of both these two modern... Originally from Bamberg in Franconia, now northern Bavaria, the Babenbergs or Babenberger ruled Austria as counts of the march and dukes from 976 - 1248, before the rise of the house of Habsburg. ... ( 9th century - 10th century - 11th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 10th century was that century which lasted from 901 to 1000. ... (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... Habsburg (sometimes spelled Hapsburg, but never so in official use) was one of the major ruling houses of Europe. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...

After the abolition of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the Empire of Austria was founded, which was transformed in 1867 into the double-monarchy Austria-Hungary. The empire was split into several independent states after the defeat of the Central Powers in World War I, leading to Austria becoming a republic in 1918. Between 1918 and 1919 it was officially known as the Republic of German Austria (Republik Deutschösterreich), and then the name was changed to simply Republic of Austria. The democratic republic lasted until 1933 when the chancellor Engelbert Dollfuß established an autocratic regime oriented towards Italian fascism. The Holy Roman Empire ( German: Heiliges Römisches Reich) ( Italian: Sacro Romano Impero) ( Latin: Sacrum Romanum Imperium) ( Czech: Svatá říše římská) ( French: Saint Empire Romain Germanique) ( Polish: Święte Cesarstwo Rzymskie Narodu Niemieckiego) ( Dutch: Heilige Roomse Rijk) was a political conglomeration of lands in Central Europe in the Middle Ages and the... Events January 8 - Cape Colony becomes a British colony January 10 - Dutch in Cape Town surrender to the British January 19 - The United Kingdom occupies the Cape of Good Hope February 6 - Royal Navy victory off Santo Domingo - see:Action of 6 February 1806 March 23 - After traveling through the... Flag of the Habsburg Monarchy, the Austrian Empire until 1867 and of the Austrian part of Austria_Hungary until 1918. ... 1867 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Austria-Hungary, also known as the Dual monarchy (or: the k. ... Central Powers is a term used to refer to the Dual Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria during World War I. They are so called because they all lay between Russia in the east and France and the United Kingdom in the west. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... In a broad definition a republic is a state or country that is led by people that dont found their power status on any principle beyond the control of the people living in that state or country. ... 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1933 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Engelbert Dollfuss Engelbert Dollfuss (German: Dollfuß) (October 4, 1892 - July 25, 1934) was an Austrian politician and dictator. ...

Austria was annexed by Germany in 1938 (the Anschluss) amongst popular acclaim. After the defeat of the Axis Powers, the Allies occupied Austria at the end of World War II in Europe until 1955, when the country again became a fully independent republic under the condition that it remained neutral (see also: Austrian State Treaty). In that year it also became a member of the UN. After the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, Austria became increasingly involved in European affairs, and in 1995, Austria joined the European Union, and the Euro monetary system in 1999. Some Conservative politicians have suggested that Austria join NATO. 1938 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... The general German term Anschluss is part of the specific political incident Anschluss Österreichs referring to the inclusion of Austria in a Greater Germany in 1938. ... The Axis Powers is a term for the loose alliance of participants in World War II led by Germany, Italy, and Japan. ... Attlee, Truman, and Stalin at Potsdam The Potsdam Conference was held in Potsdam, Germany (near Berlin), from July 17 to August 2, 1945. ... This article chronicles the end of the European Theatre of World War II. On April 25, 1945 United States and Soviet troops linked-up, cutting Germany in two (see Elbe Day). ... 1955 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... The Austrian Independence Treaty (complete form: Treaty for the re-establishment of an independent and democratic Austria, signed in Vienna on the 15th May 1955), more commonly referred to as Austrian State Treaty ( German Staatsvertrag), was signed on the 15th May 1955 in Vienna at Schloss Belvedere between the Allied... This article is about the United Nations, for other uses of UN see UN (disambiguation) Official languages English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic Secretary-General Kofi Annan (since 1997) Established October 24, 1945 Member states 191 Headquarters New York City, NY, USA Official site http://www. ... Communism is a term that can refer to one of several things: a social and economic system, an ideology which supports that system, or a political movement that wishes to implement that system. ... Eastern Europe is, by convention, that part of Europe from the Ural and Caucasus mountains in the East to an arbitrarily chosen boundary in the West. ... The European Union or EU is an intergovernmental organisation of European countries, which currently has 25 member states. ... Euro (disambiguation). ... For the National Association of Theatre Owners, please see National Association of Theatre Owners. ...

Politics

Main article: Politics of Austria The ethnically and culturally homogenous nation state of Austria is the small but prosperous remnant of Austria-Hungary, a vast multinational empire foundered in 1918. ...

Austria has been a federal, parliamentary democracy republic since the Federal Constitution of 1920, which was again reintroduced in 1945 to the nine states of the Federal Republic. The head of state is the Federal President, who is directly elected. The chairman of the Federal Government is the Federal Chancellor, who is appointed by the president and voted into office by the majority of the Nationalrat, the National Council of Austria. The government can be recalled by a vote of no confidence in the National Council. A parliamentary system, or parliamentarism, is distinguished by the executive branch of government being dependent on the direct or indirect support of the parliament, often expressed through a vote of confidence. ... In a broad definition a republic is a state or country that is led by people that dont found their power status on any principle beyond the control of the people living in that state or country. ... The Constitution of Austria or Österreichisches Bundes-Verfassungsgesetz (B-VG) is one of the charters governing political life in the Republic of Austria. ... Since Austria is a federal republic according to the constitutional framework of Austrian politics, Austrias nine provinces are customarily referred to as States of Austria or Bundesländer, singular Bundesland. ... A head of state or chief of state is the chief public representative of a nation-state, federation or commonwealth, whose role generally includes personifying the continuity and legitimacy of the state and exercising the political powers, functions and duties granted to the head of state in the countrys... The Leopoldine Wing of Hofburg Imperial Palace in Vienna: home to the offices of the Federal President. ... The ethnically and culturally homogenous nation state of Austria is the small but prosperous remnant of Austria-Hungary, a vast multinational empire foundered in 1918. ... The Federal Chancellor of Austria (Bundeskanzler) is the Austria. ... The National Council or Nationalrat is one of the two houses of the Federal Assembly, the bicameral federal parliament of the Federal Republic of Austria. ... A Motion of No Confidence, also called Motion of Non Confidence is a parliamentary motion traditionally put before a parliament by the opposition in the hope of defeating or embarrassing a government. ...

The Austrian parliament consists of two chambers. The composition of the Nationalrat is determined every four years by a free general election in which every citizen is allowed to vote to fill its 183 seats. A "Four Percent Hurdle" prevents a large splintering of the political landscape in the Nationalrat by awarding seats only to political parties that have received at least four percent of the general vote, or alternatively, have won a direct seat, or Direktmandat, in one of the 43 regional election districts. The Nationalrat is the dominant chamber in the formation of legislation in Austria. However, the upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat has a limited right of veto (the Nationalrat can pass the respective bill a second time bypassing the Bundesrat altogether). A convention, called the Österreich Konvent [1] (http://www.konvent.gv.at/) was convened in June 30, 2003 to decide upon suggestions to reform the constitution. The Federal Council of Austria or Bundesrat is one of the two separate councils of parliament of Austria. ... The word veto comes from Latin and literally means I forbid. ... June 30 is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 184 days remaining. ...

See also: List of political parties in Austria A political party is a political organization subscribing to a certain ideology or formed around very special issues with the aim to participate in power, usually by participating in elections. ...

Federal States and cities

The nine Austrian states are divided into districts known as Bezirke. Since Austria is a federal republic according to the constitutional framework of Austrian politics, Austrias nine provinces are customarily referred to as States of Austria or Bundesländer, singular Bundesland. ... Bezirk (district in German, pl. ...

The largest cities in Austria are:

Source of population data: Statistics Austria - Census 2001 (http://www.statistik.at/blickgem/index.jsp) This article is about the city and federal state in Austria. ... This article is about the city and federal state in Austria. ... Steyr is a town (population 39,495 as of 2001) in the Austrian federal state of Upper Austria, located on the Enns river. ... Upper Austria (Ober sterreich) is one of the nine federal states or Bundesl nder of Austria. ... Graz [graːts] (Slovenian: Gradec), with a population of 305,000 (council census 2000) is the second-largest city in Austria and the capital of the province of Styria (Steiermark in German). ... Styria (Steiermark in German, Štajerska in Slovenian) can refer to: Styria - a federal state of Austria Styria - an informal province in Slovenia Styria - a duchy of the Holy Roman Empire and crownland of Austria-Hungary This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise... Wiener Neustadt is located south of Vienna in the state of Lower Austria. ... Lower Austria (Niederösterreich) is one of the nine federal states or Bundesländer in Austria. ... This article is about the city of Linz in Austria. ... Upper Austria (Ober sterreich) is one of the nine federal states or Bundesl nder of Austria. ... Feldkirch is a city in the western Austrian state of Vorarlberg, on the border to Switzerland and Liechtenstein. ... Vorarlberg is the westernmost federal state of Austria. ... This page is for the city of Salzburg. ... Salzburg (area 7154 sq. ... Bregenz is the capital of Vorarlberg, the westernmost federal state of Austria. ... Vorarlberg is the westernmost federal state of Austria. ... Innsbruck City Center Innsbruck and Nordkette from south Innsbruck (population 120,000) is a city in western Austria, and the capital of the Tyrol province. ... This article is about Tyrol, the shire. ... Leoben is a city in Styria, in central Austria, located on the Mur river. ... Styria (Steiermark in German, Štajerska in Slovenian) can refer to: Styria - a federal state of Austria Styria - an informal province in Slovenia Styria - a duchy of the Holy Roman Empire and crownland of Austria-Hungary This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise... Klagenfurt (Slovenian Celovec) is the capital of the federal state of Austrian Carinthia (German Kärnten, Slovenian Avstrijska Koroška) in Austria, on the Glan River. ... Carinthia (Kärnten in German, Koroška in Slovenian) can refer to: Carinthia - a federal state of Austria Carinthia - an informal province in Slovenia Carinthia - a duchy of the Holy Roman Empire and crownland of Austria_Hungary Karantania - the first Slovenian state This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other... Places named Wolfsberg include: Wolfsberg, Austria Wolfsberg, Ilm-Kreis, Thuringia, Germany Wolfsberg, Natzweiler-Struthof, a sub-camp of the Natzweiler-Struthof Nazi concentration camp See also: Wolfsburg. ... Carinthia (Kärnten in German, Koroška in Slovenian) can refer to: Carinthia - a federal state of Austria Carinthia - an informal province in Slovenia Carinthia - a duchy of the Holy Roman Empire and crownland of Austria_Hungary Karantania - the first Slovenian state This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other... Villach (Slovenian Beljak) is the second largest city in Carinthia in the south of Austria, on the river Drau (Slovenian Drave) . It currently has 57,646 inhabitants. ... Carinthia (Kärnten in German, Koroška in Slovenian) can refer to: Carinthia - a federal state of Austria Carinthia - an informal province in Slovenia Carinthia - a duchy of the Holy Roman Empire and crownland of Austria_Hungary Karantania - the first Slovenian state This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other... Klosterneuburg is a city in Lower Austria with a population of 24,442. ... Lower Austria (Niederösterreich) is one of the nine federal states or Bundesländer in Austria. ... This article is about Wels, the city in Austria. ... Upper Austria (Ober sterreich) is one of the nine federal states or Bundesl nder of Austria. ... Baden bei Wien, a city in Lower Austria, 26 kilometres South of Vienna. ... Lower Austria (Niederösterreich) is one of the nine federal states or Bundesländer in Austria. ... St. ... Lower Austria (Niederösterreich) is one of the nine federal states or Bundesländer in Austria. ... Krems is a city of Austria, in the federal state of Lower Austria, at the end of Wachau valley. ... Lower Austria (Niederösterreich) is one of the nine federal states or Bundesländer in Austria. ... Dornbirn is a city of roughly 44,000 inhabitants in the province of Vorarlberg in Austria, near Switzerland, Germany and Liechtenstein. ... Vorarlberg is the westernmost federal state of Austria. ... Traun is a city in the Austrian state (Bundesland) of Upper Austria. ... Upper Austria (Ober sterreich) is one of the nine federal states or Bundesl nder of Austria. ...

See also: States of Austria Since Austria is a federal republic according to the constitutional framework of Austrian politics, Austrias nine provinces are customarily referred to as States of Austria or Bundesländer, singular Bundesland. ...

Administrative divisions

Main article: States of Austria Since Austria is a federal republic according to the constitutional framework of Austrian politics, Austrias nine provinces are customarily referred to as States of Austria or Bundesländer, singular Bundesland. ...

A federal republic, Austria is divided into nine states, or Bundesländer (singular Bundesland). Since Austria is a federal republic according to the constitutional framework of Austrian politics, Austrias nine provinces are customarily referred to as States of Austria or Bundesländer, singular Bundesland. ...

Burgenland Carinthia Lower Austria Upper Austria Salzburg Styria Tyrol Vorarlberg Vienna

Minorities and neighbours Burgenland has notable Croatian (29 to 45 thousand) and Hungarian (5 to 15 thousand) minorities. ... Carinthia ( German Kärnten, Slovenian Koroška) is a federal state or Bundesland, located in the south of Austria. ... Lower Austria (Niederösterreich) is one of the nine federal states or Bundesländer in Austria. ... Upper Austria (Ober sterreich) is one of the nine federal states or Bundesl nder of Austria. ... Salzburg (area 7154 sq. ... Styria (Steiermark in German, Štajerska in Slovenian) is a federal state or Bundesland, located in the south east of Austria. ... Tyrol (Tirol in German) is a federal state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. ... Vorarlberg is the westernmost federal state of Austria. ... This article is about the city and federal state in Austria. ...

Geography

Main article: Geography of Austria Austria is geographically located in Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia Geographic coordinates: 47 20 N, 13 20 E Map references: Europe Area: total: 83,858 km² land: 82,738 km² water: 1,120 km² Area comparative Australia comparative: slightly smaller than Tasmania China comparative: about half of Jiangxi...

Around 60 percent of Austria is mountainous due to its location in the Central Eastern Alps, which can be subdivided into the Tirolean Alps, the High and Low Tauern, Northern Limestone Alps, Southern Limestone Alps, and the Wienerwald. Mount Cook, a mountain in New Zealand A mountain is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain in a limited area. ... The Central Eastern Alps are the core ranges of the Eastern Alps with the highest peaks, located between the Northern Limestone Alps and the Southern Limestone Alps, from which they differ in geological composition. ... This article needs cleanup. ... The High Tauern (German Hohe Tauern) is the highest range of the Alps in Austria. ... The Northern Limestone Alps are the ranges of the Eastern Alps north of the Central Eastern Alps. ... The Southern Limestone Alps are the ranges of the Eastern Alps south of the Central Eastern Alps. ... Wienerwald near Breitenfurt The Wienerwald (English: Vienna Woods) is a wooded promontory of the Alps in eastern Lower Austria, located at the border between the Mostviertel and the Industrieviertel, two of the four quarters of Lower Austria. ...

The Five Regions of Austria

1. Austrian granite plateau, located in the central mountainous area of the Bohemian Mass (8500 km², 10.1% of the total area)
2. Austrian portion of foothills of the Alps and the Carpathians (9500 km², 12.3%)
3. Austrian portion of the Alps (52600 km², 62.8%)
4. Austrian portion of the Viennese basin (3700 km², 4.4%)
5. Foothills in the east, Austrian area around the periphery of the Pannoni low country. (9500 km², 12.3%)

Out of the total area of Austria (84,000 km²) only about a quarter can be considered low lying, and only 32 percent of the country is below 500 metres. Granite is a common and widely-occurring group of intrusive felsic igneous rocks that form at great depths and pressures under continents. ... For alternate uses of the term, see Plateau (disambiguation). ... The Alps is the collective name for one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria in the east, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany, through to France in the west. ... This is about the terrestrial mountain range. ... The Alps is the collective name for one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria in the east, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany, through to France in the west. ... The Viennese basin is a tectonic basin between the Alps and the Carpathian Mountains. ...

The six highest mountains in Austria are:

Großglockner (German for Big Bell), with a height of 3798 m above sea level is Austrias highest mountain. ... The High Tauern (German Hohe Tauern) is the highest range of the Alps in Austria. ... Wildspitze is the tallest mountain in the Oetzthal Alps and the second-tallest mountain in Austria, (Grossglockner is the tallest). ... The Ötztal Alps (Ger. ... The Ötztal Alps (Ger. ... The High Tauern (German Hohe Tauern) is the highest range of the Alps in Austria. ... The Ötztal Alps (Ger. ... The High Tauern (German Hohe Tauern) is the highest range of the Alps in Austria. ...

Economy

Main article: Economy of Austria Austria has a well-developed social market economy with a high standard of living in which the government has played an important role. ...

Austria, with its well-developed market economy and high standard of living, is closely tied to other European Union economies, especially Germany's. Membership in the EU has drawn an influx of foreign investors attracted by Austria's access to the single European market and proximity to EU aspirant economies. Slow growth in Germany and elsewhere in the world affected Austria, slowing its growth to 1.2% in 2001. To meet increased competition from both EU and Central European countries, Austria will need to emphasize knowledge-based sectors of the economy, continue to deregulate the service sector, and lower its tax burden. A market economy is a term used to describe an economy where economic decisions, such as pricing of goods and services, are made in a decentralized manner by the economys participants and manifested by trade. ... The Standard of living refers to the quality and quantity of goods and services available to people. ... The European Union or EU is an intergovernmental organisation of European countries, which currently has 25 member states. ... The tertiary sector of industry, also called the service sector or the service industry, is one of the three main industrial categories of a developed economy, the others being the secondary industry (manufacturing and primary goods production such as agriculture), and primary industry (extraction such as mining and fishing). ...

The town of Kaprun in the state of Salzburg

See also: List of Austrian companies This is a list of companies from Austria. ...

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Austria Austrians are a homogeneous people; 92% are native German speakers. ...

The issue of Austrian nationality and ethnicity was throughout recent centuries and remains to this day a sensitive issue and a topic of dispute. Before the end of the Second World War, most of Austria's population were clearly self-identified ethnic-Germans, who considered themselves part of a larger German Volk (ethnic nation), together with the other German-speaking-populations of Europe. A distinct Austrian national identity has emerged since the mid-twentieth century and most Austrians now no longer identify themselves as "Germans". In modern Austria only a small minority of population, mostly but not entirely people with conservative or far right political views, advocate a pan-German ethnic identity for German-speaking Austrians.

Austrians of German mother tongue, by far the country's largest ethnic group, form between 85% and 89% of Austria's population. Around ten percent of Austria's people are of non-Austrian descent, many from surrounding countries, especially from the former East Bloc nations. The Austrian federal states of Carinthia and Styria are home to a significant (indigenous) Slovenian minority with around 18,000 members. So-called guest workers (Gastarbeiter) and their descendants also form an important minority group in Austria. Around 10,000 Hungarians live in the east-most Bundesland, Burgenland. (Formerly part of Hungary.) During the Cold War, the Eastern Bloc (or Soviet Bloc) comprised the following Central and Eastern European countries: Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, East Germany, Poland, Albania (until the early 1960s, see below), the Soviet Union, and Czechoslovakia. ... Carinthia ( German Kärnten, Slovenian Koroška) is a federal state or Bundesland, located in the south of Austria. ... Styria (Steiermark in German, Štajerska in Slovenian) can refer to: Styria - a federal state of Austria Styria - an informal province in Slovenia Styria - a duchy of the Holy Roman Empire and crownland of Austria-Hungary This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise... In sociology and in voting theory, a minority is a sub-group that is outnumbered by persons who do not belong to it. ... Hungarian may refer to: Hungary or the Kingdom of Hungary. ... Minorities and neighbours Burgenland has notable Croatian (29 to 45 thousand) and Hungarian (5 to 15 thousand) minorities. ...

The official language, German, is spoken by almost all residents of the country. Austria's mountainous terrain led to the development of many distinct German dialects. All of the dialects in the country, however, belong to Austro-Bavarian groups of German dialects, with the exception of the dialect spoken in its west-most Bundesland, Vorarlberg, which belongs to the group of Alemannic dialects. German (called Deutsch in German; in German the term germanisch is equivalent to English Germanic), is a member of the western group of Germanic languages and is one of the worlds major languages. ... Subdivisions Northern Austro-Bavarian Central Austro-Bavarian Southern Austro-Bavarian Austro-Bavarian or Bavarian is an Upper Germanic language. ... Vorarlberg is the westernmost federal state of Austria. ... Alemannic (Alemannisch) belongs to the Upper German branch of the Germanic language family. ...

There is also a distinct grammatical standard for Austrian German with a few differences to the German spoken in Germany. In Austria, there is no unitary Austrian Germanic dialects are spoken. ...

Religion

73.6% of the native population identify themselves as Roman Catholic, while 4.7% consider themselves Protestant. About 12% of the population does not belong to any church or religious community. Of the remaining people, about 180,000 are members of the Eastern Orthodox Church, about 7,300 are Jewish, and around 300,000 are members of various Muslim religious communities. The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... This article is about the Christian buildings of worship. ... Eastern Orthodoxy (also called Greek Orthodoxy and Russian Orthodoxy) is a Christian tradition which represents the majority of Eastern Christianity. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ... A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. ...

Well-known Austrians

Main article: List of Austrians Famous Austrians include: Actors/Actresses Leon Askin, actor Klaus Maria Brandauer, actor Liane Haid, first Austrian movie star Hedy Lamarr, (1913-2000), actress; also co-inventor of spread spectrum radio technology; became U.S. citizen Hans Moser Fritz Muliar Romy Schneider, actress (Sissi) Arnold Schwarzenegger, (born 1947), bodybuilder, actor, Governor...

Austria has been the birthplace for several famous composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz-Joseph Haydn, Franz Schubert, Anton Bruckner, Johann Strauss, Sr., Johann Strauss, Jr. and Gustav Mahler; it is also the home of members of the Second Viennese School such as Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern, and Alban Berg. Vienna has long been an important center of musical innovation. ... Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791) was one of the most significant and influential of all composers of Western classical music. ... (Franz) Joseph Haydn (in German, Josef; he never used the Franz) (March 31, 1732 – May 31, 1809) was a leading composer of the classical period. ... For the crater on the moon, see Schubert (crater) Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (January 31, 1797 – November 19, 1828), was an Austrian composer. ... Anton Bruckner Anton Bruckner (September 4, 1824 – October 11, 1896) was an Austrian composer of the Romantic era. ... Johann Strauss I Johann Strauss I (also known as Johann Strauss Snr. ... Johann Strauss II The Waltz King coming to life in the Stadtpark, Vienna Johann Strauss II (or Johann Strauss the Younger, or Johann Strauss Jr. ... Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler (July 7, 1860 – May 18, 1911) was best known in his own time as one of the leading Austrian conductors of his day, but is now remembered as an important composer linking the late 19th century with the modern musical period, particularly for his vast symphonies... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Arnold Schoenberg, Los Angeles, 1948 For the American music critic and journalist, see Harold Charles Schonberg. ... Anton Webern (December 3, 1883 – September 15, 1945) was a composer of classical music and a member of the so called Second Viennese School. ... Alban Maria Johannes Berg (February 9, 1885 – December 24, Austrian composer. ...

Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau, Upper Austria. Braunau am Inn is a city in the Innviertel (River Inn area) of Upper Austria (Oberösterreich), the north-western province of Austria. ...

Other famous Austrians include physicists Ludwig Boltzmann, Lise Meitner,Erwin Schrödinger, Ernst Mach, Wolfgang Pauli and Christian Doppler (Doppler effect), as well as philosophers Ludwig Wittgenstein and Karl Popper, mathematician Kurt Gödel, psychoanalysts Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler as well as Paul Watzlawick, economists Joseph Schumpeter and Friedrich Hayek, poet Peter Rosegger, painter Gustav Klimt, photographer Inge Morath, psychiatrist Viktor Frankl and engineer Ferdinand Porsche. Famous contemporary playwrights and novelists are Elfriede Jelinek and Peter Handke. Ludwig Boltzmann Ludwig Boltzmann (February 20, 1844 – September 5, 1906) was an Austrian physicist famous for the invention of statistical mechanics. ... Meitner with cigarette Lise Meitner (November 7, 1878–October 27, 1968) was an Austrian physicist who studied radioactivity and nuclear physics. ... Erwin Schrödinger, as depicted on the former Austrian 1000 Schilling bank note. ... Ernst Mach (February 18, 1838 - February 19, 1916) was an Austrian physicist and philosopher. ... This article is about Austrian-Swiss physicist Wolfgang Pauli. ... Christian sex Doppler (November 29, 1803 _ March 17, 1853) was an American mathematician, most famous for the hypothesis of what is now known as the sex effect which causes the frequency of a wave to apparently change as its source moves toward sex or away from sex. ... A source of waves moving to the left. ... Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951), pictured here in 1930, made influential contributions to Logic and the philosophy of language, critically examining the task of conventional philosophy and its relation to the nature of language. ... Karl Popper Sir Karl Raimund Popper (July 28, 1902 - September 17, 1994), was an Austrian-born, British philosopher of science. ... Kurt Gödel [ kurt gøːdl], ( April 28, 1906 – January 14, 1978) was a logician, mathematician, and philosopher of mathematics. ... Sigmund Freud His famous couch Sigmund Freud (May 6, 1856 - September 23, 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of the psychoanalytic place of psychology, a movement that damaged the theory that unconscious motives control much behavior. ... Alfred Adler Alfred Adler (February 7, 1870 - May 28, 1937) was an Austrian medical doctor and psychologist, founder of the school of individual psychology. ... Paul Watzlawick PhD is one of the worlds leading theoreticians in Communication Theory and Radical Constructivism Books he has written or collaborated on include The Situation is Hopeless, but not Serious, Ultra-Solutions: How to Fail Most Successfully, and How Real is Real? ... Joseph Alois Schumpeter (February 8, 1883 – January 8, 1950) was one of the greatest 20th century economists and one of the best read. ... Friedrich Hayek Friedrich August von Hayek (May 8, 1899 – March 23, 1992) was an economist and social scientist of the Austrian School, noted for his defense of free-market capitalism against a rising tide of socialist thought in the mid-20th century. ... Peter Rosegger (31 July 1843 - 26 June 1918) was an Austrian poet from the province of Styria. ... Gustav Klimt (July 14, 1862 - February 6, 1918) was an Austrian Symbolist painter and one of the most prominent members of Vienna Art Nouveau (Vienna Secession) movement. ... Inge Morath (May 27, 1923 - January 30, 2002) was a photographer. ... Viktor Frankl Viktor Emil Frankl, M.D., Ph. ... Ferdinand Porsche (September 3, 1875 - January 30, 1951) was a German automotive engineer born in Vratislavice, Austria-Hungary (now in the Czech Republic), who developed the original Volkswagen and a prototype of the Tiger I tank. ... Elfriede Jelinek talking to anti-government protesters in Vienna, June 2000 Elfriede Jelinek (born 20 October 1946) is an Austrian feminist playwright and novelist. ... Peter Handke (born December 6, 1942) is an avant-garde Austrian novelist and playwright. ...

Being situated in the Alps, Austria has been the homeland of many great alpine skiers, such as Toni Sailer, Franz Klammer, Hermann Maier, Annemarie Moser-Pröll and Anita Wachter. Alpine skiing (or downhill skiing) is a recreational activity and sport involving sliding down snow-covered hills with long, thin skis attached to each foot. ... Toni Sailer in 1957 Anton Toni Sailer (born November 17, 1935 in Kitzbühel) is an Austrian skiing legend. ... Franz Klammer (born December 3, 1953) was an Austrian skier who dominated the downhill event throughout much of the mid to late 1970s. ... Hermann Maier (born December 7, 1972) is an Austrian skier who has won four overall World Cup titles (1998, 2000, 2001, 2004), two Olympic gold medals (both in 1998) and two World Campionship titles (both in 1999). ... Anita Wachter (born February 12, Austrian alpine ski professional. ...

Former actor & bodybuilder, now governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is Austrian, as is celebrity chef and restaurateur Wolfgang Puck. Arnold Schwarzenegger as governor of California, with the gubernatorial seal in the background. ... Wolfgang Puck (b. ...

Airline executive and former Formula One race car champion Niki Lauda is Austrian. Formula One, abbreviated to F1 and also known as Grand Prix racing, is the highest class of single-seat open-wheel auto racing. ... Andreas Nikolaus Niki Lauda (born February 22, 1949) is an Austrian racing driver. ...

Culture

• Austrian folk dancing
• Spanish Riding School
• Austrian Food

Austrian folk dancing (see Austria) is mostly associated with Schuhplattler, Landler, Polka or Waltz. ... A Lipizzan horse in the Winter Riding School The Spanish Riding School of Vienna, Austria, is a traditional riding school for Lipizzan horses. ... Austrian cuisine is the cooking style in the tradition of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. ...

Miscellaneous topics

• Communications in Austria
• Transportation in Austria
• Military of Austria
• Education in Austria
• Foreign relations of Austria
• Austria/Language
• Tourism in Austria
• Stamps and postal history of Austria
• Public holidays in Austria
• Reporters without borders Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2004: Rank 17 out of 139 countries

Much of the material in these articles comes from the CIA World Factbook 2000 and the 2003 U.S. Department of State website. Telephones - main lines in use: 4 million (consisting of 3,600,000 analog main lines plus 400,000 Integrated Services Digital Network connections); in addition, there are 300,000 Asymmetric Digital Services lines (01/2004) Telephones - mobile cellular: 6. ... Railways: total: 6,123 km (3,523 km electrified) standard gauge: 5,639 km 1. ... In 1955, Austria declared her Everlasting Neutrality and made neutrality a constitutional law. ... The Republic of Austria has a free and public school system, and nine years of education are mandatory. ... The 1955 Austrian State Treaty ended the four-power occupation and recognized Austria as an independent and sovereign state. ... In Austria, there is no unitary Austrian Germanic dialects are spoken. ... Tourism > Tourism in Austria Visits to Austria mostly include trips to Vienna with its Cathedral, its Heurigenschenken (wine pubs) and romantic Waltz music flair. ... (pre-stamp postal history here) 3-kreuzer stamp of 1850; note the rough surface of the hand-made paper. ... Categories: Austria | Public holidays by country ... Reporters Without Borders, or RWB ( French: Reporters sans frontières, or RSF) is an international non-governmental organization devoted to freedom of the press. ... Freedom of the press (or press freedom) is the guarantee by a government of free public speech often through a state constitution for its citizens, and associations of individuals extended to members of news gathering organizations, and their published reporting. ... World Factbook 2004 cover The World Factbook is an annual publication by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States with basic almanac-style information about the various countries of the world. ...

External links

Austrian Cultural Forum New York (http://www.acfny.org)

Official national sites

• Website of the Federal Chancellery of Austria (German, English) (http://www.bundeskanzleramt.at/)
• "Alltag raus, Österreich rein" (http://www.austria-tourism.at/) Official homepage of the Austrian National Tourist Office (German, English and other languages)

Travel information

• Austria travel guide (http://www.tiscover.at/)
• Travel Information about Austria (http://www.anytravels.com/europe/austria/)
• Tourism in Austria (http://www.dwellan.com/documents/links_at_en.html)
• Ski resorts in Austria (http://www.winterreisen.de/ski_a.htm)
• Willgoto Austria (http://www.willgoto.com/categories.aspx?Destination=217&Langue=1) Travel guide and directory
• WikiTravel  (http://wikitravel.org/en/Austria/)

Information from the USA

• Library of Congress Portals on the World - Austria (http://www.loc.gov/rr/international/european/austria/au.html)
• CIA's Factbook on Austria (http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/au.html)
• Country Studies - Austria (http://www.photoglobe.info/ebooks/austria/)

The word Usa has more than one meaning: U.S.A. - The United States of America Usa, Oita - A city in Japan This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

News stories

• The Bloch-Bauer court case (http://www.adele.at/)

Portals focused on Austria

• Austrosearch (http://www.austrosearch.at/) Bilingual Austrian Search engine and Directory (German, English)

Other

• The Symbols of Austria (http://peter-diem.at/default_e.htm)
• Austria in Pictures (http://austria.europe-countries.com)
• ORF - Austrian Radio stations (live feed) (http://radio.orf.at/)

This is an alphabetical list of the sovereign states of the world, including both de jure and de facto independent states. ... World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... Albania is a Mediterranean country in southeastern Europe. ... National motto: Virtus Unita Fortior (Latin: Virtue united is stronger) Official language: Catalan. ... Azerbaijan (Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan) is a country in the Caucasus, in the crossroads of Europe and Southwest Asia, with an east coast on the Caspian Sea. ... Belarus ( Belarusian: Белару́сь, Russian: Белару́сь (formerly: Белору́ссия), Polish: Białoruś) is a landlocked nation of Eastern Europe with the capital Minsk. ... Bosnia and Herzegovina (officially Bosna i Hercegovina, shortened to BiH, also in English variously written Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Bosnia-Hercegovina) is a mountainous country in the western Balkans. ... The Republic of Bulgaria is a republic in the southeast of Europe. ... The Republic of Croatia is a crescent-shaped country in Europe bordering the Mediterranean, Central Europe and the Balkans. ... Cyprus (in Greek Kypros Κύπρος and in Turkish Kıbrıs) is an island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, 113 kilometres (70 miles) south of Turkey and around 120 km west of the Syrian coast. ... National motto: Truth prevails ( Czech: Pravda vítězí) Official language Czech Capital Praha ( Prague) President Václav Klaus Prime Minister Stanislav Gross Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 114th 78,866 km² 2% Population  - Total ( 2003)  - Density Ranked 76th 10. ... Denmark (disambiguation). ... Estonia (disambiguation). ... 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The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a small landlocked state in the north-west of the continental European Union, bordered by France, Germany and Belgium. ... National motto: None Official languages Macedonian2 Capital Skopje President Branko Crvenkovski Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 145th 25,713 km² 1. ... This article is about the European nation. ... This article refers to the Republic of Moldova. ... The Principality of Monaco or Monaco ( French: Principauté de Monaco or Monaco; Monegasque: Munegu or Principatu de Munegu) is a city state and the second-smallest country in the world, wedged in between the Mediterranean Sea and France along the French Riviera or Côte dAzur (The Blue Coast). ... The Kingdom of Norway is a Nordic country on the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, bordering Sweden, Finland and Russia, with territorial waters bordering Danish and British waters. ... The Republic of Poland, a democratic country with a population of 38,626,349 and area of 312,685 km², is located in Central Europe, between Germany to the west, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south, Ukraine and Belarus to the east, and the Baltic Sea, Lithuania and... Romania (formerly spelled Rumania or Roumania; Romanian: România) is a country in southeastern Europe. ... San Marino (disambiguation). ... Serbia and Montenegro ( Serbian: Србија и Црна Гора, often abbreviated as SCG) is the name of the union of Serbia and Montenegro, two former Yugoslav republics united since 2003 in a loose confederation. ... National motto: None Official language Slovak Capital Bratislava President Ivan Gašparovič Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 126th 49,035 km² Negligible Population  - Total ( 2004)  - Density Ranked 103rd 5,379,455 109/km² Independence January 1, 1993 (division of Czechoslovakia) Currency Slovak koruna Time zone  - in summer CET... The Republic of Slovenia ( Slovenian: Republika Slovenija) is a coastal sub-Alpine country in south central Europe bordering Italy to the west, the Adriatic Sea to the southwest, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north. ... The Swiss Confederation or Switzerland is a landlocked federal state in Europe, with neighbours Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein. ... Ukraine (Україна, Ukrayina in Ukrainian; Украина in Russian) is a republic in eastern Europe which borders Russia to the east, Belarus to the north, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary to the west, Romania and Moldova to the southwest and the Black Sea to the south. ... The State of the Vatican City ( Latin: Status Civitatis Vaticanæ), is a landlocked enclave surrounded by the city of Rome in Italy, and the smallest independent state in the world (both in area and in population). ... The coat of arms of the Holy See The term Holy See ( Latin: Sancta Sedes, lit. ... Dependency has a number of meanings: In project management, a dependency is a link amongst a projects terminal elements. ... Map of Akrotiri (Western) SBA Akrotiri (also known as the Western Sovereign Base Area or WSBA) and Dhekelia (also known as the Eastern Sovereign Base Area or ESBA) are UK Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) in Cyprus, a former British Crown Colony. ... Motto: None Official language Faroese Capital Tórshavn Monarch Margrethe II Prime Minister Jóannes Eidesgaard Area  - Total  - % water World ranking: 189th 1,399 km² — Population  - Total ( 2004)  - Density World ranking: 211th 48,228 33. ... Gibraltar (disambiguation). ... For the garment with this name, see guernsey. ... Jan Mayen Jan Mayen Island, a part of the Kingdom of Norway, is a 373-square-kilometer arctic volcanic island partly covered by glaciers and divided into two parts by a narrow isthmus. ... New Jersey and Jersey (disambiguation). ... See also the Isle of Mam. ... Svalbard, a part of the Kingdom of Norway, including one municipality (Longyearbyen), lies in the Arctic Ocean north of mainland Europe. ... A bicontinental country is a country whose contiguous continental territory (or in case an island state - its different islands) lie in two different continents. ... World map showing location of Asia A satellite composite image of Asia Asia is the central and eastern part of the continent of Eurasia, defined by subtracting the European peninsula from Eurasia. ... World map showing location of Asia A satellite composite image of Asia Asia is the central and eastern part of the continent of Eurasia, defined by subtracting the European peninsula from Eurasia. ... World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ...