World Atlas 2010 (4th edition)

164 EUROPE

Austria

FACTFILE

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Austria

DATE OF FORMATION: 1918

CAPITAL: Vienna

POPULATION: 8.36 million

TOTAL AREA: 32,378 sq. miles

(83,858 sq. km)

DENSITY: 262 people per sq. mile

LANGUAGES: German*, Croatian, Slovenian,

Hungarian (Magyar)

RELIGIONS: Roman Catholic 78%,

nonreligious 9%, other 8%, Protestant 5%

ETHNIC MIX: Austrian 93%, Croat, Slovene,

and Hungarian 6%, other 1%

GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary system

CURRENCY: Euro = 100 cents

Bordering eight countries in the heart of Europe,

Austria was created in 1918 after the collapse of the Habsburg

Empire. Neutral after World War II, it joined the EU in 1995.

GEOGRAPHY

Mainly mountainous. Alps and

foothills cover the west and south.

Lowlands in the east are part of the

Danube River basin.

CLIMATE

Temperate continental climate.

The western Alpine regions have

colder winters and more rainfall.

PEOPLE & SOCIETY

Though Austrians speak German,

they like to stress their distinctive

identity in relation to Germany. Vienna

is a major cultural center. Minorities

are few; there are some ethnic Croats,

Slovenes, and Hungarians, plus

refugees from conflict in former

Yugoslavia. Though strongly Roman

Catholic, Austrian society is less

conservative than some southern

German Länder. Class divisions

remain strong.

THE ECONOMY

Large manufacturing base, despite

lack of energy resources. The skilled labor

force is key to high-tech exports.

Eurozone membership since 2002 has

boosted investment.

INSIGHT: Many of the world’s great

composers were Austrian, including

Mozart, Haydn, Schubert, and Strauss

50 km

50 miles

0

3000m/9843ft 2000m/6562ft 1000m/3281ft 500m/1640ft 200m/656ft Sea Level

LIECH.

SLOVENIA

HUNG.

SLVKA.

CZECH REP.

GERMANY

SWITZ. ITALY

Al

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Danu

be

Dornbirn

Graz

Leoben

Bad Ischl

Villach Klagenfurt

Wolfsberg

Steyr Sankt Pölten Wiener Neustadt

Linz

Salzburg

Wels

Innsbruck

VIENNA