Childrens Illustrated Encyclopedia

59

Austria

Vienna

The Habsburg family ruled austria for several

centuries, and Vienna was the capital of their

empire. Vienna stands on the Danube River,

and is a gateway between eastern and western

europe. The city is most famous for its

magnificent 17th-century architecture.

Today it is a major center of trade and industry.

austria is a landlocked country,

located at the heart of europe. To

the west it is alpine. The northeast

is the fertile valley of the Danube.

ausTRia occupies a strategic position at

the heart of europe. Both the Danube River

and the alpine passes in the west have been vital

trade routes for many centuries, linking southern

and eastern europe with the north and west. until

1918, austria was part of the Habsburg empire,

which dominated much of central europe.

Today it is a wealthy, industrialized nation.

in the northeast, the fertile plains that surround

the Danube provide rich farming country, and

potatoes, beets, and cereals are grown there.

in the west the magnificent mountain scenery

of the alps attracts millions of visitors. austria

is rich in mineral resources, especially iron.

it uses hydroelectric power, generated by

fast mountain streams, to provide power

for its steel and manufacturing industries.

THe TiRol

The alpine district of western austria is known as the Tirol.

The region has a very strong identity and folk culture, and

historically it was an important link between Germany and italy.

salt, copper mining, and dairy farming are important to the

economy of the Tirol. Tourists are attracted by its spectacular

beauty, especially in the winter, when skiing is a major attraction.

Find out more

composers

europe

europe, history of

Volcano Mountain Capital

city

Large

city/

town

Small

city/

town

Ancient

monument

N

S

W E

MoZaRT

The composer Wolfgang amadeus Mozart

(1756–91) was born in salzburg and spent

his childhood there. His remarkable early

talent and the continuing popularity of

his music draws many visitors to the

city. This miniature comes from

the Mozart Museum in salzburg.

ausTRian coffee

coffee was introduced to Vienna by

the Turks in the 17th century. coffee,

accompanied by pastries or chocolate

cakes, is a famous Viennese speciality.

This miniature features

Mozart and his

sister Maria-Anna

(1751-1829).

StatiSticS

area: 32,383 sq miles

(83,871 sq km)

Population: 8,665,500

capital: Vienna

Languages: German,

croat, slovene

Religions: Roman

catholic, protestant,

Muslim, Jewish

currency: euro

(Donau)^

Danube^

In

n^

M

ur

Enns

Salzach^ Mur Raab^

Dra

u

Neusiedler

See

Lake Constance

H

U

N

G

a

R

Y

S L O V a K i a

c

Z

E

c

H^

REPUBLic

i t a L Y

S

W

it

Z

E

R

La

N

D

G

E

R

M

a

N

Y

S LO

VE

N

i

a

LiEcHtENStEiN

a U S t R i a

Ba

var

ian

Alp

s^

Gu

rkt

ale

r^

Ho

he^ Tauern

Kit

zbühl

er^ Alpen^

Fis

chb

ach

er^

Alp

en

Al

pen

Otz

taler Al

pen

Karawanken

Karnische

A

l

p s

Grossglockner

Wildspitze 3798m

3768m

Bad Ischl

Bad Vöslau

Ebensee

Hohenems

Judenburg

Wolfsberg

Leoben

Donawitz

Lienz

Liezen

Mistelbach an der Zaya

Mürzzuschlag

Perchtoldsdorf

Ried im

Innkreis

Schwaz

Steyr

Traiskirchen

Eisenstadt

Tulln

Vöcklabruck Wiener Neustadt

Zwettl

Bregenz Badgastein

Hollabrunn

Klagenfurt

Sankt Pölten

Villach

Wels

Graz

innsbruck

Linz

Salzburg

ViENNa

(WiEN)

tirol

0

0 50 100

50 100

ScaLE BaR

km

miles

The Schönbrunn Palace,

the summer residence

of the Habsburgs

US_059_AUSTRIA.indd 59 20/01/16 4:33 pm