Austria

Austria (German: Österreich; officially called Republic of Austria), is a country in Central Europe. Around Austria there are Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. Currently, the chancellor is Werner Faymann. Austria has been a member-state of the EU since 1995.

Republic of Austria Republik Österreich
Anthem:
Location of  Austria  (dark green) – on the European continent  (green & dark grey) – in the European Union  (green)  —  [Legend]
Capital and largest city	Vienna
Official languages	German
Austro-Bavarian, Alemannic in Vorarlberg. Locally also Slovene, Burgenland Croatian and Hungarian
Ethnic groups (2001)	91.1% Austrians, 8.9% foreigners - 4% former Yugoslavs, 1.6% Turks, 2.4% others and unspecified
Demonym(s)	Austrian
Government	Federal Parliamentary republic
• President	Heinz Fischer
• Chancellor	Werner Faymann (SPÖ)
• President of the National Council	Barbara Prammer (SPÖ)
Independence
• Austrian State Treaty in force	27 July 1955 (Duchy: 1156, Austrian Empire: 1804, First Austrian Republic: 1918–1938, Second Republic since 1945)
Area
• Total	(115th)
• Water (%)	1.7
Population
• 2011 estimate	8,414,638 (92nd)
• 2001 census	8,032,926
• Density	(99th)
GDP (PPP)	2011 estimate
• Total	$343 billion
• Per capita	$40.979
GDP (nominal)	2011 estimate
• Total	$405 billion
• Per capita	$48,350
Gini (2007)	26 low
HDI (2011)	0.885 very high · 19th
Currency	Euro (€) ² (EUR)
Time zone	UTC+01 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02 (CEST)
Driving side	right
Calling code	43
ISO 3166 code	AT
Internet TLD	.at ³
Slovene, Croatian, Hungarian are officially recognised regional languages and Austrian Sign Language is a protected minority language throughout the country. Euro since 1 Jan 1999 virtual, since 1 Jan 2002 real currency; before: Austrian Schilling. The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states.

The people in Austria speak German, a few also Hungarian, Slovenian and Croatian. The capital of Austria is Vienna (Wien).

Austria is more than a thousand years old. Its history can be followed to the ninth century. At that time the first people moved to the land now known as Austria. The name "Ostarrichi" is first written in an official document from 996. Since then this word has developed into the Modern German word Österreich.

Austria is a democratic state and has nine federal states (German: 'Bundesländer'): Vorarlberg, the Tyrol, Salzburg, Carinthia, Styria, Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Vienna and Burgenland. It is a neutral state, that means it does not take part in wars with other countries. Austria has been in the United Nations since 1955 and in the European Union since 1995.

History

Ancient times

There has been human settlement in the area that is now Austria for a long time. The first settlers go back to the Paleolithic age. That was the time of the Neanderthals. They left works of art such as the Venus of Willendorf. In the Neolithic age people were living there to dig for mineral resources, especially copper. Ötzi, a mummy found in a glacier between Austria and Italy, is from that time. In the Bronze Age people built bigger settlements and fortresses, especially where there were mineral resources. Salt mining began near Hallstatt. At that time, Celts began to form the first states.

The Romans

Map

The Roman cities and their modern names

The Romans came 15 B.C. to Austria and made the Celtic Regnum Noricum to a province. Modern Austria was part of three provinces, Raetia, Noricum and Pannonia. The border in the north was the Danube.

Shown on the map

• Vindobona-Vienna
• Carnuntum- Petronell and Bad Deutsch-Altenburg
• Savaria- Szombathely (Hungary)
• Favianis- Mautern an der Donau
• Lauriacum- Lorch near Enns
• Boiotro- Passau (Germany)
• Iuvavum- Salzburg
• Sabiona- Säben bei Klausen (Italy)
• Aguntum- in der Nähe von Lienz
• Teurnia- in der Nähe von Spital an der Drau
• Virunum - Zollfeld in Carinthia
• Brigantium- Bregenz

Others

• Lentia- Linz
• Ovilava- Wels
• Veldidena- Wilten (now part of Innsbruck)
• Flavia Solva- near Leibniz

Modern times

Austria was the Austrian Empire from about 800 to 1918 and was ruled by The House of Habsburg for most of that period. Then it became a republic. The First Republic was from 1918 to 1938. From 1938 to 1945 Austria was part of Germany. The Second Republic was started in 1945.

Geography

See also: List of settlements in Austria

Map of Austria

Austria is a largely mountainous country since it is partially in the Alps. The high mountainous Alps in the west of Austria flatten somewhat into low lands and plains in the east of the country where the Danube flows.

Culture

Music and Arts

Many famous composers were Austrians or born in Austria. There are Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Franz Schubert, Anton Bruckner, Johann Strauss, Sr., Johann Strauss, Jr. and Gustav Mahler. In modern times there were Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern and Alban Berg, who belonged to the Second Viennese School.

Austria has many artists, there are Gustav Klimt, Oskar Kokoschka, Egon Schiele or Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Inge Morath or Otto Wagner and scienc.

Food

Famous Austrian dishes are Wiener Schnitzel, Apfelstrudel, Schweinsbraten, Kaiserschmarren, Knödel, Sachertorte and Tafelspitz. But you can also find a lot of local dishes like Kärntner Reindling, Tiroler Knödl or Salzburger Nockerl.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Austria

1. Historic Centre of Salzburg — 1996
2. Schönbrunn Palace — 1996
3. Hallstatt–Dachstein Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape — 1997
4. Semmering Railway — 1998
5. Historic Centre of Graz and Schloss Eggenberg — 1999 (extended in 2010)
6. Wachau Cultural Landscape — 2000
7. Historic Centre of Vienna — 2001
8. Lake Neusiedl — 2001

Gallery

• 

  Hallstatt

• 

  Salzburg

• 

  Schönbrunn palace

• 

  Semmering railway

• 

  Graz

• 

  Schloss Eggenberg

• 

  Wachau

• 

  Neusiedler See

Related pages

• List of rivers of Austria