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ABOUT AUSTRIA
Geography
Austria is located in Central Europe. It is
an predominantly mountainous country with an area of 83,855 km2.
Eight countries namely Italy, Switzerland, the Principality of Liechtenstein,
Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia form
the Austrian border. Vienna is the capital of Austria that lies
on the Danube River and is partly surrounded by the hills of the
Vienna Woods (Wienerwald).
Austria is divided into nine federal
provinces (Bundesländer):
- Vienna (Wien)
- Lower Austria (Niederösterreich)
- Upper Austria (Oberösterreich)
- Salzburg (Salzburg)
- Carinthia (Kärnten)
- Tyrol (Tirol)
- Vorarlberg (Vorarlberg)
- Styria (Steiermark)
- Burgenland (Burgenland)
Population
Austria's population is growing toward eight
million. Twenty percent of the total population (1,54 million people)
is living in Vienna. Ninety-three percent of Austrians are German-speaking.
However the country has a diverse ethnic mix that includes six officially
recognized ethnic groups: Croats, Czechs, Hungarians, Roma/Sinti,
Slovaks and Slovenes. Concerning the religion we can state that
although about 78 percent of the population is Roman Catholic, there
are eleven other officially recognized religions in Austria.
Climate
Austria's climate is generally moderate and
mild but varies from the Alpine region to the eastern plain. Summer
can be hot and long with average summer temperatures that range
from 20°C to 30°C. The average winter temperatures are around 0°.
Snow on the mountains in spring and autumn is not uncommon. In Vienna
itself you can enjoy the very mild climate, a gentle breeze, fresh
air produced by the surrounding Wienerwald.
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