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Austria

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Countries; European
Countries

   Republik Österreich
   Republic of Austria

   Flag of Austria Coat of arms of Austria
   Flag            Coat of arms
   Motto: none
   Anthem: Land der Berge, Land am Strome
   (German for "Land of Mountains, Land on the River")
   Location of Austria
   Capital
   (and largest city) Vienna
   48°12′N 16°21′E
   Official languages German ^1
   Government Republic
    - President Heinz Fischer
    - Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel
   Independence
    - Austrian State Treaty in force July 27, 1955
    - Declaration of Neutrality October 26, 1955
   Accession to EU January 1, 1995
   Area
    - Total 83,871 km² ( 115th)
   32,378 sq mi
    - Water (%) 1.3
   Population
    - 2006 estimate 8,292,322 ( 92nd)
    - 2001 census 8,032,926
    - Density 99/km² ( 99th)
   256/sq mi
   GDP ( PPP) 2005 estimate
    - Total $275.02 billion ( 34th)
    - Per capita $33,615 ( 8th)
   GDP (nominal) 2005 estimate
    - Total $307.07 billion ( 23rd)
    - Per capita $37,117 ( 12th)
   HDI  (2004) 0.944 (high) ( 14th)
   Currency Euro ( €) ^2 ( EUR)
   Time zone CET ( UTC+1)
    - Summer ( DST) CEST ( UTC+2)
   Internet TLD .at ^3
   Calling code +43 ( details)
   ^1 Slovenian, Croatian, Hungarian are officially recognised regional
   languages and Austrian Sign Language is a protected minority language
   throughout the country.
   ^2 Prior to 1999: Austrian Schilling.
   ^3 The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with other European
   Union member states.

   Austria (German: Österreich, Czech: Rakousko, Slovenian: Avstrija;
   Croatian: Austrija; Serbian: Aустрија; Hungarian: Ausztria; see also
   other languages) 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. Its capital city is Vienna.

   Austria is a parliamentary representative democracy consisting of nine
   federal states and is one of six European countries that have declared
   permanent neutrality and one of the few countries that included the
   concept of everlasting neutrality in their constitution. Austria is a
   member of the United Nations since 1955 and joined the European Union
   in 1995.

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
   name was Latinized as "Austria", so it has no etymological connection
   with the name of Australia (which correctly means The South). Reich can
   also mean "empire", and this connotation is the one that is understood
   in the context of the Austrian/ Austro-Hungarian Empire, Holy Roman
   Empire, although not in the context of the modern Republic of
   Österreich. The term probably originates in a vernacular translation of
   the Medieval Latin name for the region: Marchia orientalis, which
   translates as "eastern borderland", as it was situated at the eastern
   edge of the Holy Roman Empire, that was also mirrored in the name
   Ostmark, for a short period applied after Anschluss to Germany.

   The current official designation is the Republic of Austria (Republik
   Österreich). It was originally known after the fall of the
   Austro-Hungarian Empire from 1918 as the Republic of German Austria
   (Republik Deutschösterreich), but the state was forced to change its
   name to "Republic of Austria" in 1919 peace Treaty of Saint-Germain.
   The name was changed again during the Austro-fascist regime
   (1934–1938), into Federal State of Austria (Bundesstaat Österreich),
   but restored after regaining independence and the birth of the Second
   Austrian Republic (1955–present).

   During the monarchy, Austria was known as the Austrian Empire
   (Kaisertum Österreich), however no official designation existed since
   the empire was strongly multiethnic. After the Ausgleich with Hungary
   in 1867, the empire became known as Austria-Hungary in reflection of
   the dual monarchy character. Some historians argue that the term The
   Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of
   the Crown of St. Stephen (Die im Reichsrat vertretenen Königreiche und
   Länder und die Länder der heiligen ungarischen Stephanskrone) was the
   correct official name for Austria-Hungary.

History

Holy Roman Empire

   The territory of Austria, originally known as the Celtic kingdom of
   Noricum, was a long time ally of Rome. It was occupied rather than
   conquered by the Romans during the reign of Augustus and made the
   province Noricum in 16 BC. Later it was conquered by Huns, Rugii,
   Lombards, Ostrogoths, Slavs, Bavarii, Avars (until c. 800), and Franks
   (in that order). Finally, after 48 years of Hungarian rule (907 to
   955), the core territory of Austria was awarded to Leopold of Babenberg
   in 976 after the revolt of Henry II, Duke of Bavaria. Being part of the
   Holy Roman Empire the Babenbergs ruled and expanded Austria from the
   10th century to the 13th century.

   After Frederick II, Duke of Austria died in 1246 and left no successor,
   Rudolf I of Habsburg gave the lands to his sons marking the beginning
   of the line of the Habsburgs, who continued to govern Austria until the
   20th century.

   With the short exception of Charles VII Albert of Bavaria, Austrian
   Habsburgs held the position of German Emperor beginning in 1438 with
   Albert II of Habsburg until the end of the Holy Roman Empire. During
   the 14th and 15th century Austria continued to expand its territory
   until it reached the position of a European imperial power at the end
   of the 15th century.

   Under Maximilian I (Holy Roman Emperor) and his son ( Philip the
   Handsome - he died before his father in 1506 a.c.) the Austrian Empire
   reached its greatest expansion, including Spain (through marriage) and
   all its territories in the "new world".

   The Emperors sign from this time (~1500 a.c.) "aeiou" is not really
   decrypted but most likely it's either "Austriae Est Imperare Orbi
   Universo" or "Austriae Erit In Orbe Ultima" (German: "Alles Erdreich
   ist Oesterreich Untertan")

   Maximilian II was one of the older brothers of Maria Antonia Josefa
   Johanna von Habsburg-Lothringen, Archduchess of Austria from her birth
   in 1755 to her marriage in 1768. At this time, she became not Maria
   Antonia, but Marie Antoinette, Dauphine of France. She cemented the
   Austria-France alliance when she married the heir apparent and grandson
   of King Louis XV of France. She later became Queen when the king died
   of smallpox.

Modern history

   Just two years before the abolition of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806,
   in 1804 the Empire of Austria was founded, which was transformed in
   1867 into the dual-monarchy Austria-Hungary. The empire was split into
   several independent states in 1918, after the defeat of the Central
   Powers in World War I, with most of the German-speaking parts becoming
   a republic. (See Treaty of Saint-Germain.) Between 1918 and 1919 it was
   officially known as the Republic of German Austria (Republik
   Deutschösterreich). After the Entente powers forbade German Austria to
   unite with Germany, they also forbade the name, and then it was changed
   to simply Republic of Austria. This democratic republic, the First
   Austrian Republic, lasted until 1933 when the chancellor Engelbert
   Dollfuß established an autocratic regime oriented towards Italian
   fascism ( Austrofascism).

   Austria became part of Germany in 1938 through the Anschluss and
   remained under Nazi rule until the end of World War II. After the
   defeat of the Axis Powers, the Allies occupied Austria until 1955, when
   the country became a fully independent republic under the condition
   that it would remain neutral in the growing conflict between the
   Communist Eastern Bloc and the non-Communist West (see: Austrian State
   Treaty). Austria also became a member of the UN in the same year. After
   the collapse of communist states in Eastern Europe, Austria became
   increasingly involved in European affairs, in 1995 joining the European
   Union, and in 1999 adopting the Euro monetary system.

Politics

   Austria became a federal, parliamentarian, democratic republic through
   the Federal Constitution of 1920. It was 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. The government can be removed from office by either a
   presidential decree or by vote of no confidence in the lower chamber of
   parliament, the Nationalrat.

   The Parliament of Austria 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 obtained at least a four percent threshold
   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 — in most cases — pass the
   respective bill a second time bypassing the Bundesrat altogether). A
   convention, called the Österreich–Konvent was convened in June 30, 2003
   to decide upon suggestions to reform the constitution, but has failed
   to produce a proposal that would receive the two thirds of votes in the
   Nationalrat necessary for constitutional amendments and/or reform.
   However, some important parts of the final report were generally agreed
   upon and are still expected to be implemented.

Administrative divisions

   A federal republic, Austria is divided into nine states, (German:
   Bundesländer). These states are divided into districts ( Bezirke) and
   cities ( Statutarstädte). Districts are subdivided into municipalities
   (Gemeinden). Cities have the competencies otherwise granted to both
   districts and municipalities. The states are not mere administrative
   divisions, but have some distinct legislative authority separate from
   the federal government.
   State (Bundesland) Capital Population (Rank)
   The States of Austria
   1 Burgenland Eisenstadt 277,569 (9.)
   2 Carinthia (Kärnten) Klagenfurt 559,404 (6.)
   3 Lower Austria (Niederösterreich) St. Pölten 1,545,804 (2.)
   4 Upper Austria (Oberösterreich) Linz 1.376.797 (3.)
   5 Salzburg Salzburg 515,327 (7.)
   6 Styria (Steiermark) Graz 1,183,303 (4.)
   7 Tyrol (Tirol) Innsbruck 673,504 (5.)
   8 Vorarlberg Bregenz 372,791 (8.)
   9 Vienna (Wien) Vienna (Wien) 1,651,437 (1.)

Geography

   Topography of Austria
   Enlarge
   Topography of Austria

   Austria is a largely mountainous country due to its location in the
   Alps. The Central Eastern Alps, Northern Limestone Alps and Southern
   Limestone Alps are all partly in Austria. Of the total area of Austria
   (84 000 km² or 32,000  sq. mi), only about a quarter can be considered
   low lying, and only 32% of the country is below 500 metres (1,640  ft).
   The high mountainous Alps in the west of Austria flatten somewhat into
   low lands and plains in the east of the country.
   Map of Austria
   Enlarge
   Map of Austria

   Austria may be divided into 5 different areas. The biggest area are the
   Austrian Alps, which constitute 62% of Austria's total area. The
   Austrian foothills at the base of the Alps and the Carpathians account
   for around 12% of its area. The foothills in the east and areas
   surrounding the periphery of the Pannoni low country amount to about
   12% of the total landmass. The second greater mountain area (much lower
   than the Alps) is situated in the north. Known as the Austrian granite
   plateau, it is located in the central area of the Bohemian Mass, and
   accounts for 10% of Austria. The Austrian portion of the Viennese basin
   comprises the remaining 4%.

Climate

   The greater part of Austria lies in the cool/temperate climate zone in
   which humid westerly winds predominate. With over half of the country
   dominated by the Alps the alpine climate is the predominant one. In the
   East, in the Pannonian Plain and along the Danube valley, the climate
   shows continental features with less rain than the alpine areas.

   The six highest mountains in Austria are:
               Name                Height           Range
      1 Großglockner        3797  m (12,457  ft) Hohe Tauern
      2 Wildspitze          3768 m (12,362 ft)   Ötztal Alps
      3 Weißkugel           3739 m (12,267 ft)   Ötztal Alps
      4 Großvenediger       3674 m (12,054 ft)   Hohe Tauern
      5 Similaun            3606 m (11,831 ft)   Ötztal Alps
      6 Großes Wiesbachhorn 3571 m (11,715 ft)   Hohe Tauern

Economy

   The Belvedere Palace, an example of the Baroque
   The Belvedere Palace, an example of the Baroque

   Austria has a well-developed social market economy and a high standard
   of living. Until the 1980s many of Austria's largest industry firms
   were nationalised, however in recent years privatisation has reduced
   state holdings to a level comparable to other European economies.
   Labour movements are particularly strong in Austria and have large
   influence on labour politics.

   Germany has historically been the main trading partner of Austria,
   making it vulnerable to rapid changes in the German economy. Slow
   growth in Germany and elsewhere in the world affected Austria, slowing
   its growth to 0.8% in 2001. But since Austria became a member state of
   the European Union it has gained closer ties to other European Union
   economies, reducing its economic dependence on Germany. In addition,
   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
   aspiring economies. Therefore estimates of growth in 2006 (about 3%)
   are much more favourable than in the crippling German economy.

   See also: List of Austrian companies

Demographics

   Vienna during the first half of the 18th century, painting by
   Canaletto.
   Enlarge
   Vienna during the first half of the 18th century, painting by
   Canaletto.

   Austria's population was estimated in October, 2006 as 8,292,322
   persons. The population of the capital, Vienna, exceeds 1.6 million
   (2.2 million with suburbs), representing about a quarter of the
   country's population, and is said to constitute a melting pot of
   citizens from all over Central and Eastern Europe. In contrast to the
   capital, other cities do not exceed 1 million inhabitants: the second
   largest city Graz is home of 240,278 people, followed by Linz with
   187,112, Salzburg with 146,868, and Innsbruck with 115,498. All other
   cities have fewer than 100,000 inhabitants.

   German-speaking Austrians, by far the country's largest group, form
   roughly 90% of Austria's population. The Austrian federal states of
   Carinthia and Styria are home to a significant (indigenous) Slovenian
   minority with around 14,000 members (Austrian census; unofficial
   numbers of Slovene groups speak of about 40,000). Around 20,000
   Hungarians and 30,000 Croatians live in the east-most Bundesland,
   Burgenland (formerly part of the hungarian half of Austria-Hungary).
   The remaining number of Austria's people are of non-Austrian descent,
   many from surrounding countries, especially from the former East Bloc
   nations. So-called guest workers (Gastarbeiter) and their descendants,
   as well as refugees from Yugoslav wars and other conflicts, also form
   an important minority group in Austria.

   According to the 2001 census, the mother tongue of the population by
   prevalence, is German (88.6%) followed by Turkish (2.3%), Serbian
   (2.2%), Croatian (1.6%), Hungarian (0.5%) and Bosnian (0.4%).

   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. There is also a distinct
   grammatical standard for Austrian German with a few differences to the
   German spoken in Germany.

   As of 2006 some of the Austrian states introduced standardised tests
   for new citizens, to assure their languge and cultural knowledge and
   accordingly their ability to integrate into the Austrian society.

Politics concerning ethnic groups (Volksgruppenpolitik)

   An estimated 25,000–40,000 Slovenians in the Austrian state of
   Carinthia as well as Croatians and Hungarians in Burgenland were
   recognized as a minority and have enjoyed special rights following the
   Austrian State Treaty (Staatsvertrag) of 1955. The Slovenians in the
   Austrian state of Styria (estimated at a number between 1,600 and
   5,000) are not recognized as a minority and do not enjoy special
   rights, although the State Treaty of July 27, 1955 states otherwise.

   The right for bilingual topographic signs for the regions where
   Slovene- and Croat-Austrians live alongside the Germanic population (as
   required by the 1955 State Treaty) is still to be fully implemented.
   Many Carinthians are afraid of Slovenian territorial claims, pointing
   to the fact that Yugoslav troops entered the state after each of the
   two World Wars and considering that some official Slovenian atlases
   still show parts of Carinthia as Slovenian cultural territory. The
   current governor, Jörg Haider, has made this fact a matter of public
   argument in autumn 2005 by refusing to increase the number of bilingual
   topographic signs in Carinthia. A poll by the Kärntner Humaninstitut
   conducted in January 2006 states that 65% of Carinthians are not in
   favour of an increase of bilingual topographic signs, since the
   original requirements set by the State Treaty of 1955 have already been
   fulfilled according to their point of view. Another interesting
   phenomenon is the so called "Windischen-Theorie" stating that the
   Slovenians can be split in two groups: actual Slovenians and Windische,
   based on differences in language between Austrian Slovenians, who were
   taught Slovenian standard language in school and those Slovenians who
   spoke their local Slovenian dialect but went to German schools. To the
   latter group the term "Windische" (originally the German word for
   Slovenians) was applied, claiming that they were a different ethnic
   group. This theory was never generally accepted and has been ultimately
   rejected several decades ago.

Religion

   Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor Austrian Habsburg ruler and one of the
   major figures within the Counter-Reformation.
   Enlarge
   Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor Austrian Habsburg ruler and one of the
   major figures within the Counter-Reformation.

   While northern and central Germany was the origin of the Reformation,
   Austria (and Bavaria) was the heart of the Counter-Reformation in the
   16th and 17th century, when the absolute monarchy of Habsburg imposed a
   strict regime to maintain Catholicism's power and influence among
   Austrians. The Habsburgs viewed themselves as the vanguard of Roman
   Catholicism and all other confessions and religions were oppressed. In
   1781 Emperor Joseph II issued a Patent of Tolerance that allowed other
   Christian confessions a limited freedom of worship. Religious freedom
   was declared a constitutional right in the Austro-Hungarian Ausgleich
   in 1867 thus paying tribute to the fact that the monarchy was home of
   numerous religions beside Roman Catholicism such as Greek, Serbian,
   Romanian, Russian, and Bulgarian Orthodox Christians, Jews, Muslims
   (Austria neighboured the Ottoman empire for centuries), Mormons and
   both Calvinist and Lutheran Protestants.

   Still Austria remained largely influenced by Catholicism. After 1918
   First Republic Catholic leaders such as Theodor Innitzer and Ignaz
   Seipel took leading positions within or close to the Austrian
   Government and increased their influence during the time of the
   Austrofascism—Catholicism was treated much like a state religion by
   dictators Engelbert Dollfuss and Kurt Schuschnigg. Although Catholic
   leaders welcomed the Germans in 1938 during the Anschluss of Austria
   into Germany, Austrian Catholicism stopped its support of Nazism later
   on and many former religious public figures became involved with the
   resistance during the Third Reich. After 1945 a stricter secularism was
   imposed in Austria and religious influence on politics has nearly
   vanished.

   As of the end of the twentieth century about 73% of Austria's
   population were registered as Roman Catholic, while about 5% considered
   themselves Protestants. Both these numbers have been on the decline for
   decades, especially Roman Catholicism, which has suffered an increasing
   number of seceders of the church. Austrian Catholics are obliged to pay
   a mandatory tax (calculated by income—ca. 1%) to the Austrian Roman
   Catholic Church, which might act as an incentive to leave the church.

   About 12% of the population declare that they do not belong to any
   church or religious community. Of the remaining people, about 180,000
   are members of the Eastern Orthodox Church and about 7,300 are Jewish.
   It has to be noted that the Austrian Jewish Community of 1938 – Vienna
   alone counted more than 200,000 - was reduced to solely 4,000 to 5,000
   after the Second World War. The influx of Eastern Europeans, especially
   from the former Yugoslav nations, Albania and particularly from Turkey
   largely contributed to a substantial Muslim minority in Austria—around
   300,000 are registered as members of various Muslim communities. The
   numbers of people adhering to the Islam has increased largely during
   the last years and is expected to grow in the future. Buddhism, which
   was legally recognized as a religion in Austria in 1983, enjoys
   widespread acceptance and has a following of 20,000 (10,402 at the 2001
   census). A 2005 survey among 8,000 people in various European countries
   showed that Austria is among those nations whose populations maintain
   the strongest belief in God. 84% of all Austrians state a belief in
   God, with only the people of Poland (97%), Portugal (90%) and Russia
   (87%) yielding higher numbers. This is a much larger figure than the
   European average of 71% or Germany with 67%.

   See also: Buddhism in Austria, Hinduism in Austria, Islam in Austria,
   Paganism in the Eastern Alps, Roman Catholicism in Austria

Culture

   These are articles of the
   List of Austrians series

   Artists and architects
   Monarchs
   Mountaineers
   Music
   Politicians
   Scientists
   Sports
   Writers

   Though Austria is a small country, its history as a European power and
   its cultural environment have generated a broad contribution to art and
   science. It has been the professional birthplace of many famous
   composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Franz
   Schubert, Anton Bruckner, Johann Strauss, Sr., Johann Strauss, Jr. or
   Gustav Mahler as well as members of the Second Viennese School such as
   Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern or Alban Berg. Ludwig van Beethoven
   spent the better part of his life in Vienna

   Complementing its status as a land of artists, Austria has always been
   a country of poets, writers and novelists. It was the home of novelists
   Arthur Schnitzler, Stefan Zweig, Thomas Bernhard or Robert Musil, of
   poets Georg Trakl, Franz Werfel, Franz Grillparzer, Rainer Maria Rilke
   or Adalbert Stifter and writer Karl Kraus. Famous contemporary
   playwrights and novelists are Elfriede Jelinek and Peter Handke. Among
   Austrian artists and architects one can find painters Gustav Klimt,
   Oskar Kokoschka, Egon Schiele or Friedensreich Hundertwasser,
   photographer Inge Morath or architect Otto Wagner.

   Austria was the cradle of numerous scientists including physicists
   Ludwig Boltzmann, Lise Meitner, Erwin Schrödinger, Ernst Mach, Wolfgang
   Pauli, Richard von Mises and Christian Doppler, philosophers Ludwig
   Wittgenstein and Karl Popper, biologists Gregor Mendel and Konrad
   Lorenz as well as mathematician Kurt Gödel. It was home to
   psychologists Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, Paul Watzlawick and Hans
   Asperger, psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, economists Joseph Schumpeter,
   Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk, Ludwig von Mises, and Friedrich Hayek ( Austrian
   School) and Peter Drucker, and engineers such as Ferdinand Porsche and
   Siegfried Marcus.

Austria and Canada

   Austria and Canada have shared a strong relationship, and of course
   grudge hockey matches, for some time. This was mainly due to the work
   of Frank Stronach. Magna Auto Parts sponsors students to work in
   Canada, and vice versa in Austria. Belinda Stronach was once quoted as
   saying, "I'm Canadian, my father is Austrian, that makes me the
   luckiest person in the world."
     * List of Austrians
     * Music of Austria

Neighbouring countries

   Flag of Germany  Germany Flag of Czech Republic  Czech Republic Flag of
   Slovakia  Slovakia
   Flag of Liechtenstein  Liechtenstein
   Flag of Switzerland  Switzerland North Flag of Hungary  Hungary
   West    Flag of Austria  Austria     East
   South
   Flag of Italy  Italy Flag of Slovenia  Slovenia
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austria"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
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