Fun Easy English - Travel abroad Austria.

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Austria

COUNTRY DESCRIPTION

Austria is a highly developed stable democracy with a modern economy.

PEOPLE

Austrians are a homogeneous people; 91% are native German speakers. However, there has been a significant amount of immigrants, particularly from former Yugoslavia and Turkey, over the last two decades.

Only two numerically significant autochthonous minority groups exist--18,000 Slovenes in Carinthia (south central Austria) and about 19,400 Croats in Burgenland (on the Hungarian border). The Slovenes form a closely-knit community. Their rights as well as those of the Croats are protected by law and generally respected in practice. Some Austrians, particularly near Vienna, still have relatives in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. About 74% of all Austrians are Roman Catholic. The church abstains from political activity. Small Lutheran minorities are located mainly in Vienna, Carinthia, and Burgenland. Small Islamic (immigrant) communities have arisen in Vienna and Vorarlberg.

Austrian history dates back nearly 2,000 years, when Vindobona (Vienna) was an important Roman military garrison along the Danube. The city grew through the Middle Ages and in 788, the territory that is present-day Austria was conquered by Charlemagne, who encouraged the adoption of Christianity. In 976, Leopold von Babenberg became the first in his family to rule the territory; the Babenberg line of succession lasted until the death of Frederick II in 1246. There was a brief interregnum when the territory was ruled by Otakar II of Bohemia, but in 1276 Rudolf I defeated Otakar II at Dürnkrut and became the first Habsburg to ascend to the throne.

ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS

Passport required. A visa is not required for business or tourist stays up to three months. For further information concerning entry requirements for Austria, travelers should visit the Embassy of Austria’s web site at http://www.austria.org/ for the most current visa information. The Embassy of Austria is located at 3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008, tel: (202) 895-6711, and the Austrian Consulates General are located in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York.

Note: Although European Union regulations require that non-EU visitors obtain a stamp in their passport upon initial entry to a Schengen country, many borders are not staffed with officers carrying out this function. If an American citizen wishes to ensure that his or her entry is properly documented, it may be necessary to request a stamp at an official point of entry. Under local law, travelers without a stamp in their passport may be questioned and asked to document the length of their stay in Schengen countries at the time of departure or at any other point during their visit, and could face possible fines or other repercussions if unable to do so.

QUICK FACTS

Geography
Area: 83,857 sq. km. (32,377 sq. mi.); slightly smaller than Maine.
Cities: Capital--Vienna (2005 pop. 1.63 million). Other cities--Graz, Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt.
Terrain: Alpine (64%), northern highlands that form part of the Bohemian Massif (10%), lowlands to the east (26%).
Climate: Continental temperate.

People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Austrian(s).
Population (2006): 8,281,948.
Annual growth rate (2006): 0.4%.
Ethnic groups: Germans 91%, Turks, Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, and Bosniasns; other recognized minorities include Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks, and Roma.
Religions: Roman Catholic 73.6%, Lutheran 4.7%, Muslim 4.2%, other 5.5, no confession 12.0%.
Language: German 92%.
Education: Years compulsory--9. Attendance--99%. Literacy--98%.
Health (2006): Infant mortality rate--3.6 deaths/1,000. Life expectancy--men 77.1 years, women 82.7 years.
Work force (2006, 4.12 million): Services--67%; agriculture and forestry--5%, industry--28%.

Government
Type: Federal Parliamentary democracy.
Constitution: 1920; revised 1929 (reinstated May 1, 1945).
Branches: Executive--federal president (chief of state), chancellor (head of government), cabinet. Legislative--bicameral Federal Assembly (Parliament). Judicial--Constitutional Court, Administrative Court, Supreme Court.
Political parties: Social Democratic Party, People's Party, Freedom Party, Greens, Alliance--Future-Austria.
Suffrage: Universal over 18.
Administrative subdivisions: Nine Bundesländer (federal states).
Defense (2007): 0.8% of GDP.

Economy
GDP (2006): $322.4 billion
Real GDP growth rate (2006): 3.3%.
Per capita income (2006): $38,925.
Natural resources: Iron ore, crude oil, natural gas, timber, tungsten, magnesite, lignite, cement.
Agriculture (1.7% of 2006 GDP): Products--livestock, forest products, grains, sugarbeets, potatoes.
Industry (30.7% of 2006 GDP): Types--iron and steel, chemicals, capital equipment, consumer goods.
Services: 67.6% of 2006 GDP.
Trade (2006): Exports--$129.7 billion: iron and steel products, timber, paper, textiles, electrotechnical machinery, chemical products, foodstuffs. Imports--$130.3 billion: machinery, vehicles, chemicals, iron and steel, metal goods, fuels, raw materials, foodstuffs. Principal trade partners--European Union, Switzerland, U.S., and China.

USEFUL LINKS

U.S. Government

Miscellaneous

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