Surface: 83.853 km²
Population: 7.861.000 inhabitants
Density of population: 94 inhabitants/km²
Capital: Vienna (1.533.000 inhabitants)
Official language: German
Official currency: Schilling
Brut Intern Product: 20.900 $/inhabitant
State type: Republic

Geographical Characteristics
Austria is situated in the center of Europe. The country is mountainous, almost 2/3 of the country's surface is situated at altitudes above 500 m and 40% above 1.000 m; the medium altitude is 1.000 m. The Alps and Prealps Mountains, oriented east-west, are occupying a big part of the country and the plains are only a sub alpine band which follows the Danube and in Burgenland a part of the Panonic Plain. The Prealps are like plateaus or low mountains, although sometimes have altitudes of 3.00 0 m (Dachstein Peak 2.996 m). The Oriental Alps or the Austrian Alps are high, massive and still keep glaciers. Grossglockner Peak with a height of 3.797 m is the highest. In the north-west there is Oberosterreich, a moraine hills region, is an extension of Bavaria Plateau.

Climate
The climate is temperate-continental with differences depending the altitude and orientation. The hydrographic network is rich and includes the Danube River and its tributaries, Inn, Enns and others and many glacier lakes: Bodensee, Neusiedler. On the country's surface the Danube has a length of 360 km. Austria is one of the most covered with forests countries (almost 2/5 of the surface) and has species that are characteristic to Central Europe. It also has alpine grassland in the high mountainous zones and step vegetation in plains. The faun is specific to those vegetal associations. There are protected regions too.

Population and Cities
The country has 7.861.000 inhabitants. The birth rate is 12% and the death rate is 10.6%. 58% of the population lives in cities. The most important cities are: Graz (232.000 inhabitants), Linz (203.000 inhabitants), Salzburg (144.000 inhabitants), Innsbruck (115.000 inhabitants), Klagenfurt (90.000 inhabitants), Villach (55.000 inhabitants), Wels (53.000 inhabitants) and Sankt Polten (50.000 inhabitants). Approximately 98% of the people are German and the rest are Croats, Slovenians and others. 70% of the population lives in places at altitudes under 500 m, especially in the Oberosterreich hills region, Burgenland Plain, Danube Valley and Prealps. The most crowded city is Vienna with 4.000 inhabitants per km². The most common religions are: Catholicism (81%), Protestantism (5%) and Islamism.

State
The country is a parliamentary republic, federal state, according to the Constitutional Law. The legislative activity is exerted by the Federal Assembly and the executive by the Federal Govern. The political parties are 8 and some of them are: Socialist Party of Austria, Populist Austrian Party, Unite Ecologist Party and Liberal party.


Economy
The country is economically developed and equilibrated. 1/3 of the active population work in the processing industries and brings a big part of the export incomes. The processing industries are: textile, car, chemical, glass, musical instruments and others. The country doesn't have many deposits with the exception of salt and magnesium. The agriculture is well developed, brings 4% of the Brut Intern Product and assures 4/5 of the intern needs. People grow pigs and cows and cultivate grain and corn. Extern trade and tourism have an important role in the economy.

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Tags: vienna, schilling, republic, alps, danube, bavaria plateau

Date Added: 12 December '06

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