A small German-speaking country with mountain villages, baroque architecture, a rich imperial history and beautiful alpine scenery. We are talking about Austria and in this article we are going to cover several interesting subjects for those who want to live or even visit this amazing place in Eastern Europe. Find out all about Austria in this Euro Tips article.
All about Austria: where is it?
The Republic of Austria (official name of the country) is located in Central Europe and does not have an outlet to the sea. But, on the other hand, it has fantastic lakes.
If the reader wants to get to know this enchanting country, he will be pleased to know that it is one of the most fascinating places in Europe. As a curiosity, more than 75% of its territory is formed by the Cordillera de los Alpes. It is no wonder that it has become one of the favorite destinations for those who enjoy skiing.
Austria shares borders with Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia (to the south), Italy, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, and it is possible to visit these countries by car in a few hours from Vienna, for example.
With an altitude of over 300 meters, this factor ends up being ideal for the construction of ski resorts, not to mention that in northern Austria is the Danube River valley, where agriculture is present.
In relation to the country’s climate, it is considered temperate continental (mostly) and mountain, that is to say that it is very cold in winter, but with pleasant temperature in the warmer seasons.
Austria map
Austria has a territory of 83,859 km² and has approximately 8 million inhabitants, with the majority of the population living in urban areas and a small portion in rural areas.
The official language is German (although Hungarian and Slovenian languages are considered official as well). As for religion, Christianity encompasses the largest number of adherents of the belief.
See the Austrian map.
capital of austria
The capital of Austria is Vienna. Considered one of the most luxurious European capitals, along with Paris, London and Rome. Vienna is one of the safest European capitals. Therefore, it is among the best cities to live in Europe.
The city has approximately 1,677,867 inhabitants, being the most populous in the country. Rich in culture, Austria has several museums and baroque buildings from the period of the Austrian Empire, not to mention that Vienna was considered the world capital of classical music during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Among its most famous residents of the past, Mozart, Strauss and Freud stand out.
language of austria
The Austrian population is composed of: Austrians (93.4%), Yugoslavs (2.5%), Turks (1.5%), Germans (0.7%) and others (1.9%). The official language of Austria is German, but other regional languages are also recognized, such as Croatian, Hungarian and Slovenian.
English is widely spoken by the Austrian population, who usually learn a third language, usually French.
austrian flag
It is formed by three horizontal parts of the same size, the outer ones are red and the central one, white. The Austrian national flag was created in 1945 and, along with the flag of Denmark, is one of the oldest in the world. This is because, despite having only been adopted in the 20th century, it was designed in the twelfth century by Duke Frederick II.
It is said that the colors of the flag originated in the time of the Medieval Crusades, when the military wore white uniforms and, during the fight, they were covered in blood. The part where the belt was located was the only one that remained white.
Prehistory
In prehistory, the first settlements were formed in this place, which during the Neolithic period became a people dedicated to agriculture and livestock. Centuries later, between the 8th and 4th BC, Illyrians and Celts began an important trade with the rest of Europe, settling in the Danube valley.
wars
Austria lost many territories in the Napoleonic Wars of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. After World War II, the country was divided into American, British, French and Russian occupation zones and a single provisional government was established. After the 1945 elections, a national government was formed. In 1955, the Allies suspended their occupation of the country. Austria would be separated from Germany and could not join military treaties, hence its Cold War neutrality. In the early 1970s, construction began on a United Nations (UN) headquarters in Vienna.
