| Area |
83,858 sq km (32,378 sq miles). |
| Population |
8,078,449 (1998). |
| Capital |
Vienna - population 1,606,843 (1998). |
| Climate |
Austria enjoys a moderate continental climate: summers are warm and pleasant with cool nights, and winters are sunny, with snow levels high enough for widespread winter sports. |
| Language |
German in the official language. Regional dialects are pronounced and within the different regions of the country one will encounter marked variations from Hochdeutsch, ie 'standard' German. There are Croatian and Slovene-speaking minorities in the Burgenland and southern Carinthia respectively. |
| Religion |
78 per cent Roman Catholic, 5 per cent Protestant, 4.5 per cent other denominations. |
| Time |
GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October.)
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| Highlights |
Vienna is Austria's capital with famous River Danube running through the northern suburbs. The Innere Stadt (Inner City) combines the heart of Vienna with an impressive selection of architectural monuments, shops and well-known hotels. The most pleasant way to explore central Vienna is on foot visiting the main attraction accordingly. The Schonbrunn Palace is Austria's equivalent to The Palace of Versailles with superb architecture and imaginative setting. The Kunsthistorisches Museum exhibits a fine selection of art (Breugel, Durer and Titian) as too does The Academy of Fine Arts (Bosch). Salzburg, split by the River Salzach, Mozart's hometown is one of Europe's true gems. The old town is predominantly on the south bank with majestic Hohensalzburg Fortress looking across from the hills above.
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| Country Facts |
This landlocked mountainous country is bordered by Switzerland, Germany, Czech republic, Slovak Republic, Hungary, Slovenia and Italy. Austria consists of nine Federal Provinces over an area of 383,858 km, of which most is covered in forest. |