Austria

A picturesque village nestles in a valley high in the Alps of western Austria. The ruins of a castle, overlook the village and the neat farmlands nearby. The majestic snow-capped Alps and their foothills cover most of Austria.

Parliament Building in Vienna is the meeting place of both houses of the Austrian legislature. The building, designed in the Creek classical style, dates from the late 1800's.

Coat of arms was adopted in its present form in 1945. The use of an eagle to symbolize Austria dates from the 1100's.

Austria's state flag, used by the government, was adopted in 1945. The national flag has no coat of arms.

Austria is a landlocked country in central Europe. It is sur­rounded by eight other European countries.

Austrians attend Mass at a Roman Catholic church designed in the highly decorated rococo style of the 1700's. About 90 per cent of the Austrian people belong to the Catholic Church.

Charming old Vienna, Austria's capital and largest city, has many pavement cafes and beautiful buildings. The monument above was built in memory of a plague that hit Vienna in 1679.

Boating and other water sports are enjoyed by both Austrians and A centuries-old festival takes place in Tyrol at the start tourists during the summer. The country has many popular summer re- of spring. In this festival, people in costumes and masks sort areas, including Lake Worther, above, in the province of Carinthia, use sticks to chase away winter's "evil spirits."

The Vienna State Opera House presents operas almost every day for 10 months of the year. Austrians love music and drama, and so operas attract large, enthusiastic crowds.

Austrian bakers create some of the delicious pastries for which their country is famous. Coffee and pastry make up a fa­vourite snack among Austrians.

Austria's mirrorlike lakes include lovely Lake Crundl. It lies in the Northern Limestone Alps, a region of steep, for­ested slopes and rugged peaks. Much of the land in this region, as in most of Austria, is too mountainous for raising crops.

The production of fine handicrafts forms an important part of Austria's economy. Skilled craftworkers make a variety of ob­jects, including glassware, jewellery, and woodcarvings.

Austria's gross domestic product - Austria's gross domestic product was 184,600,000,000 U.S. dol­lars in 1992. The gross domestic product is the total value of goods and services produced within a country in a year. Serv­ices include community, government, and personal services; fi­nance, insurance, property, and business services; trade, restau­rants, and hotels; transportation and communication; and utilities. Industry includes construction, manufacturing, and min­ing. Agriculture includes agriculture, forestry, and fishing.

Skiers from many countries flock to the superb ski areas in the Austrian Alps every winter. The booming tourist industry adds substantially to Austria's national income.

The Habsburg lands - In 1282, almost all of what is now Austria, outlined in red, formed part of the Holy Roman Empire. The Habsburg family controlled the areas shown in yellow. In 1526, the Habsburg lands included Bo­hemia, part of Hungary, and other areas.

Austria-Hungary in 1914 - Austria-Hungary, established in 1867, consisted of the Aus­trian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary. Austria-Hungary had reached its greatest size in 1914, when World War i began. It broke up at the end of the war in 1918.

The German dictator, Adolf Hitler, - visited Vienna in April 1938. His troops had seized Austria the month before. Hitler had then announced the union of Austria and Germany, which lasted until Germany's defeat in World War II.

Important dates in Austria

15 BC. The Romans controlled Austria south of the Danube River.

A.D. 100's Warlike tribes from the north began to invade

Roman Austria, and Roman control started to weaken.

476 The Roman Empire collapsed.

976 The Holy Roman emperor gave control of northeastern Austria to Leopold I of the Babenberg family.

1278 Rudolf I, a Habsburg, began to acquire the Babenberg territory and nearby lands for his family.

1438-1806 The Archduchy of Austria was the most important state in the Holy Roman Empire.

1867 Austria-Hungary was established.

1914-1918 Austria-Hungary was defeated in World War I.

1918 The Habsburgs were overthrown, and Austria became a republic.

1938 Adolf Hitler made Austria part of Germany.

1939-1945 The Allies defeated Germany in World War li.

1945-1955 France, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and the United States occupied Austria.

1995 Austria joined the European Union, an economic organi­zation of European nations.

Facts in brief about Austria

Capital: Vienna.

Official language: German.

Official name: Republik Osterreich (Republic of Austria).

Area: 83,849 km^z. Greatest distances— east-west, 571 km; north- south, 290 km.

Elevation—Grossglockner, 3,797 m above sea level. Lowest— Neusiedler Lake, 115 m above sea level.

Population: Estimated 1996population— 7,884,000; density, 91 people per km²; distribution, 58 per cent urban, 42 per cent rural. 1981 census— 7,555,338. Estimated2001 population— 7,994,000.

Chief products:  Agriculture- barley, cattle, grapes, maize, milk, pigs, potatoes, sugar beet, wheat. Manufacturing— ce­ment, chemical products, electrical equipment, furniture, glass, iron and steel, leather goods, machines and tools, motor vehicles, optical instruments, paper and pulp, proc­essed foods and beverages, textiles and clothing, timber. Miri- ing—coal, copper, graphite, iron ore, lead, magnesite, natural gas, petroleum, salt, zinc.

National anthems: Land der Berge, Land am Strome" ("Land of Mountains, Land at the River").

Money: Currency unit— schilling. One schilling = lOOgroschen.

Austria

Austria is a small country in central Europe famous for its beautiful mountain scenery. The towering Alps and their foothills stretch across the western, southern, and central parts of the country. In many areas, broad, green valleys separate the mountains. Austria has many lovely, mirrorlike lakes. Thick forests cover much of the coun­try's land.

Austria has no coastline. It shares boundaries with Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west; Germany and the Czech Republic to the north; Hungary and Slovakia to the east; and Slovenia and Italy to the south. Vienna, Austria's capital and largest city, lies on the Danube River in the northeastern part of the country.

Most Austrians live in cities and towns. About a fifth of the people live in Vienna. Austrians enjoy good food, outdoor sports, and the arts. They take great pride in the fact that their country has long been a leading cultural centre of Europe. The cultural institutions, winter sports facilities, and scenic beauty of Austria attract millions of tourists each year.

Austria was once one of the most powerful countries in Europe. The royal Habsburg (or Hapsburg) family began to gain control of Austria in the late 1200's. In time, the country became the centre of a huge empire that was ruled by the Habsburgs. This empire collapsed after World War I ended in 1918. Austria then became a republic and went through a long period of economic difficulty and political unrest. In March 1938, German soldiers marched into Austria and made it part of Ger­many. After World War II (1939-1945), the Austrian re­public was restored.

Since the early 1950's, Austria has become increas­ingly industrial, and its economy has grown steadily.

The country has also achieved political stability. Today, as a neutral nation, Austria serves as a channel for the exchange of ideas between Western Europe and Eastern Europe. Many refugees from Communist countries such as East Germany (now united with West Germany) or Hungary escaped into Austria. The refugees then moved on to other non-Communist countries.

Austria is a federal republic made up of nine prov­inces: Burgenland; Carinthia; Lower Austria; Salzburg; Styria; Tyrol (or Tirol); Upper Austria; the city of Vienna; and Vorarlberg. Its Constitution was adopted in 1920. All Austrians aged 19 years and older may vote.

The president is Austria's head of state. The people elect the president to a six-year term. The president may serve any number of terms but no more than two in a row. The president's duties are largely ceremonial. They include appointing ambassadors and acting as com­mander in chief of the armed forces. But the president does not have the power to declare war or to veto (re­ject) bills passed by Parliament.

The chancellor and cabinet run the Austrian gov­ernment. The chancellor (prime minister) serves as head of government. Generally, the president appoints as chancellor the leader of the political party with the most seats in the Nationalrat (National Council). The National- rat is the more important of the two houses of the Aus­trian parliament On the chancellor's advice, the presi­dent also appoints members of the Cabinet to head the government departments. The chancellor and Cabinet form government policies and are responsible to the Nationalrat. The Nationalrat may force the chancellor and Cabinet to resign by rejecting their policies in a vote of no confidence.

The parliament. The Nationalrat forms the lower house of Austria's parliament. The upper house is called the Bundesrat (Federal Council). The Nationalrat has 183 members, elected by the people to four-year terms. But the Nationalrat may dissolve itself at any time, or the president may dissolve it on the chancellor's advice.

New elections then take place. The Bundesrat's 63 mem­bers are elected by the country's nine Landtags (provin­cial legislatures). Members of the Bundesrat serve as long as the Landtag that chose them stays in power. The number of members a province has in the Bundesrat varies according to population.

Provincial and local government. The people in each province elect Landtag members for four- to six- year terms, depending on the province. Each Landtag chooses the governor of the province. The provinces are subdivided into about 2,320 communes (units of local government). Voters in each commune electa gov­erning council, which selects one of its number to serve as mayor. Vienna is both a province and a commune. Its communal council serves as the provincial legislature, and its mayor serves as governor.

Political parties. Two political parties usually share the great majority of the seats in the Nationalrat. They are the conservative People's Party and the liberal So­cialist Party. The Freedom Party, the third largest party, usually wins a small percentage of the seats.

Courts. The Supreme Court is Austria's highest court of appeal in civil and criminal cases. Four regional courts hear appeals of decisions made by lower courts. Various special courts handle juvenile matters, labour disputes, and administrative and constitutional cases.

Armed forces. Austria has about 55,000 men in its armed forces. Men 18 years of age must serve at least six months in the army with additional periods of fol­low-up training later.

Ancestry and population. Throughout Austria's his­tory, many different groups of people settled in the country. Each group mixed with other peoples and so helped shape the ancestry of present-day Austrians. in ancient times, the peoples of Austria included Celts and Romans. Later, Asians, various Germanic groups, and Magyars (Hungarians) settled in Austria. From the 1300's on, Austria attracted peoples from many parts of central Europe. These peoples included Italians and various Slavic groups. During the 1950's and 1960's, many peo­ple fled to Austria from Communist-controlled Czecho­slovakia and Flungary.

As a result of this mixing of peoples, there is no typi­cal" Austrian. Some are tall and slim, with fair skin, blue eyes, and blond hair. Others are short and stocky, with fairly dark skin, brown eyes, and brown hair. Many oth­ers do not fit either description.

For Austria's total population, see the Facts in brief table with this article. Most Austrians live in the lower areas of the country—in the east and just south of the Danube River. Over half of the people live in cities and towns. Over 1 \ million people—about a fifth of Austria's total population—live in Vienna, the capital and largest city. Austria has four other cities with more than 100,000 people. They are Graz, Innsbruck, Linz, and Salzburg. See Graz; Innsbruck; Salzburg; Vienna.

Language. About 98 per cent of all Austrians speak German, the country's official language. In different parts of the country, the people speak various dialects (local forms) of German. See German language.

A number of Austrians speak another language as

their first language. In the province of Burgeniand, for example, about 24,500 persons speak Serbo-Croatian. Burgeniand also has some people who speak Magyar. In Carinthia, about 20,000 people speak Slovenian. Small groups in Vienna speak either Czech or Slovak.

Way of life. Most city dwellers in Austria live in four- or five-storey apartment buildings. Others live in high- rise apartment buildings or in one-family homes. Many farm and village families live in single-family homes. The style of these houses varies from region to region. For example, many homes in Burgeniand are simple in de­sign and covered with a kind of plaster called stucco.

The provinces of Tyrol and Vorarlberg have many wooden chalets similar to those of Switzerland. Most chalets have a steep, pointed roof that hangs out over the sides of the house.

Austrians wear clothing much like that worn in other Western countries, but they dress up somewhat more than others do. On special occasions, many Austrians wear traditional national or regional costumes. Men may wear a green-trimmed, grey wool suit consisting of a coat and knickerbockers— short, loose-fitting trousers gathered in just below the knee. Women may wear a peasant costume called a dirndl. It consists of a blouse; a fitted bodice worn over the blouse and laced up the front; and a full, brightly coloured skirt and apron.

Austrians love good food. Many of their dishes have been influenced by Czech, German, or Flungarian cook­ing. Popular meats include beef, chicken, pork, sausage, and veal. An Austrian dish called Wiener schnitzel (breaded veal cutlet) has become a favourite in many countries. Popular side dishes in Austria include dumplings, noodles, and potatoes. The people drink beer or wine with many meals. The delicious cakes and pastries created by Austrian bakers are world famous.

Festivals and holidays play an important part in Aus­trian life. Some festivals date from pre-Christian times. One such festival takes place throughout Tyrol at the be­ginning of spring, when the people pretend to chase away the "evil spirits" of winter. Wearing special cos­tumes and masks, they march through the streets and wave large sticks in the air. The name and date of this festival vary from place to place.

Social welfare. The Austrian government provides a number of welfare services. Under the national social in­surance programme, workers may receive disability, maternity, old-age, sickness, survivors', or unemploy­ment benefits. Austria also has a national health insur­ance programme for all citizens. The costs of both pro­grammes are shared by insured people; employers; and the federal, provincial, and local governments.

Since 1919, Austrian law has limited the working day to eight hours and has guaranteed employed people an­nual holidays. Today, employed people who have been on the job for six months or longer receive at least 18- days holiday with pay each year. In 1975, the working week became limited to 40 hours.

Recreation. Austrians love the outdoors, and their country's many forests, lakes, and mountains offer op­portunities for a variety of outdoor sports. In winter, the people especially enjoy ice skating, skiing, and tobog­ganing. Other popular winter sports include bobsleigh­ing; ice hockey; ski jumping; and curling, a game in which the players slide heavy stones along the ice to­ward a circular target (see Curling). Favourite summer sports include boating, fishing, hiking, mountain climb­ing, swimming, and water skiing. The people also enjoy cycling, camping, picnicking, and playing soccer.

Austrians love the arts as well as sports. Ballets, con­certs, films, operas and operettas, and plays all attract large, enthusiastic crowds.

Education. Almost all adult Austrians can read and write. Children between the ages of 6 and 15 must at­tend school. Most students attend free state schools. The rest attend private schools, which may charge a tu­ition fee.

Students may choose from a variety of educational programmes. The minimum programme requires a stu­dent to attend eight years of primary school and one year of either vocational school or polytechnic school, which offers courses in the arts and sciences. Students who wish to go to a university may attend (1) primary school for four years and secondary school for nine years; (2) primary school for eight years, preparatory school for one year, and secondary school for four years; or (3) primary school for eight years and voca­tional secondary school for five years.

Austria has 12 universities and 6 fine arts colleges. The University of Vienna is the country's largest univer­sity.

Religion. Austria and the pope have a concordat (agreement) under which the Roman Catholic Church in Austria receives financial support from the national gov­ernment. But Austrians have freedom of worship. About 90 per cent of the people are Roman Catholics, and about 6 per cent are Protestants. Austria also has about 12,000 Jews, most of whom live in Vienna.

The arts. Austria has long been one of the great cul­tural centres of Europe. The country has made outstand­ing achievements in architecture, literature, and paint­ing. But its most famous and important contributions to Western culture have been in music.

Music. Austria has produced many great composers. During the late 1700's and early 1800's, Joseph Haydn helped to make the symphony one of the most impor­tant forms of musical composition. Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart became the leading composers of the classical period of music. Mozart wrote masterpieces in a wide range of musical forms. Many people consider his Don Giovanni the world's greatest opera.

During the early 1800's, Franz Schubert composed more than 600 songs. His "Ave Maria" and "Who Is Syl­via?" are among the most beautiful songs ever written. Gustav Mahler and Hugo Wolf, who wrote in the late 1800's, rank with Schubert as composers of songs.

Anton Bruckner wrote emotionally powerful sympho­nies during the middle and late 1800's. Also during the 1800's, Johann Strauss and his son, Johann Strauss, Jr., composed their famous waltzes.

Arnold Schoenberg became one of the most revolu­tionary composers of the 1900's. He developed a new system of composition called the twelve-tone technique. Schoenberg influenced many composers, including his fellow Austrians Alban Berg and Anton Webern.

Austria today continues to make important musical contributions. The Vienna Boys' Choir, Vienna Philhar­monic Orchestra, Vienna State Opera, and Vienna Sym­phony Orchestra have won international fame. The an­nual Salzburg Festival is one of the great musical events of the year. Students from all over the world study at Austria's fine music schools.

Architecture. Austria has some of Europe's best ex­amples of baroque architecture. This highly decorated style dates from the 1600's. Through the use of such ma­terials as gold, marble, and wood, baroque architects created buildings that pleased the senses. At the same time, their buildings appealed to people's spiritual na­ture because they were decorated with paintings and sculptures of religious and mythical figures. Johann

Bernhard Fischer von Erlach was one of Austria's lead­ing baroque architects. His designs include the Karls- kirche (Church of St. Charles) in Vienna and the Church of the Holy Trinity in Salzburg.

Austria also has many churches, palaces, and other buildings designed in the rococo style of the 1700's. Ro­coco architecture is even more decorated than baroque.

During the late 1800's and early 1900's, Adolf Loos de­veloped a simplified style of architecture marked by un­cluttered lines and flat surfaces. His work did not be­come highly popular in Austria. But it strongly influ­enced architects in other countries.

Literature. Austrians have a deep love for the theatre, and many of the country's most important writers have been playwrights. One of the most outstanding was Franz Griliparzer, who wrote in the early 1800's. Grillpar- zer's plays drew on the traditions of classical German drama as well as on the humour and liveliness of Aus­trian folk drama.

During the late 1800's and early 1900's, Arthur Schnitz- ler became famous for exploring the psychology of human emotions in his plays and stories. Hugo von Hof­mannsthal, a playwright and poet of the early 1900's, shared Schnitzler's interest in psychology. Other impor­tant Austrian writers of the 1900's include Franz Werfel and Stefan Zweig.

Painting. Gustav Klimt, who worked in the late 1800's and early 1900's, was one of Austria's first painters of in­ternational importance. In his works, Klimt explored the inner nature of human beings and tried to express his own strong emotions. Two of Klimt's followers—Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka—carried his ideas still fur­ther. Their paintings reflected an art movement of the early 1900's called expressionism.

Land and climate

Mountains cover about three-fourths of Austria. The Alps stretch across the western, southern, and central parts of the country. A separate mountainous area, the Granite Plateau, lies in the north. The country's highest point, the mountain Grossglockner, stands 3,797 metres above sea level in central Austria.

The Danube, the country's longest river, flows 350 kilometres from west to east through northern Austria. Almost all Austrian rivers flow into the Danube. Austria's largest lake is Neusiedler Lake. Part of this lake lies in Hungary. The Austrian part covers 132 square kilome­tres.

Land regions. Austria has six main land regions.

They are (1) the Granite Plateau; (2) the Eastern Fore­lands; (3) the Alpine Forelands; (4) the Northern Lime­stone Alps; (5) the Central Alps; and (6) the Southern Limestone Alps.

The Granite Plateau forms Austria's northernmost re­gion. It consists of hills and mountains that are made up mostly of granite and partly covered by thick forests.

The Eastern Forelands lie southeast of the Granite Plateau. The northern part is a lowland called the Vienna Basin. Its fertile soil helps make it Austria's chief agricul­tural area. The southern part consists of rolling hills and broad valleys, with the land becoming flatter in the east.

The Alpine Forelands lie south of the Granite Plateau and west of the Eastern Forelands. The region is made up of hills and low mountains.

The Northern Limestone Alps rise south and south­west of the Alpine Forelands. The mountains in this region consist of limestone. The region is marked by high plateaus; steep, forested slopes; and jagged peaks. Sev­eral large lakes formed by ancient glaciers are found in this region.

The Central Alps are separated from the Northern Limestone Alps to the north by a series of valleys. Unlike the Northern Limestone Alps, the Central Alps do not consist of limestone but of such rock materials as gran­ite and gneiss. The Central Alps have Austria's highest mountains. Large glaciers cover many of the mountain peaks.

The Southern Limestone Alps lie south of the Central Alps. A series of valleys separates the two regions. The physical features of the Southern Limestone Alps resem­ble those of the Northern Limestone Alps.

Climate. Austria has four sharply defined seasons. The country's climate is influenced by both west and east winds. Warm, moist winds blowing eastward from the Atlantic Ocean affect the climate of western and cen­

tral Austria. These winds bring precipitation (rain, snow, and other forms of moisture) and help produce moder­ate temperatures all the year round. Dry winds blowing westward from the Asian plains are hot in summer and cold in winter. Partly as a result of these winds, eastern Austria has less precipitation and more extreme temper­atures than western and central Austria.

Within the western, central, and eastern areas, Aus­tria's climate varies from place to place, partly because of differences in altitude. Local winds also influence the climate. For example, warm, dry winds called foehns cause sudden rises in temperature in some mountain valleys in winter. Because they may rapidly melt moun­tain snow, foehns sometimes cause destructive ava­lanches (see Foehn).

January temperatures in Austria average about —3° C. July temperatures average about 19° C. The country re­ceives an average of about 65 centimetres of precipita­tion yearly.

Economy

Austria's economy is based mostly on private owner­ship. But the government owns companies in several in­dustries as well as certain transportation and communi­cation services. The country's economy was brought to a standstill as a result of World War II (1939-1945). In the late 1940's, the Austrian government purchased most of the companies in certain industries. These industries in­cluded coal and metal mining; electric power produc­tion; iron and steel production; and oil drilling and refin­ing. Large amounts of international aid helped the government to rebuild these industries.

Since the early 1950's, Austria has become increas­ingly industrialized, and its economy has grown steadily. Today, Austria is a prosperous country with little unem­ployment.

Natural resources. Austria has a variety of minerals. But most deposits are too small to meet the country's needs, or the quality is low. For example, Austria's coal- found chiefly in Styria— consists almost entirely of lig­nite, a low-quality brown coal. Austria must thus import high-quality coal. The Erzberg (Ore Mountain) in Styria has much iron ore. But the country has to import some high-grade iron ores. Petroleum and natural gas must also be imported because the country's reserves, found mostly in Lower Austria, do not meet its needs.

Austria ranks as one of the world's leading producers of magnesite, which is used to make such products as heat-resistant bricks, plaster, and artificial stone. The country is also a leading producer of graphite, which comes mostly from Lower Austria. Other mineral depos­its include copper, lead, salt, and zinc.

Austria's rich forests, which cover about 40 per cent of the country, provide plentiful timber, paper, and' other products. Spruce and fir are the most commer­cially important trees. Strict conservation laws and ex­tensive replanting programmes prevent the forests from being used up.

Austria's swift-flowing rivers are perhaps its most im­portant natural resource. They provide energy for many

hydroelectric power stations, which produce most of the nation's electricity.

Service industries, taken together, account for the largest portion of Austria's gross domestic product (GDP)—the total value of goods and services produced within a country in a year. Community, government, and personal services form the most important service in­dustry in terms of the GDP and employ about a quarter of the workers. The government controls several of Aus­tria's major companies. Community, government, and personal services also include the operation of schools and hospitals. Foreign investment in Austria's banks helps to make finance, insurance, property, and busi­ness services another important service industry. Trade, restaurants, and hotels benefit from heavy spending by tourists. The other service industries are utilities, and transportation and communication.

Manufacturing. Austria's leading manufacturing ac­tivities are the production of metals and metal products. The chief metals include iron and steel. The main metal products include cars and other motor vehicles, loco­motives, machines and tools, and ships. Other major manufactured products are chemical products, electri­cal equipment, processed foods and beverages, and tex­tiles and clothing. Austrian factories also produce ce­ment, furniture, glass and porcelain products, timber, optical instruments, and paper and pulp.

Factories are scattered throughout Austria, but the heaviest concentration is in the Vienna area. Manufac­turers tend to stress high quality rather than mass pro­duction. Many factories are small or medium-sized. In small workshops throughout Austria, skilled craftsmen produce fine glassware, jewellery, needlework, porce­lain objects, woodcarvings, and other handicrafts.

Agriculture. Austria is so mountainous that only about 20 per cent of the land can be used for growing crops. But the country's farmers use modern machinery and scientific farming methods. As a result, they can supply more than three-quarters of the food needed by the people. All Austrian farms are privately owned.

Since the late 1940's, there has been a trend toward larger farms. But most Austrian farms are still small.

Dairy farming and livestock production are the main sources of farm income. Austria's farmers produce all the eggs, meat, and milk needed by the people. Farm animals graze in high areas, where the ground is too rugged and the climate too cold for growing crops.

The best farmland is in the Vienna Basin. But farm plots can be found in every province. The farmers pro­duce all the potatoes and sugar beet and most of the

barley, oats, rye, and wheat needed in Austria. Other farm crops grown in the country include apples, grapes maize, hay, hops, and vegetables.

Tourism. Austria is one of Europe's most popular holiday spots. Millions of tourists visit the country every year. Many of them are from Germany. The tourist in­dustry adds substantially to Austria's national income.

Innsbruck, Kitzbiihel, and other sports centres in the Alps attract winter holidaymakers, especially skiers. In summer, the lakes of Carinthia and of the Salzkammer- gut area in central Austria are popular recreation spots. Vienna's art galleries, concert halls, and museums also I attract many tourists, as do the summer music festivals held throughout the country.

Foreign trade. Austria depends heavily on trade, es- i pecially trade of manufactured goods with other Euro­pean industrialized nations. It imports some types of ma- 1 chinery and vehicles and exports other types. The country's other imports include foods and petroleum.

Other exports include forest products, including paper and pulp; iron and steel; and magnesite. The value of Austria's imports is greater than that of its exports. In­come from tourism largely makes up the difference.

Austria became a founding member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in 1960. EFTA members removed almost all tariffs and other restrictions on im­ports of manufactured goods from one another. In 1995, Austria left EFTA and joined another economic group, the European Union (EU), formerly the European Com­munity. The EU had abolished all tariffs on trade among member states. Austria does most of its trade with other members of the EU, chiefly Germany. It also trades with eastern European countries. Austria remained part of the European Economic Area. See European Economic Area; European Free Trade Association; European Union.

Transportation. Austria has an excellent road net­work. Almost all Austrian families own a car. Railways

link almost all the cities and towns in Austria. The fed­eral government owns 90 per cent of the nation's railway tracks. Buses and trains provide fast and frequent pas­senger services. Many mountain areas have cable rail­ways.

The federal and provincial governments own most of the stock in the national airline, Austrian Airlines. The airline operates international and domestic flights. For­eign airlines also serve the country. Vienna has Austria's chief airport. The Danube River is a major shipping route for trade between Austria and nearby countries. Passenger vessels also travel on the Danube.

Communication. Austria has about 30 daily newspa­pers. The federal and provincial governments own the nation's radio and television network. People who own a radio or television set pay a monthly fee for its use. The federal government operates the postal, telegraph, and telephone services. Most families in Austria have a radio, television set, and telephone.

History

Early years. People have lived in what is now Austria for thousands of years, but historians do not know much about the earliest inhabitants. They do know that after about 800 B.C., the people mined and traded iron ore and salt. About 400 B.C., a people called Celts began to move into central and eastern Austria.

By 15 B.C., the Romans controlled Austria south of the Danube, and they made it part of their empire. In the late A.D. 100's, warlike tribes from the north began to in­vade Roman Austria, and Roman control slowly weak­ened. In 476, the Roman Empire collapsed. During the period of the empire's decline, groups of Asians, Ger­mans, and Slavs invaded and settled in Austria.

In the late 700's, Austria came under the rule of Char­lemagne, king of a Germanic people called the Franks. After Charlemagne's death in 814, the Frankish empire broke up. In the 900's, tribes of Magyars overran Austria. But the king of Germany, Otto I, defeated them in 955. Austria then came under his rule. In 962, the pope crowned Otto emperor of what later became known as the Holy Roman Empire. German emperors ruled the Holy Roman Empire until it ended in 1806. Austria was to become the empire's most important state.

In 976, Emperor Otto II gave control of northeastern Austria to Leopold I of the Babenberg family. In 1156, Emperor Frederick I increased the importance of this area by declaring it a duchy—a territory ruled by a duke. In 1186, the Duchy of Styria, which lay south of the Duchy of Austria, also came under Babenberg rule.

The Habsburgs. The last Babenberg duke died with­out an heir in 1246. King Ottokar of Bohemia then gained control of the Babenberg duchies of Austria and Styria, plus some lands to the south. In 1273, the princes of Germany elected Rudolf I, a member of the Habsburg family of Switzerland, as Holy Roman emperor. Rudolf defeated Ottokar in battle in 1278 and began to acquire for his family the lands that the king had taken.

In the 1300's, the Habsburgs lost the Holy Roman crown. The empire was a disorganized patchwork of states ruled by various families, including the Habs­burgs. In 1359, the great-grandson of Rudolf I, Rudolf IV, claimed the title of archduke of Austria. But his claim was not recognized by other European rulers until 1453. In that year, the Duchy of Austria became the Archduchy of Austria. In time, the Habsburgs acquired the other re­gions that make up present-day Austria.

In 1438, a Habsburg had again been elected Holy Roman emperor. From then on, the Habsburgs held the title almost continuously. Their Archduchy of Austria be­came the empire's chief state. One of the greatest Habs­burgs was Maximilian I. In 1496, he arranged for his son, Philip, to marry the daughter of the king and queen of Spain. Philip's son became King Charles I of Spain in 1516 and Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in 1519. In 1556, Charles gave up the two thrones. Spain went to his son, and Austria and the title Holy Roman emperor went to his brother, Ferdinand I. The Habsburgs thus became divided into Spanish and Austrian branches.

Ferdinand had become king of Bohemia and Hungary in 1526. He fought against the Ottoman Empire, which had conquered a large part of Hungary. The Ottomans attacked Vienna twice but failed to capture it. They were driven out of almost all of Hungary in the late 1600's.

In 1618, Protestants in Bohemia revolted against their Habsburg ruler, who was a Roman Catholic. But they were defeated in 1620. The revolt became the start of the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). This series of religious and political wars eventually involved most European nations. The Peace of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years' War, declared that each German ruler could determine the official religion of the state. The Habsburgs could thus force Catholicism on the people in their lands. See Thirty Years' War.

Wars in the 1700's and 1800's. The last Habsburg king of Spain died in 1700. Both Austria and France claimed the throne. The War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714) followed. Austria won Belgium and Spain's Italian lands. A French prince became king of Spain.

Charles VI, archduke of Austria, became Holy Roman emperor in 1711. He had three daughters but no sons. An old European rule known as the Salic law prohibited a woman from inheriting a kingdom (see Salic law). But in 1724, Charles publicly announced a decree called the Pragmatic Sanction. This decree made his oldest daugh­ter, Maria Theresa, heir to the Habsburg possessions. The principal European states agreed to recognize the Pragmatic Sanction. See Pragmatic Sanction.

After Charles VI died in 1740, several states broke their promise and challenged Maria Theresa's right to rule. They tried to take her lands in the War of the Aus­trian Succession (1740-1748). In the war, Maria Theresa lost one of her lands, Silesia, to Prussia. But the powers of Europe recognized her as ruler of Austria, Bohemia, and Hungary. In the Seven Years' War (1756-1763), she tried unsuccessfully to regain Silesia. See Succession wars; Seven Years' War.

Austria suffered many defeats in the Napoleonic Wars of the late 1700's and early 1800's. In these wars, Napo­leon I of France fought an alliance of European states that included—in addition to Austria—Great Britain, Prussia, and Russia. Napoleon conquered large parts of the Holy Roman Empire, and in 1806 he forced Emperor Francis II to dissolve the empire. In 1804, Francis had changed his title from archduke to emperor of Austria. After 1806, he reigned as Emperor Francis I of Austria. Napoleon was finally defeated in 1815.

Metternich and revolution. The major political fig­ure in Austria from 1809 to 1848 was Prince Klemens von Metternich, who served as minister of foreign affairs. Metternich played a leading role at the Congress of Vi­enna, a series of meetings of European political leaders that arranged the peace settlement following the Napo­leonic Wars. The congress returned to Austria most of the land it had lost. But Austria gave up its claim to Bel­gium. The congress also set up the German Confedera­tion, a loose union of independent states. Austria and Prussia began a struggle for leadership of the confeder­ation. See Vienna, Congress of.

During the 1800's, the forces of democracy and na­tionalism swept across Europe. Revolutions broke out in many areas. Because he feared revolution, Metternich tried to put down all democratic or nationalist move­ments in the Austrian Empire. But in 1848, revolution began in France and spread to Bohemia, Hungary, and even Vienna (see Revolution of 1848). In Vienna, revolu­tionists demanded that Metternich resign and that a constitutional government be set up. Metternich fled to England. Revolts also broke out in the Austrian-controlled states in Italy. But by 1851, the Austrian army had put down all revolts in the Austrian Empire.

In the following years, unification movements in Italy and Germany weakened the empire. In the various Ital­ian states, many people wanted national unity under the king of Sardinia. Austria declared war on Sardinia in 1859. Italian and French forces defeated the Austrians.

As a result of the defeat, Austria gave up its Italian state of Lombardy and lost its influence in other Italian states. In Germany, Prussia sought to unite the northern states under itself. In 1866, a minor dispute led to the Seven Weeks' War, in which Italy and Prussia quickly defeated Austria. The German Confederation was dissolved. Prus­sia formed a new confederation without Austria. See Seven Weeks' War.

Austria-Hungary. In 1867, the Hungarians forced Emperor Francis Joseph to give Hungary equal status with Austria by setting up the Dual Monarchy of Austria- Hungary. Under this arrangement, both the Austrian Em­pire and the Kingdom of Hungary pledged allegiance to Francis Joseph. The two countries also were united in their conduct of foreign, military, and certain financial affairs. But each country had its own constitutional gov­ernment to handle all other matters.

In the late 1800's and early 1900's, Slavs and other mi­nority groups in Austria-Hungary demanded the right to govern themselves. Serbia, a Slavic country south of Hungary, led the Slavic nationalist movement. In 1914, Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian from Bosnia-Herzegovina, killed Archduke Francis Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. Austria-Hungary then de­clared war on Serbia, marking the start of World War I (1914-1918). Germany and other countries joined Austria- Hungary in fighting the Allies, which included Britain, France, Russia, and the United States. See World War I.

After World War I. A defeated Austria-Hungary signed an armistice on Nov. 3,1918. On November 12, the last Habsburg emperor was overthrown, and Austria became a republic. Many Austrians wanted to make

Austria part of Germany. But the Treaty of St.-Germain, signed by Austria and the Allies in 1919, forbade such a union. The treaty also established Austria's present boundaries (see Saint-Germain, Treaty of). In 1920, Aus­tria adopted a democratic constitution.

Austria had many political problems after the war. These problems centred on conflict between the two major parties—the Christian Social Party and the Social Democratic Party. Each party supported a private army. These armies often clashed with each other and with a group led by the Austrian Nazi Party. This party sought to unite Austria and Germany. See Nazism.

In March 1933, Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss, a Christian Socialist, adjourned Parliament. This and other actions brought about a four-day war between his sup­porters and the Social Democrats in February 1934. The Christian Socialists won the war, and Dollfuss then ruled Austria as a dictator. Dollfuss strongly opposed the Nazi Party's goal of uniting Austria and Germany, and so, in July 1934, the Nazis killed him. Dollfuss was succeeded by Kurt von Schuschnigg. Schuschnigg also tried to keep Austria an independent nation.

In 1938, German troops seized Austria. Adolf Hitler, the German dictator, then announced the Anschluss (union) of Austria and Germany. Austria's fate thus be­came tied to that of Nazi Germany, whose quest for power led to World War II in 1939. The Allies, including France, Britain, the Soviet Union, and the United States, finally defeated Germany in 1945. See World War II.

After World War II, Austria was divided into Ameri­can, British, French, and Soviet zones of occupation. But the four powers allowed Austria to set up a single provi­sional (temporary) government based on the 1920 Con­stitution. Following elections in November 1945, a national government was formed. It consisted of leaders of both the People's Party (formerly the Christian Social Party) and the Socialist Party (formerly the Social Demo­cratic Party). This coalition government helped stabilize Austria. In 1955, the Allies ended their occupation of the country. To obtain its independence, Austria agreed to be permanently neutral—that is, completely uninvolved in international military affairs. Later in 1955, Austria joined the United Nations (UN).

Austria had coalition governments until 1966, when the People's Party, led by Chancellor josef Klaus, won a majority of seats in the Nationalrat. In the 1970 elections, the Socialist Party became the strongest party, though it did not have a majority. The party formed Austria's first Socialist government, with Bruno Kreisky as chancellor. In the 1971 elections, the Socialists gained a majority in the Nationalrat, and they retained their majority in the 1975 and 1979 elections.

In elections held in 1983, the Socialists won the most seats in the Nationalrat, but did not win a majority. They formed a coalition with the Freedom Party to keep con­trol of the government. Kreisky resigned as chancellor following the elections. Fred Sinowatz of the Socialist Party succeeded him as chancellor. The coalition broke up in 1986. In 1987, the Socialist Party formed a new co­alition with the People's Party.

Austria today. As a neutral nation, Austria serves as an important channel for the exchange of ideas between the countries of Western Europe and Eastern Europe. Vi­enna was the site of some of the Strategic Arms Limita­tion Talks (SALT) that began in 1969 between the Soviet Union and the United States. Vienna is also the home of a number of UN agencies, including the International Atomic Energy Agency and the UN Industrial Develop­ment Organization. Some people regard the 1972 elec­tion of an Austrian, Kurt Waldheim, as UN secretary gen­eral as a sign of the success of Austria's neutral policy.

In June 1986, Waldheim was elected to the largely honorary post of president of Austria. His campaign was marked by controversy when records surfaced concern­ing his possible involvement in Nazi atrocities during World War II. Waldheim denied involvement in the ac­tions. See Waldheim, Kurt, for more information. The day after Waldheim's election, Sinowatz resigned as chancellor of Austria. Franz Vranitzky of the Socialist Party succeeded him. Waldheim stepped down as presi­dent in 1992. His successor was Thomas Klestil.

  

Outline

Government

The president, The chancellor and Cabinet, The parliament, Provincial and local gov­ernment, Political parties, Courts, and Armed forces

People

Ancestry and popula­tion, Language, Way of life, Social welfare, Arts, Recreation, Education, and Religion

Land and climate

Land regions, and Climate

Economy

Natural resources, Manufacturing, Service industries, Agriculture, Tourism, Foreign trade, Transportation and Communication

History

Questions

What religious group in Austria receives financial support from the national government? Why?

What attractions draw many holiday-makers to Austria?

Why does the climate of western and central Austria differ from that of eastern Austria?

What family ruled Austria for more than 600 years?

What is Wiener schnitzel ? A dirndl ?

Who are some famous Austrian composers?

What is Austria's most important mineral resource and what is it used for?

What sports are popular in Austria?

Who serves as Austria's head of state? Who serves as head of government?

What did Austria agree to do to obtain its independence after World War II?