Total area: 32,382 sq mi (83,870 sq km)
Population (2009 est.): 8,210,281
Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Vienna - 2,041,300 (metro area)
Other large cities: Graz - 219,500; Linz - 185,300; Salzburg - 145,500; Innsbruck - 115,600
Currency: Euro
Languages: German (nationwide official), Croatian, Hungarian and Slovene (all locally official)
Religions: Roman Catholic 74%, Protestant 5%, Islam 4%, none 12%
Time zone: GMT+1, Daylight Savings Time (DST): GMT+2
Electricity: AC 230V/50Hz; European plugs with two round pins are the standard
Vienna, City Hall (Rathaus)
photo by Chad K |
Austria is a landlocked, mountainous country in the Central Europe, bordering
Germany and the
Czech Republic to the north,
Slovakia and
Hungary to the east,
Slovenia and
Italy to the south, and
Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. About three quarters of country's territory is dominated by Alps, with the highest peak the Grossglockner at 3,797 m (12,457 ft). The remaining quarter of the land is occupied by two eastern provinces - Lower Austria, the Burgenland and the federal capital of Vienna (Wien).
Forests and woodlands account for about 40% of the total land area. The main river in Austria is Danube, the second-largest river in Europe. About one quarter of country's population lives in the Vienna metro area, which is the political, cultural and financial center of Austria.
