An
Overview of Austria for Travelers by Richard Monk
 Although
Austria is rarely in the headlines these days, it was once part of a dominant
European power. Following is an overview of this postcard country.
An Overview of Austria
for Travelers
With its prime location in
mainland Europe, Austria was a major player in economic, military and political
terms when it was known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Alas, this role
was significantly diminished after World War I when victorious allies divided
the empire. A much smaller Austria came onto the scene and has developed
into an ideal travel and relocation destination.
Famous Austrians dot the
historical record. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven were
mavericks in music. In psychology, a certain Sigmund Freud made just a
slight impact. Currently, the Governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger, was born
in Austria.
 The
official name of the country is Republic of Austria. It covers a relatively
small area of land, 32,000 square miles. The capital is beautiful Vienna,
which has a population of just over 1.6 million people. Other cities of
note include Salzburg and Innsbruck which has hosted a winter Olympics.
The country is predominantly a mountainous one and has a climate categorized
as continental with plenty of rain and snowfall. Summers in the mountains
of Austria are simply dazzling. You can pull up pictures on the Internet
or simply watch the movie, The Sound of Music.
The people of Austria are
known as "Austrians." The total population for the country is just over
8 million people, and barely growing each year at a rate of .4 percent.
The ethnicity of Austrians breaks down as 98 percent German with a mix
of neighboring country natives mixed in. The dominant language is German.
Roman Catholic is the faith of 73 percent of Austrians although 12 percent
claim no religion at all. The literacy rate in this well-developed country
is 98 percent. Life expectancy for women is 81.7 years while men average
75.9.
As this overview of Austria
demonstrates, the country has seen all sides of the power ledger. Regardless,
Austria is a beautiful country with a rich cultural heritage and is definitely
worth a visit.
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About the Author: Richard
Monk is with FactsMonk.com
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