3. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
It has access to the largest Lake of Europe, Lake
Constance. It has a total area of 83,859 km, about twice the
size of Switzerland and slightly smaller than the state of
Maine.
The Grossglockner s, at 3,798 m above sea level, Austria's
highest mountain and the highest mountain in the Alps east
of the Brenner Pass.
4. CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS
The traditional men clothing consisted of clothing made from
leather , linen, and wool. And for women it consisted of a
closefitting bodice combined with an apron.
There are many societies dedicated to tracht revivals. Often,
those efforts coincide with an interest in traditional crafts,
like porcelain, glass-making or wood carving and traditional
folk music and dancing
5. CULTURE
Austria's main religion is roman catholic but other religions
are practiced also. The Austrian culture was greatly
influenced by Italy, Poland, Germany, Hungary, and
Bohemia. Wolfgang Amandeus Mozart, Ludwig van
Beethoven and Johann Strauss, Jr. are Austrian musicians
6. ECONOMY
Austria is one of the 12 richest countries in the world in
terms of GDP per capita, has a well-developed social
market economy, and a high standard of living.
Until the 1980s, many of Austria's largest industry firms
were nationalized; in recent years, however,
privatization has reduced state holdings to a level
comparable to other European economies.
Next to a highly developed industry, international tourism is
the most important part of the national economy.
7. HISTORY
On March 13, 1938, Germany took over Austria (termed the
Anschluss) which was a contingency specifically disallowed
in the Versailles Treaty.
Once a country called Austria-Hungary , and after the war
they spilt into two separate countries, Austria and Hungary
Emperor Rudolf I of Habsburg gave Austria to his sons in
1278. Austria was ruled by the Habsburg for then the next
640 years. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the Habsburgs
began to accumulate provinces in the vicinity of the Duchy
of Austria, which remained a small territory along the
Danube, and Styria.
8. AFTERMATH OF WWII
The Austrian State Treaty established the country as a
sovereign state in 1955.
In recent years, Austria’s policies have been characterized
by stability and economic growth. It joined the European
Union (EU) in 1995 and entered the Eurozone in 1999,
adopting the euro currency union.
