Climate:
Austria lies within the Central European climatic zone, though the Eastern part of the country has a Continental Pannonian climate. Following zones can be distinguished: the northern fringe of the Alps, the inner Alpine region, the northern and eastern foothills of the Alps. The northern Alpine fringe is characterized by a very humid climate. The distribution of rainfall is mainly controlled by mountain features, and the highest rainfalls occur where the mountains are exposed to westerly and northwesterly winds. Rainfall diminishes eastwards, and increases with altitude. In inner Alpine regions the annual rainfall levels out at the European mean. In autumn and winter the mountain regions receive more sunshine and clear air than the valleys, which are often covered by a layer of fog for days. A special feature of the Alpine climate is the "foehn", a hot and dry wind which sweeps down from the mountains. From the central Danube region to the east, a more continental climate predominates. The daily and yearly variations in temperature are more pronounced and there is less precipitation. In Vienna for instance, it rains half as much as in Salzburg. The eastern foothills of the Alps already show characteristics of a continental steppe climate - short springs, hot summers, dry autumns and cold winters. The highest temperatures have been measured in this region.

Capital city:
Viena

Geography
Austria is located in the South-East of Central Europe. The Alps are a dominating feature of the country which shares borders with Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Hungary, Italy, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. With an area of 83,855 sq. km and a population of about eight million, Austria is one of Europe´s smaller states. Vienna accounts for 20% of the country´s population. The Republic of Austria was created on November 12, 1918. By constitution, Austria is a federal parliamentary democracy divided into nine provinces (Burgenland, Carinthia, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Vienna). The head of state is the president, who is chosen by the electorate for a six year term. The National Assembly, the state´s legislative body, is elected every four by citizens over the age of 18 years. The majority ratio of the parties represented in the National Assembly is decisive for the composition of the Federal Government. Vienna, as well as being Austria´s capital, is a federal province in its own right. Austria is a member of the United Nations and various UN sub-organizations and has been a member of the EC since 1995. The Vienna International Center is headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

Population
Austria has a population of about 8 million. The national language is German (98%). The remaining 2% speaks Croatian, Slovene, Hungarian or Czech. About 80% of the population is Roman-Catholic, 5% Protestant and 9% non-denominational. The Austrians are a Bavarian people by origin. An exemption are Vorarlberg and a small part of Tirol (Außerfern), whose population are of Alemanic provenance. The provinces of Tirol, Salzburg and Vorarlberg were initially populated by Rhaeto-Romans who were gradually displaced by other peoples; only in the Montafon and the Upper Inntal Valley the Rhaeto-Romans remained longer. When the Bavarians arrived in the south-east, they met with a Slav population, who, on the other hand, had come upon the relics of a Celtic-Roman settlement. Before and during Carolinian times, the typical settlement consisted of a small hamlet or cluster village with the village lands parceled out. The high medieval settlements in the eastern lowlands already featured planned villages along roads and in the countryside. The peopling of Austria´s mountainous regions took place in different phases and was characterized by isolated farmhouses. Towns founded during the Roman times include Iuvavum/Salzburg, Ovilava/Wels, Lentia/Linz, Cetium/St. Pölten, Vindobona/Vienna and Brigantium/Bregenz.