Austria

Austria Latest News

India and Austria recently signed multiple agreements and announcements aimed at deepening bilateral cooperation across defence, trade, technology, education, and culture.

About Austria

• It is a largely mountainous landlocked country of south-central Europe. 
• Capital: Vienna
• Austria is bordered by 8 countries: by the Czech Republic in the north; by Slovakia in the northeast; by Hungary in the east; by Slovenia in the south; by Italy in the southwest; by Switzerland and Liechtenstein in the west; and by Germany in the northwest.
• Most of Austria (70%) is covered by the Alpine Region, central and west, as the Alps extend on into Austria from Switzerland.
• It has a temperate and alpine climate. 
• The Danube (1,771 miles) (2,850 km) is the most significant river in the country. It’s the second-longest river in Europe and a vital waterway for commerce. 
• Ethnic groups: Germans, Turks, Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, and Bosnians; other recognized minorities include Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks, and Roma.
• Languages: The majority of the population speaks German, which is also the country’s official language. Other local official languages are Croatian, Hungarian, and Slovene.
• Political System: It is a federal parliamentary republic with a chancellor who is the head of government and a president who is the head of state.

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Austria History

• The origins of Austria date back to the time of the Roman Empire when a Celtic kingdom was conquered by the Romans in approximately 15 BC and later became Noricum, a Roman province, in the mid-1st century AD—an area which mostly encloses today’s Austria. 
• In 788 AD, the Frankish king Charlemagne conquered the area and introduced Christianity. 
• Under the native Habsburg dynasty, Austria became one of the great powers of Europe. 
• During the 18th and 19th centuries, Vienna was the European capital of classical music and an important hub of musical innovation.  
• Legendary musicians like Mozart, Beethoven, Joseph Haydn, Johann Strauss II, and others are all associated with Vienna.
• In 1867, the Austrian Empire was reformed into Austria-Hungary.
• The Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed in 1918 with the end of World War I.
• The First Austrian Republic was established in 1919.

Source: DDN