Life in
Austria
Austria is located in Central Europe, between the River Rhine and Lake Constance to the west and the climatically mild Pannonian Plain and Lake Neusiedl to the east. More than half of the country's total area is covered by the Alps. Austria is bordered to the west by Switzerland and Liechtenstein, to the south by Italy and Slovenia, to the east by Hungary and Slovakia and to the north by Germany and the Czech Republic. Since 1995, Austria has been a member of the European Union.
Land of Mountains, Land of Lakes
Austria has much to offer its visitors: from Vienna, the imperial city of over a million inhabitants — chosen by Mercer in 2011 as the world's most desirable city to live in — to an intense, natural beauty, characterised by mountains, rivers and lakes. With its outstanding hospitality, Austria attracts millions of visitors every year, all year round.
Profile
| Total area: | 83.878 km² |
| Population: | 8.44 million |
| Capital: | Vienna |
| States: | nine |
| Highest point: | Grossglockner, 3,798 m |
| Largest state: | Lower Austria |
| Smallest state: | Vienna |
| Largest cities: | Vienna, Graz, Linz |
| Trade Balance (2011): | Exports: €122 billion / Imports: €130 billion |
Climate
Austria, located in central Europe, falls within a transitional zone between an oceanic and a continental climate. The country is located in a temperate zone, experiencing a warm to moderately cool climate.
Languages
The official language is German. Slovenian, Hungarian and Croatian are also spoken on a regional basis.
