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Austria, officially known as the Republic of Austria, is a federal republic and a landlocked country of roughly 8.5 million people in Central Europe. See the fact file below for more information about Austria.
Facts About Austria
Capital
Vienna
Population
8,169,929 (July 2002 est.)
Area
total: 83,858 sq km
water: 1,120 sq km
land: 82,738 sq km
(slightly smaller than Maine)
Location
landlocked country in central Europe (none of its borders are next to water)
borders Hungary and Slovakia (east), Liechtenstein and Switzerland (west),
borders Czech Republic and Germany (north), Slovenia and Italy (south)
Government
federal republic
Money
Euro (EUR); Austrian schilling (ATS)
Climate
temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain in lowlands
snow in mountains; cool summers with occasional showers
Languages
German
See the fact file below for more information on Austria or alternatively download our comprehensive worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
History of Austria
- In the ancient times, Austria was occupied by Celtic tribes.
- After the fall of the Roman Empire, which invaded after the Celtic occupation, Austria became occupied by Slavs, Avars, and Bavarian people.
- Christianity was introduced to the area in 788 AD by Charlemagne, who was the King of the Franks at the time.
- The Habsburgs took over during the 14th and 15th centuries.
- In 1804, the Austrian Empire was formed.
- Later in the 19th century, in 1814, Austria sided with the Allies during the French Revolutionary War and brought an end to the Napoleonic Wars.
- The Congress of Vienna from 1814-1815 settled land disputes as a result of the Napoleonic Wars and reshaped the national boundaries of many countries within Europe.
- In 1867, Austria and Hungary signed the Austro-Hungarian compromise which established a dual monarchy of Austria and Hungary – this meant that the dual monarchy would oversee the governing of a very large and diverse population of Slavs, Poles, Serbs, Czechs, Slovaks, and many more ethnic groups.
- The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 eventually led not only to the outbreak of World War I, but also to the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
- In 1938, Austria was annexed to the Third Reich, which meant they were no longer an independent country.
- Austria succeeded from the Third Reich shortly after its collapse on April 27, 1945, which led to the setup of a provisional government with approval from Joseph Stalin.On May 15, 1955, Austria regained their full independence, and on October 26 of the same year, Austria declared its permanent neutrality once occupation troops had departed the country for the final time.
Geography and Climate of Austria
- Austria is a very mountainous country due to its proximity to the Alps, with only about ¼ of Austria’s area considered “low lying”.
- Austria’s longest border is with Germany and is a landlocked country.
- The climate of Austria is mixed; the mountainous areas of Austria experience and Atlantic maritime climate with lots of snow in the winter. Eastern Austria experiences a continental climate with cold, dry air in the winter. In the most temperate part of Austria, it’s south and southeast parts, a Mediterranean climate is common.
- Animals you might find in Austria include deer, fox, badger, and most recently, an increasing bear population.
- Austria also has many bird species, such as the mountain jackdaw.
- Austria experiences the Foehn wind, which is a dry, warm wind that slopes down across the downwind side of a mountain range.
- This Foehn wind has been responsible for the warming of air very quickly, which can result in circulatory problems and headaches.
- The Foehn winds are also responsible for melting snow quickly and sparking wildfires in a matter of minutes.
Economy of Austria
- Major industries in Austria include (but are not limited to): construction, machinery, lumber and wood, and tourism.
- Austria relies heavily on tourism to support its economy.
- Nearly 63% of Austria’s electricity supply is powered by renewable sources including hydropower, wind, solar, and biomass power plants. The rest comes from gas and oil power plants.
Culture and Demographics of Austria
- Austria is a musically rich and diverse country, and is the birthplace of composers such as Johann Strauss and Mozart.
- Beethoven spent a large chunk of time in Vienna.
- Arnold Schwarzenegger and Christoph Waltz are famous actors who were both born in Austria.
- Austria is a place where several prominent scientists and inventors were born and cultivated their discoveries. Some of these include Sigmund Freud, Gregor Mendel, Karl Popper, and Viktor Frankl.
- Beef, pork, and various vegetables are popular foods in Austria.
- Jam-filled donuts, fruit strudels, and schnitzel are common dishes served to people in Austria.
- The dispensable candy, Pez, was invented in Austria.
- Bavarian-style beer and Schnapps are commonly drank in Austria, with special flavours that come out around Christmas time.
- Alpine skiing is a popular past time of Austrians, as well as snowboarding, ski jumping, football, and bobsledding, hockey, and horseback riding.
- In school, the children have the same teacher for 4 years, starting from age 6, so that the emphasis is on building a strong and trusting teacher-student relationship, which Austrians consider very important for a child’s well-being.
- Children are split in high school, depending on their grades from primary school, into Gymnasium (for more able children), or Hauptschule (less able children).
Austria Worksheets
This bundle contains 11 ready-to-use Austria Worksheets that are perfect for students who want to learn more about the beautiful country of Austria. Find out why one the world’s most historical classical music composers, Beethoven, loved staying in Austria so much through these fun and exciting worksheets.
Download includes the following worksheets
- Austria Facts
- Austria Wordsearch
- Holiday Cooking in Austria
- Austria Acrostic
- Letter from the Alps
- Skiing Adventure
- Famous Austrian
- Map Activity
- Symbolic Board
- The Life of Mozart
- Austria Crossword
Link/cite this page
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Link will appear as Austria Facts and Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, September 3, 2017
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.