!!!Österreich, Republik

Austria, Republic of (Republik Oesterreich), federal state in the 
south-eastern part of Central Europe. The westernmost point lies 
6 km north-west of Feldkirch (Vorarlberg, 9° 32´ 
eastern longitude), the easternmost point is 4 km east of Deutsch 
Jahrndorf (Burgenland, 17° 10´ eastern longitude), the 
northernmost point 8 km north of Litschau (Lower Austria; 
49° 1´ northern latitude) and the southernmost point 
13 km south of Eisenkappel (Carinthia; 46° 22´ 
northern latitude); area 83,858 km%%sup 2/%; pop. 7,795,786 (in 
1991). The widest east-west extension is 580 km, the widest 
north-south extension is 294 km. The peak of Grossglockner 
mountain (3,797 m) is the highest elevation, the lowest point 
lies in the Seewinkel region southeast of Apetlon (114 m); the 
federal capital is Vienna.

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History: Over the centuries the geographical area of Austria has 
undergone profound changes. Austria, which is one of the succession 
states of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, today encompasses the largest 
part of the former German-speaking crownlands, and its current size 
goes back to the size of the Habsburg territory in the late Middle 
Ages. Before then, the Bavarians asserted themselves in the area in 
the Middle Ages, progressing eastwards along the axis which 
constitutes the Alpine Foreland after having destroyed the empire of 
the Avars under Charlemagne. Following the end of the Avar Empire and 
the defeat of the Magyars by Otto the Great (Battle of Lechfeld, 955), 
the "Ostmark" (Eastern March) was established as an 
independent political unit, and in 976 the  Babenbergs were appointed 
as margraves. The name  Ostarrîchi first appeared in 996 in a 
deed of donation issued by Otto III. At that time, the region now 
known as Upper Austria and Lower Austria were the principal areas 
under Babenberg rule, from where their political power expanded 
eastwards into the Vienna Basin and into Styria, which was acquired in 
1192. The Babenbergs were awarded the title of "Duke" in 
1156, the last male Babenberg died in 1246. In 1251, the Bohemian King 
Přemysl Otakar II seized power over the territory. Rudolf of 
Habsburg, elected German King in 1273, put an end to Otakar's power 
and presented his sons Albrecht I and Rudolf II with the 
Duchies of Austria and Styria (1282). The House of Habsburg pursued a 
successful expansion policy within their family: Albrecht II 
acquired Carinthia and Carniola (1335), his eldest son Rudolf IV 
gained Tirol (1363), and the latter´s brother Leopold III 
acquired central Istria (1374) and Trieste, 1382). Vorarlberg, 
finally, was acquired in the 15%%sup th/%  century. Austria´s 
large east-west extension is thus a legacy of the medieval territorial 
policy of the Habsburgs. While more territories became part of Austria 
later on, namely the provinces of Salzburg (finally in 1816) and 
Burgenland (1921), Austria lost some others: South Tirol, southern 
Carinthia and southern Styria were ceded in fulfilment of the Treaty 
of St. Germain. The Republic of Austria was proclaimed on November 12, 
1918, under the name "Deutschoesterreich". The viability of 
the  First Republic was severely doubted for many reasons. The young 
state was facing growing political polarisation, a bleak economic 
situation and radical structural changes in all fields of the economy 
that were due to the disintegration of the monarchy. Political 
tensions led to the dissolution of parliament in 1933 and came to a 
head in the Civil War of 1934, the ban on the Social Democratic Party 
and the proclamation of an authoritarian corporation state (E. 
Dollfuss, K. Schuschnigg). The First Republic ended when German troops 
marched into Austria on March 12, 1938, Austria was annexed to the 
German Reich and ceased to exist as an independent state for 7 years 
to come. Austria re-gained her statehood after 1945 ( Second Republic) 
but was initially divided into four occupation zones and full 
sovereignty was not re-gained until 1955  Austrian History.

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Constitution and Administration: Austria is a democratic republic and 
a federal state composed of 9 independent  Bundeslaender  Burgenland,  
Carinthia,  Lower Austria,  Upper Austria,  Salzburg,  Styria,  Tyrol, 
 Vorarlberg and  Vienna. The federalist structure is reflected in the 
organisation of Parliament, which is composed of the Nationalrat 
(National Council) and the Bundesrat (Federal Council - the 
representative chamber of the Federal Provinces), in the election of 
independent Landtage (Provincial Diets), the transfer of powers to the 
provinces (hospitals, social services, primary and lower secondary 
schools, traffic police), in what is called delegated federal 
administration and also in the sharing of funds ( Revenue-sharing). 
Austria is a parliamentary democracy with pronounced features of a 
presidential republic. In accordance with the Federal Constitution, 
the supreme executive organs are the  Federal President and the  
Federal Government, headed by the  Federal Chancellor. The legislative 
power is jointly exercised with the  Nationalrat, which is elected by 
the people, and the  Bundesrat, which is composed of Provincial 
Delegates. The Federal Budget is the responsibility of the National 
Council. According to the principle of separation of powers, there is 
an independent judiciary. The administration is entrusted to the 
public authorities ( Public Authorities, Structure of) at federal, 
provincial and communal level. 2 forms of federal administration can 
be distinguished: delegated and direct federal administration. Matters 
that are not dealt with by federal administrative authorities (direct 
administration), are entrusted in the Provinces to the Provincial 
Governor or his subordinate District Commissioner or, at the level of 
the municipality, to the Mayor (delegated administrative jurisdiction; 
 Gemeinde). Side by side with the organs provided for in the Federal 
Constitution, the actual political scene is influenced by a number of 
institutions, some of which possess considerable political weight. 
Among these are the  Employers' Associations (Federation of Austrian 
Industrialists, Chambers of Agriculture, Economic Chambers), the 
organs of  Workers´ Representation (Chambers of Labour, Austrian 
Federation of Trade Unions) and institutionalised forms of the  Social 
Partnership. Their fora deal with important matters in the field of 
wage and income policy as well as with general questions of social and 
economic policy. While this approach has made an important 
contribution to social peace, it also prevents widespread public 
debate of important political problems.

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The Landscape: Austria has 5 basic landscape types. Nearly two thirds 
of the surface are covered by the  Alps. They run through the country 
from west to east and are divided into distinct sections: the  Flysch 
Zone (Bregenzerwald Mountain Region, Vienna Woods), the  Northern 
Limestone Alps, the  Greywacke Zone, which is rich in natural 
resources, the glaciated and crystalline Central Alps and the  
Southern Limestone Alps.

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Each individual alpine zone is separated from the others by a northern 
and a southern longitudinal valley. The northern longitudinal valleys 
(valleys of the rivers Inn, Salzach, Enns and Muerz) and the southern 
longitudinal valleys (Drau/Drava valley, Klagenfurt Basin) enable 
passage from west to east. The west-east extension of the Alps on the 
other hand leads to the concentration of north-south traffic to a few 
passageways - a considerable problem in  Transit Traffic which is 
limited to a few low alpine passes. - The granite and gneiss plateau, 
which forms part of the  Bohemian Massif, is the oldest geological 
section of Austria. It is a rolling hilly plateau at 500 to 800 m 
with elevations over 1,000 m, covers the Upper Austrian 
Muehlviertel region and the Lower Austrian Waldviertel region and has 
the River Danube as its southern borderline. The Bohemian Massif 
reaches south beyond the River Danube in 5 regions: Sauwald, 
Kuernberger Wald, Neustadtler Platte, Hiesberger Wald and 
Dunkelsteinerwald.

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Between the Alps and the Bohemian Massif in the North stretches the 
hill and terrace landscape of the Alpine Foreland, which reaches its 
greatest width in the Innviertel region in the west and the 
Weinviertel region in the east. Between the Alps and the Carpathian 
Mountains lies the  Vienna Basin, a wide cove filled with tertiary 
sediments that is divided by the River Danube into the southern and 
northern Vienna Basin (Marchfeld).

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The fifth landscape type, the Foreland in the East, is composed of a 
number of Pannonian coves ( Graz Basin, Oberpullendorf Bay and 
Neusiedl Bay) which were filled with sediments and afterwards 
transformed by erosion into a rolling hill and terrace landscape. The 
5 landscapes also give rise to climatic differentiation ( Climate). 
The ecological differences between western and eastern Austria, 
between mountain fringes and inner-Alpine valleys and basins are 
considerable. The patterns of use of these economic areas, which 
depend on natural conditions (especially agriculture and tourism), 
follow these ecological differences. The extensive cultivation of 
wheat, barley, vegetables and fruit, for example, is only possible in 
the ecologically favoured Alpine Foreland, in the Vienna Basin and in 
the south-eastern Foreland. Conditions of production in mountainous 
regions, especially on alpine farms, are much less favourable and 
frequently only allow for grassland farming. There are two types of 
farms: "alpine farms" (in upper Carinthia, the western part 
of upper Styria, Salzburg province, Tirol and Vorarlberg) and 
"woodland farms" (Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Styria, 
central and lower Carinthia). Alpine farmers have in many cases 
succeeded in attracting tourism, the income from which has played an 
important role in supporting the farms, particularly in the highlands.

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The People: Austria´s population reached 8,000,000 at the 
beginning of the 1990s. Population growth ( Population Development) 
has been due to 2 factors: Owing to a decreasing mortality rate and a 
slightly increasing birth rate there were more births than deaths. 
Statistically, every Austrian woman today gives birth to 1.5 children. 
Migration statistics show even more pronounced population shifts: 
While departure exceeded influx at the beginning of the 1980s, the 
number of immigrants began to rise continuously from the middle of the 
1980s and exceeded departures by far. Between 1981 and 1991, the 
number of inhabitants rose from 7,550,000 to 7,800,000. Geographical 
trends were, however, not uniform: In the western provinces, 
population growth, due to a positive migration balance, young 
population and above-average birth rate, was clearly higher than in 
the eastern provinces. The regional distribution is characterised by 
high population concentration in some areas (Vienna Basin, central 
areas of Upper Austria and Salzburg central areas, Graz Basin, 
Mur-Muerz area, Klagenfurt Basin, Inn Valley and central Vorarlberg). 
The ecologically favoured areas of the Alpine Foreland, Vienna Basin 
and south-eastern Foreland are the major areas of settlement. Their 
intensive use due to the dual function as residential and economic 
areas for businesses and industries constitutes a major challenge to 
regional planning, which is intensified by increasing demand for land. 
- Austria´s ethnic structure is historically determined by the 
disintegration of the multiethnic country after World War I: around 
92 % of the population state they use only German in everyday 
life.

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Religion: 1991: 78 % of Austrians are Roman Catholic, 5 % 
are Protestants and 2 % are Muslims; 12 % do not belong to 
any denomination, 3 % belong to other religious groups.

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Arts, Culture: Austria sees itself as a modern European state, as a 
popular tourist destination and a country with longstanding artistic 
and cultural traditions. Archeological excavations brought to light a 
large number of finds from  Prehistory, the  Roman Era and Early  
Christianity. There is a rich heritage of monuments from various eras 
(Romanesque, Gothic, Danube School, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, 
Classicism, Biedermeier, Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, 
Secession, Expressionism, Modernism) in the fields of  Architecture,  
Sculpture,  Painting and  Graphic Arts. Some eras exhibit a 
particularly pronounced style in Austria. The pre-historic Hallstatt 
Culture, the late Gothic period, the Danube School, Baroque, 
Biedermeier, Secession and the (Vienna Crafts Studio) have all 
bestowed on parts of the country their particular character, leaving 
behind a rich legacy of wayside shrines, castles, palaces and other 
buildings. There are varied traditions in book illumination and 
stained glass, in  Industrial Arts and in popular art (e.g. models of 
nativity scenes, eglomise painting, carving). Of particular importance 
are  Literature and  Music, which gained world renown through  
Viennese Classicism and the Vienna School of Dodecaphonic Music,  
Opera,  Operetta and  Ballet as well as through music performances ( 
Orchestras) and training. Another facet of Austrian cultural identity 
are its scientific institutions (universities,  Academy of Sciences, 
Austrian) and a host of "Austrian Schools" or "Vienna 
Schools" in the fields of medicine, law, sociology, Slavonic, 
Oriental and Byzantine studies, economics (e.g.  Marginal Utility 
Theory), philosophy and psychology, folklore studies and ethnology, 
Germanic studies, history of art, and musicology. Austrian scientists 
have made significant contributions in the fields of astronomy, 
meteorology, mineralogy, chemistry and physics, as well as in other 
fields of natural science and in technology. Austrian  Inventions and 
Inventors have also played an important role, as have  Discoveries and 
Explorations carried out by Austrians.

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Economy: Austria currently ranks among the world´s wealthiest 
nations, with a deeply rooted democratic system, an extensive welfare 
system and a balanced regional development. World War II had left the 
country´s economy almost completely shattered, post-war times 
were characterised by excessive supply of money, a lack of economic 
goods and high demand, with high inflation as a consequence. The 
structural change with regard to the relation between the economic 
sectors came about only with a certain time lag in Austria. In 1951, 
the proportion of those employed in agriculture and forestry was still 
32.7 % and only 28.5 % were employed in services, while in 
other Western European countries the agricultural sector was clearly 
smaller. Right after the war, in the 1950s, unemployment was around 
8 %, and the employment rate for women between the ages of 15 and 
60 years was below 50 %. The agricultural sector was continuously 
shrinking and industry was under reconstruction until the early 1960s, 
By that time, the currency had been stabilised, inflation pushed below 
5 %, and with an unemployment rate of below 3 % there was 
virtually full employment. This success was based on a functioning 
Social Partnership which battled inflation by concluding wage and 
price agreements, the rise of  Nationalised Industry and the 
acceptance of real wage losses. These developments were accompanied by 
favourable global economic conditions and efficient international 
economic assistance ( ERP Fund). The change from an industrialised 
agricultural country to a service-based economy was achieved without 
heavy industrialisation by the timely promotion of the service sector, 
whereby regional balance was managed as well. The collapse of a 
well-functioning agrarian and industrial network after the First World 
War was successfully overcome by the Second Republic: The centre of 
economic activity shifted from the east to the western provinces, and 
a policy of promoting regional centres brought about a functional 
shift, so that institutions that had originally only existed in the 
provincial capitals were spread over the country. In order to achieve 
equality of opportunity, geographic patterns had to be modified. While 
other Western European countries suffered social and economic crises, 
Austria was blessed with economic growth, low unemployment and social 
peace. Austria´s active foreign policy predestined it for the 
role of a neutral intermediary between East and West. After New York 
and Geneva, Vienna became the third location for important UN 
institutions, and Austria also supplied a Secretary General to the 
United Nations, K. Waldheim. The words of Pope Paul VI, who 
talked of Austria as an "Isle of the Blessed", matched the 
new picture Austrians had of their country. In the 1980s, the economic 
situation in Austria changed and was then more like that in the rest 
of Western Europe; the Austro-Keynesian theory that unemployment and 
economic crises could be largely avoided by way of economic and labour 
market directionism was abandoned as political paradigm. The 
"Austrian way" has gradually changed into a "regular 
European path". The combination of parliamentary democracy with 
institutions of social partnership as well as the typically Austrian 
co-existence of private and nationalised enterprises is being 
increasingly called into question today. Furthermore, external factors 
are causing a change in Austria´s understanding of itself: The 
decreasing importance of  Neutrality following the end of the Cold 
War, European integration and shifts in the geographical division of 
labour have created new structures for Austria, and all these factors 
also have considerable influence on internal developments.

!Literature
see general bibliography on Austria


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