Austria

1. Austria Ella Ward

2. GENERAL INFORMATION Official Language- German Capital- Vienna Government- Parliamentary Democracy President- Heinz Fischer Chancellor- Werner Faymann Area- 32,378 square miles Life expectancy- 79 Money- Euro Population- 8,219,734

3. Tourist Attractions

4. Tourist attractions Schönbrunn Palace Schönbrunn Palace is the most visited tourist attraction of Austria. It is a huge complex of buildings, like the Glorriette and Palm house, in a landscaped garden with a maze. Schönbrunnwas the summer residence of the Hapsburg family and the birthplace of Emperor Franz Josef. Attached to Schönbrunn is one of the world’s oldest and largest zoo. The architects were Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and Nicolò Pacassi.

5. Tourist attractions Fortress Hohensalzburg The Fortress Hohensalzburg is the dominant landmark of Salzburg, the city of Mozart. Its towers over the old city the castle dates back to as early as the twelfth century. It grew to one of the mightiest castles in Central Europe ensuring the power of the Roman-Catholic Archbishops who ruled Salzburg until the late eighteenth century.

6. Tourist attractions Grossglockner High Alpine Road The Grossglockner High Alpine Road connects the two provincial states Salzburg and Carinthia over the high mountain passes just in the vicinity of the Grossglockner, Austria’s highest mountain (3798m). The road is mainly for sightseeing travel and is closed during winter. The most famous alpine road leads you into the heart of the Home Tauern National Park, to the highest mountain in Austria, the Grossglockner .

7. Tourist attractions Giant Ferris Wheel The Giant Ferris Wheel is an outstanding Viennese landmark in the Prater, an old traditional amusement park just between the Danube and the inner city. The Giant Ferris Wheel was built in 1896 and recently revamped. Riding the Giant Ferris Wheel gives an amazing overview of the Viennese City, especially to the old city area around St. Stephen’ Cathedral. It was designed by the English engineer Walter B. Basset. In 1944, during World War Two, it was severely damaged by fire. It was rebuilt in 1947.

8. Tourist attractions KunsthistorischesMuseum The Kunsthistorisches Museum or The Museum of fine arts was built in 1891. Originally it was built to showcase the many collections of the imperial family. Today it is still considered as one of the major museums housing great work of world famous artists such as Bruegel, Rembrandt, Dürer, Vermeer and many others. It is located in Vienna.

9. Holidays Epiphany- January 6 National Holiday- May 1 Whit Monday- May 28 Boxing Day- December 26 Some of the holidays in Austria are Boxing Day, Whit Monday, and the Epiphany.

10. Geography • Austria is slightly smaller than Maine, it includes much of the mountainous territory of the eastern Alps (about 75% of the area). The country contains many snowcapped peaks, the highest being the Grossglockner (12,530 ft; 3,819 m). The Danube is the principal river. Forests and woodlands cover about 40% of the land.

11. Mountains • .

12. People from Austria Adolf Hitler Wolfgang Mozart Ludwig van Beethoven

13. Vienna Vienna is the Capital of Austria. Vienna is Austria’s biggest city and the population there is 1,714,142.

14. Religion 73.6%- Roman Catholic 12%- Nonreligious 4.7- Protestant 4.2- Muslim 3.5- Other Religions 2- Unspecified

15. Interesting Facts Ferdinand Porsche, the founder of "Porsche" company, was from Austria. The sewing machine was invented in 1818 by the Austrian Josef Madersperger. The oldest zoo in the world, TiergartenSchonbrunn founded in 1752, is located in Vienna.