There is an amazing place on the planet where there are no landfills or nuclear power plants, where they drink water straight from the tap and where cyclists feel more confident than drivers. This is one of the six most environmentally friendly countries in the world, where they build only using energy-efficient technologies, and by 2030 they plan to get all their electricity from wind and sun.

Let's reveal the cards - this is Austria, whose ecology is consistently ahead of the USA, Switzerland, France and a number of other European countries in terms of this indicator. Here, people have been “environmentally conscious” since childhood, and the authorities are busy reducing global greenhouse gas emissions and implementing programs to phase out fossil fuels.

Funny gif about hydropower: http://www.prikol.ru/wp-content/gallery/december-2016/gif-05122016-007.gif

The mountain air, the banks of rivers and lakes, the forests are perfectly clean.
93% of the population is satisfied with the quality of the water used.
Production of environmentally friendly equipment – 4% of GDP (2nd place in the EU).
Only 15% of the country is arable land, buildings and roads.
A third of the area is wild: mountains, forests, natural meadows and rocky areas.
12 nature reserves with a total area of 500 thousand hectares, mainly in the Alps.

Five sources of environmental problems in Austria

The main environmental threat to Austria is the increase in vehicle transit through the Alps and, as a result, the deterioration of the condition of mountain valleys.
Lack of uniform environmental legislation in the country, conflicts and differences in federal states. At the same time, the interests of agriculture or tourism often prevail over the interests of preserving natural ecosystems.
Atlantic air masses carrying pollution come from northwestern Europe, as well as Mediterranean air masses from northern Italy. Austria's neighbors are industrialized countries with weak environmental controls.
Private ownership of land is the main obstacle to the conservation of the environment, especially steppes. The Austrian League for Nature Conservation is acquiring steppe areas and meadows to prevent their conversion to agricultural land.
Artificial forestation in recent decades and, as a consequence, the loss of a significant part of the steppes.

How do they protect the environment in Austria?

Conclusion – Umweltbewusstsein

What is the secret of the Austrians? In environmental awareness (umweltbewusstsein). There are no people indifferent to the “health” of nature. Children are taught to sort garbage, and every second grader knows what is produced from each type of recyclable material.

What contribution do you make to the environment of Austria or another country? Do you use public transport more often, save water, or use organic cat litter? Or maybe you save natural resources by installing LED light bulbs in your home? Leave comments, share your experience and subscribe to our newsletter!

Climate of Austria
The climate of Austria is temperate continental. Summers are warm and sunny, relatively dry. The average temperature is approximately +20 degrees. C (the hottest months are July and August). As you rise into the mountains, the temperature drops and drops to zero at night, but much less frequently than in other alpine countries: the features of the local topography and the high daytime heating of the slopes have their influence.

Winter is mild. In the valleys the temperature on average drops to -2 degrees C, and in the mountains - to -14’C (the coldest month is January). Precipitation ranges from 600 mm per year in the east and north of the country, to 2000 mm per year on the western and southwestern slopes of the Alps. Frequent snowfalls do not really save the country from the effects of global warming, so all ski slopes are equipped with a powerful artificial snowmaking system.

Nature of Austria
Austria is an amazingly beautiful, unique country: mountains and valleys, rivers and waterfalls, clean alpine air and snowy peaks, all this just begs for postcards. Austria is landlocked, but the country is famous for the presence of large rivers such as the Danube, Drava, Mur, Salzach, Inn. And, of course, the famous Alps. The Eastern Alps, which occupy almost three-quarters of Austria's area, have gentler slopes than the Swiss, are composed mainly of limestone, and the presence of many valleys makes these mountains more accessible. The intermountain depressions of Klagenfurt in Carinthia, Hradtskaya in Styria, a large number of alpine meadows and forests attract and attract many tourists to this amazing region.

The High Taeurn mountain range contains the highest peaks. The height of the double-headed Großglockner mountain reaches 3798 m, the Großwendiger mountain has a height of 3674 m. The Austrian Pasterze glacier has an area of 32 square meters. km and 10 km long, perhaps the largest of all glacier in Austria. If one wanted to, it would take a very long time to make stairs in these mountains.

Sheer mountain slopes are adjacent to underground streams and lakes, many beautiful caves with stalagmites and stalactites. Near Salzburg, in the town of Tennengebirge, there is one of the famous Eisriesenwelt caves.

The mountains are full of many lakes. Lake Neusiedler See in the east of the country and the deep Lake Constance in the west also partly belong to Austria. The Krimlin waterfalls, which are considered one of the highest in the world, are the pride of the country. In three cascades with a total length of 380 meters and a flow of water of 400 thousand tons, the waterfalls rush down into a beautiful valley. The Danube Valley, which is located just above Vienna, is also distinguished by its amazing beauty. Cruise ships cruise along the Danube.

Flora and fauna of Austria
The country's flora is represented mainly by forests, which occupy about 38% of Austria's territory. Up to a height of 800 meters there are oak, beech and ash forests; higher up there are coniferous forests: pine, spruce, cedar. The tops of the mountains are covered with alpine meadows; cereals and sedges grow here.

The fauna of Austria is typical Central European. The surrounding area of Lake Neusiedler See is a unique protected nesting area for birds of various species. Mountain forests, mainly in nature reserves, are inhabited by ungulates - red deer, chamois, mountain sheep, and mountain goats. Birds include wood grouse, black grouse, and partridge. On the plains, where almost all the land is already cultivated, there are no large wild animals for a long time. But there are still foxes, hares, and rodents here.

Plan.

1. Business card

2. EGP of Austria

3. Historical background.

4. The country's economy.

5. Nature

3) Natural resources

4) Minerals

5) Fauna

6) Environment

6. Population.

1) Ethnic composition

2) Demographic situation

3) Population distribution structure

4) Religion

5) Education

6) Media

7) National holidays

8) Taxation.

7.Housekeeping.

8. Geography of foreign economic relations

Political and economic situation of Austria.

Austria is a small country located in the center of Europe, consisting of 9 federal states: Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Burgerland, Styria, Carinthia, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Vienna and Salzburg. The city of Vienna - the capital of Austria - is administratively equal to the lands. The division of the country into lands has developed historically: almost each of the lands is a former independent feudal possession. In fact, modern Austria is a centralized state.

Austria is landlocked. Here on an area of 84 thousand square meters. km live about 11 million people, i.e. less than in Greater London. The geographical position of Austria facilitates its communication with other European countries, of which it directly borders seven: in the east - the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, in the west - Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and the Principality of Liechtenstein. This provides Austria with favorable transport and geographical conditions for mutually beneficial trade with neighboring countries.

The territory of Austria is elongated in the form of a wedge, greatly narrowed in the west and expanded in the east. This configuration of the country resembles, according to some, a bunch of grapes.

The largest cities are Vienna, Graz, Linz and Salzburg.

Its position in the center of Europe makes Austria the crossroads of a number of trans-European meridional routes (from the Scandinavian countries and central European states through the Alpine passes of Brenner and Semmering to Italy and other countries). Servicing the transit transport of goods and passengers provides Austria with certain income in foreign currency.

In addition, as can be easily determined from a physical map, the state borders of Austria for the most part coincide with natural boundaries - mountain ranges or rivers. Only with Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia (for a short distance) do they pass on almost flat terrain.

When our compatriot, heading to Austria by train, crosses the Czech-Austrian border in the north-eastern corner of the country, he is somewhat disappointed. Where is alpine Austria? All around, as far as the eye can see, is a treeless, plowed plain, as flat as a table. Here and there you can see green islands of gardens and vineyards, brick houses and lonely trees on the borders and along the roads. Plains and hilly lowlands extend from here far to the south along the entire border with Hungary and occupy 20% of the territory. But having reached Vienna, we find ourselves in a more typical natural environment for Austria: mountains, the Vienna Woods (Wienerwald) - the north-eastern outpost of the mighty Alps and the sublimely hilly wide and open Danube valley, rising noticeably in a westerly direction. If you climb one of the peaks of the Vienna Woods, for example, Kahlenberg (“Bald Mountain”), then far to the north and northwest in the blue haze beyond the Danube you can see the low, ridged, forest-covered granite ridges of Sumava, only some of the peaks of which rise several above 700 meters. This ancient hill occupies 1/10 of the country's territory.

Undoubtedly, the Alps are the dominant landscape in Austria; they (together with the foothills) occupy 70% of the country's area. These are the Eastern Alps. This is the customary name for the part of the Alpine mountain system lying east of the Upper Rhine valley, along which the state border with Switzerland passes here. What is the difference between the Eastern Alps and the Western Alps? To the east of the Rhine fault, the Alpine ridges take a latitudinal direction, begin to fan out and descend. The Eastern Alps are wider and lower than the Western Alps and are more accessible. There are fewer glaciers here, and the largest ones are about half as long as in Switzerland. The Eastern Alps have more meadows and especially forests, and the Eastern Alps are much richer in minerals than the Western Alps.

If you cross the Alps from north to south, it is easy to notice that the geological structure and composition of the rocks composing them are located symmetrically relative to the axial zone. This zone is the highest and most powerful group of ridges covered with glaciers and snow, among which the Hohe Tauern stands out with the highest point of the country - the double-headed peak Glossglockner (“Big Ringer”), reaching 3997 m; Ötztal, Stubai, Zillertai Alps. All of them, together with the adjacent ridges from the west and east, are composed of hard crystalline rocks - granites, gneisses, crystalline schists. The largest glacier - Pasterce - has a length of about 10 km and an area of 32 km 2.

To the north and south of the axial zone lie ridges composed of hard sedimentary rocks, mainly limestones and dolomites: the Lichtal Alps, Karwendel, Dachstein, Hochschwat and other ridges of the Northern Limestone Alps up to the aforementioned Vienna Woods in the extreme northeast. In contrast to the peaked peaks of crystalline ridges, limestone mountains are giant blocks with more or less flat, slightly inclined surfaces and almost vertical or even overhanging slopes. The years are mostly bare and contain sinkholes, caves and other forms of karst landform formed by melted rainwater in soluble limestones and dolomites.

The peripheral zone of the Alps is formed by low, softly contoured peaks and slopes of the Pre-Alps, composed of loose sedimentary rocks. Within Austria, this zone is well defined in the north, but absent in the south.

One of the features of the Alps is that they are dissected by deep and wide transverse valleys, due to which the deep parts of the Alps are relatively easily accessible, and low, convenient passes make it possible to cross the country from north to south in a number of places without much difficulty. Thus, the famous Brenner Pass has a height of 1371 m, and the Semmering Pass - 985 m. It is no coincidence that railways have long been laid through the Alpine passes, some without tunnels.

Historical reference.

In ancient times and in the early Middle Ages, many different tribes passed through the lands of modern Austria, located at the crossroads of important trade routes, the main one being the route along the Danube. Some of them left their mark

in the ethnogenesis of the Austrian people; The Celts, who settled here in the 5th-6th centuries BC, had a noticeable influence on the formation of the Austrian Ethnic Community.

The conquest of Austrian lands by the Romans, beginning in the 2nd century BC, led to the gradual Romanization of the local Celtic population. Administratively, these lands were included in different Roman provinces: Pannonia in the east, Noricum in the center, Raetia in the West.

The settlement of its lands in the centuries by Germanic (Bavarians, Alemannics) and Slavic (mainly Slovenes) tribes was of great importance for the history of Austria. On the basis of the predominantly Germanic tribes of the Bavarians and Alemanni, merging with some Slavic and with the remnants of Celtic and other tribes of the early Middle Ages, the Austrian ethnic community was formed.

In the 7th-8th centuries, the lands of present-day Austria did not form a single whole, but were part of various European states: western and northern (with a German population) - in the Bavarian Duchy, eastern (with a Slavic population) - in the Slavic state of Carantania. At the end of the 8th century, both of these states were included in the Frankish Empire of Charlemagne, and after its division in 843 they became part of the German East Frankish Kingdom.

In the 7th-10th centuries, the lands of modern Austria were subjected to devastating raids by nomads, first the Bavarians (8th century), and then the Hungarians (9th-10th centuries).

In the second half of the 10th century, the Bavarian East Mark was formed on the territory of modern Upper and Lower Austria, which began to be called Ostarrichi (Austria). It was she who later became the core of the Austrian state.

In the 12th century, Austria, like many other European states, became part of the Holy Roman Empire.

In the 15th century, almost all of its modern lands were included in the Austrian state, with the exception of Salzburg and Burgenland. However, this political unification was still unstable, its borders often changed, and the regions included in the state were connected to each other only by dynastic ties.

In the XII-XV centuries, Austria was one of the economically prosperous countries in Europe. The development of feudalism in Austria was distinguished by certain features. Until the 15th century, the feudal dependence of the peasants was much weaker in it than in neighboring countries; The enslavement of peasants took place here more slowly due to long-term population movements and raids by nomads. In the mountainous pastoral areas, especially in the Tyrol, a free peasantry remained, united in rural communities.

In the 15th century, Austria became not only the economic, but also the political center of the “Holy Roman Empire,” and its dukes, the Habsburgs, became emperors. Against the backdrop of general economic and political growth, the culture of medieval Austrian cities flourished, first of all Vienna, then Graz and Linz. The founding of the University of Vienna in 1365 was of great importance.

In the 16th century, Austria led the struggle of the countries of southeastern Europe against the Turkish invasion. Taking advantage of the weakening of the Czech Republic and Hungary in the wars with the Turks, Austria included most of their territories into its possessions, beginning from that time to turn into a multinational state.

During this period, the country's economy is increasingly strengthened and developed. In the mining industry (extraction of iron and lead ores in Tyrol, Styria, Upper Austria), the emergence of capitalist relations began already in the 16th century. The first manufactories appeared in the production of velvet, silk, and luxury goods.

In the 17th-18th centuries, the Austrian Habsburgs continued to expand their possessions: the entire territory of Hungary, almost all of Croatia and Slovenia, the Southern Netherlands, some regions of Italy, and a number of Polish and Ukrainian lands were annexed to Austria. In terms of area, Austria began to take second place in Europe after Russia.

In the 18th-19th centuries, feudal-absolutist Austria was a stronghold of Catholic reaction in Europe. She was the initiator of the intervention against revolutionary France, and later participated in all anti-French coalitions and led the fight against the revolutionary movement in Europe.

The defeat of Napoleonic France in the European wars of the early 19th century further strengthened Austria's external position. By decision of the Congress of Vienna in 1814-1815. not only were the lands conquered by Napoleon returned to her, but also the region of Northern Italy was given in exchange for the southern Netherlands.

In the second half of the 19th century, Austria lost its hegemony in European affairs. The struggle with Prussia for supremacy among the German states ended with the defeat of Austria in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. The creation of the union of German states (1867) took place under the auspices of Prussia and without the participation of Austria.

In 1867, Austria became a dual monarchy, Austria-Hungary. The Austrian and Hungarian ruling classes formed an alliance to exploit and suppress the resistance of other peoples.

At the end of the 19th century - the beginning of the 20th century, changes occurred in Austria's foreign policy: having failed to achieve hegemony among the German states that were united by Prussia in 1871, Austria launched an offensive in the Balkans, which led to a worsening of relations with Russia and rapprochement with Germany. In 1882, the so-called Triple Alliance was concluded between Austria-Hungary, Germany and Italy, which took part in the First World War of 1914 against the Entente countries.

In 1918, the Austro-Hungarian monarchy split into three states - Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary: in addition, part of its lands became part of Romania, Yugoslavia and Poland.

In 1938, the troops of Nazi Germany occupied Austria. The entire economy of the country was subordinated to the military needs of Germany. Austria participated in World War II as part of Germany.

In March 1945, Soviet troops crossed the border into Austria. On April 13 they entered Vienna and soon after that the Soviet Army and allied forces liberated the entire country.

After the defeat of Nazi Germany, according to an agreement between the USSR, the USA, England and France, the entire territory of Austria was temporarily divided into 4 occupation zones.

On the initiative of the Soviet Union, in 1955 the State Treaty on the restoration of an independent and democratic Austria was signed and the occupation was ended. In the same year, the Austrian parliament passed a law on the permanent neutrality of Austria.

A country's economy.

Austria is one of the most developed countries in Europe. In recent years, the country's economy has been developing at an accelerated pace. The largest foreign investor is Germany (about 30% of investments). Industrial production increased by 4.6% in 1995 to reach Sh334.5 billion.

The leading industries are mechanical engineering, metallurgy, as well as chemical, pulp and paper, mining, textile and food industries. One third of industrial production comes from the public sector of the economy.

Austria has productive agriculture. Almost all types of agricultural products necessary to provide for the population are produced. The most important branch of agriculture is livestock raising.

Foreign tourism is one of the most profitable sectors of the Austrian economy. Annual receipts from foreign tourism amount to over 170 billion shillings.

Austria trades with more than 150 countries around the world. About 65% of exports and 68% of imports come from the countries of the European Union. The main trading partners are Germany (40%), Italy, Switzerland. Russia accounts for only 1.5%.

The country's gold and foreign exchange reserves amounted to 218 billion shillings in 1994.

In terms of per capita income, Austria ranks 9th in the world. The increase in prices for consumer goods in 1995 amounted to 2.3%. The unemployment rate was 6.5%.

NATURE.

1.Relief. The main thing that determines the natural features of almost the entire territory of Austria is the Alps. Their white-headed peaks are visible from everywhere in the country. Almost ¾ of the country is occupied by the Eastern Alps, which are lower and wider than the Western Alps. The border between them coincides with the western border of Austria and runs along the upper Rhine valley. The Eastern Alps have fewer glaciers and more forests and meadows than the Western Alps. The highest point in Austria - Mount Großglockner in the Hohe Tauern - does not reach 4 thousand meters. (3797 m). From the highest peaks flows the largest glacier of the Eastern Alps - Pasierce - over 10 km long. Other peaks of the ridge granite-gneiss zone of the mountains - the Ötztal, Stubai, and Zillertal Alps - are also covered with snow and ice. In this crystalline zone, the so-called alpine landforms are most pronounced - sharp ridges, steep-walled valleys plowed by glaciers.

To the north and south of the ridge zone is the famous ice - Eisriesenwelt (world of the ice giants) in the Tennengebirge mountains, south of Salzburg. The names of the mountain ranges themselves speak about the inhospitability and wildness of these places: Totes-Gebirge (meter-high mountains), Hellen-Gebirge (hellish mountains), etc. The limestone Alps to the north turn into the Pre-Alps, descending in steps to the Danube. These are low, rugged mountains, overgrown with forest, their slopes are plowed in places, and the wide, sunny valleys are quite densely populated.

If it is appropriate to compare the geologically young Alps with the Caucasus, then the mountains lying on the other, left side of the Danube resemble the Urals. These are the southern spurs of the Sumava, part of the ancient Bohemian massif, almost to its foundation, destroyed by time. The height of this border hill is only 500 meters and only in a few places it reaches 1000 meters.

Areas with calm relief, flat or hilly lowlands occupy only about 1/5 of the country's area. This is, first of all, the Danube part of Austria and the adjacent western edge of the Middle Danube Plain. The vast majority of the population lives here and is the “center of gravity” of the entire country.

2.Climate. Great relief contrasts - from lowlands to snowy mountains - determine the vertical zonation of climate, soils, and vegetation.

Austria has vast areas of fertile land, a warm and fairly humid (700-900 mm of precipitation per year) “grape” climate. This word has it all: a fairly warm, long summer with an average July temperature of + 20 degrees and a warm, sunny autumn. On the plains and foothills there is a relatively mild winter with an average January temperature of 1-5 degrees. However, most of the alpine part of the country is “deprived” of heat. With every 100 meters of rise, the temperature drops by 0.5 - 0.6 degrees. The snow line is at an altitude of 2500-2800 meters. Summer in the high mountains is cold, damp, windy, and wet snow often falls. In winter, there is even more precipitation here: gigantic layers of snow accumulate on the mountain slopes, which often break off for no apparent reason and rush down in avalanches. crushing everything in its path. Rarely does a winter go without casualties; Homes, roads, power lines are destroyed... And sometimes in the middle of winter the snow suddenly disappears. This was the case, for example, during the “white” Olympics in early 1976 in the vicinity of Insburg. Usually the snow is “driven away” by warm southern winds - hair dryers.

3. Natural resources. The mountainous part of the country is distinguished by an abundance of clean fresh water. It accumulates in the form of snow and glaciers for most of the year, only to rush down into them, towards the Danube, in thousands of roaring streams in the summer, filling the lake basins along the way. Alpine rivers also determine the regime of the Danube: it is especially rich in water in the summer, when lowland rivers usually become shallow. The tributaries of the Danube - Inn, Salzach, Enns, Drava - contain large reserves of energy, but all of them are not navigable.

we are only partially used for timber rafting. The country has many lakes, especially in the northern foothills of the Alps and in the south, in the Klagenfurt Basin. They are of glacial origin, their pits were plowed by ancient glaciers; As a rule, lakes are deep, with cold, clear water. This type is located in the vast Lake Constance, partly owned by Austria.

Vegetation zones on the territory of Austria replace one another in the following order: broad-leaved (oak, beech, ash) forests in the Danube Valley (though greatly thinned out) are replaced by mixed forests of the foothills. Above 2000 - 2200 m they are replaced by coniferous (mainly spruce-fir, partly pine) forests.

Mountain forests are one of Austria's national treasures. On a map of the vegetation of Central Europe, the Austrian Eastern Alps appear as the only large green island. Among small Western European states, only Finland and Sweden exceed Austria in forest area. There are especially many forests suitable for industrial exploitation in Upper (mountain) Styria, for which it is called the “green heart of Austria”. Apparently, it is no coincidence that the color of the flag of Styria and its folk costumes is green. During the German occupation of World War II, Austrian forests suffered enormous damage. Above the forests and sparse dwarf shrubs there are subalpine (mattas) and alpine (almas) meadows.

In the hot summer months, rapid melting of snow in the mountains begins, which leads to large floods, including on the Danube, the level of which sometimes rises by 8 - 9 m.

Nevertheless, the Alps, as “moisture collectors,” are of invaluable importance for Austria: the deep rivers flowing from them, especially the Inn, Enns, Salzach, and Drava, serve as rich sources of inexhaustible water energy. In addition, Austria has large reserves of clean fresh water, concentrated in addition to glaciers and rivers in numerous alpine lakes (the predominance of lakes in the Salzkammergut area). In addition, Austria owns the southeastern part of the large and deep Lake Constance on the western outskirts of the country and almost the entire shallow lake Neusiedler See on its eastern outskirts.

4. Minerals. Austria has a fairly diverse range of minerals, but among them there are very few whose significance goes beyond the country. The exception is magnesite, which is used for the production of refractories and partly for the production of metallic magnesium from it. Magnesite occurs in the Styrian, Carinthian and Tyrolean Alps.

There are very few energy minerals. These are very modest deposits of oil (23 million tons) and natural gas (20 billion cubic meters) in Lower and partly in Upper Austria. Even with the Austrian scale of production, these reserves are projected to be exhausted within two decades. There are slightly larger reserves of brown coal (in Styria, Upper Austria and Burgenland), but it is of poor quality.

Relatively high-quality iron ores, but with a high metal content, are found in Styria (Erzberg) and a little in Carinthia (Hüttenberg). Non-ferrous metal ores are found in small quantities - lead-zinc in Carinthia (Bleiberg) and copper in Tyrol (Mitterberg). Of the chemical raw materials, only table salt is of practical importance (in Salzkamergut), and of other minerals - graphite and feldspar.

5. Animal world

Mountain forests, mainly in nature reserves, are home to ungulates - red deer, chamois, mountain sheep, and mountain goats. Birds include wood grouse, black grouse, and partridge. On the plains, where almost all the land is already cultivated, there are no large wild animals for a long time. But there are still foxes, hares, and rodents here.

6. Environment

The environment in most of Austria is not yet as threatened by pollution as in most other industrialized countries in Europe. First of all, this concerns the Alps with their sparse population and generally insignificant industry in relation to this vast territory. The Austrian authorities, interested in attracting foreign tourists to the country, are taking some measures aimed at limiting environmental pollution, but not to an sufficient extent. The democratic public and scientific community in Austria are sounding the alarm about the unacceptable level of industrial waste pollution in the Danube below Vienna and the Mur and Mürz rivers.

Nature reserves play an important role in the system of nature conservation measures. There are 12 of them in Austria with a total area of 0.5 million hectares. They are found in all natural areas - from the steppe surroundings of Lake Neusiedler See to the high Tauern. Most of the reserves are located in the Alps.

POPULATION.

1. Ethnic composition. The population of Austria is relatively homogeneous in ethnic terms: about 97% of its population are Austrians. In addition, in Austria, in certain areas of Styria, Carinthia and Burgenland, small groups of Slovenes, Croats and Hungarians live, and in Vienna there are also Czechs and Jews. Many Austrian citizens consider themselves not only Austrians, but, by origin from one or another province, also Styrians, Tyroleans, etc.

Austrians speak Austro-Bavarian dialects of German, which differ significantly from the literary one. Literary German is used mainly as a written language or on official occasions, as well as in conversations with foreigners. Under the influence of local dialects, his vocabulary and grammar also received some originality.

2.Demographic situation.

One of the main features of the Austrian population is the cessation of its growth since the early 70s. This is explained by a large drop in the birth rate. If it were not for the noticeably increased average life expectancy, which reached 75 years in 1990, the demographic situation would have been even more unfavorable. The decline in the birth rate is associated with the difficult financial situation of the majority of the Austrian population, as well as with the consequences of the Second World War. A small natural increase continued in the less developed western Alpine lands, as well as in rural areas. Austrian experts predict that until 2000 the population in the country will not change significantly, however, the reduction in the proportion of young people and the increase in the proportion of older people threatens to reduce the labor force.

3.Structure of population distribution

The country's territory is populated very unevenly. With an average national density of 90 people per 1 sq. km, it ranges from 150-200 or more people in the eastern regions adjacent to Vienna, to 15-20 in the Alps. In most of the country's territory, the rural population lives in farmsteads and individual courtyards - due to the lack of convenient land. Due to difficult living conditions, the proportion of the Alpine population is continuously decreasing, and there is an escape from the mountains - “bergflucht”. 2% of the country's population permanently lives above 1000 m above sea level.

77% of the population lives in cities (with a population of over 2 thousand people), but Austria does not give the impression of an urban country to a traveler. The fact is that more than a quarter of the townspeople are concentrated in the largest city in the country - Vienna. Half of the total urban population lives in small towns with a population of up to 100 thousand people. Thus, large cities with a population of 100 to 250 thousand are not typical for this country. There are only four of them: Graz, Linz, Salzburg and Insburg. The functions of these cities, not to mention Vienna, are varied, which cannot be said about the mass of small cities, which for the most part are “one-size-fits-all”. As a rule, they are dominated by one or two industrial sectors.

The rapid growth in the number of urban residents is associated with an increase in the share of non-agricultural occupations of the economically active population. In 1990, in industry, including construction and crafts, its share was more than 41%, in agriculture and forestry - about 12% (compared to 33% in 1960), in transport and communications - 7%.

4.Religion. According to an international study of values conducted in 1990-91, 44% of Austrians attend churches and other houses of worship once a month or more often (8th place out of 27 countries in Europe and North America). If we combine the data of these international studies in 1990-91 and 1995-97, then Austria will take 23rd place out of 59 countries in the world in terms of church attendance once a week or more (30% of Austrians attended churches in 1990-91 precisely with this regularity).
At the same time, during a 1991 survey, only 6.1% of Austrians said that they did not believe in God (another 8.3% believed in God, but did not believe in life after death).

(in Austria, Christianity began to spread from the end Religious organizations
The largest religious organization is the Roman Catholic Church of the 3rd century). The state supports the Church: the country has a 1% church tax, which all citizens of the country are required to pay. The Roman Catholic Church in 2000 had 5,651,479 adherents (72.1% of the population).
The second largest is the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg and Helvetine Confession (ECAiG), uniting two autonomous Churches (Lutherans and Reformed). Lutherans and Reformed people finally received the right to freely practice their beliefs only in 1781, and were fully equal in rights with Catholics another century later.

5. Education.

Universal compulsory education in Austria begins at the age of six and lasts for 9 years. Studying in public schools and obtaining higher education is free. There are 18 universities, 12 universities. The University of Vienna (founded in 1365) is the oldest existing university in German-speaking countries.

6. Media.

Over 20 daily newspapers are published in Austria. The single circulation is approximately 3 million copies. Television and radio broadcasting is carried out by the state company ERF. The national news agency is the Austrian Press Agency (APA).

7. National holidays. Ascension of Christ, Second Day of Trinity, Feast of Corpus Christi, Assumption of the Virgin Mary (15.8), National Holiday of the Austrian Republic (26.10), Feast of All Saints (1.11): St. Virgin Mary (8.12), as well as Christmas (25 and 26.12).

8. Taxation.

Austria, like most countries in Western Europe, has a fairly complex, multi-level taxation system, with most taxes collected through the Federal Tax Service. Local taxes are not too significant.

Austrian legislation divides all individuals and legal entities into taxpayers with unlimited and limited tax liability. Unlimited liability means that tax is paid on all income earned both domestically and abroad. This liability applies to private individuals with permanent residence in Austria, as well as companies whose registered office or management is located in Austria. Accordingly, limited tax liability is borne by individuals living abroad and corporations that have neither governing bodies nor a legal address in the country. In this case, certain types of income received in Austria are subject to taxation, for example, income from activities carried out through permanent establishments or branches.

Main types of taxes: 1) on investments; 2) on income; 3) corporate; 4) for business activities; 5) on property; 6) from turnover (added value); 7) for real estate; 8) for inheritance and donations.

Farming.

1.General information

After the formation of Austria as an independent state in 1918, it experienced a severe economic and political crisis during the 20s and 30s. Having lost its outlying possessions - the industrial Czech Republic and the agricultural territories of Hungary, and also burdened with the enormous costs of maintaining a large bureaucratic apparatus, which previously controlled a huge empire, and is now left out of work, Austria for a long time could not adapt to the new conditions. During the years of the Anschluss, German monopolies gained control over thousands of Austrian enterprises and sought to establish the exploitation of Austria's natural resources in the interests of Germany. Numerous hydroelectric power stations, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises, and chemical plants were built.

After the Second World War, former German property passed into the hands of the state in Austria, which was in the interests of the Austrian people. Currently, the main heavy industry enterprises and banks have been nationalized in Austria. State-owned enterprises produce mainly electricity, cast iron and steel, aluminum, iron ore, brown coal, oil and natural gas are mined, oil is processed, nitrogen fertilizers, artificial fibers, and some mechanical engineering products are produced. Mainly light and food industry enterprises, as well as a group of industries related to the procurement, processing and processing of wood, remained not nationalized.

Foreign capital plays a significant role in the Austrian economy. Entire industries are under his strong influence, and in some cases under his control: electrical engineering, electronics, petrochemicals, magnesite, and the production of certain types of equipment. Foreign capital limits Austria's economic independence, in particular it hinders the development of the public sector.

Austria is one of the economically developed countries with a relatively rapidly developing industry. Although the global economic crisis of 1974-1975 did not spare Austria either. but here it began a little later. Austria's economic development is also favorably influenced by the fact that, as a neutral state, it has relatively small military expenditures.

In the post-war period, Austria's industrial development advanced significantly. Nowadays, Austria belongs to the industrial countries, and although industry exceeds agriculture in terms of production value by about 7 times, Austria meets its needs for basic agricultural products by 85% through its own production.

Austria's dependence on the foreign market is reflected in the fact that it imports missing energy raw materials and exports surplus manufacturing products.

The main industrial and agricultural region of the country is the Danube lands. Here, on 1/5 of Austria's territory, its vital economic centers are located. The rest of the country, especially in the high Alps, is dominated by almost uninhabited areas, still poorly connected with the outside world and with each other.

As in many Western European countries, industry in Austria is characterized by uneven development of individual sectors. Some critical manufacturing industries are absent altogether, such as aircraft manufacturing, while others are of minor importance, such as automobile manufacturing and electronic equipment manufacturing.

1.Mining,_heavy,_light_industry

Due to the poverty of mineral resources, the mining industry plays an extremely insignificant role in the economy, with the exception of magnesite, which is of export importance. Austria has excess capacity in these industries, and a significant part of their production is exported to Western European countries.

2.Fuel industry

One of the weakest points of the Austrian economy is its fuel industry. Austria imports all the necessary coal, more than half of brown coal, about 4/5 of oil, and almost half of natural gas. Since the beginning of the 70s, the cost of imports of primary energy sources began to exceed their production within the country. Particularly high costs are associated with the transportation of oil and gas. Oil and natural gas account for approximately 60% of total energy consumption, while solid fuels and hydropower each account for 20%.

The country produces less than 2 million tons of oil per year, and its production is gradually declining. However, the oil lies relatively shallow and is of high quality. The main deposits are located northeast of Vienna. Near the capital, in the city of Schwechat, at the only large oil refinery, almost all oil refining is concentrated. From abroad (mainly from Arab countries) it is received through the Trieste-Vienna oil pipeline, laid along the southeastern outskirts of Austria outside the Alps. Parallel to it, but in the opposite direction, a gas pipeline is laid from Russia, through which Russian gas goes to Austria and Italy.

3.Energy

More than half of the electricity is produced at numerous hydroelectric power plants, but the importance of hydropower is falling, and electricity production at thermal power plants is growing faster. Hydroelectric power plants are mainly built on Alpine rivers in the west of the country, from where part of the electricity is transmitted to the eastern regions, part is exported and only a little is consumed locally.

4. Ferrous_metallurgy One of the most important branches of Austrian industry is ferrous metallurgy. The production of iron and steel significantly exceeds the country's needs, and most of the ferrous metal is exported. Most of the iron is smelted in Linz, in Upper Austria, the rest in Leoben. Steel production is distributed approximately equally between Linz and the Styrian region. Austria is the birthplace of a new, more efficient technological steelmaking process, namely the oxygen-converter process, which is increasingly replacing the open-hearth process. The needs of metallurgical plants are only 3/4 covered by local ore. All alloying metals and metallurgical coke are imported from abroad.

5. Non-ferrous_metallurgy

In non-ferrous metallurgy, only aluminum production is important. The development of this industry in Austria, which does not have bauxite in its depths, is associated with the use of cheap electricity from numerous hydroelectric power stations on the Inn River. Here, in Ranshofen, near Braunau, one of the largest aluminum smelters in Western Europe was built. Other non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises do not even cover the country's internal needs. Only a little copper and lead are smelted from local ore.

6.Mechanical engineering

Mechanical engineering, although it forms the core of Austria's entire industry, is less developed than in other Western European countries, as a result of which Austria imports more mechanical engineering products than it exports. Machine-building enterprises, as a rule, are small: many of them employ no more than 50 people.

Machines and apparatus for the light and food industries, some types of machine tools, and equipment for the mining industry are produced in large quantities. Locomotives and small sea vessels are also produced. The largest center of mechanical engineering is Vienna.

7. Timber industry_complex. Austria is also characterized by a complex of industries, including timber harvesting, wood processing and the production of pulp, paper and cardboard. The importance of the timber industry goes far beyond the country's borders. Forest products account for about a third of the country's total exports. Large areas of timber harvesting are carried out in the mountainous regions of Styria, and its primary processing is mainly carried out here.

8.Agriculture Agriculture is quite developed in Austria. Currently, the yield of the main grain crops - wheat and barley - exceeds 35 centners per hectare, the productivity of dairy cows reaches 3 thousand kg of milk per year.

More than 2/3 of agricultural production comes from livestock farming. This is facilitated by the fact that natural meadows and pastures occupy more than half of the total agricultural area. In addition, approximately a quarter of the arable land area is occupied by forage crops. And some of the feed is imported. All this makes it possible to keep 2.5 million heads of cattle. Recently, the production of meat and milk covers the entire effective demand of the population.

The area to be treated is small. There are lands that are not constantly cultivated. These are the so-called egarten (relogues). They are used alternately as arable land and as pasture. Egarten is typical for alpine regions.

The main agricultural crops - wheat, barley and sugar beets - are cultivated mainly where the climate is warm and fertile soils - in the Danube region of Austria and on its eastern flat-hilly outskirts. Rye, oats and potatoes are also sown here. But their crops are even more widespread - they are also found in the foothills of the Alps and in mountain valleys, on the Šumava plateau. Outside the mountainous regions, vegetable growing, fruit growing and especially viticulture are common. Grapes are grown only in warm areas of the northeastern and eastern outskirts of the country.

9.Transport

The network of communications in Austria is quite dense, not only on the plains, but also in the mountains, which is facilitated by the significant dissection of the Eastern Alps by deep transverse and longitudinal valleys.

But, despite the deeply dissected terrain, it was still necessary to build numerous road engineering structures: tunnels, bridges, viaducts. There are over 10 tunnels in Austria, each more than a kilometer long. The longest is the Arlberg road tunnel, which is 14 km long.

The construction of mountain railways and roads contributed to the development of forestry, hydroelectric power and other resources in mountainous areas.

The main modes of transport in Austria are rail and road. About 1/2 of the total length of railways is electrified. Areas with electric traction are mainly located in the mountainous part of the country, where cheap electricity from local hydroelectric power stations is used and where there are many steep climbs. The most important international routes have also been electrified, including Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and transalpine roads. On other routes, diesel traction predominates.

The most important highways radiate from Vienna as the largest railway hub. The main one goes in a western direction, connecting the Danube and Alpine lands. In the northwest direction from this trans-Austrian highway there are roads to the countries of the former Czechoslovakia and Germany. The Semmering Mainline, which runs from Vienna to the southwest and connects the capital with Upper Styria and Italy, is of great importance. The main highways are connected by two high-altitude lines crossing the Alps from north to south (Linz - Leoben and Salzburg - Villach).

Road transport successfully competes with railway transport in the transportation of both goods and especially passengers. Now intercity buses alone carry twice as many passengers as railways. Over the past decades, several sections of new highways such as motorways have been built, the most important of which is the Vienna-Salzburg highway. The pattern of the highway network is similar to the pattern of railways.

The only navigable river in Austria is the Danube. It is navigable throughout the entire 350 km Austrian section. It is especially rich in water in the summer, when mountain snows and glaciers melt. However, river transport accounts for less than a tenth of the country's total freight turnover. The largest port in Austria is Linz, where the metallurgy industry consumes huge quantities of coal and coke, iron ore and other raw materials imported mainly by river. In terms of cargo turnover, Vienna is more than twice as large.

Geography of foreign economic relations.

The Austrian economy cannot develop without close ties with foreign countries, and its import of goods and capital exceeds their export. But the services provided to foreign partners exceed the services received from them. We are primarily talking about tourism, which plays a big role in the country’s economy.

Austria's foreign trade has a negative balance, that is, the value of its imports exceeds its exports. A significant place in Austrian exports is occupied by raw materials and semi-finished products: wood and products of its partial processing, ferrous metals, chemical products, electricity. Some types of machinery and equipment and river vessels are exported from finished products. Food is exported in small quantities.

Predominantly finished products are imported, and primarily consumer goods; imports of machinery and equipment, automobiles, and household and industrial electronics products are somewhat less important. Oil, natural gas, coal and coke, ferrous and non-ferrous metal ores, and chemical raw materials are imported in large quantities. They also import food and flavoring goods, tropical agricultural products, and a lot of feed.

In general, Austria's foreign trade is more than 85% oriented towards the world capitalist market. Germany occupies the first place both in exports and especially in imports of Austria.

Austria's policy of state neutrality is a good basis for the further development of foreign economic relations with all countries of the world.

Nature parks in Austria are quaint landscapes and mystical places, places with rich history and sources of strength. They offer a special kind of sensation.

Biosphere Reserve Grosses Walsertal

Jöcher-Thormøyer Nature Park

Tree circle of life in heaven

Lower Austria

Jöcher-Thormøyer Nature Park

Nature parks of Tyrol

Etztal

Karwendel is the largest nature reserve in Austria

Nature parks of Styria

Vineland

Nature parks of Salzburg

Riedingtal in Lungau

Carinthia

Nature parks in Vienna

Am Himmel Park

Working hours.
March - October: Wednesday-Friday from 12:00 to 22:00; Saturday, Sunday and holidays from 11:00 to 22:00; Monday, Tuesday - closed.
November - February: Thursday, Friday from 12:00 to 22:00; Saturday, Sunday and public holidays from 11:00 to 22:00; Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday - closed.

Go to Heiligenstadt metro station (U4); then take bus 38A towards Cobenzl. There will be an entrance at the intersection of Himmelstraße and Höhenstraße.

Lobau Biosphere Reserve

In the eastern part of the Austrian capital there is the Lobau Biosphere Park. It is part of a protected area of the national nature reserve. The branches of the Danube flow through this area of floodplain forests; The forests and vast meadows are home to 130 species of animals and birds, and about 800 varieties of plants grow. This is one of the favorite recreation areas of Viennese residents. You can get here not only by highway, but also by water - along the Danube Canal on a National Park boat from May to October you can get directly from the Old Town to the ancient forest. And then go on a free expedition on foot or by bike! Website: wien.gv.at.

Upper Austria

In the south-east of the Mühlviertel region there is the Mühlviertel Nature Park, which until 2005 was called the Rechberg Nature Park (Naturpark Mühlviertel/ Rechberg). This area is interesting for its unique biotopes: swamps, dry and flooded meadows. Unique landscape formations and natural monuments – the so-called “stone giants” – have been preserved here. These are bizarre rock formations and boulders lying in different places in the middle of meadows, bushes and forests.

You can travel through the Rechberg Nature Park on marked hiking trails and bicycle tracks. Upon prior request from tourists, thematic excursions and hikes are held here. Website:

In the small territory of Austria there are 47 natural (Naturparks) and 6 national (Nationalparks) parks. Moreover, this country is very characterized by a combination of first-class protected areas with a worldwide reputation www.nationalparks.or.at/, protecting unique natural complexes in the most inaccessible places of the country, with an abundance of small nature reserves, often more similar to ordinary parks or even zoos, which are usually concentrated in the most popular tourist destinations. This achieves a very harmonious combination of serious scientific work on nature conservation with educational activities, and in terms of ease of access and diversity of natural complexes, many territories have no equal in Western Europe.

Hohe Tauern National Park

The national park is considered the calling card of the country Hohe Tauern(Hohe Tauern, www.hohetauern.at), located at the junction of Tyrol, Carinthia and Salzburg. Covering an area of 1,834 square kilometers, it is the largest nature reserve in Central Europe and the oldest national park in Austria (founded in 1981). Under its protection is the central part of the Hohe Tauern mountain range (Hohe Tauern) - the highest ridge in Austria, with its 12 “three-thousanders”, including the highest peak in the region - Großglockner (3798 m). Mountain wastelands and meadows, evergreen forests and picturesque valleys, vast glacial fields, clear rivers and waterfalls, an abundance of alpine flora and fauna - these are the main attractions of the park. Here you can go mountaineering and mountain tourism, walk along almost seven dozen mountain trails among the untouched nature of the reserve, spend the night in special guest huts or rafting down the rivers. There is an excursion road through the park, and an extensive staff of qualified instructors and rangers provides a high level of services.

The park's tourist offices are located in Matrei (Tyrol), Niedernsill (Salzburg) and Mallnitz (Carinthia).

Donau-Auen National Park

National Park Donau-Auen(Donau-Auen, www.donauauen.at) is located in Lower Austria. Founded on October 27, 1996, it covers an area of 93 square kilometers and stretches in a narrow strip along the Danube floodplain between Vienna and the mouth of the Morava. This is the last remaining area of rain forests and floodplains in Central Europe. More than 5 thousand species of animals and birds are protected here (including more than a hundred species of endangered birds, 8 species of reptiles, 13 species of amphibians and 60 species of fish), more than 800 species of plants, about fifty small lakes with a characteristic ichthyofauna, as well as about three hundred tiny rivers and channels preserving the untouched biosphere of floodplains. And all this is literally an hour's drive from Vienna, so the park is also a wonderful holiday destination. There are constantly guided excursions (on foot, horseback or by boat) accompanied by guides, several ecological posts with special exhibitions and almost 50 km of walking routes, as well as the Danube Cycle Route, which starts in Passau, Germany and continues in Hungary.

Orth an der Donau.

Thayatal National Park

70 km northwest of Vienna begins the territory of the smallest (area 1300 hectares) national park in Austria - Tayatal(Thayatal, www.thayatal.com), founded in 1999. The valley of the Thaya River stretches across the northern part of Lower Austria, going into the territory of the Czech Republic, where another reserve is located - the Podyjí National Park (Podyjí, the Thaya River in Czech is called Die, or Dyje). Cutting through ancient weathered rocks, the river is considered one of the most beautiful in Austria, and its valley forms the western border of the so-called Pannonian natural region with a unique semi-steppe plant and natural world. Despite the fact that the surrounding area of the river is densely populated, the valley itself is little affected by human activity and has retained an exceptional diversity of flora and fauna - more than 600 species of plants and 1,300 species of animals and birds. Ecological tours, walking, horseback and water excursions are regularly held here.

The park's tourist office is located near the town. Hardegg(Hardegg).

Gezoise National Park

National park located in Styria Gezoise(Gesäuse, www.nationalpark.co.at) - the third largest (125 sq. km) and the youngest (2002) in the country. The park's territory covers picturesque mountain ranges along the Enns River valley, the highest of which is Mount Hochtor (2369 m) with beautifully eroded slopes. A large number of rare plants and animals are found in the park, and the abundance of beautiful places and the famous Benedictine monastery of Admont attract a large number of tourists.

The park's tourist office is located in the town Weng(Weng).

Nockberge National Park

National Park Nockberge(Nockberge, www.nationalparknockberge.at) in Carinthia covers a large area of medium-high (1300-2440 m) mountains of the same name, inhabited by humans since ancient times. Founded in 1987, it covers an area of approximately 184 square meters. km. The most picturesque slopes of the Nok Mountains with their magnificent forbs, alpine meadows and pastures, clear rivers, as well as forest areas on the outskirts are protected here. The park is home to many animals (about 600 species, including birds), including rare and endangered species, more than 1,300 plant species grow, and its colorful landscapes have long been replicated on thousands of postcards and posters. A 35-kilometer serpentine Nockalmstrasse runs through the park, introducing guests to pristine nature and wonderful landscapes. There are also about 70 km of hiking trails and ecological routes.

The park's tourist office is located in the town Ebene-Reichenau(Ebene Reichenau).

Kalkalpen National Park

National Park Kalkalpen(Kalkalpen, www.kalkalpen.at) is located in the very south of Upper Austria. Founded in 1997, it covers an area of 21 thousand hectares, covering the slopes of the picturesque Sengsengebirge mountain range and the two largest protected forest areas in Austria - Reichraminger Hintergebirge and Sengsengebirge (80% of the park's territory). Here you can see the entire diversity of flora and fauna of the Alps - the protected zone stretches from the foothills to the very peaks; there are 30 species of forest ecocenoses alone. In addition, there are a lot of springs (more than 800!) and rivers, which in many places have eroded rocks to form karst caves.

The park is home to many animals, including rare and endangered species, including more than a hundred species of birds, 1,600 species of butterflies (virtually all species found in Austria), and more than 850 species of plants (102 of them are endangered, and 59 are included in the Austrian Federal Nature Protection List). Active work is being carried out here to restore natural complexes (local biologists have restored the population of the rare mountain lynx and brown bear almost completely) and at the same time they breed traditional domestic animals, such as Norik horses and Murbodener cows. They don’t forget about tourists - from April to October there are organized hikes with the reserve’s rangers, descents into caves, horseback riding and boat rides, and in winter you can go the same routes on skis or snowshoes, which makes the park a popular place for active recreation.

The park's tourist offices are located in the towns Windischgarsten(Windischgarsten) and Meaulnes(Molln).

Neusiedl See National Park

National Park Neusiedler See - Seewinkel lies in the very east of Burgenland, around Lake Neusiedler See, Ferto. This is the only steppe reserve in Central Europe and the only salt lake in the region, surrounded on all sides by thickets of reeds, salt marshes and marshes, attracting the attention of thousands and thousands of birds, both local and migrating. Therefore, the lake and its surroundings are included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List and are protected by two reserves - the Neusiedler See - Seewinkel National Park (created in 1993, area 35 thousand hectares) on the Austrian side and Fertő-Hanszág on the Hungarian side. During the migration period, several million birds are recorded here, which can be viewed from specially equipped platforms, and in the salty waters of the lake there are freshwater fish that are quite familiar to us, which is a kind of biological phenomenon.

There is an ecological trail along the coast (total length about 100 km), along which you can ride a bicycle, horse or horse-drawn carriage and see the most picturesque places of the coast and nature reserves, and boat excursions are organized through the wetlands.

The park's tourist office is located in the town Ilmits(Illmitz).