Austria

Austria is officially called the Republic of Austria. In German it is called Osterreich which means “eastern kingdom” or “eastern empire”. It is a German-speaking country and it is located in Central Europe. This country is famous for its mountain villages, baroque architecture, Imperial history and rugged Alpine terrain. Vienna is the capital of Austria and its largest city. The country’s other notable regions include the northern Bohemian Forest, Traunsee Lake and eastern hillside vineyards.
Austria is a landlocked country with a total land area of 83,855 km². It has a population of over 8 million inhabitants. Austria is bordered by 8 countries, Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Hungary and Slovakia to the east.
Austria is a mountainous country due to its location in the Alps, two-thirds of the country sits over 500m (1,640 ft) above sea level. The highest point is the mountain of Grossglockner at 3,798 metres (12,461 ft).
German is the official language of Austria and is spoken by over 88% of the population. Other local languages include Hungarian, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Turkish and Polish. The standard of living in Austria is one of the highest in the world. It became a member of the European Union in 1995. The official currency is the Euro. As of 2013, Austria has 20 Nobel Prize laureates including seven in Physiology or Medicine, five in Chemistry, three in Physics and Economist Friedrich Hayek.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was born and raised in Austria before moving to America to become a Hollywood actor. Christoph Waltz who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2010 is also from Austria.
Universities in Austria are one of the best in the world. Seven universities in Austria are featured in the QS World University Rankings® 2018. Of these, five Austrian universities are ranked among the world’s top 500