You are expected to be on time in Austria. When your appointment or invitation is at 10.30, then it is at 10.30, don’t keep people waiting without a very important reason. If you cannot keep an appointment, it is very important to inform the other person immediately. If you missed an appointment it is a must to apologize and/or explain.
Austrians are a homogeneous people; 91 % are native German speakers. However, there has been a significant amount of immigrants, particularly from former Yugoslavia and Turkey, over the last two decades. Only two numerically significant autonomous minority groups exist - 18,000 Slovenes in Carinthia (south central Austria) and about 19,400 Croats in Burgenland (on the Hungarian border). The Slovenes form a closely-knit community. Their rights as well as those of the Croats are protected by law and generally respected in practice.
System of government: Federal Parliamentary democracy.
Constitution: 1920; revised 1929 (reinstated May 1, 1945).
Branches: Executive - federal president (chief of state), chancellor (head of government), cabinet. Legislative - bicameral Federal Assembly (Parliament). Judicial - Constitutional Court, Administrative Court, Supreme Court.
Political parties: Social Democratic Party, People’s Party, Freedom Party, The Greens, Alliance for the Future of Austria.
Suffrage: Universal over 18.
Austrian history dates back nearly 2,000 years, when Vindobona (Vienna) was an important Roman military garrison along the Danube. The city grew through the Middle Ages and in 788, the territory that is present-day Austria was conquered by Charlemagne, who encouraged the adoption of Christianity. In 976, Leopold von Babenberg became the first in his family to rule the territory; the Babenberg line of succession lasted until the death of Frederick II in 1246.
GDP (2007): $283,8 billion
Real GDP growth rate (2007): 3,3 %.
Per capita income (2007): $39,000.
Natural resources: Iron ore, crude oil, natural gas, timber, tungsten, magnesite, lignite, cement.
Agriculture (1,7 % of 2007 GDP): Products - livestock, forest products, grains, sugarbeets, potatoes.
Industry (30,7 % of 2007 GDP): Types - iron and steel, chemicals, capital equipment, consumer goods.
Services: 67,6 % of 2007 GDP.
Nationality: Austrian(s).
Population (2007): 8,199,783.
Annual growth rate (2007): 0,7 %.
Ethnic groups: Germans 91 %, Turks, Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, and Bosnians; other recognized minorities include Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks, and Roma.
Religions: Roman Catholic 73,6 %, Lutheran 4,7 %, Muslim 4,2 %, other 5,5 %, no confession 12,0 %.
Language: German 92 %.
Area: 83,857 km2.
Cities: Capital – Vienna (with a population of about 1,6 million). Other cities – Graz, Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt.
Learn basic phrases: www.youtube.com
The figure 79.1 million excludes people staying less than 24 hours in France, due to France is ranked as the first tourist destination in the world. France features cities of high cultural interest (Paris being the foremost), beaches and seaside resorts, ski resorts, and rural regions that many enjoy for their beauty and tranquillity (green tourism). Aside of casual tourism France attracts a lot of religious pilgrims to Lourdes, a town in the Hautes-Pyrénées département that hosts a few million tourists a year.
The handshake is a common form of greeting.
Friends may greet each other by lightly kissing on the cheeks, once on the left cheek and once on the right cheek.
First names are reserved for family and close friends. Wait until invited before using someone’s first name.
You are expected to say ’bonjour’ or ’bonsoir’ (good morning and good evening) with the honorific title Monsieur or Madame when entering a shop and ’au revoir’ (good-bye) when leaving.
