Austria

Austria!

Austria

Flag of Austria

In Austria they eat lots of food such as:• Weiner Schnitzel• Rindsuppe (beef soup)• GermKnodel (Dumplings)• Lots of different breads• Mehlspeise (Sweet flour-based dishes)• Apfelstrudel (Apple strudel)• Kaiserschmarrn (pancakes ripped into bites - served with applesauce or stewed plums)

• Frankfurters• Käsekrainer (a kind of sausage)

Food

In the Austria they speak lots of languages like: English, High German, Low German, Slovene, Croatian and Hungarian.

Languages

In Austria they dance the following dances:• Folk dancing• Figure dancing• Waltz• Polka• Zwiefacher• Sprachinseltänze (language island dances)•

National Dance

1.Population: 8.3 million people2.The capital of Austria is Vienna3.The money in Austria is called Euro4.The Sound of Music Movie comes from Austria5.In 1934 Austria came 3rd in the FIFA world cup,in 1954 Austria came 3rd in the FIFA World cup and also in 1958 they came 7th in the FIFA world cup .Children start school at the age of 6.The highest mountain in Austria is called Grossglockner

Almost 90% of the population speak German, which is also the official language.In 1867, Austria and Hungary joined together to create the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This joint empire ended at the end of

World War I (1918).Austria joined the United Nations in 1955.

The official currency is the euro.The name Austria derives from a Germanic word ‘austro’, meaning ‘east’.

Over 60% of Austria’s electricity is supplied by renewable sources.Winters in Austria are very cold. However, the summers can be relatively hot. The temperatures range between 20 and 40

degrees Celsius.Children enter primary school at the age of six. They spend four years in primary school and are usually taught by the same

teacher for the entire time.Almost three quarters of the population are Roman Catholics.

The candy PEZ was invented in Austria.The first Youth Winter Olympics will be held in Austria (in 2012).

Football (soccer) is a popular sport in Austria. However, the national side has had little success over the years

Facts and Figures

Customs and Traditions• On December 6th St Nicholas comes and gives children presents.

(Not the 25th December like we do in New Zealand)• In February they have a National Ball –called the “Vienna Opera

Ball”.• Most Austrians greet one another formally, by shaking hands and

saying, "Gruss Gott" (greet God) or "Gruss dich" (greet you). Upon leaving, they shake again and say "Auf Wiedersehen" (good-bye).

When dining, everyone at the table joins in a toast, saying "Prost

•

Sports• In Austria they lots of sports like:• alpine skiing• Snowboarding• ski-jumping• football• ice hockey• basketball

Places to go in Austria

• Eisriesenwelt Caves (The largest ice caves in the world!)• Krimml Falls (Has the longest waterfall in Europe at

1246 feet)• Schonbrunn Palace – the most important cultural

monuments in Austria• Spanish Riding School• The Swarovski Crystal Worlds• Salzburg’s birth place• Mozart’s house• Sound of Music house

Weather and climate• Austria's climate is generally moderate and mild but varies from

the Alpine region to the eastern plain. Summer can be hot and long with average summer temperatures that range from 20°C to 30°C. The average winter temperatures are around 0°. Snow on the mountains in spring and autumn is not uncommon. In Vienna itself you can enjoy the very mild climate, a gentle breeze, fresh air produced by the surrounding Wienerwald.

Cold winters with frequent rain in lowlands and snow in the mountains; cool summers with occasional showers

Temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers

What they wear

They wear lederhosen

Animals in AustriaIn Austria they have animals such as:Lipizzaner (A white horse named after its place of origin in LippizaIbex a mountain goat with huge curved hornsChamois horned goat antelope related to goats but having antelope-like features Marmots (cute little furry creatures).

Explorers in Austria

• Mary Kingsley (1862-1900) The greatest of all women explorers

• Dr. David Livingstone(1813-1873) Explored the interior of Africa

• John Speke (1827 - 1864)Discovered Lake Victoria the largest source of the Nile River

• Isabelle Eberhardt(1877-1904) was an explorer who lived and traveled extensively in North Africa

Area

• 83,870 sq km• Land=82,444 sq km• Water=1,426 sq km

This means Austria is 3x smaller then

New Zealand! (NZ is 268,676 sq km)

Environment-current issues

• Some forest degradation caused by air and soil pollution; soil pollution results from the use of agricultural chemicals; air pollution results from emissions by coal- and oil-fired power stations and industrial plants and from trucks transiting Austria between northern and southern Europe