Austria

Austria belongs to the continent of Europe, where it has a landlocked position and is bordered by the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland. There are seven continents in the world: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Antarctica, Australia (Oceania). Europe is the world's second smallest continent, it has 51 countries, with some countries belonging to both Europe and Asia. It occupies a total area of 10,180,000 km2 and forms 6.8% of the landmass of the world. Austria is a landlocked country that encompasses a total area of approximately 83,871 km2. It is one of Europe's smaller countries. Austria has a slightly larger land area than the Czech Republic.

The following border information provides details on the length of Austria's borders:
Czech Republic 402 km, Germany 801 km, Hungary 321 km, Italy 404 km, Liechtenstein 34 km, Slovakia 105 km, Slovenia 299 km, Switzerland 158 km.

The climate conditions in Austria can be described as temperate. The summers are generally moderate with low amounts of rainfall, and the winter months are much colder and cloudier. The coldest months of the year receive high levels of precipitation and snowfall, particularly in Austria's mountainous regions which boast some of the best ski resorts in Europe. The geography of Austria consists majorly of mountainous regions, namely the Alps mountain range which is located in the west and south of the country, areas to the east and north tend to be much flatter. The lowest point of Austria is the Neusiedler See at 115m, and the highest point of elevation is Grossglockner at 3,798m.

The official languages of Austria are German, Croatian (official language in Burgenland), Hungarian (official language in Burgenland), and Slovenian (official language of South Carinthia).

The primary religion of Austria is Roman Catholic at approximately 73% of the population. Around 4% are Protestant, 4% Muslim and 2% Orthodox. The rest of the population either belongs to other religions or no religion at all.

Natural resources are materials and substances that can be found occurring naturally on Earth. Natural resources are very important across the world, and can be exploited for economic gain. The level of natural resources present in an individual country depends on varying factors which are influenced by the geography, climate and location of that country. Some countries, such as Russia, The United States, Saudi Arabia and Canada, have many natural resources, where as some other countries have limited to none. Food, transport and construction are three of the primary uses of natural resources. For example, fish is a naturally occurring resource that can be caught for food consumption. Crude oils can be refined into different types of fuels in order to power vehicles/cars. Wood/timber from forests can be used to build homes and furniture. The natural resources found in Austria include oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt and hydropower (water power).

Each country has its own individual culture, history and identity. Flags, emblems, symbols, colors, anthems, songs and mottos represent the national pride and identity of countries across the globe. These national symbols are forged through a nation's unique history and can represent both hardship and prosperity, embodying freedom, strength and unity. Flags, emblems, colors, songs and mottos reflect the past, present and future aspirations of a country, and create an important image to the rest of the world. National symbols can include a mixture of things that are symbolic to a nation such as wildlife, plants, geographical features, crops, tools of agriculture, and tools of war. The following facts depict some of the national symbols, songs and colors that are important to Austria: