Austria is a landlocked European country of roughly 8.5 million people.
The official language is German. Many Austrians study French and Italian and there are usually English speakers in major cities and large multinational corporations.
The government is a federal semi-presidential republic. The head of state is the Federal President, elected by popular vote. The chairman of the Federal Government is the Federal Chancellor, who is appointed by the president.
Approximately 64% of the population are Roman Catholic. The largest minority religion is Lutheran, although many other religions are practiced in Austria.
The currency is the Euro.