AREA: 83,858 km2
CAPITAL: Vienna
TIME ZONE: UTC+1
LANGUAGE: German (official)
TELEPHONE CODE: 0043
INTERNET TLD: .at
REGIONS:
Austria is a federal republic comprised of nine states:
Burgenland
Carinthia (Kärnten)
Lower Austria (Niederösterreich)
Salzburg (Salzburg), Styria (Steiermark)
Tyrol (Tirol)
Upper Austria (Oberösterreich)
Vienna (Wien), Vorarlberg
CLIMATE:
Austria has a temperate continental climate. Summers last from early June to mid-September and can be hot in some years and rainy in others. Day-time temperatures in July and August are around 25° C (77° F), but can often reach 35° C (95° F). Winters are cold in the lowlands and very harsh in the Alpine region with temperatures often dropping below -10° C (14° F). Winters last from December to March (longer at higher altitudes). In the Alpine region large temperature fluctuations occur all year round and nights are chilly even in high summer. The northern Alps are generally a lot wetter than the rest of the country. The South East (Styria and Carinthia) is dry and sunny. The area around Vienna often experiences strong easterly winds.
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS:
January 1 - New Year's Day
January 6 - Epiphany
May 1 - National Holiday
August 15 - Assumption of the Virgin Mary
October 26 – National Holiday
November 1 – All Saints’ Day
December 8 – Immaculate Conception
December 25 - Christmas Day
December 26 – Boxing Day
The following are also public holidays that do not occur on the same date every year:
Easter
Ascension Day
Whit Monday
Corpus Christi
SOURCES:
http://www.austria.info/uk/practical-information
http://wikitravel.org/en/Austria