Austria
By Sharika Majeti, May 7th, 2015, 6th Period
Political Map
Physical Map
Climate/Weather
Culture
Religions: Roman Catholic is practiced by 74% of Austrians, Protestant is practiced by 5%, Muslim 4%, other religions are followed by 17% of the population.
Languages: 98% of Austrians speak German. The next major language is Slovene, followed by regional dialects, Hungarian, and Croatian.
Holidays and How They are Celebrated: The Austrians celebrate a variety of different holidays/festivals. They celebrate traditional Christian holidays, as well as seasonal holidays such as "September Equinox" and "March Equinox".
Austrians celebrate Christmas a little bit differently than how we do it here in the USA. Austrians celebrate a holiday called "Epiphany". This holiday is on January 6th and can be considered even more important than Christmas day. Kids open their Christmas presents from The Three Wise Men on Epiphany. Their is also a well-known tradition to raise Christmas funds called "Sternsinger", or "Star Singers". People of all ages go around the city caroling on Epiphany to raise money. Their are also other unique holidays such as "Oktoberfest", which is also celebrated in Germany which features lively festivals and beer-drinking. Another lively and fun festival season is Austria's carinival/mardi gras. In Austria, this is called "Karneval", "Fasching" and "Fastnacht". Austrians also celebrate Halloween, which is know as "Martinstag" over there. There also many World War 2 memorial holidays celebrated.
Sightseeing and Activities
The Danube River
The Alps
The Alpine Foreland
Schönbrunn Palace
St. Stephen's Cathedral
Hohensalzburg Fortress (castle)
Current Information
Government: Austria has a Federal Parliamentary government, with a federal chancellor, and a vice-chancellor.
Currency: The currency of Austria is the Euro, a Euro is $1.12 in US Dollars.
Leader: Heinz Fischer is the current chancellor/president.
Quick Facts (Economy):
Population: 8.5 million
GDP: $361.4 billion
Per Capita: $42,597
Unemployment: 4.8%
Inflation: 2.1%
Exports and Economy: Machinery, metallurgical products, textiles, the electrical field, and tourism are some major money makers in terms of the economy. "Main export commodities are machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, paper and paperboard, metal goods, chemicals, iron and steel; textiles, foodstuff." (Retrieved from "Trade and Industry".) Austria also exports deli meats, and regular meats, as well as wine.
Heinz Fischer
Food
Kärntner Kasnudeln (Austrian dish)
Austria is heavily influenced by Germany. Their food is basically identical in taste and presentation. Authentic Austrian cuisine contains pastries, cakes, pasta dishes (like this one), sausage, and other meats.
Ingredients:
300 g coarse-grained flour
1 egg
A dash of oil
A pinch of salt
Water as required
Egg white for coating
100–150 g brown butter for pouring over
For the filling:
150 g peeled potatoes
300 g Carinthian Bröseltopfen (low-fat quark)
2 tbsp diced onion
1 egg, as required
2 tbsp mixed, finely-chopped herbs (Carinthian gingermint (Nudelminze) or other mint, chervil, parsley)
2–3 tbsp soured cream, as required
Salt
Butter to sweat the onions
How to prepare:
1. To make the dough, make a pile of flour on the work surface, create a hollow in the middle and beat the egg into it. Salt the mix slightly. Work in a little oil and sufficient water to produce a smooth, workable dough. Form into a ball, cover with film and leave to rest for 30–45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile cook the potatoes until soft, allow to cool briefly and press or sieve through a potato press. Sweat the onions in butter, add the herbs, season with salt and remove from the heat. Mix all the ingredients together and work into a malleable paste filling. If necessary, loosen the mix with soured cream.
3. Roll out the dough on a floured work surface until it is the thickness of the back of a knife. Cut out disks of approx. 10 cm diameter using an upturned glass or circularcutter. Shape small balls of the paste filling and place these on the dough circles, or use a spoon to apply the filling. Coat the edges of the dough with the beaten eggwhite, fold the dough together and press firmly. Press the edges between the fingers to form grooves and set down on a floured board.
4. Heat up a generous quantity of salted water in a large pan. Place the noodles into the water and, depending on size, leave to simmer gently for 10–12 minutes. Remove carefully and arrange on pre-heated plates. Cover generously with foamed brown butter and serve.
Serve with a refreshing green salad.
(All Retrieved from "Kärntner Kasnudeln".)
Transportation and Lodging
Roundtrip Cost: The airfare for a roundtrip cost to Vienna, Austria would cost $1360 (According to "Trip Advisor".)
Cities to Visit: Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Hallstatt, Klagenfurt.
Tourist Attractions: Schonbrunn Palace, St. Stephen's Cathedral, Hohensalzburg Fortress, Mirabell Palace, Melk Abbey, Leopold Museum.
Hotel: One of the best hotels in Austria that offers classic luxury is the "Grand Hotel Wien". It would cost 335 euros a night to stay in this hotel if you are booking your stay on the "Grand Hotel Wien" website. This price is equivalent to about $377 dollars per night.
MLA Citations / Bibliography / Works Cited
"Austria." Trip Advisor. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2015. <http://www.tripadvisor.com/CheapFlights?geo=190410&pax0=a&travelers=1&cos=0&nonstop=no&airport0=CHI&nearby0=no&airport1=VIE&nearby1=no&date0=20150521&time0=0024&date1=20150528&time1=0024&cr=0>.
"Austria." 2015 Index of Economic Freedom. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2015. <http://www.heritage.org/index/country/austria>.
"Austria - Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette." Kwintessential. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2015. <http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/austria-country-profile.html>.
"The Austrian Federal Government." BKA. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2015. <https://www.bka.gv.at/site/3539/default.aspx>.
Austria's Top 5 World Heritage Sites. Watch Mojo. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2015. <http://www.watchmojo.com/video/id/6184/>.
"Check Availability and Rates." Five Star Alliance. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2015. <http://www.fivestaralliance.com/luxury-hotels/66/europe/austria>.
"Climate." Austria: Arrive and Revive. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2015. <http://www.austria.info/us/about-austria/climate-1140678.html>.
"Geography of Austria: Of Alps & Lakes." Tour My Country. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2015. <http://www.tourmycountry.com/austria/geography-austria.htm>.
"Holidays and Celebrations Calendar." The German Way. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2015. <http://www.german-way.com/history-and-culture/holidays-and-celebrations/holidays-and-celebrations-calendar/#nov>.
"Holidays in Austria in 2015." Time and Date. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2015. <http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/austria/>.
"Kärntner Kasnudeln." Austria: Arrive and Revive. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2015. <http://www.austria.info/uk/austrian-cuisine/kaerntner-kasnudeln-2149364.html>.
"Landmarks in Austria | Attractions in Austria." Direct Booking. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2015. <http://www.directbooking.ro/landmarks-in-austria.aspx>.
"Select a Rate or Package." Grand Hotel Wien. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2015. <https://bookings.ihotelier.com/Grand-Hotel-Wien/select_rooms.jsp?hotelId=97489>.
"Trade & Industry." Austria: Arrive and Revive. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2015. <http://www.austria.info/us/about-austria/trade-industry-1140668.html>.