Tag: Austria

According to thereligionfaqs, Austria is a predominantly Christian country, with Catholicism being the largest faith group. According to the 2011 census, around 73% of the population identify as Catholic and roughly 11% as Protestant, with various other denominations such as Greek Orthodox and Old Catholic making up the remainder of the population. The country has a long history with Christianity, dating back to the 8th century when St. Rupert founded Salzburg and began converting local pagans to Christianity. Over time, Austria has become increasingly secular; according to recent statistics from Eurobarometer, only around 27% of Austrians consider themselves religious. This is lower than in many other European countries, reflecting the general trend towards secularization in Europe as a whole. The second largest religious group in Austria is Islam, with around 5% of Austrians identifying as Muslim according to the 2011 census. Most Muslims living in Austria are either immigrants or descendants of immigrants from former Yugoslavia or Turkey; however there are also some native Austrians who have converted to Islam over time. The Islamic faith has been present in Austria since at least 15th century when Ottoman Turks invaded parts of Central Europe and brought their religion with them; today there are numerous mosques located throughout the country which serve as places of worship for Muslims living here. In addition to Christianity and Islam, there are also small numbers of people who identify with other faiths such as Judaism (0.4%), Hinduism (0.3%), Buddhism (0.1%) and Baha’i Faith (less than 0.1%). Furthermore, there are also growing numbers of people who identify as being spiritual but not religious; this group makes up over 10% of Austrians according to recent research conducted by University Vienna’s Institute for Social Research which shows that spiritual beliefs continue to be an important part of life for many people living here today regardless whether they identify with any particular faith or not. Austria in 2011 was a prosperous, modern nation with a population of 8.4 million and a gross domestic product (GDP) of approximately $353 billion. Located in central Europe, Austria was bordered by Germany and Switzerland to the north and east, Hungary to the east, Slovenia to the south and Italy to the west. It is also home to the beautiful Alps mountain range, which towers over much of the country’s landscape. In 2011, Austria had one of the strongest economies in Europe. The country’s GDP per capita was estimated at $42,000 – well above the European average – making it one of the wealthiest countries on earth. This economic success was largely due to its highly-developed infrastructure, educated workforce and stable political system. Austria had a low unemployment rate at just 4.6%, while inflation remained low at 1%. Austria boasted an efficient transportation network that included well-maintained highways connecting major cities as well as numerous international airports for air travel. The country also had an extensive rail network that connected cities throughout Austria as well as to neighboring countries such as Germany or Italy. The telecommunications industry in Austria was highly advanced with high-speed internet access available to most citizens along with other services such as mobile phones or digital television. The healthcare system in Austria was renowned for its quality with universal access to basic care provided for all citizens regardless of their socio-economic background or income level. Similarly, education was held in high regard with public schools offering high-quality instruction and numerous universities providing higher education opportunities throughout Austria. Politically speaking, Austria enjoyed a stable democracy with free elections held every four years for both federal and state governments. The country had an active civil society with numerous non-governmental organizations dedicated to protecting human rights or promoting environmental causes through advocacy campaigns or educational programs aimed at raising awareness about important social issues such as poverty or climate change mitigation strategies. Moreover, Austria played an active role in international affairs through its membership in various regional organizations such as ASEAN or APEC and its participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations around the world. Overall, Austria seemed poised for continued success into 2012 thanks to its strong economy combined with its commitment towards providing quality public services like healthcare or education for all citizens regardless of their socio-economic backgrounds along with reforms aimed at increasing economic competitiveness while protecting vulnerable citizens from exploitation or discrimination. Check philosophynearby for Austria in 2019.