Austria is a sovereign country located in central Europe. It is bordered by Germany to the west and northwest, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the northeast, Hungary to the east, Slovenia to the southeast, Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The country has an area of 83,879 square kilometers and a population of 8.9 million inhabitants.
Austria is a federal parliamentary Republic whose Capital is the city of Vienna, the Language is German and its Currency is the Euro. Austria is a parliamentary democracy, the head of state is the president, who is elected for a sixyear term. The head of Government is the chancellor, who is elected by Parliament. Austria has a developed economy, with a GDP per capita of US$57,900. The country is an important industrial and financial center.
Austria's population is mostly Germanspeaking, with a small percentage of speakers of other languages, such as Hungarian, Croatian and Slovenian. The German language is the official language of the country, and is used in all areas of public life. The most practiced religion in Austria is Catholicism, which is professed by 70% of the population. Protestantism is the second most practiced religion, with 5% of the population.
According to the Austrian Federal Statistical Office, 22% of Austrian women married foreigners. This percentage has been increasing in recent years, and is expected to continue increasing in the future.
The main countries of origin of foreign spouses of Austrian women are:
* Italy (15%)
* Germany (14%)
* Türkiye (9%)
* Serbia (5%)
* Slovenia (4%)
Other important countries of origin are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Romania and Spain.
According to the Austrian Federal Statistical Office, the most popular destination countries for Austrian women emigrating are:
* Germany (47%)
* Switzerland (10%)
* United States (6%)
* Canada (5%)
* United Kingdom (4%)
Other important destination countries are Australia, New Zealand, France and Italy.
According to a survey conducted by the Austrian Market Research Institute, the main concerns of Austrians are:
* The cost of life
* Immigration
* Environment
* And terrorism.
Austria has friendly relations with most countries in Europe, especially its neighbors such as Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Slovenia. The country also has friendly relations with the United States, Canada and Japan.
In general, Austrians consider their main friends to be European countries, with which they share common values, such as democracy, the rule of law and human rights. As for enemies, Austria has no declared enemies.
Austria's current geopolitical situation is complex and influenced by a number of factors, such as the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis and climate change policies.
Overall, Austria's current geopolitical situation is challenging. The energy crisis is a major concern for Austria. The country was highly dependent on Russian energy, and the war in Ukraine has caused energy prices to rise. Austria is working to diversify its energy sources and reduce its dependence on Russia.
Inflation in Austria is high, reaching 7.5% in December 2022. This is due to a number of factors, such as rising energy and food prices, as well as disruption to supply chains.
The war in Ukraine has had a negative impact on the Austrian economy. The country has condemned the Russian invasion and provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Austria has also increased its military spending in response to the war. Austria's economic prospects for 2024 are uncertain. Economic growth is expected to slow, and inflation will remain high.
According to the Austrian Federal Statistical Office, no less than 22% of the working population in Austria are foreigners. This means that there are a total of 2.2 million foreign workers in Austria.
The main countries of origin of foreign workers in Austria are:
* Serbia (12%)
* Türkiye (11%)
* Germany (10%)
* Italy (8%)
* Slovenia (7%)
Other important countries of origin are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Romania and Spain.
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I am Gustavo Llusá, Argentine, after traveling for several years through more than 65 countries I settled in Latvia where I married Dace and learned to know another way of life, on the other side of the map.

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