Austria is a landlocked country located in central Europe, just north of Italy and Slovenia. Austria also borders Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Lichtenstein. Compared to the United States, Austria is about the size of Maine at 83,870 square kilometers. The terrain includes mountains, or the Alps, to the south and west, and flat land to the north and east ("Austria"). Mountains cover about three-quarters of the country. Austria is also known for its many valleys, lakes and forests (Beller). The climate is temperate, with moderate summers and cold winters. Both seasons receive regular rainfall, with the exception of frequent snowfall in the Alps in winter. The majority of the population lives in the northeastern plains due to the poor soils and steep slope of the mountainous region. The Danube runs through the northern part of the country with the capital Vienna on its banks (“Austria”). People began migrating to what is now the land of Austria as early as 800 BC. It was finally a conquered land in 15 BC when the Romans took control of the area south of the Danube. When the western part of the Roman Empire fell in 476, Germanic tribes invaded Austria. At the end of the 8th century, Charlemagne ruled the country. Later, Otto I of Germany ruled Austria and became Holy Roman Emperor, making Austria the most important region in the country. The Austrian region became a duchy, or a land ruled by a duke, and was controlled by the Habsburg family, who ruled from 1273 to 1919. In 1867, the famous Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy took shape. Hungary was looking for a higher status and Austria found the solution by joining forces with Hungary. The two countries were integrated...... middle of paper ...... some rather unique attributes to their celebration ("Austrian Traditions"). Works Cited “Austria”. Geography.About. About.com, 2011. Web. December 6, 2011. “Austria: all dioceses”. Catholic hierarchy. David M. Cheney, 1996-2011. Internet. December 18, 2011. “Austrian traditions”. TourMonPays. np, nd Web. December 18, 2011. Beller, Steven. "Austria." Student of the world of books. World Book, 2011. Web. December 9, 2011. “Saint Florian”. Catholic saints. Catholic-Saints.info, 2008. Web. December 18, 2011. “Sharp decline in number of Austrians leaving the Catholic Church. »NCTimes. North County Times, Escondido, California, 2011.Web. December 18, 2011. “St. Severinus of Noricum. Catholic. Catholic Online, 2011. Web. December 18, 2011. Wolfsgrüber, Cölestin. “The Austro-Hungarian Monarchy”. The Catholic Encyclopedia. Flight. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. December 18 2011