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 Alps, to the south and west, and plains 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, except for frequent snowfall in the Alps during the winter. Most of the population lives in the northeastern plain due to the poor soil and steepness of the mountainous region. The Danube River runs through the northern part of the country with the capital, Vienna, on its banks (“Austria”). People began to migrate to present-day Austrian land as early as 800 BC the Romans gained control of the area south of the Danube. When the western part of the Roman Empire fell in 476, German tribes invaded Austria. At the end of the 8th century, Charlemagne ruled the country. Subsequently Otto I of Germany ruled Austria and became emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, leading Austria to become the most important area of ​​the territory. 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 dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary took shape. Hungary was looking for greater status and Austria found the solution by joining Hungary. The two countries were integrated... middle of the card... some rather unique attributes for their celebration ("Austrian Traditions"). Works Cited"Austria". Geography.Information. About.com, 2011. Web. 6 December 2011. “Austria: all the dioceses”. Catholic-hierarchy. David M. Cheney, 1996-2011. Network. 18 December 2011. “Austrian traditions”. TourMy country. np and nd Web. December 18, 2011. Beller, Steven. "Austria." Student of the world book. Book of the world, 2011. Web. 9 December 2011. “San Floriano”. Catholic saints. Catholic-Saints.info, 2008. Web. 18 December 2011. “Strong decrease in the number of Austrians abandoning the Catholic Church”. NCTimes. North County Times, Escondido, CA, 2011.Web. December 18, 2011.“S. Severino del Norico”. Catholic. Cattolica in linea, 2011. Web. 18 December 2011. Wolfsgrüber, Cölestin. “The Austro-Hungarian Monarchy”. The Catholic Encyclopedia. vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. December 18 2011