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People

In general, Austrians are as temperate as their weather and as gracious as their music. They are also prone, perhaps because of their geography and history, to being natural diplomats. They are hospitable, reserved yet friendly—and once into their schnaps or glühwein, they're likely to be unabashedly jovial. Red-cheeked, rosy, and robust, they can't resist having a good time.

About 99 percent of the people are Austrian, with the remaining 1 percent comprising Croats, Slovakians, Turks, and Germans. Roman Catholics make up 85 percent of the population, Protestants 12 percent, and Muslims and Jews together 2 percent.