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AUSTRIA

Every commune has a council to deliberate and decide its affairs, of which the members are mostly elected for 5 years. The council elects from its midst the head of th« commune (burgomaster) and a committee for the administration of the affairs and execution of its resolutions. All who are 20 years of age have a vote, while for the passive suffrage the attained age of 24-29 years is required.

Area and Population.

For the boundaries of Austria according to the Treaty of St. Germain, signed on September 10, 1919, see The Statesman's Year-Book for 1920, pp. 674-5.

The area and population (census taken on January 31, 1920) of Austria are shown as follows : —

Provinces

Area, English square

miles

Pepula Males

bion (Censu Females

a 1920) Total

Percentage

of

population

1920

Population per square mile 1920

Vienna. Lower Austria

(excl. Vienna). Upper Austria Salzburg Styria. Carinthia ' Tyrol Vorarlberg

107

7,44!)

4,621 2,759 6,317 3,678 4,782 1,003

851,302 709,593

415,920 104,054 466,082 178,949 149,299 64,547

990,024 748,676

442,875 110,146 490,827 190,452 157,186 OS, 665

1,841,326 1,458,269

858,795 2H/200 957,509 369,401 306,485 133,212

29-99 23-75

13-99 3-49

15-60 6-02 4r90 2-17

17.209

190

180 78

152

100 64

133

Total.

30,716

2,940,346

3,198,851

6,139,197

—

200

1 Including the plebiscite district which on October 13, 1920, decided for adhesion to Austria.

The area of Western Hungary is 1,684 square miles, with an estimated population of some 345,082.

Compared with the total population in 1910, the total for 1920 shows a loss of 227,209, or 3 '6 per cent. The male population has decreased by 205,644 or 6'61 per cent, as compared with 1910. ' Principal Towns.

The population of the principal towns of Austria on January 31, 1920, was as follows :— Vienna, 1,842,005; Grass, 157,032 ; Linz, 93,473; Inns- bruck, 55,659; Salzburg, 36,450; Wiener Neustadt, 35,023; Klagenfurt, 26,111 ; St. Potten, 23,061 ; Villach, 21,896; Baden, 21,095 ; and Steyr, 20,234.

In 1918, births, 87,594; marriages, 40,738; deaths, 166,378; divorces, 1779.

Religion.

Religious liberty is one of the fundamental laws of the Republic, and the principle is embodied in the Treaty of St. Germain (article 63). In 1920 there were 5,979,667 Catholics (9411 per cent.). 165,007 Protestants (260 percent.), 189,758 Jews (2"99 per cent.), and 19,021 'others' (0"30 per cent.). The Catholic Church has 2 archbishoprics and 4 bishoprics.

Instruction.

The educational organisation of Austria comprises : (1) Elementary schools ; (2) middle schools ; (3) high schools ; (4) schools for special subjects ; and (5) universities and colleges.

Attendance is compulsory at the elementary schools from 6 to 14 in Austria generally, but there are far-reaching facilities for exemption for