Austria

So, after being somewhat distracted with my other projects, I managed to get back to my ambitious undertaking, which is “World Heraldry 3D”. Going down the list alphabetically, Austria happened to be my next step. Here I can’t help but mention that there is something with me and eagles, which I cannot explain. I just love heraldic eagles, and manage to get excited every time I have a chance to work on one. This time it wasn’t any different, especially considering the challenges it has presented.  Well, it was a black eagle. Being black is cool in 2D world, but is becomes a major headache if you are trying to make it look 3D-like.  All the MLETT-3D arsenal came  into play, to retain the black and give it a cool 3-dimensional feel and texture at the same time. Hopefully, I have succeeded…

Austria (German: Österreich), officially the Republic of Austria (German: Republik Österreich), is a landlocked country of roughly 8.47 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Hungary and Slovakia to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The territory of Austria covers 83,855 square kilometres (32,377 sq mi) and has a temperate and alpine climate. Austria's terrain is highly mountainous due to the presence of the Alps; only 32% of the country is below 500 metres (1,640 ft), and its highest point is 3,798 metres (12,461 ft). The majority of the population speak local Austro-Bavarian dialects of German as their native language, and German in its standard form is the country's official language. Other local official languages are Burgenland Croatian, Hungarian and Slovene.

The origins of modern-day Austria date back to the time of the Habsburg dynasty when the vast majority of the country was a part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Austria became one of the great powers of Europe and, in response to the coronation of Napoleon I as the Emperor of the French, the Austrian Empire was officially proclaimed in 1804. In 1867, the Austrian Empire was reformed into Austria-Hungary.

After the collapse of the Habsburg (Austro-Hungarian) Empire in 1918 at the end of World War I, Austria adopted and used the name the Republic of German Austria („Deutschösterreich”, later „Österreich”) in an attempt for union with Germany, but was forbidden due to the Treaty of Saint Germain. The First Austrian Republic was established in 1919. In the 1938 Anschluss, Austria was occupied and annexed by Nazi Germany. This lasted until the end of World War II in 1945, after which Nazi Germany was occupied by the Allies and Austria's former democratic constitution was restored. In 1955, the Austrian State Treaty re-established Austria as a sovereign state, ending the occupation. In the same year, the Austrian Parliament created the Declaration of Neutrality which declared that the Second Austrian Republic would become permanently neutral.

Today, Austria is a parliamentary representative democracy comprising nine federal states. The capital and largest city, with a population exceeding 1.7 million, is Vienna. Austria is one of the richest countries in the world.

The current coat of arms of Austria, albeit without the broken chains, has been in use by the Republic of Austria since 1919. Between 1934 and the German annexation in 1938 Austria used a different coat of arms, which consisted of a double-headed eagle. The establishment of the Second Republic in 1945 saw the return of the original (First Republic) arms, with broken chains added to symbolize Austria's liberation. There are two different versions of the arms: One version in accordance with the Federal Constitution, in which the eagle is represented plain black, and another more artistic version in which the eagle's feathers are detailed. Both versions are used in parallel.

As always, the “Austria3D” designs are available on a limited number of selected hi quality products via my “World Heraldry” galleries at Zazzle. You may simply follow the direct links in the article to navigate to the corresponding galleries. I will also make my designs available free of charge for non-commercial use to any government and military officials of the corresponding countries, as well as for non-commercial and personal use, such as school projects, presentations, forum avatars to businesses and individuals.

The above information provided in part by Wikipedia, The Heraldry Society, Global Security, and official websites of the above-mentioned countries.