Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

world’s leading producers of natural

magnesite.

Austria uses less than half its land for

farming and grazing. The major crops

are sugar beets, corn, wheat, barley,

potatoes, apples, grapes, and rye. Pigs,

cattle, and chickens are the main livestock.

History

Romans, Germans, Slavs, Hungarians,

and others have invaded Austria during

its long history. A German family called

the Hapsburgs ruled Austria and other

parts of Europe from 1282 until 1918.

In the 1800s the Hapsburgs joined with

Hungary to form an empire called

Austria-Hungary, which controlled

much of central and eastern Europe.

After the collapse of the empire in 1918,

the country was reduced to one eighth

of its original size.

German leader Adolf Hitler invaded

Austria and made it a part of Nazi Germany

in 1938. Austria was divided into

four zones in 1945, after Germany’s

defeat inWorldWar II. The United

States, Great Britain, France, and the

Soviet Union each occupied one of the

zones. Austria’s government had limited

powers.

In 1955 Austria gained independence

after its leaders promised to keep neutral,

or stay out of foreign affairs. The

country became stable, both politically

and economically, in the 1970s. In the

1990s, however, some politicians began

to blame immigrants for crime and economic

problems. Others opposed these

views.

..More to explore

Alps, The • Germany • Hapsburgs

• Vienna •WorldWar II

A street in the Austrian city of Salzburg is

lined with shops and cafes.

Facts About

AUSTRIA

Population

(2008 estimate)

8,338,000

Area

32,383 sq mi

(83,871 sq km)

Capital

Vienna

Form of

government

Federal republic

Major cities

Vienna, Graz,

Linz, Salzburg,

Innsbruck,

Klagenfurt

234 Austria BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

The air-fuel mixture that enters the

engine cannot ignite by itself. It needs

an electric spark. This comes from

devices called spark plugs. They get their

electric current from a battery. The battery

also powers the automobile’s lights,

horn, turn signals, windshield wipers,

starter, and instruments such as the

gasoline gauge.

An exhaust system carries burned gases

from the engine to the muffler. The

muffler cools the gases. It also reduces

their pressure. This reduces the noise

coming from the tailpipe. Modern cars

are also equipped with a device called a

catalytic converter. The catalytic converter

uses chemicals to reduce exhaust

pollution.

Power Train

The engine provides power to make a

car go, but something else must turn the

wheels. The parts of the car that transmit,

or deliver, power from the engine to

the wheels are together called the power

train. When a car is starting or moving

uphill the engine must deliver more

power than when it is cruising on level

ground. The transmission uses gears to

reduce or increase the speed and power

of the engine. The drive shaft carries the

power from the transmission to the axle,

which connects the wheels.

Other Mechanical Parts

Once a car is moving it is important to

be able to make it stop. When a driver

presses the brake pedal, pistons force

fluid through small, flexible pipes to

brakes at each wheel that stop the

vehicle.

The wheels of an automobile are part of

a system called the suspension system.

This consists of springs that absorb

bumps and shock absorbers that cushion

the spring movement. The air-filled tires

of an automobile also cushion the ride.

History

The first true automobile was a machine

that had three wheels and was powered

by steam. It was built by Nicolas-Joseph

Cugnot of France in 1769. It was heavy

and moved very slowly. Many manufacturers

produced steam-driven automobiles

during the late 1890s and early

1900s. A disadvantage of steam was that

water had to be brought to a boil before

the car could go.

During this same period other manufacturers

produced cars run by electric

motors. Electric cars ran smoothly and

were easy to operate. However, they did

not run well at high speeds. They also

had to have their batteries recharged

every 50 miles (80 kilometers) or so.

British and

American

people use

different

words for

certain parts

of cars. For

example, the

part called the

hood in the

United States

is the bonnet

in Great

Britain.

Two men ride an early automobile in about

1901. The first cars looked very different

than the cars of today.

236 Automobile BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

Gas Engines

Etienne Lenoir of France developed a

gasoline-powered internal-combustion

engine in 1860. In 1876 the German

Nikolaus Otto built an improved gasoline

engine. Gasoline engines proved to

be more reliable than the other kinds.

The brothers Charles E. and J. Frank

Duryea built the first successful

gasoline-powered car in the United

States in 1893. Soon several people set

up factories to produce cars.

Development of the Automobile

Industry

Henry Ford made his first automobile in

Detroit in 1896. Ford introduced the

assembly line in 1913. This made it easy

to produce many cars very quickly.

Assembly-line workers stay in one place

and do only a single task as the parts

pass by on a conveyor. Ford soon sold

millions of cars. Several other companies

were established at this time as well.

Innovations

In the period afterWorldWar I (1914–