Austria

Here, at the geographic epicenter of Europe, is the vital an promising link between East and West. Enterprising traders from the United States, Japan and Germany already are setting up their office branches in Vienna for the anticipated business traffic through this corridor-hoping to be more important than Brussels once the eastern economy gets stoked up. Austria was created only as late as 1918, carved by political whittlers out of the German-speaking provinces of the old Austro-Hungarian monarchy.

Two thousand years ago, its eastern Alps were home to celtic tribes. Three centuries later, the romans set their imperialistic sight on the same Alps-and by 14 B.C. had subjugated all the territory south of the Danube. This river of Strauss waltz fame then marked the frontier of the Roman occupation.

Today Austria's invading legions are fun seeker. They come, they ski and they consort. In the capital you will see opportunist jostling for position to greet the surging waves of commerce from the eastern states.

From 1438 to 1804 the title of Holy Roman Emperor was donned, with one exception, by Austrian sovereigns only. Then came the (singular) Austrian and the (tandem) Austro-Hungarian dominance. And from empire to empire, the nation's volatile history continued in a topsy-turvy vein-a tale of royal infighting, shifting alliances and plastic borders.

Wars, rebellions, intrigues and uprisings continually reshaped the national identity until 1945 when the country finally gelled into a confederation of nine Bundeslander (states): Vienna, Lower Austria, Burgenland, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Carinthia, Tyrol and Vorarlberg.

At the same time its people-a curious but willing assemblage of East, West, North and South Europeans-joined hands across  their provincial borders to become citizens, linked by the German language and Catholic faith.

Climatically, Austria is a middle-of-the-road. There are no great swings of temperature. Much of the country is over 1000 meter high, so up in these climes the thermometer frequently plays tag with Jack Frost-even in spring and autumn. For the rest, Austria keeps its cool, rarely becoming uncomfortable hot.

It's people, too, are of a temperate nature, graceful as their music and prone (perhaps because of their geography and history) to being natural diplomats. They are a hospitable, reserved, yet friendly lot. But find the a bit into their schnaps or gluhwine, and they're likely to be unabashedly jovial. Red-cheeked, rosy and robust, they can't resist tucking into a good time. Beside commanding one of Europe's choicest morsels of scenic and cultural real estate, Austria wisely views itself as the commercial and social bridge between two mighty geopolitical realms, a potentially key figure in Eurasia's complex jigsaw puzzle.