Vienna is an important port on the Danube. Because of its strategic location on Europe's major river, at the lowland passage between the Alps and the Carpathian Mountains, Vienna has been an important communications hub since the first Celtic settlement was established on the site. Today, railroad lines link Vienna with nearly all the important cities of Europe. A modern limited-access highway extends north from Vienna to Germany, and in the 1980s a highway was constructed to the south. Vienna's international airport is located at Schwechat to the southeast.
Vienna is by far Austria's most important manufacturing, banking, and insurance center. The city contributes roughly one-fifth of Austria's total industrial plant. Principal manufactures are food products, electrical equipment, chemicals, machinery, metal products, textiles, clothing, printed materials, and paper. Also important are handicraft industries, producing such goods as porcelain, jewelry, glass items, leather goods, and musical instruments. Since the mid-1950s the city has been the site of many international political and economic meetings and conferences. The United Nations City, a complex completed on the left bank of the Danube in 1979, is the seat of several international organizations, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) also has its headquarters in the city. The biennial Vienna Fair (founded in 1921) continues to play an important role in the economic life of central Europe. Of special importance to Vienna's economic well-being in the post-World War II period is the large number of foreign visitors attracted to the city.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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