Geography of Austria
Location: | Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia |
Geographic coordinates: | 47 20 N, 13 20 E |
Map references: | Europe |
Area: | total: 83,870 sq km land: 82,444 sq km water: 1,426 sq km |
Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than Maine |
Land boundaries: | total: 2,562 km border countries: Czech Republic 362 km, Germany 784 km, Hungary 366 km, Italy 430 km, Liechtenstein 35 km, Slovakia 91 km, Slovenia 330 km, Switzerland 164 km |
Coastline: | 0 km (landlocked) |
Maritime claims: | none (landlocked) |
Climate: | temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers |
Terrain: | in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping |
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Neusiedler See 115 m highest point: Grossglockner 3,798 m |
Natural resources: | oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower |
Land use: | arable land: 16.59% permanent crops: 0.85% other: 82.56% (2005) |
Irrigated land: | 40 sq km (2003) |
Natural hazards: | landslides; avalanches; earthquakes |
Environment - current issues: | some forest degradation caused by air and soil pollution; soil pollution results from the use of agricultural chemicals; air pollution results from emissions by coal- and oil-fired power stations and industrial plants and from trucks transiting Austria between northern and southern Europe |
Environment - international agreements: | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Geography - note: | landlocked; strategic location at the crossroads of central Europe with many easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys; major river is the Danube; population is concentrated on eastern lowlands because of steep slopes, poor soils, and low temperatures elsewhere |