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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

Austria Quickstats

  • Population: 8,199,783 (July 2007 est.)
  • Area: 83,870 sq km
  • Density: 99 /km² (99th)
  • GDP (total): $279.5 billion (34th)
  • GDP (per capita): $35,500 (8th)
  • Literacy: 98%

Languages of Austria

Useful to know

  • Currency: euro (€) ² (EUR)
  • Dial code: +43

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