Austria Geography 1997

Location Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia

Geographic coordinates 47 20 N, 13 20 E

Map references Europe

Area
total : 83,850 sq km
land: 82,730 sq km
water : 1,120 sq km

Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maine

Land boundaries
total: 2,564 km
border countries: Czech Republic 362 km, Germany 784 km, Hungary 366 km, Italy 430 km,Liechtenstein 37 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 in lowlandsand snow in mountains; cool summers with occasional showers

Terrain in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern andnorthern margins mostly flat or gently sloping

Elevation extremes
lowest point : Neusiedler See 115 m
highest point: Grossglockner 3,797 m

Natural resources iron ore, oil, timber, magnesite, lead, coal, lignite, copper, hydropower

Land use
arable land: 17%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 24%
forests and woodland: 39%
other : 19% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land 40 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards NA

Environment - current issues some forest degradation caused by air and soil pollution; soil pollutionresults from the use of agricultural chemicals; air pollution results from emissions by coal- and oil-fired power stations and industrial plants andfrom trucks transiting Austria between northern and southern Europe

Environment - international agreements
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, HazardousWastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, TropicalTimber 94

Geography - note landlocked; strategic location at the crossroads of central Europe withmany easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys; major river is the Danube;population is concentrated on eastern lowlands because of steep slopes, poorsoils, and low temperatures elsewhere

NOTE: The information regarding Austria on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Austria Geography 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Austria Geography 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.