phy

Location: Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia

Geographic coordinates: 47 20 N, 13 20 E

Map references: Europe

Area: total: 83,858 sq km

land: 82,738 sq km

water: 1,120 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 in lowlands and snow in mountains; cool 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: iron ore, oil, timber, magnesite, lead, coal,
lignite, copper, hydropower

Land use: arable land: 17%

permanent crops: 1%

permanent pastures: 23%

forests and woodland: 39%

other: 20% (1996 est.)

Irrigated land: 457 sq km (1995 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

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-Sulphur 85, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol

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 People

Population: 8,150,835 (July 2001 est.)