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Background

Once the center of power for the large Austro-Hungarian Empire, Austria was reduced to a small republic after its defeat in World War I. Following annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938 and subsequent occupation by the victorious Allies in 1945, Austria's status remained unclear for a decade. A State Treaty signed in 1955 ended the occupation, recognized Austria's independence, and forbade unification with Germany. A constitutional law that same year declared the country's "perpetual neutrality" as a condition for Soviet military withdrawal. The Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 and Austria's entry into the EU in 1995 have altered the meaning of this neutrality. A prosperous, democratic country, Austria entered the EU Economic and Monetary Union in 1999.

Location

Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia

Area Comparative

Tbout the size of South Carolina; slightly more than two-thirds the size of Pennsylvania

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

Population Distribution

The northern and eastern portions of the country are more densely populated; nearly two-thirds of the populace lives in urban areas

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; water pollution; the Danube, as well as some of Austria’s other rivers and lakes, are threatened by pollution

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

Note 1: 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 note 2

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Map Reference

Europe

Irrigated Land

1,170 sq km

Area 2020

Total

83,871 sq km
Land

82,445 sq km
Water

1,426 sq km

Coastline

0 km

Geographical Coordinates

47 20 N, 13 20 E

Land use 2020

Agricultural Land
38.4%
Arable Land
16.5%
Forest
47.2%
Other
14.4%

Terrain

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

Elevation

Mean Elevation: 910 m
Lowest Point: Neusiedler See 115 m
Highest Point: Grossglockner 3,798 m

Land Boundaries

Total
2,524 km
Czech Republic
402 km
Germany
801 km
Hungary
321 km
Italy
404 km
Liechtenstein
34 km
Slovakia
105 km
Slovenia
299 km
Switzerland
158 km

Natural Resources

Oil
Coal
Lignite
Timber
Iron ore
Copper
Zinc

Antimony
Magnesite
Tungsten
Graphite
Salt
Hydropower

Austria