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| Location | Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia | | | Geographic coordinates | 47 20 N, 13 20 E | | | Zone | Europe | | | Area | total: 83,870 sq km land: 82,444 sq km water: 1,426 sq km | | | 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 | | | Irrigated land | 0 km (landlocked) | | | 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 | |
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