II.

Land and Resources

Austria is about 580 km (about 360 mi) long from east to west and has an area of 83,858 sq km (32,378 sq mi). It is bounded on the north by Germany and the Czech Republic; on the northeast by Slovakia; on the east by Hungary; on the south by Slovenia, Italy, and Switzerland; and on the west by Liechtenstein and Switzerland.

Austria is predominantly a mountainous country, with an average elevation of about 910 m (about 3,000 ft). Most of the land falls within the eastern division of the Alps. In general the major mountain ranges of Austria run in an east-west direction and are separated from one another by rather broad valleys. The northernmost line of ranges includes the North Tirol (Tyrol) Alps and the Salzburg Alps. Among the central ranges is the Hohe Tauern, which culminates in the Grossglockner, the highest elevation (3,797 m/12,457 ft) in the country; the Pasterze Glacier, one of Europe’s largest, descends from the Grossglockner peak. The southernmost ranges include the Ötztal Alps, the Zillertaler Alps, the Carnic Alps, and the Karawanken Mountains. Besides these east-west ranges, several series of mountain spurs extend in a north-south direction.

The mountain barriers of Austria are broken in many places by passes, including the Brenner Pass in the west and the Semmering Pass in the east. The Brenner Pass, which has been used since Roman times, is famous as the historic gateway to Italy from northern Europe.

The areas of Austria not within the Alps are primarily in the north and east. In northern and eastern Austria the Alps descend to an area of low hills, gentle slopes, and many lakes. In the east the area of the Danube basin includes Vienna and a plain that extends into Slovakia. The northern section consists of rolling upland.

A.

Rivers and Lakes

The principal river of Austria is the Danube, one of Europe’s great rivers. It enters Austria at Passau on the German border and continues its southeastern course, past Linz and Vienna, to Bratislava on the Slovakian border. Austrian tributaries of the Danube include the Inn (forming part of Austria’s German border), Traun, Enns, and Ybbs rivers. In the south, important rivers are the Mur and the Mürz.

In addition to the rivers, Austria has numerous lakes, notably Bodensee in Vorarlberg, which forms part of the border with Germany and Switzerland, and Neusiedler Lake in Burgenland, on the border with Hungary. The lake is the country’s lowest elevation point (115 m/377 ft). Austria’s lakes, especially those near Salzburg, contribute to the country’s beauty and the diversity of its landscape.

B.

Climate

Because much of Austria is mountainous, climatic conditions vary greatly. The climate varies with elevation; with location in relation to Atlantic, continental, and Mediterranean influences; and with certain local wind characteristics. In general, eastern Austria has a continental type of climate, with cold winters and warm summers, while the climate of the valleys of the west and north is influenced by cool, rainy northwest winds from the Atlantic Ocean. In the Alps temperatures decrease with altitude. In the winter, however, heavy, cold air tends to sink into the valleys, which are then often colder than the nearby slopes.

Spring and fall are usually mild throughout Austria. Summers are short, with moderate temperatures. Cold and often severe winters last about three months in the valleys, where they are usually ended by the foehn, a warm, dry wind from the south that is often accompanied by damp fog and sudden thaws that precipitate avalanches. The foehn is important to Austria’s agricultural production, making possible early cultivation of the southern valleys.

Average annual temperatures range between about 7° and 9°C (about 44° and 48°F) throughout the country. Average annual rainfall is 610 mm (24 in) in Vienna and 870 mm (about 34 in) in Innsbruck. In some interior valleys, the average annual rainfall is between about 1,520 and 2,030 mm (about 60 and 80 in).

C.

Mineral Resources

Austria has sizable deposits of iron ore, lignite, magnesite, graphite, petroleum, and natural gas. Some small deposits of bituminous coal have been mined, as well as lead, zinc, copper, kaolin, gypsum, mica, quartz, salt, bauxite, antimony, and talc.

D.

Soils

Rich terra rosa (red) soils predominate in Austrian valleys. At slightly higher elevations, the soil is of a brown forest type. Alpine meadow soils are usually found in high-elevation regions.

E.

Plants and Animals

Austria is one of the most heavily forested countries in Europe. Deciduous trees, mainly beech, oak, and birch, are predominant at lower elevations; spruce, fir, larch, Austrian black pine, and stone pine extend to the timberline. The higher elevations have a very brief season during which alpine plants, including edelweiss, gentians, primroses, buttercups, and monkshoods (see Aconite), come into brilliant flower.

Wildlife is generally scarce in Austria. Chamois, deer, and marmot are still present; bear, which were once abundant, are now almost completely absent. Hunting is strictly regulated to protect the remaining species.

F.

Environmental Issues

Industrial emissions, a high volume of tourist traffic, and significant air pollution from other countries—principally the former East Germany, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic—combine to make acid rain the major environmental problem in Austria. One-quarter of the forests suffer some acid damage, and tree cover may be significantly reduced in some areas. To combat this problem, the country has imposed stringent automobile exhaust standards. Other environmental threats include agricultural expansion, damming of rivers for hydroelectric power generation, and erosion caused by loss of forest cover.

The country is 46.9 percent (1995) forested, with most forests located in the alpine zone and consisting of fir, pine, and oak, or oak and chestnut at lower elevations. About 85 percent of the forests are reserved for timber harvest. Wetlands have been reduced to 10 percent of their historic extent.

Austria’s land protection system exists mostly as separate designations of the nine provinces. Overall, 28.3 percent (1997) of the country was under some form of protection, including three national parks and hundreds of nature reserves, nature parks, and landscape reserves.

Austria has joined with its neighbors in formulating plans to protect the Alps and is working toward transborder protected area designations with Germany and Hungary. Austria has signed and ratified conventions on the conservation of wildlife and natural habitats and on wetlands.