Lexi Webster
Austria, officially the Republic of Austria, is a federal republic and a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. The capital city of Austria is Vienna, which is known as a cultural centre for music, theatre, architecture, and literature. In this topic, we will explore the quadrants of Austria, focusing on its geographic coordinates and the distinct regions that define this mountainous country.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Geography | Predominantly mountainous country in Central Europe |
| Area | 83,871 sq km (32,383 sq mi) |
| Borders | Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy |
| Landscape | The Austrian Alps, including the Northern Calcareous Alps, Central Alps, and Southern Calcareous Alps |
| Lakes | Lake Constance (Bodensee), Neusiedler Lake (Neusiedlersee) |
| History | Settled by Celtic tribes in pre-Roman times, part of the Holy Roman Empire, centre of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, became a republic in 1918, annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938, regained sovereignty in 1945, declared permanent neutrality in 1955 |
| Capital | Vienna (Wien) |
| Federal States | 9, including Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Styria, Carinthia, Salzburg, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Burgenland, and Vienna |
| Government | Federal parliamentary republic, semi-presidential representative democracy |
| Head of State | President |
| Head of Government | Chancellor |
| Economy | High GDP per capita, high standard of living, member of the European Union, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) |
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What You'll Learn
Austria's geography and landscape
Austria is a landlocked country in south-central Europe, strategically located at the crossroads of central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Czech Republic, to the northeast by Slovakia, to the east by Hungary, to the south by Slovenia, to the southwest by Italy, to the west by Switzerland and Liechtenstein, and to the northwest by Germany. The country extends roughly 360 miles (580 km) from east to west.
Austria's landscape is largely mountainous, with the Alps forming the physical backbone of the country. The Alps cover around 62% of Austria, with only just over 28% of the country being moderately hilly or flat. The highest elevation in the Alps is the Grossglockner, which rises to 12,460 feet (3,798 meters) in the western Austrian states of Vorarlberg, Tirol, and Salzburg. These states are characterised by majestic mountains and magnificent Alpine scenery. The high Alpine landscape also extends to the western part of Carinthia, the Salzkammergut region of central Austria, and the state of Styria.
North of the Alps lies a hilly subalpine region, stretching between the northern Alps and the Danube River. The Danube is the major river of Austria, flowing through the country from its source in southwestern Germany before emptying into the Black Sea. It is the only major European river that flows eastwards, and its importance as an inland waterway has been enhanced by the completion of the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal, which connects it to the rivers Rhine and Main. The Danube Valley and Basin are among the parts of Austria that are most suitable for settlement, as they are arable and have a favourable climate.
The Bohemian Forest, a low mountain range with bare and windswept plateaus and a harsh climate, lies north of the Danube in northeastern Austria. The lowland area east of Vienna and the northern part of Burgenland can be considered a western extension of the Little Hungarian Plain, or Alföld. Austria is also a land of lakes, many of which were formed during the Pleistocene Epoch by glacial erosion in the central Alpine district.
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Political system
Austria is a federal parliamentary republic with a semi-presidential system. The country is made up of nine federal states, each with an elected legislature and a federal state government headed by a governor. The federal states can pass laws within the limits of the constitution, and each state has representatives in the main Austrian parliament.
The Austrian federal system is largely theoretical, as the federal states have few legislative powers. Most powers are held by the national government, which regulates criminal law, civil law, corporate law, economic law, defence, educational matters, telecommunications, and much of the healthcare system. The judiciary is also an exclusively national matter, with no judiciary at the federal state level.
At the national level, Austria has a popularly elected president as the head of state and a chancellor as the head of government and chief executive. The federal parliament has two chambers: the directly elected Lower House (Nationalrat) and the Upper House (Bundesrat), which is elected by regional parliaments.
Austria is a member of the European Union and is represented in the Council of the EU by its national ministers, who attend meetings several times a year to adopt EU laws and coordinate policies. Austria also has 12 representatives on the European Committee of the Regions and communicates with the EU through its permanent representation in Brussels.
Austria's political system has evolved significantly over the past century. After World War I and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Republic of German-Austria was proclaimed in 1918, followed by the First Austrian Republic in 1919. During the interwar period, anti-parliamentarian sentiments led to an Austrofascist dictatorship under Engelbert Dollfuss. In 1938, Austria was annexed into Nazi Germany, but it regained its sovereignty after World War II and declared its neutrality in 1955.
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History
Austria is a landlocked country in south-central Europe, sharing borders with Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, and Italy. The country is predominantly mountainous, with the Austrian Alps forming the physical backbone of the country. The Alps cast a literal shadow over the other landform regions, with just over 28% of Austria being moderately hilly or flat.
The area that is now Austria was settled in pre-Roman times by various Celtic tribes, with the city of Hallstatt containing the oldest archaeological evidence of the Celts in Europe. The Celtic Kingdom of Noricum, which included most of modern Austria and parts of modern Slovenia, was conquered by the Roman Empire in 16 BC and made into a province called Noricum, which lasted until 476. The regions of today's Austria that were not located within Noricum were divided between the Roman provinces of Pannonia and Raetia.
In 788, Charlemagne, King of the Franks, conquered the area, encouraged colonisation, and introduced Christianity. As part of Eastern Francia, the core areas that now encompass Austria were bequeathed to the House of Babenberg. The area was known as the marchia Orientalis and was given to Leopold of Babenberg in 976. The first record showing the name Austria is from 996, where it is written as Ostarrîchi, referring to the territory of the Babenberg March. In 1156, the Privilegium Minus elevated Austria to the status of a duchy.
In the centuries that followed, Austria changed hands several times. In 1914, after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Emperor Franz Joseph declared war on Serbia, which rapidly escalated into World War I. The empire's defeat and subsequent collapse led to the proclamation of the Republic of German-Austria in 1918 and the First Austrian Republic in 1919. During the interwar period, anti-parliamentarian sentiments culminated in the formation of an Austrofascist dictatorship under Engelbert Dollfuss in 1934. A year before the outbreak of World War II, Austria was annexed into Nazi Germany by Adolf Hitler. After its liberation in 1945 and a decade of Allied occupation, the country regained its sovereignty and declared its perpetual neutrality in 1955.
Austria is a federal parliamentary republic with a chancellor as the head of government and a president as the head of state. The country consists of nine states, each with an elected legislature, a federal state parliament, and a federal state government headed by a governor.
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Bordering countries
Austria is a landlocked country in south-central Europe. It is bordered by eight other countries: Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. The country extends roughly 360 miles (580 km) from east to west and covers a total area of 83,871 square kilometres (32,383 sq mi).
Austria's border with Germany is the longest, at 801 km (497 mi), while its border with Liechtenstein is the shortest, at just 34 km (21 mi). The country's unique geographic position has contributed to its prominence, as it lies at the centre of European trade routes between east and west, along the Danubian trade route, and between north and south through the Alpine passes. This location has embedded Austria within a variety of political and economic systems.
To the north of Austria is the Czech Republic, with a shared border of 402 km (249 mi). The Bohemian Massif, a richly wooded foothill area, extends across the Czech border into Lower Austria and is characterised by many valleys that have served as passageways to the east and southeast of Europe for centuries. The Czech Republic and Austria also share a border along the Danube River, which has historically been an important avenue of east-west transit connecting Central Europe to the Balkan Peninsula.
Austria's border with Slovakia is 105 km (65 mi) long and is located to the northeast of the country. To the east, Austria shares a 331 km (205 mi) border with Hungary, with the marshy Neusiedler Lake lying partially in the territory of both countries. The lowland area east of Vienna, along with the northern part of Burgenland, can be considered a western extension of the Little Hungarian Plain.
To the south, Austria is bordered by Slovenia and Italy. The border with Slovenia is 330 km (185 mi) long and is marked by the Southern Calcareous Alps, which form part of the larger Alpine range that runs through Austria. The Semmering Pass, located on the provincial border of Lower Austria and Styria, provides northeast-southwest access to Slovenia and Italy via Carinthia. The border with Italy is 404 km (251 mi) long and is located to the southwest of Austria, with the Italian regions of Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli Venezia Giulia sharing the border.
Finally, to the west, Austria is bordered by Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The Austrian-Swiss border is 158 km (98 mi) long, while the border with Liechtenstein is much shorter at 34 km (21 mi). The westernmost third of Austria is a narrow corridor between Germany and Italy, with a width of just 32-60 km (20-37 mi).
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Language and naming
The native name for Austria, Österreich, derives from the Old High German Ostarrîchi, which meant "eastern realm". The name first appeared in the "Ostarrîchi document" of 996 and is probably a translation of Medieval Latin Marchia orientalis into a local (Bavarian) dialect. The word "Austria" is a Latinisation of the German name and was first recorded in the 12th century.
Austria is a federal republic consisting of nine federal states, which the European Commission calls provinces. The states are: Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Styria, Carinthia, Salzburg, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Burgenland, and Vienna. The states of Upper Austria and Lower Austria are essentially equivalent to what were the two halves of the Archduchy of Austria, a principality that formed the historic heartland of the Austrian-Hungarian empire. Seven of the nine federal states have long historical traditions that predate the establishment of the Republic of Austria in 1918. The states of Burgenland and Vienna were established after World War I.
Each Austrian federal state has an elected legislature, the federal state parliament, and a federal state government (Landesregierung) headed by a governor (Landeshauptmann or Landeshauptfrau). Austrians tend to identify passionately with their respective federal states and often defend their independent governance. It is not uncommon for Austrians to consider themselves, for instance, Tyrolean first, Austrian second.
The majority of the land area in the federal states of Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Vienna, and Burgenland is situated in the Danube valley and thus consists almost entirely of accessible and easily arable terrain. Austria's most densely populated federal state is Vienna, which is the heart of the country's only metropolitan area. Lower Austria ranks fourth in population density, despite containing Vienna's suburbs, due to large areas of land being predominantly agricultural.
The three major ranges of the Alps – the Northern Calcareous Alps, Central Alps, and Southern Calcareous Alps – run west to east through Austria. The Central Alps are the largest and highest ranges in Austria, consisting largely of a granite base. The Northern Calcareous Alps are predominantly limestone and dolomite, and the Southern Calcareous Alps run along the Carinthia-Slovenia border.
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