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Switzerland and Austria are two landlocked countries in central Europe. They share a border that is divided into two parts, separated by the Principality of Liechtenstein. The border cuts across the Grison Alps and the Alpine Rhine. The two countries are known for their mountainous landscapes, with the Swiss Plateau, the Jura, and the Alps covering the geography of Switzerland, and the Alps extending into Austria. The region is known for its distinct cuisine, culture, and history, with the Alps playing a significant role in shaping the local culture and cuisine.
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What You'll Learn
The region is dominated by the Alpine ranges
The Alpine ranges, which include Switzerland and Austria, are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe. Stretching approximately 1,200 kilometres, the Alps cover more than 80,000 square miles. They form a crescent shape across eight Alpine countries: France, Switzerland, Monaco, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria, and Slovenia. The Alps also extend north from the subtropical Mediterranean coast near Nice, France, to Lake Geneva, before trending east-northeast to Vienna.
The Alps are an interzonal mountain system, acting as a transition area between Central and Mediterranean Europe. The mountain range is home to a high level of biodiversity, with over 4,500 species of plants, 200 bird species, 21 amphibian species, 15 reptile species, and 80 mammal species. The variety of habitats in the Alps, which range from 5,900 feet to 15,776 feet, promotes the uniqueness of Alpine flora and fauna.
The Alpine region has a strong cultural identity, with traditional practices such as farming, cheesemaking, and woodworking still thriving in Alpine villages. The region's cuisine is quite distinct from that of the rest of German-speaking Europe, with flour-based dumplings being a dietary mainstay in southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
The Alps have also played a significant role in history, with Hannibal crossing them with a herd of elephants and Napoleon crossing one of the mountain passes with an army of 40,000 in 1800. The 19th century saw an influx of naturalists, writers, and artists to the region, followed by the golden age of alpinism as mountaineers began to ascend the peaks.
Today, the Alps are a popular tourist destination, attracting millions of European urban dwellers and tourists from around the world annually. The range provides lowland Europe with drinking water, irrigation, and hydroelectric power, with major European rivers such as the Rhine, the Rhône, the Inn, and the Po flowing from the Alps.
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Switzerland and Austria are both landlocked in the centre of Europe
Switzerland and Austria are landlocked countries in the heart of Europe. They share a border that cuts across the High Alps, with Switzerland known for its political neutrality and Austria for its historical association with the Habsburg ruling dynasty. The Alps are the main tourist attraction in Switzerland, with thousands of peaks and rugged landscapes. The country's cuisine is multifaceted, with dishes like fondue, raclette, and rösti enjoyed throughout, while each region has developed its own gastronomic specialties influenced by climate and languages. Switzerland's four spoken languages—German, French, Italian, and Romansh—reflect its location and close ties with neighbouring countries.
Austria, larger than its neighbour Switzerland, boasts various Alpine ranges, with its highest peak at 12,457 feet in elevation. The Danube River flows through the country, including the capital, Vienna, and the country is renowned for its contributions to music and the arts. Austria and Switzerland share similarities in their cuisines, with flour-based dumplings a mainstay in both countries, and the potato playing a similar side-dish role.
The principality of Liechtenstein lies between Switzerland and Austria. With no commercial natural resources, Liechtenstein relies on imports for raw materials and has a customs union with Switzerland, having also adopted the Swiss franc as its currency. The Engadine Valley, a Romansh-speaking region in Graubünden, Switzerland, stretches to the Austrian border, with the resort of St. Moritz as its main attraction.
The border between Switzerland and Austria follows the Inn River between Martina and Nauders and then runs west towards Samnaun. It cuts across the High Alps, connecting several peaks, and meets the southern tripoint of Switzerland, Austria, and Liechtenstein at Naafkopf. The Swiss-Austrian border has evolved over the centuries, previously marking the western boundary of the Austrian Empire and later Austria-Hungary. Today, while Switzerland's accession to the Schengen Area has removed passport checks between the two countries, Swiss and Austrian customs officials maintain a presence at border crossings.
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The two countries have close diplomatic relations
Switzerland and Austria are neighbouring countries in Western Europe, both dominated by Alpine ranges. They have close diplomatic relations and share cultural and economic ties. Both countries are predominantly German-speaking, and Switzerland is one of Austria's biggest foreign investors. At the end of 2022, Swiss direct investments in Austria amounted to CHF 14 billion, while Austrian investments in Switzerland totalled CHF 11 billion.
Switzerland and Austria have had diplomatic relations since the Middle Ages. The Habsburgs, who ruled Austria for over six centuries, were originally from Aargau in Switzerland. The Swiss secured their independence from the House of Habsburg in 1386 by winning the Battle of Sempach, which was followed by a series of other battles during the Swiss-Habsburg Wars for Swiss independence. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, various agreements were made that influenced the subsequent demarcation of borders between the two countries. In 1770, for example, the Canton of Zürich acquired the villages of Ramsen and Dörflingen from Austria.
The dissolution of Austria-Hungary by the Treaty of Saint-Germain (1919) created ambiguities regarding Switzerland's legal relations with German Austria, including regarding Austria's national debt to the Swiss. Switzerland recognised the First Republic of Austria on 9 January 1920, angering the Austrians. Numerous disputes between the two countries were not settled until 1925 and 1927, with the conclusion of treaties that normalised diplomatic relations.
After the Second World War, Switzerland and Austria enjoyed particularly close and friendly relations. In 1955, Austria became a neutral state, like Switzerland. A free trade agreement between the two countries was established in 1972, and by 2008 they had concluded more than 80 bilateral agreements. The two countries also work closely together at a multilateral level, such as at the UN, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the Council of Europe.
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The border between the two countries is 180km long
Switzerland and Austria are two landlocked countries in the centre of Europe. The two countries share a 180-kilometre-long border, which is divided into two parts, separated by the Principality of Liechtenstein. The border's course reflects the historical success of the rivals of the House of Habsburg in curbing the influence of the Habsburg Archdukes of Austria in the original Habsburg domains west of the Rhine in the 14th and 15th centuries.
The northern part of the border separates the Austrian state of Vorarlberg from the Swiss canton of St. Gallen. The southern part of the border, which is longer than the northern part, runs between the Austrian state of Tyrol and the Swiss canton of Graubünden (Grisons). This stretch of the border runs across the Grison Alps and the Alpine Rhine, connecting the peaks of Piz Buin, Fluchthorn, and Gross Seehorn, among others.
The border between Switzerland and Austria has a rich history. In the 19th century, it was the western border of the Austrian Empire, and later Austria-Hungary. In the 20th century, it marked the border of the First Austrian Republic, the Federal State of Austria, Nazi Germany and Allied-occupied Austria, before becoming the modern Austrian border in 1955. The creation of the Helvetic Republic in 1798 also played a role in shaping this border.
The region encompassing Switzerland and Austria is dominated by the Alpine ranges, with the highest peak in Austria reaching 12,457 feet in elevation. The mountains have influenced the development of popular sports in Switzerland, such as skiing, snowboarding, and mountaineering. The border area also boasts lakes, with Lake Constance being a notable body of water shared by the two countries.
The shared border has led to some unique connections between the two countries. For example, the ski areas of Ischgl in Austria and Samnaun in Switzerland are connected by a cross-border ski area. Additionally, the removal of passport checks between the two countries following Switzerland's accession to the Schengen Area has further enhanced the ease of movement across their shared border.
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Both countries are part of the DACH group of countries
Switzerland and Austria are part of the DACH group of countries, which also includes Germany. The term DACH is an abbreviation of the German words for these three countries: Deutschland (D), Austria (A), and Confoederatio Helvetica (CH), the Latin name for Switzerland. The DACH countries share many cultural, historical, and lifestyle traits, and German is the most widely spoken language in all three. The region has a combined population of over 100 million people.
The DACH countries are known for their beautiful scenery and mountain ranges, including the Alps, which form a physical barrier between German-speaking Europe and the Mediterranean. They also have a reputation for their music, art, and food. The DACH countries are among the most advanced economies in the world, with Germany having the largest economy in Europe and one of the largest in the world. Switzerland, meanwhile, has consistently ranked among the top countries in terms of GDP per capita and is considered the wealthiest country globally.
Historically, the DACH region was a conglomeration of smaller states united as part of the Holy Roman Empire, which was dissolved and succeeded by the German Confederation in 1815. Most of the states then united as the German Empire in 1871, with the exceptions of Austria and Switzerland. At this time, Austria was the historic seat of power of the Habsburg Monarchy, who ruled the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the second-largest empire in Europe after Russia.
While Germany and Austria's borders have fluctuated over the years, Switzerland's borders have remained relatively static for the past two centuries due to its policy of neutrality and non-interference. The DACH countries have experienced strong and stable economic growth since the 1990s and early 2000s, and they have come through challenges such as the 2008 financial crisis and the Covid pandemic better off than many of their neighbours.
Sometimes, the term DACH is extended to include Liechtenstein, a small country sandwiched between Austria and Switzerland, becoming D-A-CH-Li, DACHL, or DACH+. The version DACHS includes the German-speaking region of South Tyrol in Italy, with the "S" standing for "Dachs," the German word for badger.
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Frequently asked questions
The region that includes Switzerland and Austria is known as Central Europe.
Germany, France, and Italy are some of the other countries in Central Europe. The microstate of Liechtenstein is tucked in between Switzerland and Austria.
The border between the modern states of Austria and Switzerland is divided into two parts, separated by Liechtenstein, with a total length of 110 mi (180 km). The longer, southern stretch runs across the Grison Alps, and the shorter one follows the Alpine Rhine. The border is a product of the creation of the Helvetic Republic in 1798.
