Where in the World is Austria

Landlocked in Central Europe and sharing its borders with eight countries, including the non-EU nations of Switzerland and Lichtenstein, 62% of Austria’s 32,383 square mile land mass is dominated by the west to east running Alps comprised of three major ranges, including the Northern, Central and Southern Calcareous Alps. Measuring 372 miles in length, from Lake Constance on the Austrian/Swiss/German border in the west to the Neusiedler See along the Austrian/Hungarian border in the east, Austria comprises nine federal states, and given the Alps less than hospitable terrain, two-thirds of the nation’s population lives in lowland and hilly regions to the north, south and east of the Alps, including the Pannonian Plain, the Danube and Bohemian Forest regions.

Primate City

Considered a classic example of a primate city, Vienna’s 1.5 million inhabitants dominates the country in terms of size, political, economic and cultural importance, compared to the nation’s second and third-largest cities of Graz and Linz, with populations of 284,000 and 204,000 respectively. Considered one of the most important cities in Europe during the 18th and 19th centuries, Vienna became a hotbed for artists and intellectuals, while its geographic proximity to the Iron Curtain during the Cold War saw its population and influence shrink dramatically. Long considered the aquatic transit link between the Balkan Peninsula and the Orient, Vienna and other industrialized regions of the lowlands stands poised to capitalize on its proximity to the growing markets of Eastern Europe.

Healthy Economy

Austria also lies in a climatic transition zone of the continent, with a predominantly Central European maritime climate in the west and north, to the dry continental climate in the northeast and east. Rich in natural resources such as oil, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc and tungsten, Austria’s 8.9 million residents enjoy an annual GDP of $613 billion, ranking the nation as the 31st largest economy in the world. Leading industries include food and luxury commodities, tourism, mechanical engineering, vehicle manufacturing and steel, making the nation of Austria, a picturesque and thriving jewel in the heart of Central Europe.