Geography & environment — Austria
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Geography & environment at a glance
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources. Key figure for Austria: Europe
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Location & size
- Geographic Location
Europe
- Geographic Coordinates
47 20 N, 13 20 E
- Total Area
32,383 Square Miles 83,871 Square Kilometers
- Land Area
31,832 Square Miles 82,445 Square Kilometers
- Water Area
551 Square Miles 1,426 Square Kilometers
- Land Boundaries
1,592 Miles 2,562 Kilometers
- Border Countries
The 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
Physical geography
- Terrain
In the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping
- Highest Point
3,798 Meters
- Highest Point Location
Grossglockner 3,798 m
- Lowest Point
115 Meters
- Lowest Point Location
Neusiedler See (Lake Neusiedl) 115 m
- Natural Resources
Oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower
- Irrigated Land
452 Square Miles 1,170 Square Kilometers
Climate & time
- Time Zone
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Daylight saving time
+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Climate
- Climate
Temperature extremes in Vienna vary between summer highs of 95°F and - 4°F in winter. October may be damp and rainy, and light snowfalls occur in November and December. Snow, sometimes heavy, and frost can occur from January until mid-March. April, May, and early June offer pleasant spring weather, and summers are often delightful. Vienna sometimes becomes uncomfortably hot in July and August, especially in the city's center, but the suburbs, particularly those which are elevated, are pleasant. The city is subject to rapid and marked changes in atmospheric pressures with accompanying winds. One such wind, the foehn, carries warm air from the south. It has a special meaning for the Viennese since many people blame it for peculiar human behavior. The average annual precipitation in Vienna is 21.02 inches. The mountainous regions have long, cold winters with heavy snowfall and bright, crisp days. The Danube Basin usually has less snow, is damper, and therefore has more gray and overcast days than the higher altitudes.
- Terrain
In the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping
- Location
Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia
- Total Area
32,383 Square Miles 83,871 Square Kilometers
- Border Countries
The 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
Environment
- Environment - Current Issues
Some forest degradation is 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
