Austria vs. Switzerland
Geography
| Austria | Switzerland | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia | Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy |
| Geographic coordinates | 47 20 N, 13 20 E | 47 00 N, 8 00 E |
| Map references | Europe | Europe |
| Area | total: 83,871 sq km land: 82,445 sq km water: 1,426 sq km | total: 41,277 sq km land: 39,997 sq km water: 1,280 sq km |
| Area - comparative | about the size of South Carolina; slightly more than two-thirds the size of Pennsylvania | slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey |
| Land boundaries | total: 2,524 km border countries (8): Czech Republic 402 km, Germany 801 km, Hungary 321 km, Italy 404 km, Liechtenstein 34 km, Slovakia 105 km, Slovenia 299 km, Switzerland 158 km | total: 1,770 km border countries (5): Austria 158 km, France 525 km, Italy 698 km, Liechtenstein 41 km, Germany 348 km |
| Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | none (landlocked) |
| Climate | temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers | temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers |
| Terrain | mostly mountains (Alps) in the west and south; mostly flat or gently sloping along the eastern and northern margins | mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Grossglockner 3,798 m lowest point: Neusiedler See 115 m mean elevation: 910 m | highest point: Dufourspitze 4,634 m lowest point: Lake Maggiore 195 m mean elevation: 1,350 m |
| Natural resources | oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower | hydropower potential, timber, salt |
| Land use | agricultural land: 38.4% (2018 est.) arable land: 16.5% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 21.1% (2018 est.) forest: 47.2% (2018 est.) other: 14.4% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 38.7% (2018 est.) arable land: 10.2% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 27.9% (2018 est.) forest: 31.5% (2018 est.) other: 29.8% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 1,170 sq km (2012) | 630 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | landslides; avalanches; earthquakes | avalanches, landslides; flash floods |
| Environment - current issues | some forest degradation 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; water pollution; the Danube, as well as some of Austria's other rivers and lakes, are threatened by pollution | air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from agricultural fertilizers; chemical contaminants and erosion damage the soil and limit productivity; loss of biodiversity |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Antarctic-Environmental Protection | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note | note 1: landlocked; strategic location at the crossroads of central Europe with many easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys; major river is the Danube; population is concentrated on eastern lowlands because of steep slopes, poor soils, and low temperatures elsewhere note 2: the world's largest and longest ice cave system at 42 km (26 mi) is the Eisriesenwelt (Ice Giants World) inside the Hochkogel mountain near Werfen, about 40 km south of Salzburg; ice caves are bedrock caves that contain year-round ice formations; they differ from glacial caves, which are transient and are formed by melting ice and flowing water within and under glaciers | landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe; along with southeastern France, northern Italy, and southwestern Austria, has the highest elevations in the Alps |
| Total renewable water resources | 77.7 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 53.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | the northern and eastern portions of the country are more densely populated; nearly two-thirds of the populace lives in urban areas | population distribution corresponds to elevation with the northern and western areas far more heavily populated; the higher Alps of the south limit settlement |
Source: CIA Factbook
