Italy vs. Austria
Geography
| Italy | Austria | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia | Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia |
| Geographic coordinates | 42 50 N, 12 50 E | 47 20 N, 13 20 E |
| Map references | Europe | Europe |
| Area | total: 301,340 sq km land: 294,140 sq km water: 7,200 sq km note: includes Sardinia and Sicily | total: 83,871 sq km land: 82,445 sq km water: 1,426 sq km |
| Area - comparative | almost twice the size of Georgia; slightly larger than Arizona | about the size of South Carolina; slightly more than two-thirds the size of Pennsylvania |
| Land boundaries | total: 1,836.4 km border countries (6): Austria 404 km, France 476 km, Holy See (Vatican City) 3.4 km, San Marino 37 km, Slovenia 218 km, Switzerland 698 km | 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 |
| Coastline | 7,600 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation | none (landlocked) |
| Climate | predominantly Mediterranean; alpine in far north; hot, dry in south | temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers |
| Terrain | mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands | mostly mountains (Alps) in the west and south; mostly flat or gently sloping along the eastern and northern margins |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) de Courmayeur (a secondary peak of Mont Blanc) 4,748 m lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m mean elevation: 538 m | highest point: Grossglockner 3,798 m lowest point: Neusiedler See 115 m mean elevation: 910 m |
| Natural resources | coal, antimony, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorspar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, arable land | oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower |
| Land use | agricultural land: 47.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 22.8% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 8.6% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 15.7% (2018 est.) forest: 31.4% (2018 est.) other: 21.5% (2018 est.) | 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.) |
| Irrigated land | 39,500 sq km (2012) | 1,170 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice volcanism: significant volcanic activity; Etna (3,330 m), which is in eruption as of 2010, is Europe's most active volcano; flank eruptions pose a threat to nearby Sicilian villages; Etna, along with the famous Vesuvius, which remains a threat to the millions of nearby residents in the Bay of Naples area, have both been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Stromboli, on its namesake island, has also been continuously active with moderate volcanic activity; other historically active volcanoes include Campi Flegrei, Ischia, Larderello, Pantelleria, Vulcano, and Vulsini | landslides; avalanches; earthquakes |
| Environment - current issues | air pollution from industrial emissions such as sulfur dioxide; coastal and inland rivers polluted from industrial and agricultural effluents; acid rain damaging lakes; inadequate industrial waste treatment and disposal facilities | 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 |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, 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-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, 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, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol | 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 |
| Geography - note | strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe | 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 |
| Total renewable water resources | 191.3 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 77.7 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | despite a distinctive pattern with an industrial north and an agrarian south, a fairly even population distribution exists throughout most of the country, with coastal areas, the Po River Valley, and urban centers (particularly Milan, Rome, and Naples), attracting larger and denser populations | the northern and eastern portions of the country are more densely populated; nearly two-thirds of the populace lives in urban areas |
Source: CIA Factbook
