Liechtenstein vs. Austria
Geography
| Liechtenstein | Austria | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Central Europe, between Austria and Switzerland | Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia |
| Geographic coordinates | 47 16 N, 9 32 E | 47 20 N, 13 20 E |
| Map references | Europe | Europe |
| Area | total: 160 sq km land: 160 sq km water: 0 sq km | total: 83,871 sq km land: 82,445 sq km water: 1,426 sq km |
| Area - comparative | about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC | about the size of South Carolina; slightly more than two-thirds the size of Pennsylvania |
| Land boundaries | total: 75 km border countries (2): Austria 34 km, Switzerland 41 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 | 0 km (doubly landlocked) | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | none (landlocked) |
| Climate | continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain; cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers | temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers |
| Terrain | mostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in western third | mostly mountains (Alps) in the west and south; mostly flat or gently sloping along the eastern and northern margins |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Vorder-Grauspitz 2,599 m lowest point: Ruggeller Riet 430 m | highest point: Grossglockner 3,798 m lowest point: Neusiedler See 115 m mean elevation: 910 m |
| Natural resources | hydroelectric potential, arable land | oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower |
| Land use | agricultural land: 37.6% (2018 est.) arable land: 18.8% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 18.8% (2018 est.) forest: 43.1% (2018 est.) other: 19.3% (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 | 0 sq km (2012) | 1,170 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | avalanches, landslides | landslides; avalanches; earthquakes |
| Environment - current issues | some air pollution generated locally, some transfered from surrounding countries | 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-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Law of the Sea | 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 | along with Uzbekistan, one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world; variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation | 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 | 0 cubic meters (2017 est.) | 77.7 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | most of the population is found in the western half of the country along the Rhine River | 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
