Which Countries Border Austria?
Austria is a landlocked state with a population of over 8,823,054. It is the Federal Republic which is surrounded by Liechtenstein, Slovenia, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia, Germany, Czech Republic, and Switzerland. Austria has a mountainous terrain with its highest point being about 12,461 ft above the sea level and 68% of the country is over 1,640 ft. Austria occupies an area of about 32,385 sq miles. The country became a member of the European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN) in 1955.
Countries Bordering Austria
1) Switzerland
Switzerland is a landlocked state which is on the eastern side of Austria. Switzerland occupies an area of about 15,940 sq miles, and it is made up of 26 cantons. Switzerland is geographically split between the Jura, Swiss Plateau, and the Alps. The country has over 8,401,120 residents with a majority of them living in large cities like Geneva and Zurich which are on the Swiss plateau. Switzerland and Austria share a boundary in two places. The 112 miles long Austria-Switzerland boundary is divided by Liechtenstein with the shortest one stretching through the Alpine Rhine into Lake Constance, while the longest extends through the Grison Alps. The current Austria-Switzerland boundary is the outcome of the establishment of the Helvetic Republic around 1798.
2) Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein is a double-landlocked state which is bordered by Austria to the north and east and Switzerland to the south and west. The German-speaking country is a constitutional monarchy under the Liechtenstein Prince. It is the fourth smallest European state which occupies an area of about 62 sq miles and has about 37,877 residents. Liechtenstein is the smallest nation on earth which is surrounded by two countries. Liechtenstein has a mountainous terrain and thus a perfect destination for winter sport. The Austria-Liechtenstein boundary is 21 miles long.
3) Italy
Italy is an independent European state which is in South Europe. Italy has over 61 million residents, and it occupies an area of about 116,350 sq miles. It is the most densely populated state in South Europe and the sixth most populated European country. The Austria-Italy boundary is about 251 miles long with numerous border passes. One of the Austria-Italy border-pass is Birnlucke which is situated right between the Zillertal Alp and Venediger Group. Birnlucke forms the boundary between the valleys of Ahrntal and Krimmler Achental and South Tyrol in Italy and Salzburg in Austria. Before the signing of the Schengen Treaty, people used to cross the boundary at the Krimmler Tauern checkpoint. Brenner Pass is one of the Eastern Alpine range principal passes which goes through the Alps. Other mountain passes include Timmelsjoch, Staller Saddle, Reschen Pass, Plocken pass, and Hochjoch.
4) Slovenia
Slovenia is a parliamentary state with over two million residents and occupies an area of about 7,827 sq miles. Historically, Slovenia has been the crossroads of Romance, Germanic, and Slavic cultures and dialects. The official language of Slovenia is Slovene. The Slovenia-Austria boundary is about 185 miles long, and it is dominated by Pohorje massif, Karawank chain, Kamnik-Savinja Alps, and the Julian Alps. The busiest crossing is the Sentilj-Spielfeld checkpoint which has facilities for processing and screening of migrants.
5) Slovakia
Slovakia is a central European landlocked state. Slovakia occupies an area of about 19,000sq miles and has a population of over 5,435,343. Bratislava is the capital and the largest city in the country followed by Kosice. The Slovakian landscape is mostly mountainous with the government and business language being Slovak. The country gained their independence on January 1, 1993, after the Velvet Divorce. The Austria-Slovakia boundary is about 185 miles long. The lower course of River Morava forms a bigger part of the border. There is a crossing point at the border which connects Berg in Austria and Bratislava in Slovakia. The only motorway crossing between Austria and Slovakia is in Jarovce.
6) Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked state which occupies an area of about 35,920 sq miles in Central Europe. The country has over 9,797,561 residents with the largest and capital of the country being Budapest. Other major urban regions include Gyor, Pecs, Szeged, and Debrecen. The Austria-Hungary boundary is about 205 miles long. The country’s current borders were established by the Trianon Treaty which was signed in 1920. Austria and Hungary were separated by an electric border fence from the end of the Second World War to 1989 when communism collapsed in Hungary. The foreign affair minister of Hungary announced that they would be opening six new crossing points on their border with Austria in October 2017.
7) Germany
Germany is a sovereign state which occupies an area of about 137,988 sq miles. The Germany-Austria boundary is about 497miles long, and it is the longest for both countries. It is on the northern part of Austria and the Southern side of Germany. The boundary runs from the east to the west. The western point is at the border tripoint of Switzerland, German, and Austria, while the eastern end is at the place where the two countries met with the Czech Republic near Schwarzenberg-am-Bohmerwald village. Some of the states which are on the border include Upper Austria, Salzburg, and Tyrol in Austria and Bavaria a German state. One of the border crossings between the two countries is the Ammer Saddle which is a mountain pass on the Alps between Bavaria and Tyrol.
8) Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a central European landlocked country. The Czech Republic is a unitary parliament state which occupies an area of about 30,450 sq miles and has a population of over 10.6 million. The capital and largest city in the country is Prague which has a population of over 1.3 million people. Other main cities in the country include Plzen, Ostrava, and Brno. The Czech Republic is the most non-religions and sixth safest state in the world. The Austria-Czech Republic border is about 249 miles long. Some of the towns on the border include Ceske Velenice, Mikulov, Drasenhofen in the Czech Republic and Gmund and Breclavin in Austria.
