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INTRODUCTION
A republic in South Central Europe, Austria is a federal state of nine provinces. In the year 1918, the country was invaded by Nazi Germany but gained full sovereignty in 1955. Austria is mountainous a country, with 65% of the land being mountains while forest account for 47% of the total area.
Location of Austria
Austria (German Österreich) is bound on the north by the Czech Republic; on the northeast by Slovakia; on the east by Hungary; on the south by Slovenia, Italy, and Switzerland; and on the west by Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and Germany. Austria stretches to about 580 km in length and has an area of 83,858 sq km.
Flora And Fauna of Austria
In the lower elevations of Austria, the plants found include mainly deciduous trees like beech, oak, and birch, while the higher elevations have a very brief season during which alpine plants, including edelweiss, gentians, primroses, buttercups, and monkshoods bloom and spread fragrance of beauty. Austria does not have a rich wild, however, few Chamois, deer and marmot can be still found.
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Physical Map of Austria
Mountains dominate most parts of Austria, with an average elevation of about 910 m (about 3,000 ft). The major mountain ranges of Austria run in an east-west direction and are separated from one another by rather broad valleys. Besides these east-west ranges, several series of mountain spurs extend in a north-south direction. The mountain barriers of Austria are broken in many places by passes, including the Brenner Pass and the Semmering Pass.
Climate of Austria
The climate of Austria is mixed in nature with the mountainous regions being partially subjected to moderate Atlantic conditions thus experiencing more precipitation than the eastern lowlands, which are under continental influences. Summers are short, with moderate temperatures while spring and autumn are usually mild throughout the country. The winters are severe and cold and often last about three months in the valleys. At times, Austria is also a witness to avalanches.
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