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Austria is a
largely mountainous country due to its location in the Alps.
The Central Eastern Alps, Northern Limestone Alps and
Southern Limestone Alps are all partly in Austria. Of the
total area of Austria (84,000 km²), only about a quarter can
be considered low lying, and only 32% of the country is
below 500 metres. The high mountainous Alps in the west of
Austria flatten somewhat into low lands and plains in the
east of the country.
The greater part
of Austria lies in the cool/temperate climate zone in which
humid westerly winds predominate. With over half of the
country dominated by the Alps the alpine climate is the
predominate one. In the East the climate shows continental
features with less rain than the Western alpine areas with
high rainfall averages. |