Page last updated on February 28, 2018

Location:
Central Europe, between Austria and Switzerland

Geographic coordinates:
47 16 N, 9 32 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 160 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 160 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 0 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 219

Area - comparative:
about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
total: 75 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries (2): Austria 34 km, Switzerland 41 km

Coastline:
0 km (doubly landlocked)
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain; cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers

Terrain:
mostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in western third

Elevation:
mean elevation: NA
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: Ruggeller Riet 430 m highest point: Vorder-Grauspitz 2,599 m

Natural resources:
hydroelectric potential, arable land

Land use:
agricultural land: 37.6% arable land 18.8%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 18.8%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 43.1%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 19.3% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population - distribution:
most of the population is found in the western half of the country along the Rhine River

Natural hazards:
avalanches, landslides

Environment - current issues:
some air pollution generated locally, some transfered from surrounding countries

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note:
along with Uzbekistan, one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world; variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation