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Overview

Key Figures of the Convention Area

Mountain agriculture receives an extraordinarily great extent of identification and recognition from the Austrian population, despite the low share of less than 5% employed in the agricultural sector. This is based on the fact that two thirds of the Austrian territory are either characterised by the Alpine region or form part of the Convention area and that, therefore, the Alpine cultural landscape is an integral part of Austria. It is for this reason that the contribution of mountain farmers towards the conservation and cultivation of the agricultural landscape is appreciated and honoured accordingly. 

What is more, mountain agriculture provides the basis for tourism, Austria's key industry. The high level of recognition towards farmers is based on the fact that many Austrian citizens have their roots in rural areas. The federal constitution of Austria as well as the link between rural and urban areas, which is influenced by socio-economic factors, enables farmers' representatives to move agricultural problems into the focus of the political debate. 

In size, the Austrian Convention area forms the biggest part of the entire Alpine Convention area both in relative (28.6%) and absolute terms (54,620 km²). With 17,000 km², the biggest proportion of the Alpine Arc's utilised agricultural area is also located in the Austrian Convention area. Each of the country's federal states, with the exception of Vienna, is part of the Alpine Convention area, albeit to a different extent. All in all, 1,148 of the 2,359 Austrian municipalities are part of the Alpine Convention area so that a fifth of the total of 5,954 Alpine municipalities is located in Austria. ​​

​​  The 1,148 municipalities of the Austrian ​Convention area make up about 30% of the entire Alpine Convention area. Austria accounts for roughly 30% of the area, almost a fourth of the inhabitants and a fifth of the municipalities of the Alpine Convention ​The total Alpine versus the Austrian Convention area (in km²), 2000 ​ ​ ​    Total convention area1  Austrian Convention area2  2 / 1 (%) Area (km²)  190,642  54,620  28.7 Municipalities  5,954  1,14  19.3 Inhabitants 13,630,577 3,255,201 23.9 The Austrian Convention area accounts for two thirds of the territory (65%), one in two municipalities (48%) and every other inhabitant (40%) of Austria.   ​Austria versus the Austrian Convention area (in km²), 2000 ​ ​ ​   Austria 1 Austrian convention area 2   2 / 1 (%) Area (km²) 83,871  54,620  65.1 Municipalities  2,359  1,148  48.7 Inhabitants 8,131,111  3,255,201 40.0 ​  ​<- back to Agralp​ | Overview | Farm structure​ | Land use | Livestock​ | Population​​​