(
German ''Kärnten'',
Slovenian ''Koroška'') is an Austrian
State or ''Land'', located in the south of
Austria .
It covers an area of 9,536 km² with 559,404 inhabitants (
2001 ).
It consist mostly of a basin inside the
Alps , with the
Carnian Alps and the
Karawanken making up the border to
Italy and
Slovenia . The
Tauern mountains divide it from
Salzburg . To the East lies the state of
Styria and it makes up a continuous valley with the eastern part of the
Tyrol to the West. Its lakes are a major tourist attraction. The main river is the
Drave .
The capital is
Klagenfurt (
Slovenian ''Celovec''). The next important town is
Villach (
Slovenian ''Beljak''); these two towns are strongly linked economically. Other towns and villages include
Malta .
The people are predominantly
German -speaking with a unique (and easily recognizable) dialect. A
Slovenian minority of about 14,000 people is concentrated in the southeast of the country.
The current governor ('') is
Jörg Haider of the
Alliance For The Future Of Austria (BZÖ). Haider is a controversial figure because his politics are to the far right. He has made some statements of a
Xenophobic nature and some suggesting nostalgia for the
Third Reich .
The once-independent
Duchy Of Carinthia was historically part of the
Holy Roman Empire until it was dissolved in 1806, then a crownland of
Austria-Hungary . The
Carinthian Plebiscite on
October 10 ,
1920 , determined the lines of division between what is today
Austria and
Slovenia .
Carinthia's main
Industries are
Tourism ,
Electronics ,
Engineering ,
Forestry and
Agriculture . The
Multinational Corporations Philips and
Siemens have large operations there.
Carinthia has a
Continental Climate , with hot and moderately wet summers and long harsh winters. In recent decades winters have been exceptionally
Arid . Average
Sun Index is the highest in Austria. In autumn and winter
Temperature Inversion often dominates the climate, characterised by air stillness, a dense
Fog covering the frosty valleys and trapping pollution to form
Smog , while mild sunny weather is recorded higher up in the foothills and mountains.
The state is divided into 8 districts (''Bezirke''), and two
Statutarstädte .
Major tourist attractions are ,
Heiligenblut ,
Gurk Cathedral ,
Hochosterwitz
castle, the for alpine sport.
