Province of Vorarlberg
| Vorarlberg | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| State of Austria | |||
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| Country |
 Austria
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| Capital | Bregenz | ||
| Government | |||
| • Governor | Markus Wallner (ÖVP) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 2,601.48 km2 (1,004.44 sq mi) | ||
| Population (January 1, 2017) | |||
| • Total | 388,711 | ||
| • Density | 150/km2 (390/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| ISO 3166 code | AT-8 | ||
| NUTS Region | AT3 | ||
| Votes in Bundesrat | 3 (of 62) | ||
| Website | vorarlberg.at | ||
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Vorarlberg (German pronunciation: [ˈfoːɐ̯ʔaʁlbɛʁk]) is the westernmost federal state (Bundesland) of Austria. It has the second-smallest area after Vienna, and although it has the second-smallest population, it also has the second-highest population density (also after Vienna). It borders three countries: Germany (Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg via Lake Constance), Switzerland (Graubünden and St. Gallen) and Liechtenstein. Vorarlberg is almost completely mountainous. It has a Germanic Alpine culture, quite different from the rest of Austria, and has been nicknamed the ‘Ländle’ meaning ‘small land’. The only Austrian state that shares a border with Vorarlberg is Tyrol to the east.
The capital of Vorarlberg is Bregenz (29,500 inhabitants), although Dornbirn (48,700 inhabitants) and Feldkirch (33,000 inhabitants) have larger populations. Vorarlberg is also the only state in Austria where the local dialect is not Austro-Bavarian, but rather an Alemannic dialect; it therefore has much more in common culturally with its Alemannic-speaking neighbours Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Swabia than with Bavaria and the rest of Austria.
The main rivers in Vorarlberg are the Ill (running through the Montafon and Walgau valleys into the Rhine), the Rhine (forming the border with Switzerland), the Bregenzer Ache and the Dornbirner Ach. One of the shortest rivers is the Galina. Important lakes, apart from Lake Constance are Lüner Lake, Silvretta Lake, Vermunt Lake, Spuller Lake, the Kops Basin and Formarin Lake; the first four were created for the production of hydroelectric energy. However, even before the dam for the power plant was built, Lüner Lake was the largest mountain lake in the Alps. Most of this hydroelectric energy is exported to Germany at peak times. At night, energy from power plants in Germany is used to pump water back into some of the lakes.
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Wikipedia