Lienz District

Bezirk Lienz
—  District  —
Country Austria
State Tyrol
Number of municipalities 33
Area
 • Total 2,019.87 km2 (779.9 sq mi)
Population (2001)
 • Total 50,404
 • Density 25/km2 (64.6/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
NUTS code

The Bezirk Lienz is an administrative district (Bezirk) in Tyrol, Austria. It is the only district in East Tyrol. The district borders the Pinzgau (Salzburg) in the north, the districts Spittal an der Drau and Hermagor (both Carinthia) in the east, Veneto (Italy) in the south, and South Tyrol (Italy) in the west.

Area of the district is 2,019.87 km², with a population of 50,404 (May 15, 2001), and population density of 25 persons per km². Administrative center of the district is Lienz.

In 1919, Trentino and South Tyrol were split from what is now the Austrian state of Tyrol in the Treaty of Saint-Germain (these three entities made up the old Austro-Hungarian county of Tyrol). Since this time, East Tyrol is parted from North Tyrol by about 5 km of border between the federal state Salzburg and South Tyrol. Accordingly, it forms an inner-Austrian exclave of the federal state Tyrol. It was also the only part of modern Tyrol not occupied by France after World War II, instead forming part of the British zone.

Geography

The district comprises parts of the Pustertal valley, the valleys Iseltal, Defereggen, Virgental, Kalser Tal, and the Tyrolean Gailtal. Mountain ranges in the district include parts of the Hohe Tauern with Venediger Group and Glockner Group, the Defereggen Alps, the Lienz Dolomits, and the Karnisch Alps.

Shortest road connection to North Tyrol is the Felbertauern road (P1), and the Felbertauern tunnel (about 5.3 km). Lienz is located at a road junction between the federal Felbertauern road (B108), a road to the Pustertal valley (B100) and South Tyrol, and a road to the Drautal valley and Carinthia. The district is also connected by the Austrian Southern Railway.

Historical populations
Year Pop. ±%
1869 26,833
1880 27,422 +2.2%
1890 26,988 −1.6%
1900 26,895 −0.3%
1910 29,074 +8.1%
1923 28,591 −1.7%
1934 31,169 +9.0%
1939 33,445 +7.3%
1951 37,747 +12.9%
1961 41,123 +8.9%
1971 45,614 +10.9%
1981 47,494 +4.1%
1991 48,338 +1.8%
2001 50,404 +4.3%
Source: Statistik Austria

Administrative divisions

The district is divided into 33 municipalities: