Styria (Steiermark; Štajerska) is a state or Land, located in the southeast of Austria. In area, it is the second largest of the nine Austrian states, covering 16,388 km². It borders Slovenia as well as the other Austrian states of Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Salzburg, Burgenland, and Carinthia. The population (as of 2006) was 1,203,986. The capital city is Graz.
Geography
The term "Upper Styria" (Obersteiermark) used by an Austrian refers to the northern and northwestern parts of the federal state (districts Liezen, Murau, Judenburg, Knittelfeld, Leoben, Bruck an der Mur and Mürzzuschlag). The term "West Styria" (Weststeiermark) is used for the districts to the west of Graz (Voitsberg, Deutschlandsberg, western part of the district Leibnitz), the districts east of Graz (Weiz, Hartberg, Feldbach, Fürstenfeld and Radkersburg) are referred to as "East Styria" (Oststeiermark). The western and eastern parts of the district Graz-Umgebung may or may not be considered parts of West and East Styria, respectively. The southern parts of the Duchy of Styria, which have formed part of Slovenia since 1918, were (and sometimes colloquially still are) referred to as "Lower Styria" (Untersteiermark; Spodnja Štajerska).
Economy
Like everywhere in the developed world there has been a shift away from the manufacturing sector towards the service sector in Styria. This has had negative consequences for the industrial regions of upper Styria which have suffered a steady decline in population in recent years.
In 2004 Styria had the strongest economic growth rate in Austria at 3.8% - mainly due to the Graz area which saw strong economic growth that year and has continued to grow in economic and population terms since then.
Administrative divisions
The state is divided into 16 districts (Bezirke), and a statutory city.
Statutory City
- Graz
Districts
- Bruck an der Mur
- Deutschlandsberg
- Feldbach
- Fürstenfeld
- Graz-Umgebung
- Hartberg
- Judenburg
- Knittelfeld
- Leibnitz
- Leoben
- Liezen with the subdistricts
:Gröbming and Bad Aussee - Mürzzuschlag
- Murau
- Radkersburg
- Voitsberg
- Weiz
Politics
The state had been a stronghold of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) since 1945. The governor (Austrian political term: Landeshauptmann) was usually a member of this party.
2005 Elections
In the latest elections for state parliament the Social Democrats (SPÖ) under their regional chairman Franz Voves won the majority after the ÖVP had damaged its credibility through scandals and the secession of a high-ranking party member who took part in the 2005 election after setting up his own party. In this election, the Communist Party (KPÖ) also received many votes after it had gained much popularity through its role in local politics in Graz during the preceding few years. The two right wing populist parties, the FPÖ and the BZÖ both failed to win seats.
Notable persons
