The Salzburg province covers a surface of 7,154 km2, which makes it the sixth-
largest of Austria´s nine provinces (8.5 % of the national territory).
Salzburg owes its name to rich salt deposits ("white gold"), which created its
wealth in medieval times.
Salzburg borders Germany in the northeast, Upper Austria in the north and
northeast, Styria in the southeast, Carinthia and East Tirol in the South, Italy
along a few kilometers and Tirol in the southwest.
Almost a third (144,000) of the about 495,000 inhabitants of Salzburg province
live in the regional capital Salzburg. Salzburg province consists of the city
of Salzburg with its own statute and the five political districts Hallein,
Salzburg-surroundings, St. Johann im Pongau, Tamsweg and Zell am Ziller as well
as 119 municipalities, among which besides the city of Salzburg 3 town and
29 market municipalities.
Today´s administrative organization follows the historical natural division of
the landscape: the Flachgau in the north (Salzburg-surroundings and the city of
Salzburg) comprises the Alpine foothills and a part of the Salzkammergut; the
Tennengau (Hallein) follows in the south; the Pongau (St. Johann im Pongau)
consists of the middle Salzach and upper Enns valleys; in the southwest lies
the Pinzgau (Zell am See), the biggest district in terms of surface, which is
divided into the Mittelpinzgau (Zell am See until Unken) and Unterpinzgau (Bruck
until Lend); finally the Lungau (Tamsweg) in the southeast.
The main river is the Salzach, which runs in a deep-cleft longitudinal valley
from the west to the east before turning to the north in a marked knee-shaped
form.
The most important tributary is the Saalach river.
Together with the provinces Carinthia and Tirol, Salzburg created the national
park Hohe Tauern in order to protect a unique landscape.