Steiermark, English Styria, has an area of 6,327 square miles (16,387 square km). Upper Steiermark extends in the north from the Limestone Alps to the eastern groups of the Central Alps, embracing the valleys of the Mur, Mürz, Salza, and Upper Enns rivers. The Lower Steiermark upland and hill country consists of the middle Mur Valley with the Grazerfeld “plain” in the centre; the Koralpe and Packalpe rising above 6,500 feet (2,000 metres) in the west; and a gravel, loam-covered hill country in the east.

Ethnically, Steiermark is German. Most inhabitants are Roman Catholic. Ancient folklore, song, and dance are preserved in the mountainous areas and the gray-green Steiermark suit is almost an Austrian national costume. The principal urban centres are Graz, the capital, Leoben, Kapfenberg, Bruck, Eisenerz, Knittelfeld, Köflach, Mürzzuschlag, and Fohnsdorf.