Carinthia (Ger. Kärnten), a crown-land of the Austrian empire, forming part of the old kingdom of Illyria, with an area of 4005 sq. m., and a pop. of (1869) 337,694; (1891) 361,008. The principal river is the Drave, which passes through the country from west to east, in a course of 102 miles.
The general aspect of the country is mountainous, with long deep valleys, that of the Drave widening at Villach and Klagenfurt into a great plain, and dividing the Norie from the Carinthian Alps. The loftiest point is the Grossglockner (12,450 feet). Only 15 per cent. of the entire area is devoted to tillage, owing to the mountainous character of the country, great part of which is occupied in pasture, or covered with brushwood. Many horses and cattle are reared and exported. The principal products are mineral. A leading industry is the manufacture of hardware; the other manufactures include woollens, silk stuffs, and cottons. The capital is Klagenfurt. Carinthia, which derives its name from the Celtic Carni, belonged before the time of Augustus to Noricum, afterwards to the Roman empire. By-and-by the Carni were swept away in the deluge of immigration from the east, and Slavs settled in the country. In 1335 it came into the possession of Austria (q.v.). Only 30 per cent. of the present population are Slavs (Slovenians), the remainder being Germans; 5 per cent. are Protestants; and 46 per cent. of the births are illegitimate.