or LINZ, a city of the Austrian empire, capital of Upper Austria; situate chiefly on the right bank of the Danube, Lipari Islands.

at its junction with the Traun, here crossed by a wooden bridge, 900 feet long, 105 miles W. of Vienna; N. Lat. 48° 19', E. Long. 14° 17'. The city is situated in a beautiful part of the country. It has three suburbs, which are larger than the city proper. It is entered by four gates, and is surrounded by a cordon of forts, of which twenty-three are on the right bank of the Danube, and nine on the left. They communicate with each other by a covered way, which is fully 9 miles in circuit. The streets are, on the whole, spacious and well built, and this has been the effect of not a few destructive fires. There are, however, few public buildings of importance. In the Landhaus, which was formerly a Franciscan convent, the parliament of Upper Austria holds its meetings. On an eminence overlooking the Danube, and rising above the rest of the town, is a castle, formerly inhabited by the dukes of Austria, but now used as a prison and penitentiary. In the largest square stands a column to the Holy Trinity, erected by Charles VI. in 1723; and beside it are two fountains, adorned with statues. The only other buildings worthy of note are,—the bank, the theatre, the custom-house, and a large government establishment for the manufacture of carpets. Linz is the see of a bishop, and possesses a cathedral and seven churches. The Matthias Kirche contains a monument of the celebrated Montecucculi. There are also a lyceum, with a theological and philosophical faculty, a large library, and a number of good schools. The charitable institutions are numerous.

The imperial factory, together with the other establishments of this kind, are engaged principally in the manufacture of woollen, cotton, and silk goods, leather, cards, and tobacco; and trade in these articles has greatly extended since the opening of the railway (a tramroad on the American plan) to Guimlinden and Budweis, and since, Linz has been a station for steamers on the Danube.

Linz is supposed to have been originally a Roman station, and retained its name of Lentia during the middle ages. In 1036 it was purchased by Leopold II., margrave of Austria. It was attacked in 1626 by Fahlinger, the peasant leader, but it held out successfully. Pop. 31,000.

LIPARI ISLANDS, a group of islands lying off the N. coast of the island of Sicily, to which they belong, forming part of the intendency of Messina, between N. Lat. 38° 20' and 38° 55', and E. Long. 14° 15' and 15° 15'. They consist of seven principal islands,—Lipari, Vulcano, Stromboli, Salini, Panarea, Felicudi, and Alicudi, and a number of adjacent islets and rocks. They are all mountainous, rising abruptly on their W. side to a considerable height, and sloping down gradually towards the E. They are evidently volcanic in their origin; and ancient writers mention several active volcanoes, though only one is at present in a state of action,—that on the island of Stromboli, which is constantly burning. The fires in the crater of Vulcano still emit sulphurous vapours; and the soil was burning hot when Spallanzani visited it in 1788. In 1786 it erupted a vast accumulation of sand, with much smoke and flame. The basis of the whole group is hornstone, which is covered with lava, scoria, pumice-stone, and other volcanic products. The soil thus formed is very absorbent in its character, and hence the inhabitants are obliged to construct capacious cisterns, in which rain-water is carefully preserved for irrigation and other purposes. The land is fertile and well cultivated, producing grapes, currants, figs, prickly pears, corn, cotton, olives, beans, pease, &c. Violent rains sometimes cause great injury to the grounds, owing to their situation and the friability of the soil; and at other times swarms of locusts do great injury to the crops. The cattle are lean and not abundant, as the pasturage is for the most part only adapted to the feeding of goats. Wine and raisins are largely exported, as well as bitumen, pumice, nitre, pozzolano, cinnamon, coral, and fish. Alum at one time formed a considerable article of export, but it has decreased in quantity, probably in consequence of the diminished heat of the subterranean fires. Some sulphur is still exported, though much less than formerly, owing to a prejudice entertained by the inhabitants that the vapour which arises from its purification infects the air, and is injurious to vegetation. The climate is highly salubrious, and the air mild and refreshing. Storms and earthquakes, however, are frequent. Pop. about 23,000.