or Tyrol
State (pop., 2001: 673,504), western Austria.
Covering 4,883 sq mi (12,647 sq km), it consists of North Tirol and East Tirol, separated by the state of Salzburg and the Italian region of Trentino–Alto Adige . Tirol is a mountainous area bordered by the Bavarian Alps and the Ötztaler Alps. Its capital is Innsbruck . Tirol came under Roman control in the 1st century BC. In the Middle Ages it was ruled by various counts and bishops until it passed to the Reformation , and again in 1809 against French and Bavarian rule. The southern Tirol was transferred to Italy in 1919. Renowned for its skiing, it attracts many tourists.