
Czech Republic Geography
Czech Republic Geography: A summary of information about Czech Republic Geography, from government research data as well as independent research and other sources.
Czech Republic: Geography
Location
Central Europe, southeast of Germany
Geographic coordinates
49 45 N, 15 30 E
Map references
Europe
Area
total: 78,866 sq km land: 77,276 sq km water: 1,590 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than South Carolina
Land boundaries
total: 1,881 km border countries: Austria 362 km, Germany 646 km, Poland 658 km, Slovakia 215 km
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Climate
temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters
Terrain
Bohemia in the west consists of rolling plains, hills, and plateaus surrounded by low mountains; Moravia in the east consists of very hilly country
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Elbe River 115 m highest point: Snezka 1,602 m
Natural resources
hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite, timber
Land use
arable land: 41% permanent crops: 2% permanent pastures: 11% forests and woodland: 34% other: 12% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land
240 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards
flooding
Environment - current issues
air and water pollution in areas of northwest Bohemia and in northern Moravia around Ostrava present health risks; acid rain damaging forests
Environment - international agreements
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note
landlocked; strategically located astride some of oldest and most significant land routes in Europe; Moravian Gate is a traditional military corridor between the North European Plain and the Danube in central Europe