Czech Republic Geography
LocationCentral Europe, southeast of Germany
Geographic coordinates
49 45 N, 15 30 E
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: 39.8%
permanent crops: 3.05%
other: 57.15% (2001)
Irrigated land
240 sq km (1998 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; efforts to bring industry up to EU code should improve domestic pollution
Environment - international agreements
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
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
