Harman Patil (Editor)

Geography of the Czech Republic

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Geography of the Czech Republic

The geography of the Czech Republic is quite varied. Bohemia, at the west part of Czech Republic, consists of a river basin, drained by the Elbe (Czech: Labe) and Vltava rivers. It is surrounded by mostly low mountains such as the Sudetes with its part Krkonoše, containing the highest point in the country, the Sněžka at 1,602 metres (5,256 ft). Moravia, the eastern part, is also quite hilly and is drained predominantly by the Morava river, but also contains the source of the Oder (Czech: Odra) river. Water from the landlocked Czech Republic flows to three different seas: the North Sea, Baltic Sea and Black Sea. The Czech Republic also possesses Moldauhafen, a 30,000-square-metre (7.4-acre) enclave in the middle of Hamburg docks, which was awarded to Czechoslovakia by Article 363 of the Treaty of Versailles to allow the landlocked country a place where goods transported downriver could be transferred to seagoing ships; this territory reverts to Germany in 2028.

Map of Czechia

Location: Central Europe, southeast of Germany

Geographic coordinates: 49°45′N 15°30′E

Map references: Europe

Area:

  • total: 78,867 km2 (30,451 sq mi)
  • land: 77,247 km2 (29,825 sq mi)
  • water: 1,620 km2 (630 sq mi)

    • Area - comparative: slightly smaller than South Carolina, USA; slightly larger than Scotland

    Land boundaries:

  • total: 2,143 km (1,332 mi)
  • border countries: Austria 402 km (250 mi), Germany 704 km (437 mi), Poland 796 km (495 mi), Slovakia 241 km (150 mi)

    • Panhandles:
    Aš Hook, Šluknov Hook, Frýdlant Hook, Broumov Hook, Javorník Hook, Osoblaha Hook, Břeclav Hook (March-Thaya Triangle).

    Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

    Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

    Climate: temperate; hot 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 (377 ft)
  • highest point: Sněžka - 1,602 m (5,256 ft)

    • Natural resources: hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite, timber, uranium

    Land use:

  • arable land: 40.88%
  • permanent crops: 0.98%
  • other: 58.14% (2012 est.)

    • Irrigated land: 385.3 km2 or 148.8 sq mi0 (2007)

    Total renewable water resources: 13.15 km3 (3 cu mi) (2011)

    Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

  • total: 1.7 km3/yr (41%/56%/2%)
  • per capita: 164.7 m3/yr (2009)

    • Natural hazards: flooding

    Environment - international agreements:

  • party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
  • signed, but not ratified: none

    • 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

    References

    Geography of the Czech Republic Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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