| Geography and Climate |
Czech Republic is a landlocked country, located in Central Europe, southeast of Germany. Area comparatively slightly smaller than South Carolina. Total land boundary is 1,881 km, border countries are Austria 362 km, Germany 646 km, Poland 658 km, Slovakia 215 km.
Czech Republic has a temperate climate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters. Terrain consists of 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 extreme has a lowest point in Elbe River 115 m and highest point in Snezka 1,602 m. Natural resources are hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite. 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.).
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
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.
Ref. Anonymous, 1999 |