Czech Republic: Geography

Geography

Czech Republic

Location:	Central Europe, southeast of Germany
Geographic coordinates:	49 45 N, 15 30 E
Map references:	Europe
Area:	total: 78,866 sq km water: 1,590 sq km land: 77,276 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: 40% permanent crops: 3.04% other: 56.96% (1998 est.)
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-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 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, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental 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