Page last updated on February 20, 2013

Location:
Central Europe, between Germany, Poland, Slovakia, and Austria

Geographic coordinates:
49 45 N, 15 30 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 78,867 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 116
land: 77,247 sq km
water: 1,620 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than South Carolina

Land boundaries:
total: 1,989 km
border countries: Austria 362 km, Germany 815 km, Poland 615 km, Slovakia 197 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters
More Climate Details

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: Labe (Elbe) River 115 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point: Snezka 1,602 m

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

Land use:
arable land: 38.82%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 3%
other: 58.18% (2005)

Irrigated land:
390 sq km (2003)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
16 cu km (2005)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 1.91 cu km/yr (41%/57%/2%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita: 187 cu m/yr (2002)

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-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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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