Geography of Czech-Republic

The Czech Republic is situated approximately in the geographical center of Europe and has an area of 78,866 sq. km. It is a landlocked country 326 km from the Baltic and 322 km from the Adriatic see. It shares borders with Germany (810 km), Poland (762 km), Austria (466 km) and Slovakia (265 km). The highest point of elevation is the peak of Mt. Snìzka (1,602 m above sea level) and the lowest point of elevation is near Holensko where the River Labe leaves Czech territory (117 m above sea level).

The Czech landscape is quite varied; Bohemia to the west consists of a basin, drained by the Labe (German: Elbe) and Vltava rivers, surrounded by mostly low mountains such as the Sudetes with its part Krkonose, where one also finds the highest point in the country, the Snìzka 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 Odra (German: Oder) 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 a 30,000 m2 exclave in the middle of the 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 2018.

The capital of Bohemia is Prague (Praha) and the capital of Moravia is Brno, although it has no special administrative status.

Administratively Czech Republic is divided into regions (kraj) which in turn consist of counties (okres), each with an administrative center. The structure and powers of local government as well as the geographic layout of regions and counties is a topic of much political debate.

Location: Central Europe, southeast of Germany

Geographic coordinates: 49 45 N, 15 30 E