Czechia Geography - 2023

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

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

land: 77,247 sq km

water: 1,620 sq km

Area - comparative

about two-thirds the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than South Carolina

Land boundaries

total: 2,046 km

border countries (4): Austria 402 km; Germany 704 km; Poland 699 km; Slovakia 241 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

highest point: Snezka 1,602 m

lowest point: Labe (Elbe) River 115 m

mean elevation: 433 m

Natural resources

hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite, timber, arable land

Land use

agricultural land: 54.8% (2018 est.)

arable land: 41% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 1% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 12.8% (2018 est.)

forest: 34.4% (2018 est.)

other: 10.8% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land

220 sq km (2020)

Major rivers (by length in km)

Danube (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 km; Elbe river source (shared with Germany [m]) - 1,252 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

Population distribution

a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, but the northern and eastern regions tend to have larger urban concentrations

Natural hazards

flooding

Geography - note

note 1: 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

note 2: the Hranice Abyss in Czechia is the world's deepest surveyed underwater cave at 404 m (1,325 ft); its survey is not complete and it could end up being some 800-1,200 m deep

NOTE: The information regarding Czechia on this page is re-published from the 2023 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Czechia 2023 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Czechia 2023 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.