| The Czech Republic is an inland country, lying in the central part of Europe, in the middle of the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere. Its area of 78 866 km2, population of 10 203 269 people, and population density of 129 inhabitants per 1 km2 rank the country on the 21st, 12th and 13th places among European countries, respectively. The country borders on Poland (761.8 km), Germany (810.3 km), Austria (466.3 km) and Slovakia (251.8 km). The Czech Republic is divided into 91 administrative districts grouped to make 14 administrative regions, including the Hl. m. Praha Region (the so-called higher territorial self-governing units). This new administrative set-up has been in force since 1 January 2000. The major European watershed passes through the territory of the Czech Republic and separates the basins of the North, Baltic and Black Seas. The divide node of the three seas is the mountain Králický Sněžník (1 423 m above sea level). The principal rivers are the Labe (370 km) and the Vltava (433 km) in Bohemia, the Morava (246 km) and the Dyje (306 km) in Moravia, and the Odra (135 km) and the Opava (131 km) in Silesia and northern Moravia. From the physical geographic point of view the Czech Republic lies on the borderline of two mountain systems, which differ by age and geological and geomorphologic evolution. The uplands Česká vysočina in the western and middle parts of the Czech Republic were basically created at the end of Palaeozoic era. For the most part they are hilly and of Mesozoic era nature (the mountain ranges Šumava, Český les, Krušné hory, Krkonoše, Orlické hory, Jeseníky). The Západní Karpaty mountains, which gained today's appearance in Tertiary era (the Beskydy mountain range), spread into the eastern part of the country. There is a belt of valleys between the two mountain systems. The climate in the Czech Republic is influenced by the mutual penetration and mingling of ocean and continental effects. It is characterized by prevailing western winds, intensive cyclonic activities causing frequent alternating of air masses, and comparatively ample precipitation. Maritime effects are mainly felt in Bohemia, whereas Moravia and Silesia are affected rather by continental climate. The Czech Republic's climate is also influenced to a large extent by the altitude and geographical relief: 52 817 km2 of the country's whole territory (66.97%) can be found at an altitude of up to 500 m, 25 222 km2 (31.98%) between 500 to 1 000 m, and only 827 km2 (1.05%) above 1 000 m. The average altitude of the Czech Republic is 430 m. Fauna and flora on the territory of the Czech Republic also testify to the mutual penetration of principal directions in which fauna and flora propagated in Europe. Forests, mostly coniferous, cover 33% of the total area. The soil cover is varied in terms of both soil grain size composition and occurrence of individual soil types. Brown soils are the most prevalent soil type of the Czech Republic.
| Highest point | Sněžka | 1 602 m a.s.l. | the Krkonoše mountain range | | Lowest point | discharge of the Labe river at Hřensko | 115 m a.s.l. | Děčín District | | Largest dam reservoir | Lipno | 4 870 ha | Český Krumlov District and Prachatice District | Largest pond
- maximum depth | Rožmberk | 489 ha
6.2 m | Jindřichův Hradec District | Largest lake
- maximum depth | Černé jezero | 18.4 ha
39.8 m | Klatovy District | | Longest river | Vltava | 433 km |  | | Largest catchment area | Labe | 51 103.9 km2 | | | Hottest thermal spring | Vřídlo | 72 0C | Karlovy Vary | | Deepest chasm | Hranická Chasm | -244.5 m | Přerov District | | Largest national park | the Šumava National Park | 685.2 km2 | the Šumava mountain range | | Largest landscape area protected | Beskydy | 1 160 km2 | the Beskydy mountain range | | Settlement placed highest | Filipova Huť | 1 093 m a.s.l. | Klatovy District | | Settlement placed lowest | Hřensko | 130 m a.s.l. | Děčín District | | Largest municipality | Praha | 1 160 118
inhabitants | the Capital | | Smallest municipality | Vlkov | 20 inhabitants | České Budějovice District |
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