Physical Geography

Topographically, the country is divided into two main regions, Bohemia in the west and Moravia in the east. Bohemia is a plateau ringed by low mountains and hilly regions. These include the Ore Mountains in the northwest, the Sudeten Mountains in the northeast, the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands in the east, and the Bohemian Forest in the southwest. Elevations rarely exceed 3,600 feet (1,100 m). The highest point in Bohemia, and the Czech Republic, is Mount Snézka, which rises to 5,256 feet (1,602 m) above sea level.

Moravia is mainly a lowland of fertile plains and intervening hills. In the north the Moravian Gate, a narrow gap between the Sudeten and Carpathian mountains, links this lowland with upper Silesia. In eastern Moravia are the White Carpathian Mountains, which form most of the Czech Republic's border with Slovakia.

The Elbe and its tributaries, including the Vltava and Oh$re rivers, drain Bohemia. Most of Moravia is drained by the Morava River, a tributary of the Danube. Other important rivers include the Oder, which begins in Moravia and flows into Poland, and the Jihlava.

The Czech Republic has a continental type of climate, with warm summers and cold winters. Average temperatures in Prague, the capital, range from 66° F. (19° C.) in July to 30° F. (-1° C.) in January. Annual precipitation for the country as a whole is usually about 20 inches (510 mm).