geography

The Czech Republic is a diamond, or diamond-shaped anyway. It's about the area of Scotland. If you look at a map of Europe, you'll see it nestled between Austria, Germany, Poland and Slovakia. Prague is roughly in the center of the country. The western portion of the country is known as Bohemia, the east is Moravia. In the northeastern corner of the country is an area known as Silesia, which borders a region of the same name in Poland. The frontiers are mountainous and wild. The highest elevations are in the Krkonoše mountain range in the north of country, on the border with Poland. The highest point in the country is the peak of Sněžka. The interior is a mix of rolling hills and plains, forests and farm land. There is no coast — the country is landlocked.

There are three river systems: The Elbe (Labe) flows north through Germany to the North Sea. The Odra (Oder) runs through Poland to the Baltic. The Morava carries water from the eastern part of the country into the Danube and on to the Black Sea. The longest river in the country is the Vltava, or Moldau, which flows 430 km from its source in the Šumava mountain range in South Bohemia to its confluence with the Elbe just north of Prague.