The Czech Republic occupies 78,866 square kilometers in Central Europe, entirely landlocked and positioned between latitudes 48° and 51° N and longitudes 12° and 19° E. The country borders Germany for 704 kilometers to the west and northwest, Poland for 796 kilometers to the north and northeast, Slovakia for 252 kilometers to the east, and Austria for 466 kilometers to the south. The territory divides into three historical lands: Bohemia in the west, Moravia in the east, and a small portion of Czech Silesia in the northeast. Prague sits at 50.0755° N, 14.4378° E, while Brno lies at 49.1951° N, 16.6068° E. The geographic center of the country falls near the village of Číhošť in the Vysočina Region at approximately 49.7442° N, 15.3381° E.
Bohemia forms a topographic basin surrounded by low mountains on nearly all sides. The Ore Mountains run along the northwestern border with Germany, reaching 1,244 meters at Klínovec, the highest peak in the range. The Bohemian Forest occupies the southwestern border, where Plechý rises to 1,378 meters on the German side and Bobík reaches 1,362 meters on the Czech side. The Giant Mountains mark the northeastern boundary with Poland, containing Sněžka at 1,603 meters, the highest point in the Czech Republic. The Bohemian-Moravian Highlands bisect the country's interior with rolling hills generally between 500 and 800 meters elevation, forming the watershed divide between the North Sea and Black Sea drainage basins. The lowest point in the country occurs where the Elbe River exits into Germany at Hřensko, at 115 meters above sea level.
The Elbe River, called Labe in Czech, drains most of Bohemia northward toward Germany. The river enters the Czech Republic near Špindlerův Mlýn in the Giant Mountains and flows 370 kilometers through Czech territory before crossing into Germany near Děčín. The Vltava River, the longest river entirely within the Czech Republic at 430 kilometers, rises in the Bohemian Forest and flows north through Prague before joining the Elbe at Mělník. The Vltava carries an average discharge of 150 cubic meters per second at its confluence. The Morava River drains eastern Moravia southward, forming part of the Austrian border before continuing into Slovakia. The Morava runs 329 kilometers total, with 284 kilometers in Czech territory, and joins the Danube at Devín Castle just outside Bratislava. The Odra River drains Czech Silesia northward into Poland, flowing only 131 kilometers through Czech territory before continuing 742 kilometers through Poland to the Baltic Sea.
Moravia occupies lower elevations than Bohemia, characterized by fertile plains along the Morava River valley. The White Carpathians form the southeastern border with Slovakia, reaching 970 meters at Velká Javořina. The Moravian-Silesian Beskids in the northeast contain Lysá hora at 1,323 meters, the highest peak in Moravia. The Pálava hills rise abruptly from the South Moravian lowlands to 549 meters at Děvín, visible from distances exceeding thirty kilometers across the flat agricultural landscape. The Haná region around Olomouc and Prostějov contains some of the most productive farmland in Central Europe, with Chernozem soils reaching depths of one meter. Czech Silesia represents only about 4,500 square kilometers in the northeast corner, centered on Ostrava and extending into the foothills of the Silesian Beskids.
The Czech Republic experiences a temperate continental climate with four distinct seasons. Prague records average January temperatures of minus 1 degree Celsius and average July temperatures of 19 degrees Celsius. Annual precipitation in Prague averages 526 millimeters, distributed relatively evenly across the year with slight peaks in May through July. Brno shows similar patterns with January averaging minus 1.4 degrees Celsius and July averaging 19.4 degrees Celsius, with annual precipitation of 505 millimeters. The mountainous regions receive substantially more precipitation, with the Giant Mountains recording over 1,400 millimeters annually and the Bohemian Forest exceeding 1,200 millimeters in higher elevations. Snow cover in Prague typically lasts 30 to 40 days per winter, while the Giant Mountains maintain snow cover for 120 to 150 days, supporting a ski season generally from December through March.
Temperature extremes vary considerably with elevation and continental influence. The official Czech record maximum of 40.4 degrees Celsius occurred in Dobřichovice near Prague on August 20, 2012. The record minimum of minus 42.2 degrees Celsius was recorded at Litvínovice near České Budějovice on February 11, 1929, though this reading predates modern standardization. More recent reliable minimums include minus 36.9 degrees Celsius at Javorník in February 1956. The growing season in lowland areas typically spans 160 to 180 days, from mid-April to mid-October, while mountainous regions experience growing seasons of only 90 to 120 days. The last spring frost in Prague typically occurs in late April, with the first autumn frost arriving in mid-October.
Precipitation patterns show greater variation by region than temperature. The driest areas lie in the rain shadow of the Ore Mountains in northwestern Bohemia, where Žatec records only 450 millimeters annually. The South Moravian wine-growing regions around Znojmo receive 500 to 550 millimeters, contributing to successful viticulture. Maximum precipitation falls on the windward slopes of border mountains, where the western slopes of the Bohemian Forest and the southern slopes of the Giant Mountains face prevailing westerly and southwesterly winds. The wettest location, Bílá Desná in the Giant Mountains, averages 1,512 millimeters annually based on 1981-2010 normals. Thunderstorms occur most frequently from May through August, with Prague averaging 25 to 30 thunderstorm days per year.
Wind patterns reflect the country's position in the path of Atlantic weather systems moving eastward across Europe. Prevailing winds blow from the west and southwest throughout the year, though winter months show increased frequency of eastern winds bringing cold continental air from Russia. Average wind speeds in lowland areas range from 3 to 4 meters per second, while exposed mountain peaks experience averages of 6 to 8 meters per second. The highest wind gust officially recorded reached 61.2 meters per second at Sněžka on February 26, 1984. Valley locations experience föhn winds when air descends from mountains, causing rapid temperature increases and low humidity. The Prague meteorological station at Klementinum has maintained continuous observations since 1775, one of the longest unbroken temperature records in Central Europe.
The Czech Republic lies in a transitional zone between oceanic and continental climatic influences. Maritime air masses from the Atlantic bring mild, moist conditions, while continental air from Eastern Europe creates hot summers and cold winters. The percentage of days with oceanic versus continental air masses varies year to year, producing significant interannual variability. The North Atlantic Oscillation index correlates with Czech winter temperatures, with positive phases bringing warmer, wetter winters and negative phases producing colder, drier conditions. Climate records show warming trends, with Prague's average annual temperature increasing from 8.3 degrees Celsius in the 1961-1990 normal period to 8.9 degrees Celsius in the 1981-2010 period to 9.4 degrees Celsius in the 1991-2020 period.
Seasonal characteristics define the cultural and agricultural calendar. Spring arrives progressively from March through May, with elevation differences causing bloom times to vary by four to six weeks between lowlands and mountains. Cherry trees typically blossom in Prague in mid-April, while the same varieties bloom in the Giant Mountains in mid to late May. Summer brings the warmest and often wettest conditions, with July averaging the highest temperatures across the country. Peak summer heat waves can push temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius in lowland areas, though such extremes typically last only a few days. Autumn color peaks in lowland areas in mid to late October, accompanied by morning fogs that can persist for hours in river valleys. Winter conditions vary dramatically by year, with some winters bringing persistent snow cover and others dominated by gray, rainy weather just above freezing.