lateaus surrounded by low mountains; Moravia in the east consists of
very hilly country

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Elbe River 115 m highest point:
Snezka 1,602 m

Natural resources: hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite, timber

Land use: arable land: 40% permanent crops: 3% other: 57% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 240 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: flooding

Environment - current issues: air and water pollution in areas of
northwest Bohemia and in northern Moravia around Ostrava present health
risks; acid rain damaging forests

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution,
Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic
Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent
Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol

Geography - note: 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

People Czech Republic

Population: 10,256,760 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 15.7% (male 828,273; female 786,617) 15-64
years: 70.3% (male 3,605,766; female 3,603,058) 65 years and over: 14%
(male 551,852; female 881,194) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.07% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 9.08 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 10.76 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.63
male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 5.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 78.65 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 1.18 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.04% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 2,200 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)

Nationality: noun: Czech(s) adjective: Czech

Ethnic groups: Czech 81.2%, Mo