The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe and a member state of the European Union. The country shares borders with Poland, Germany, Austria and Slovakia. The capital and largest city is Prague, a major tourist destination.

The Czech landscape is quite varied, with Bohemia in the west consisting of a basin, drained by the Elbe and Vltava rivers, and surrounded by mostly low mountains. Moravia, the eastern part of the country, is also hilly. Water from the landlocked Czech Republic flows to three different seas: the North Sea, Baltic Sea and Black Sea.

The Czech Republic has a temperate, continental climate with relatively hot summers and cold, cloudy winters, usually with snow. Most rains are during the summer. The temperature difference between summers and winters is relatively high due to its landlocked geographical position.

The country possesses a developed, high-income economy with a GDP per capita of around 80% of the European Union average. One of the most stable and prosperous of the post-Communist states, the Czech Republic has been recovering from recession since mid-1999. Growth in 2000-2001 was led by exports to the European Union, especially Germany, and foreign investment, while domestic demand is reviving.