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EUROPEAN COUNTRIES TODAY: CZECH REPUBLIC

provided the soft fertile land that was so critical for the cultivation of crops when farming was the primary activity in the area. Bohemia, in the west, features low mountains. The highest Czech mountains are the Krkonoše, followed by the Hrubý Jeseník and the Šumava mountain range. Approximately one-third of the Czech Republic is forested. These forests are mainly coniferous, or evergreen, and are home to many different species of plants and animals. Unfortunately, many areas of the country suffer from environmental damage. Although recent reforms have dramatically improved the country’s environmental situation, air and water pollution remain a problem.

ABOVE: The Vltava River meandering through a densely forested region.

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