The Upper Morava Valley () is a

lowland Upland and lowland are conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level. In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland or lowland. Definitions Upland and lowland are portions of a ...

and a geomorphological mesoregion of the Czech Republic. It is located in the

Olomouc Olomouc (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 103,000 inhabitants, making it the Statutory city (Czech Republic), sixth largest city in the country. It is the administrative centre of the Olomouc Region. Located on the Morava (rive ...

and

Zlín Zlín (in 1949–1989 Gottwaldov; ; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 75,000 inhabitants. It is the seat of the Zlín Region and it lies on the Dřevnice River. It is known as an industrial centre. The development of the modern city ...

regions. Its name is derived from the Morava river that forms the axis of the territory.

Geomorphology

The Upper Morava Valley is a mesoregion of the Western Outer Subcarpathia within the

Outer Subcarpathia Outer Subcarpathia (; ; ; ) denotes the depression area at the outer (western, northern and eastern) base of the Carpathian arc, including foothills of the Outer Western Carpathians and Outer Eastern Carpathians. It stretches from northeaste ...

. It is a trench depression, filled with

Neogene The Neogene ( ,) is a geologic period and system that spans 20.45 million years from the end of the Paleogene Period million years ago ( Mya) to the beginning of the present Quaternary Period million years ago. It is the second period of th ...

and

Quaternary The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), as well as the current and most recent of the twelve periods of the ...

sediments. The lowland is further subdivided into the microregions of Holešov Plateau, Prostějov Uplands, Central Moravian Floodplain and Uničov Plateau. The area is poor in peaks. It is the largest real plain in the territory of the Czech Republic, in which the inclination of the slopes consistently does not exceed 1°. The highest peak is Horka (also called Šumvaldská horka) at above sea level.

Geography

The territory is elongated from north to south. The maximum length is and the width is almost . The lowland has an area of and an average elevation of . The territory is rich in rivers. The axis of the Upper Morava Valley forms the Morava river. Many other rivers flow into it; the most important tributaries within the territory include the Bečva, Romže, Haná and Rusava. Suitable natural conditions contributed to the creation of many settlements in the Upper Morava Valley. The most populated cities and towns entirely located in the territory are

, Holešov, Uničov, Litovel, Hulín and

Kojetín Kojetín () is a town in Přerov District in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 5,700 inhabitants. Administrative division Kojetín consists of three municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Koje ...

. Partially located in the territory are

Přerov Přerov (; ) is a city in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 41,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Bečva River. In the past it was a major crossroad in the heart of Moravia in the Czech Republic. The historic city centre is we ...

Kroměříž Kroměříž (; ) is a town in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 28,000 inhabitants. It is known for Kroměříž Castle with its castle gardens, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The historic town centre with the castle ...

, Otrokovice and Šternberk.

Vegetation and land use

The lowland is the least forested region of the country. Forest cover is only about 7%. Most of the area is occupied by agricultural land. In the Upper Morava Valley is the informally defined

Haná Haná or Hanakia ( or ''Hanácko'', or ''Hanakei'') is an ethnographic region in central Moravia in the Czech Republic. Etymology The region was named after the Haná (river), Haná River. Description Its core area is located along the ep ...

region, which is considered one of the most fertile parts of the Czech Republic.

Protection of nature

Most of the Litovelské Pomoraví Protected Landscape Area lies within the Upper Morava Valley.

Gallery

Litovel 16.jpg, Litovel and surrounding landscape KLG 5004 CZ - Tovačov.jpg, Hradecký Pond and

Tovačov Tovačov () is a town in Přerov District in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,500 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument zones, urban monume ...

Plane loucky.jpg, Plané loučky Nature Reserve

References

{{authority control Valleys of the Czech Republic Geography of the Olomouc Region Geography of the Zlín Region Western Carpathians