The České Budějovice Basin () is a

structural basin A structural basin is a large-scale structural geology, structural formation of rock stratum, strata formed by tectonics, tectonic warping (Fold (geology), folding) of previously flat-lying strata into a syncline fold. They are geological dep ...

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

South Bohemian Region The South Bohemian Region () is an administrative unit (''Regions of the Czech Republic, kraj'') of the Czech Republic, located mostly in the southern part of its historical land of Bohemia, with a small part in southwestern Moravia. The western ...

and it is named after the city of

České Budějovice České Budějovice (; ) is a city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 97,000 inhabitants. The city is located in the valley of the Vltava River, at its confluence with the Malše. České Budějovice is the largest ...

. It is known as a cultural landscape with numerous ponds.

Geomorphology

The České Budějovice Basin is one of the mesoregions of the South Bohemian Basins (the second being the

Třeboň Basin The Třeboň Basin () is a structural basin and Geomorphological division of the Czech Republic, geomorphological mesoregion of the Czech Republic. It is located in the South Bohemian Region and it is named after the town of Třeboň. It is known f ...

) within the

Bohemian Massif The Bohemian Massif ( or ''Český masiv'', or ''Böhmisches Massiv'') is a geomorphological province in Central Europe. It is a large massif stretching over most of the Czech Republic, eastern Germany, southern Poland and northern Austria. Th ...

. It is further subdivided into the microregions of Putim Basin and Blata Basin. The basin is a tectonic depression limited mostly by distinctive fault slopes, filled with slightly undulating to flat relief at a height of 380–410 m above sea level, which is the result of

erosion Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as Surface runoff, water flow or wind) that removes soil, Rock (geology), rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust#Crust, Earth's crust and then sediment transport, tran ...

and

denudation Denudation is the geological process in which moving water, ice, wind, and waves erode the Earth's surface, leading to a reduction in elevation and in relief of landforms and landscapes. Although the terms erosion and denudation are used interchang ...

processes after the emptying of lakes in the

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 ...

. There are no significant peaks in the area. The highest hill is Vráže at above sea level, in the southern part of the territory. In the north there are the hills Skalský vrch at and Na Zámku at .

Geology

The České Budějovice Basin was

tectonically Tectonics ( via Latin ) are the processes that result in the structure and properties of the Earth's crust and its evolution through time. The field of ''planetary tectonics'' extends the concept to other planets and moons. These processes ...

formed during the

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...

. The surface of the České Budějovice Basin is made up mainly of

Late Cretaceous The Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma) is the more recent of two epochs into which the Cretaceous Period is divided in the geologic time scale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous Series. The Cretaceous is named after ''cre ...

and

formations. The bedrock is crystalline Moldanubicum rocks that come to the surface at the northwestern edges of the basin. Extensive accumulation forms like gravel-sand deposits,

loess A loess (, ; from ) is a clastic rock, clastic, predominantly silt-sized sediment that is formed by the accumulation of wind-blown dust. Ten percent of Earth's land area is covered by loesses or similar deposition (geology), deposits. A loess ...

clay, wide

alluvial Alluvium (, ) is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluvium is also sometimes called alluvial deposit. Alluvium is ...

floodplains and peat bogs are typical for the basin.

Geography

The České Budějovice Basin has an area of and an average elevation of . The territory has an elongated shape from the northwest to the southeast, which is almost 70 km long and 10–12 km wide. The area is densely interwoven with many watercourses. The southeastern part is drained by the

Vltava The Vltava ( , ; ) is the longest river in the Czech Republic, a left tributary of the Elbe River. It runs southeast along the Bohemian Forest and then north across Bohemia, through Český Krumlov, České Budějovice, and Prague. It is com ...

River. The

Malše The Malše () is a river in the Czech Republic and Austria, a right tributary of the Vltava River. It flows through Upper Austria and the South Bohemian Region. It is long. Etymology The name is derived from the personal name Malch. The land thro ...

flows through the southernmost part of the basin and connects with the Vltava. The northwestern part is drained by the Otava River and its tributary Blanice. The České Budějovice Basin is known for large amount of

fish pond A fish pond or fishpond is a controlled pond, small artificial lake or retention basin that is stocked with fish and is used in aquaculture for fish farming, for recreational fishing, or for ornamental purposes. Fish ponds are a classical g ...

s, which were established in the region since Middle Ages. The ponds Bezdrev (area ) and Dehtář (), which are among the largest ponds in the Czech Republic, are located in the territory. The basin includes several large settlements, most notably the city of

. Other large towns are

Strakonice Strakonice (; ) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 22,000 inhabitants. Administrative division Strakonice consists of eight municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Strakonice ...

Vodňany Vodňany (; ) is a town in Strakonice District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 7,400 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument zones, ...

Protivín Protivín () is a town in Písek District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 4,800 inhabitants. Administrative division Protivín consists of nine municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): ...

Zliv Zliv (; ) is a town in České Budějovice District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 3,500 inhabitants. Geography Zliv is located about northwest of České Budějovice. It lies in a flat landscape in the České B ...

, and southern part of

Písek Písek (; ) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 31,000 inhabitants. The town is known for the oldest bridge in the country. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument z ...

Gallery

Dehtář od Holubovské Bašty.jpg, Dehtář pond National nature reserve Rezabinec a Rezabinecke tune in 2011 (5).JPG, Řežabinec a Řežabinecké tůně National Nature Reserve České Budějovice - centrum letecky.jpg, Aerial view of the centre of České Budějovice File:Otava confluence with blanice2.jpg, Confluence of the rivers Otava and Blanice

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ceske Budejovice Basin Landforms of the Czech Republic South Bohemian Region