Everything about The Czech Republic totally explained
The
Czech Republic (short form in, ), is a
landlocked country in
Central Europe and a member state of the
European Union. The country has borders with
Poland to the north,
Germany to the northwest and southwest,
Austria to the south, and
Slovakia to the east. The capital and largest city is
Prague, a major
tourist destination. The country is composed of the historic regions of
Bohemia and
Moravia, as well as parts of
Silesia.
The
Czech lands were under
Habsburg rule from 1526, later becoming part of the
Austrian Empire and
Austria-Hungary. The independent republic of
Czechoslovakia was created in 1918, following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian empire after
World War I. After the
Munich Agreement,
German occupation of Czechoslovakia and the consequent disillusion with the
Western response and liberation of major part of Czechoslovakia by the
Red Army, the
Communist party gained the majority in 1946 elections. Following a coup in 1948, Czechoslovakia became a Communist-ruled state.
Prague Spring of 1968, an attempt at reformation of the Communist regime, ended by invasion of armies of
Warsaw Pact countries which didn't leave until after the 1989
Velvet Revolution. On
January 1,
1993 the country
peacefully split into the Czech Republic and
Slovakia.
The Czech Republic is a pluralist multi-party
parliamentary representative democracy.
President Václav Klaus is the current head of state. The
Prime Minister is the
head of government (currently
Mirek Topolánek). The Parliament has two chambers — the
Chamber of Deputies and the
Senate. The Czech Republic joined
NATO in 1999 and the
European Union in 2004. It is also a member of the
OECD, the
Council of Europe and the
Visegrád Group.
The country is the first former member of the
Comecon to achieve the status of a
developed country (2006) according to the
World Bank. The Czech Republic also ranks best compared to the former Comecon countries in the
Human Development Index.
Name
After the dissolution of
Czechoslovakia, the Czech portion found itself without a common single-word name in
English. In 1993, The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs suggested the name
Czechia as an official alternative in all situations other than formal official documents and the full names of government institutions, however this hasn't become widely used--though other languages have single-word names, for example
Tschechien in German. The official website of the Czech Republic (
www.czech.cz
) run by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs doesn't use the name
Czechia as of 2005. Its
Czech equivalent is
Česko.
History
Neolithic era. In the classical era, from the 3rd century BC
Celtic migrations, the
Boii (see
Bohemia) and later in the
1st century Germanic tribes of
Marcomanni and
Quadi settled there. During the
Migration Period around the 5th century, many Germanic tribes moved westwards and southwards out of Central Europe. In an equally significant migration,
Slavic people from the
Black Sea and
Carpathian regions settled in the area (a movement that was also stimulated by the onslaught of peoples from Siberia and Eastern Europe:
Huns,
Avars,
Bulgars and
Magyars). Following in the Germans' wake, they moved southwards into Bohemia, Moravia, and some of present day Austria. During the
7th century the Frankish merchant
Samo, supporting the Slavs fighting their Avar rulers, became the ruler of the first known Slav state in Central Europe. The Moravian principality arose in the 8th century (see
Great Moravia).
The
Bohemian or Czech state emerged in the late 9th century when it was unified by the
Přemyslid dynasty. The
kingdom of
Bohemia was a significant regional power during the
Middle Ages. It was part of the
Holy Roman Empire during the entire existence of this confederation.
Religious conflicts such as the 15th century
Hussite Wars and the 17th century
Thirty Years' War had a devastating effect on the local population. From the 16th century, Bohemia came increasingly under
Habsburg control as the Habsburgs became first the elected and then hereditary rulers of Bohemia. After the fall of the
Holy Roman Empire, Bohemia became part of
Austrian Empire and later of
Austria-Hungary.
Following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after
World War I, the independent republic of
Czechoslovakia was created in 1918. This new country incorporated regions of
Bohemia,
Moravia,
Silesia,
Slovakia and
Carpathian Ruthenia (known as Subcarpathian Rus at the time) with significant
German,
Hungarian,
Polish and
Ruthenian speaking minorities. Although Czechoslovakia was a
unitary state, it provided what was at the time rather extensive rights to its minorities. However, it didn't grant its minorities any territorial political autonomy, which resulted in discontent and strong support among some of the minorities to break away from Czechoslovakia.
Adolf Hitler used the opportunity and, supported by
Konrad Henlein's
Sudeten German National Socialist Party, gained the
largely German speaking
Sudetenland through the 1938
Munich Agreement. Poland occupied Polish inhabited areas around
Český Těšín.
Hungary gained parts of Slovakia and Subcarpathian Rus as a result of the
First Vienna Award in November 1938.
Slovakia and Subcarpathian Rus gained greater autonomy, with the state renamed to "Czecho-Slovakia" (The Second Republic; see
Occupation of Czechoslovakia). Slovakia seceded in March 1939 and allied itself with Hitler's coalition. The remaining Czech territory was occupied by Germany, transformed it into the so-called
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. The Protectorate was proclaimed part of the
Third Reich, and President and Prime Minister were subordinate to the Nazi
Reichsprotektor ("imperial protector"). Subcarpathian Rus declared independence as the Republic of
Carpatho-Ukraine on
15 March 1939 but was invaded by Hungary the same day and formally annexed on 16 March. Approximately 390,000 Czechoslovak citizens, including 83,000
Jews, were killed or executed, and hundreds of thousands of others were sent to prisons and
concentration camps or as forced labour. A
Nazi concentration camp existed at
Terezin to the north of Prague. There was
Czech resistance to Nazi occupation both home and abroad, most notably with the assassination of leading Nazi leader
Reinhard Heydrich in Prague suburbs on
May 27 1942. The
Czechoslovak government-in-exile and its army fighting against the Germans were acknowledged by Allies (Czechoslovak troops fought in
Great Britain,
North Africa,
Middle East and
Soviet Union). The occupation ended on
9 May 1945 with the arrival of
Soviet and
American armies and the
Prague uprising.
In 1945-46 almost the entire German minority of Czechoslovakia, about 2.7 million people,
were expelled to
Germany and
Austria. During this time, thousands of Germans were held in prisons, detention camps, and used as forced labour. In the summer of 1945, there were several massacres. Only 250,000 Germans who had been active in the resistance against the Nazis or were necessary for the economy were not expelled, though many of them emigrated later. Following a Soviet-organised referendum, the Subcarpathian Rus has never returned under Czechoslovak rule and became part of the
Ukrainian SSR, as the
Zakarpattia Oblast in 1946.
Czechoslovakia uneasily tried to play the role of a "bridge" between the West and East. However, the
Communist Party of Czechoslovakia rapidly increased in popularity, particularly because of a general disappointment with the West (due to the pre-war
Munich Agreement) and a favourable popular attitude towards the
Soviet Union (due to the Soviets' role in liberating Czechoslovakia from German rule). In the 1946 elections, with 38% of the votes, the Communists became the largest party in the Czechoslovak parliament. They formed a coalition government with other parties of the
National Front, and moved quickly to consolidate power. The decisive step took place in February 1948. During a series of events characterized by Communists as a "revolution" and by anti-Communists as a "takeover", the Communist
People's Militias secured control of key locations in Prague, and a new, all-Communist government was formed.
For the next forty-one years, Czechoslovakia was a
Communist state within the
eastern bloc (see ). This period was marked by a variety of social developments. The Communist government completely
nationalized the
means of production and established a
command economy. The economy grew rapidly during the 1950s and 1960s, but slowed down in the 1970s with increasing problems during the 1980s. The political climate was highly repressive during the 1950s (including numerous
show trials), but became more open and tolerant in the 1960s, culminating in
Alexander Dubček's leadership in the 1968
Prague Spring that tried to create "
socialism with a human face" and perhaps even introduce political
pluralism. This was forcibly ended by
21 August 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion. From then until 1989, the political establishment returned to censorship of opposition, though using more "carrot" than "whip" policy to ensure the populace's passivity.
In November 1989, Czechoslovakia returned to democracy through a peaceful "
Velvet Revolution". However, Slovak national aspirations strengthened until on
January 1 1993, the
country peacefully split into the independent Czech Republic and
Slovakia. Both countries went through economic reforms and
privatisations, with the intention of creating a
market economy.
From 1991 the Czech Republic (originally as part of Czechoslovakia, and now in its own right) has been a member of the
Visegrad Group and from 1995 of the
OECD. The Czech Republic joined
NATO on
March 12 1999 and the
European Union on
May 1 2004.
Geography
Bohemia to the west consists of a basin, drained by the
Elbe and the
Vltava rivers, and surrounded by mostly low mountains such as the
Krkonoše range of the
Sudetes. The highest point in the country,
Sněžka, at 1,602
m (5,262
ft), is located here.
Moravia, the eastern part of the country, is also quite hilly. It is drained mainly by the
Morava River, but it also contains the source of the
Oder River. Water from the landlocked Czech Republic flows to three different seas: the
North Sea,
Baltic Sea and
Black Sea. The Czech Republic also leases the
Moldauhafen, a
lot in the middle of the
Hamburg Docks, which was awarded to Czechoslovakia by Article 363 of the
Treaty of Versailles to allow the landlocked country a place where goods transported downriver could be transferred to seagoing ships. The territory reverts to Germany in 2028.
Weather and climate
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.
Even within the Czech Republic, temperatures vary greatly depending on the
elevation. In general, at higher altitudes the temperatures decrease and
precipitation increases. Another important factor is the distribution of the mountains. Therefore the climate is quite varied.
At the highest peak (
Sněžka, ) the average temperature is only, whereas in the lowlands of
South Moravia, the average temperature is as high as . This also applies for the country's capital
Prague, but this is due to urban factors.
The coldest month is usually January followed by February and December. During these months there's usually snow in the mountains and sometimes in the major cities and lowlands.
During March, April and May, the temperature usually increases rapidly and especially during April the temperature and weather tends to vary widely during the day. Spring is also characterized by high water levels in the rivers due to melting snow followed by floods at times.
The warmest month of the year is July, followed by August and June. On average, the summer temperatures are about higher than during winter. Especially in the last decade, temperatures above are not unusual. Summer is also characterized by rain and storms.
Autumn generally begins in September, which is still relatively warm, but much drier. During October, temperatures usually fall back under 15° or 10°C (59° or 50°F) and
deciduous trees begin to shed their leaves. By the end of November, temperatures usually range around the freezing point.
Demographics
Population
| Year |
Total |
Change |
Year |
Total |
Change |
| 1857 | 7,016,531 |
—
| 1930
| 10,674,386 |
6.6%
|
| 1869 | 7,617,230 |
8.6%
| 1950
| 8,896,133 |
-16.7%
|
| 1880 | 8,222,013 |
7.9%
| 1961
| 9,571,531 |
7.6%
|
| 1890 | 8,665,421 |
5.4%
| 1970
| 9,807,697 |
2.5%
|
| 1900 | 9,372,214 |
8.2%
| 1980
| 10,291,927 |
4.9%
|
| 1910 | 10,078,637 |
7.5%
| 1991
| 10,302,215 |
0.1%
|
| 1921 | 10,009,587 |
-0.7%
| 2001
| 10,230,060 |
-0.7%
|
The vast majority of the inhabitants of the Czech Republic are
Czechs (94.2%). Significant minorities include the
Slovaks (1.9%),
Poles (0.5%),
Vietnamese (0.44%)
Germans (0.4%), and
Gypsies.
According to the Interior Ministry of the Czech Republic, there were 392,087 foreigners legally residing in the country at the end of 2007, making up 3.2% of the population, with the largest groups being Ukrainians, Slovaks and Vietnamese.
Religion
The Czech Republic, along with
Estonia, has one of the least religious populations in all of Europe. According to the 2001 census, 59% of the country is
agnostic,
atheist, non-believer or no-organised believer, 26.8%
Roman Catholic and 2.5%
Protestant.
According to the most recent
Eurobarometer Poll 2005, 19% of Czech citizens responded that "they believe there's a God", whereas 50% answered that "they believe there's some sort of spirit or life force" and 30% that "they don't believe there's any sort of spirit, God, or life force", the lowest rate of EU countries after
Estonia with 16%.
Politics
Political system
The Czech Republic is a pluralist multi-party
parliamentary representative democracy, where the
Prime Minister is the
head of government. The Parliament is bicameral, with the
Chamber of Deputies (200 members) and the
Senate (81 members).
Armed forces
The Czech armed forces consist of the
Army and
Air Force and of specialized support units. In 2004, the Czech armed forces completely phased out conscription and transformed into a fully professional army and air force. The country has been a member of
NATO since
March 12 1999. Defence spending is around 1.8% of
GDP (2006).
Regions and districts
Since 2000, the Czech Republic is divided into
thirteen regions (
kraje, singular
kraj) and the capital city of
Prague. Each region has its own elected Regional Assembly (
krajské zastupitelstvo) and
hejtman (usually translated as
hetman or "president"). In Prague, their powers are executed by the city council and the mayor.
The older seventy-six
districts (
okresy, singular
okres) including three 'statutory cities' (without Prague, which had special status) were disbanded in 1999 in an administrative reform; they remain as territorial division and seats of various branches of state administration.
| (Lic. plate) |
Region |
Capital |
Population (2004 est.) |
Population (2007 est.) |
| A |
Capital of Prague (Hlavní město Praha) |
1,170,571 |
1,212,097 |
| S |
Central Bohemian Region (Středočeský kraj) |
offices located in Prague (Praha) |
1,144,071 |
1,201,827 |
| C |
South Bohemian Region (Jihočeský kraj) |
České Budějovice |
625,712 |
633,264 |
| P |
Plzeň Region (Plzeňský kraj) |
Pilsen (Plzeň) |
549,618 |
561,074 |
| K |
Karlovy Vary Region (Karlovarský kraj) |
Karlovy Vary |
304,588 |
307,449 |
| U |
Ústí nad Labem Region (Ústecký kraj) |
Ústí nad Labem |
822,133 |
831,180 |
| L |
Liberec Region (Liberecký kraj) |
Liberec |
427,563 |
433,948 |
| H |
Hradec Králové Region (Královéhradecký kraj) |
Hradec Králové |
547,296 |
552,212 |
| E |
Pardubice Region (Pardubický kraj) |
Pardubice |
505,285 |
511,400 |
| M |
Olomouc Region (Olomoucký kraj) |
Olomouc |
635,126 |
641,791 |
| T |
Moravian-Silesian Region (Moravskoslezský kraj) |
Ostrava |
1,257,554 |
1,249,897 |
| B |
South Moravian Region (Jihomoravský kraj) |
Brno |
1,123,201 |
1,140,534 |
| Z |
Zlín Region (Zlínský kraj) |
Zlín |
590,706 |
590,780 |
| J |
Vysočina Region (Vysočina) |
Jihlava |
517,153 |
513,677 |
Economy
The Czech Republic possesses a developed,
high-income economy with a GDP per capita of 82% of the European Union average. One of the most stable and prosperous of the post-Communist states, the Czech Republic has seen a growth of over 6% annually in the last three years. Recent growth has been led by exports to the
European Union, especially
Germany, and foreign investment, while domestic demand is reviving. However, the rate of corruption remains one of the highest among
OECD countries.
The public budgets remain in deficit despite strong growth of the economy in recent years. However, the 2007 deficit has been 1.58% GDP (according to
EU accounting rules), far less than originally expected.
Most of the economy has been privatized, including banks and telecommunications. The current right-center government plans to continue with privatization, including the energy industry and the Prague airport. It has recently agreed to the sale of a 7% stake of the energy producer
ČEZ, with the sale of the
Budějovický Budvar brewery also mooted.
The country has fully implemented the
Schengen Agreement and therefore has abolished border controls with all of its neighbours (Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovakia) on
December 21 2007.
The last Czech government had expressed a desire to adopt the
euro in 2010, but the current government has postponed it due to budget deficits. An exact date hasn't been set up, but the Finance Ministry described adoption by 2012 as realistic if public finance reform passes. However, the most recent draft of the euro adoption plan omits giving any date.
Tourism
The Czech economy gets a substantial income from tourism: in 2001, the total earnings from tourism reached 118.13 billion
CZK, making up 5.5% of
GNP and 9.3% of overall export earnings. The industry employs more than 110,000 people - over 1% of the population.
There are several centres of tourist activity: The historic city of
Prague is the primary tourist attraction, and the city is also the most common point of entry for tourists visiting other parts of the country. Most other cities in the country attract significant numbers of tourists, but the spa towns such as
Karlovy Vary,
Mariánské Lázně and
Františkovy Lázně are particularly popular holiday destinations. Other popular tourist sites are the many castles and chateaux, such as those at
Karlštejn,
Konopiště and
Český Krumlov. Away from the towns, areas as
Český ráj,
Šumava and the
Krkonoše Mountains attract visitors seeking outdoor pursuits.
The country is also famous for its love of
puppetry and
marionettes. The
Pilsner style
beer originated in western Bohemian city of
Plzeň.
Education
The
Programme for International Student Assessment, coordinated by the
OECD, currently ranks the Czech education as the 15th best in the world, being higher than the OECD average.
Sport
International rankings
Further Information
Get more info on 'Czech Republic'.
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