The Czech Republic

Basic facts:
•    Covering an area: 78,864km2
•    Border countries
o    it borders with Poland in the north
o    Germany in the west
o    Austria in the south
o    Slovakia in the east
•    Population:10,3 milion inhabitants
•    Minorities: Slovaks, Poles, Germans, Russians, Romanies and members of other nations
•    The highest mountain is Snežka (1602m) in the Giant Mountains near the Polish border.
•    The longest river is the Vltava, which springs in the Šumava and flows into the Labe  River. Other important rivers: Labe, Odra, Morava
•    Agricultural production: grain, sugar-beet, maize, hop, sunflower, fruit, vegetable, oats (the Labe River Lowlands, the river Morava valleys), barley, sugar beet, wheat (in the higher altitude), potatoes and grain in the highlands.
•    Industries:
o    metallurgy - Ostrava
o    mechanical engineering - Prague, Brno, Plzen
o    chemical industry - Usti nad Labem, Neratovice, Kralupy nad Vltavou, Ostrava, Pardubice, Hradec Kralove
o    textile, clothes and leather industry - Northeast Bohemia, Brno, Liberec, Prostejov, Prague, Zlin
o    food industries - in all big cities
o    breweries - Plzen, Prague, Ceske Budejovice, Litovel
o    glass, jewelleries, porcelaine - Karlovy Vary, Jablonec nad Nisou, Novy Bor
o    wood and paper industries
o    pencil manufacturing - Ceske Budejovice
o    matches - Susice
o    There are deposits of brown, black coal and iron ore.
•    There are three historical parts of the country:
o    Bohemia in the west
o    Moravia in the east
o    Silesia in the northern part of Moravia.
o    There are differences between these regions in dialects and folk traditions.
History
•    The territory was inhabited by Celtic then Germanic and finally Slavonic tribes. The first dynasty which ruled there was the Premyslid dynasty, then the Luxemburgs came ( most famous was Charles IV.).
•    Charles IV (1316-1378) was one of the most popular Czech kings. He is said to have been a very wise and highly-educated person who could speak several languages and who was an enthusiastic culture-lover. He made Prague become the royal seat.
•    Charles IV built the famous Charles Bridge and Karlstejn Castle. He invited many outstanding personalities to Prague to build new quarters and churches. In 1355 he was elected the Roman Emperor. In 1348 the first Czech university was founded by him.
•    There was the Hussite Movement in 15th century. Then the Jagiellonian dynasty came and the Hapsburg dynasty came in 1526. In 1918 Czechoslovakia was established.
•    The Czech Republic was set up on 1st January 1993 as one of two successor states of the former Czechoslovak Federal Republic.
Political system
•    Politically the Czech Republic is divided into 14 districts.
•    The Czech Republic was set up on 1st January 1993 as one of two successor states of the former Czechoslovak Federal Republic.
•    According to the constitution the Czech Republic is a parliamentary democracy with the President as the head of state. The president is elected every five years by the parliament.
•    The parliament consists of two houses - The Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.
•    The national flag consists of a white and a red stripe and a blue triangle.
•    The Czech anthem is the song "Where my home is" by J. K. Tyl.
•    The Czech emblem is a coat of arms divided into quarters. In the first and fourth there is a silver, two tailed rampant lion with a golden crown. In the second and third fields there is the Moravian and Silesian eagle.
Geography and places of Interest
•    is situated in central Europe, is an inland state with moderate climate.
•    Here we can find valleys, lowlands, high grounds (The Bohemian-Moravian Highland, The Central Bohemian Highland), mountain ranges, but moorlands and swamps as well.
•    Apart from the capital - Prague - the country has many more beautiful towns and places worth seeing. Sadly, many Czech people prefer travelling abroad without knowing well the beauties of their motherland.
•    West
o    famous West Bohemian Triangle of spa towns in particular
o    includes Karlovy Vary, Marianske Lazne and Frantiskovy Lazne.
o    The most famous of these, Karlovy Vary, was founded in the 14th century by the Emperor Charles IV
o    Marianske Lazne, with its numerous parks and flower beds which make it one of the most attractive Czech spa towns, is a popular venue for patients suffering from kidney disorders, asthma, or nervous diseases.
o    Frantiskovy Lazne is a famous spa for patients with women and heart diseases. The poet Goethe said this was "paradise on Earth".
•    South
o    Belongs to the most beautiful regions of Europe.
o    The Sumava Mountains which are - even today - covered with charming woods and swamps are a superb summer and winter holiday region, with nice trips as well as sporting opportunities such as cycling or skiing. In addition, there is the Boubin primeval forest.
o    Full of lakes for fish breeding, Rozmberk being the largest and most famous.
o    The towns
  Tabor, a town that became the centre of the Hussite Wars of the 14th century,
    Ceske Budejovice and its famous beer Budweiser,
  Pisek with its stone bridge with seven arches, the second oldest bridge in Central Europe;
  Cesky Krumlov with a castle from the early-13th century and many beautiful Gothic and Renaissance houses,
   Domazlice, the historical capital of the Chodsko Region.
o    South Bohemia is also famous for its marvellous castles.
•    North
o    Krkonose Mountains are the highest mountain range with Snezka as its highest peak (1602m).
o    Industry is a typical feature of the region, and there are some of the biggest industrial towns of the country there (Liberec, Jablonec, Usti nad Labem etc.).
o    The towns are surrounded with the Luzicke Mountains and the Jizerske Mountains, popular destinations for winter holidaymakers.
o    Unfortunately, air pollution has led to huge damage to the forests in the past decades.
•    East Moravia
o    Typical feature of its southern part is wine farming, which is possible because of its moist climate.
o    In South Moravian villages, almost every house has its wine cellar. Wine farmers are visited by a lot of guests who are very enthusiastic about the local delicious wine.
•    South Moravia
o    Moravian Karst with underground caves decorated with numerous stalactites and stalagmites of different shapes and colours. The cave labyrinth can be seen from boats floating on the underground river called the Punkva.
•    A centre of South Moravia, Brno is a remarkable city, unofficially known as the capital of Moravia. The city is known by foreign businessmen in particular as they come to see the trade fairs and exhibitions held there every year.
•    In North Moravia
o    Agricultural region called Hana with a beautiful university town called Olomouc, the second most important historical place of the Czech lands.
o    Town Ostrava is an important industrial centre.
o    The mountains are also worth mentioning, and the Jeseniky and Beskydy Mountains are attractive destinations for both summer and winter holidays.