Czech Republic

Czechia (Czech: Česko), is a country in Central Europe. As of 2 May 2016, the official long name of the country is the Czech Republic (Czech: Česká republika, pronounced [ˈtʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka]  ( listen)). The capital and the biggest city is Prague (Czech: Praha, pronounced [ˈpraha]). The currency is the Czech Crown (koruna česká - CZK). €1 is about 23 CZK. The president of Czechia is Petr Pavel. Czechia's population is about 10.5 million.

Czech Republic Česká republika  (Czech)
Flag Greater coat of arms
Motto: "Pravda vítězí" (Czech) "Truth prevails"
Anthem:  Kde domov můj  (Czech) Where is my home
Location of the  Czech Republic  (dark green) – on the European continent  (green & dark grey) – in the European Union  (green)  —  [Legend]
Capital and largest city	Prague 50°05′N 14°28′E
Official and national language	Czech[1]
Other official recognised languages[2][3]	List Slovak German Polish Belarusian Bulgarian Croatian Greek Hungarian Romani Russian Rusyn Serbian Ukrainian Vietnamese
Ethnic groups (2011[4])	64% Czechs 26% undeclared 5% Moravians 1.4% Slovaks 0.4% Poles 3.2% other
Religion	86.7% non-religious or undeclared 10.4% Roman Catholic 2.2% other Christians 0.7% other religions
Demonym(s)	Czech
Government	Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic
• President	Petr Pavel
• Prime Minister	Petr Fiala
Legislature	Parliament
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	Chamber of Deputies
Formation
• Duchy of Bohemia	c. 870
• Kingdom of Bohemia	1198
• Czechoslovakia (Independence from Austria-Hungary)	28 October 1918
• Federalization of Czechoslovakia (Czech Socialist Republic)	1 January 1969
• Czech Republic became independent	1 January 1993
• Joined the European Union	1 May 2004
Area
• Total	78,871 km2 (30,452 sq mi) (115th)
• Water (%)	2.12 (as of 2020)[5]
Population
• 2021 estimate	10,701,777[6] (86th)
• 2011 census	10,436,560[7]
• Density	136/km2 (352.2/sq mi) (62th)
GDP (PPP)	2020 estimate
• Total	$432.346 billion[8] (36th)
• Per capita	$40,585[8] (34th)
GDP (nominal)	2020 estimate
• Total	$261.732 billion[8] (36th)
• Per capita	$24,569[8] (37th)
Gini (2019)	24.0[9] low · 5th
HDI (2019)	0.900[10] very high · 27th
Currency	Czech koruna (CZK)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+420b
ISO 3166 code	CZ
Internet TLD	.czc
The question is rhetorical, implying "those places where my homeland lies". Code 42 was shared with Slovakia until 1997. Also .eu, shared with other European Union member states.

Hradčany – Prague castle

Regions with their administrative seats

The local language is the Czech language, a Slavic language related to languages like Slovak and Polish.

Czechia has no sea; its neighbour countries are Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Poland.

History

Its history dates from the 9th century AD, for a long time it was one of the most powerful countries in Central Europe. Later on it was the biggest, most populated and richest country of the First Reich, where many Emperors started their career. Under the conditions of the Treaty of Vienna 1515 parts of Czechia, then in the Kingdoms of Bohemia and Hungary, came under Habsburg rule after the death of Louis the Jagiellon in 1526. They stayed a part of the Habsburg dynasty rule until 1918.

The area of the today's Czechia was a part of Czechoslovakia (current area of Czechia and Slovak republic) from 1918 to 1992. Czechoslovakia became independent in 1918 from Austro-Hungarian Empire. The first Czechoslovakian president was Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. In February 1948 the Communist party took over the country and for the next 41 years Czechoslovakia was a Socialist state with a rule of one (Communist) party. In 1968 there was a reformation movement (Prague Spring) within the Communist party, but reforms were stopped by the invasion of Warsaw pact armies. In November 1989 Czechoslovakia returned to democracy through the peaceful "Velvet Revolution".  Czechoslovakia peacefully split into two countries (Czechia and Slovakia) in 1993. Czechia has been a member of the European Union since 1 May 2004, and a member of NATO since 12 March 1999.

Geography

The Czech Republic is between the latitude of 48° and 51° N and longitudes 12° and 19° E

Western Czechia is made up of Bohemia. Eastern Czechia is made up of Moravia.^[11]

The highest point in the country is Sněžka at 1,602 m (5,256 ft).

There are four national parks in Czechia. The oldest is Krkonoše National Park. The others are Šumava National Park, Podyjí National Park, Bohemian Switzerland.

Regions

See also: List of cities in the Czech Republic

In 1949 the Communist government created 13 centralized regions instead of historical countries. In 1960 the regions changed leaving only 8 regions. In 2000 14 regions were formed with their own regional self-government.

English name	Czech name	Administrative seat
Prague, the Capital City	Hlavní město Praha	Prague
Central Bohemian Region	Středočeský kraj	Prague
South Bohemian Region	Jihočeský kraj	České Budějovice
Plzeň Region	Plzeňský kraj	Plzeň
Karlovy Vary Region	Karlovarský kraj	Karlovy Vary
Ústí nad Labem Region	Ústecký kraj	Ústí nad Labem
Liberec Region	Liberecký kraj	Liberec
Hradec Králové Region	Královehradecký kraj	Hradec Králové
Pardubice Region	Pardubický kraj	Pardubice
Olomouc Region	Olomoucký kraj	Olomouc
Moravian-Silesian Region	Moravskoslezský kraj	Ostrava
South Moravian Region	Jihomoravský kraj	Brno
Zlín Region	Zlínský kraj	Zlín
Vysočina region	Kraj Vysočina	Jihlava

Religion

Religion in the Czech Republic (2011)[12]
Undeclared			45.2%
Irreligion			34.2%
Roman Catholicism			10.3%
Other religions			9.4%
Protestantism			0.8%

Czechia is one of the least religious countries in the world. According to the 2011 census, 34.2% of the population stated they had no religion, 10.3% were Roman Catholic, 0.8% were Protestant (0.5% Czech Brethren and 0.4% Hussite), and 9.4% followed other forms of religion both denominational or not (of which 863 people answered they are Pagan). 45.2% of the population did not answer the question about religion.

Related pages

• Czechia at the Olympics
• Czechia's national football team
• List of rivers of Czechia
• Czech language

References

1. "Czech language". Czech Republic – Official website. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. Archived from the original on 6 November 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
2. Citizens belonging to minorities, which traditionally and on a long-term basis live within the territory of the Czech Republic, enjoy the right to use their language in communication with authorities and in courts of law (for the list of recognized minorities see National Minorities Policy of the Government of the Czech Republic, Belorussian and Vietnamese since 4 July 2013, see Česko má nové oficiální národnostní menšiny. Vietnamce a Bělorusy). Article 25 of the Czech Charter of Fundamental Rights and Basic Freedoms ensures the right of the national and ethnic minorities to education and communication with the authorities in their own language. Act No. 500/2004 Coll. (The Administrative Rule) in its paragraph 16 (4) (Procedural Language) ensures that a citizen of the Czech Republic who belongs to a national or an ethnic minority, which traditionally and on a long-term basis lives within the territory of the Czech Republic, has the right to address an administrative agency and proceed before it in the language of the minority. If the administrative agency has no employee with knowledge of the language, the agency is bound to obtain a translator at the agency's own expense. According to Act No. 273/2001 (Concerning the Rights of Members of Minorities) paragraph 9 (The right to use language of a national minority in dealing with authorities and in front of the courts of law) the same also applies to members of national minorities in the courts of law.
3. The Slovak language may be considered an official language in the Czech Republic under certain circumstances, as defined by several laws – e.g. law 500/2004, 337/1992. Source: http://portal.gov.cz. Cited: "Například Správní řád (zákon č. 500/2004 Sb.) stanovuje: "V řízení se jedná a písemnosti se vyhotovují v českém jazyce. Účastníci řízení mohou jednat a písemnosti mohou být předkládány i v jazyce slovenském ..." (§ 16, odstavec 1). Zákon o správě daní a poplatků (337/1992 Sb.) "Úřední jazyk: Před správcem daně se jedná v jazyce českém nebo slovenském. Veškerá písemná podání se předkládají v češtině nebo slovenštině ..." (§ 3, odstavec 1). http://portal.gov.cz
4. "Czech Republic Population 2014". World Population Review. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
5. "Public database: Land use (as at 31 December)". Czech Statistical Office. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
6. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2021". Czech Statistical Office. 30 April 2021.
7. "Public database: Census 2011". Çek İstatistik Ofisi. 2 June 2021. Archived from the original on 10 July 2017.
8. "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2019". IMF.org. International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
9. "Gini coefficient of equivalised disposable income - EU-SILC survey". ec.europa.eu. Eurostat. Archived from the original on 20 March 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
10. "Human Development Report 2020" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 10 December 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
11. "Information about the Czech Republic | Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Chicago". mzv.gov.cz. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
12. "Population by religious belief and by municipality size groups" (PDF). Czech Statistical Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2012.

Other websites

• Czechia pictures Archived 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
• Czechia map Archived 2004-12-21 at the Wayback Machine
• Czechia map - Google Maps style Archived 8 June 2005 at the Wayback Machine
• Czechia - Immigration Archived 6 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine
• Czechia - Business Archived 19 September 2010 at the Wayback Machine
• Czech Republic^{[permanent dead link]}