User:Spesh531/Czechia

Coordinates: 49°45′N 15°30′E / 49.750°N 15.500°E / 49.750; 15.500
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This page is about the European country. For other uses, see Spesh531/Czechia (disambiguation).

Czech Republic
Česká republika (Czech)
Flag of Czechia
Flag
Coat of arms of Czechia
Coat of arms
Motto: "
Kde domov můj? (Czech)
  • Where is my home?
    • Location of the Spesh531/Czechia (dark green) – in Europe (green & dark grey) – in the European Union (green)  –  [Legend]
    Location of the Spesh531/Czechia (dark green)

    – in Europe (green & dark grey)
    – in the European Union (green)  –  [Legend]

    Capital
    and largest city
    		Prague
    50°05′N 14°28′E / 50.083°N 14.467°E / 50.083; 14.467
    Official languageCzech[1]
    Officially recognised[2][3]
    List
    constitutional republic
    • President
    		Miloš Zeman
    Bohuslav Sobotka
    Legislature
    Formation
    c. 870
    1198
    28 October 1918
    1 January 1969
    • Czechia
    		1 January 1993
    1 May 2004
    Calling code
    		+420b
    ISO 3166 codeCZ
    Internet TLD.czc
    1. The question is rhetorical, implying "those places where my homeland lies".
    2. Code 42 was shared with Slovakia until 1997.
    3. Also .eu, shared with other European Union member states.

    Czechia (/ˈtʃɛk r[invalid input: 'ɨ']ˈpʌblɪk/ ⓘ CHEK-rə-PUB-lik;[11] Czech: Česká republika [ˈt͡ʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka] ⓘ), is a nation state in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west, Austria to the south, Slovakia to the east and Poland to the northeast.[12] Czechia covers an area of 78,866 square kilometres (30,450 sq mi) with mostly temperate continental climate. It is a unitary parliamentary republic, has 10.5 million inhabitants and the capital and largest city is Prague, with over 1.2 million residents. Czechia includes its historical territories of Bohemia,[13] Moravia, and Czech Silesia.

    The Czech state was formed in the late 9th century as the

    Roman Catholic Church
    .

    Following the

    Austro-Hungarian Empire
    after World War I.

    Czechoslovakia was

    1948 coup d'état, Czechoslovakia became a one-party communist state under Soviet influence. In 1968, increasing dissatisfaction with the regime culminated in a reform movement known as the Prague Spring, which ended in a Soviet-led invasion. Czechoslovakia remained occupied until the 1989Velvet Revolution, when the communist regime collapsed and a multiparty parliamentary republic was formed. On 1 January 1993, Czechoslovakia peacefully dissolved, with its constituent states becoming the independent states of the Czech Republic and Slovakia
    .

    The Czech Republic joined

    democratic governance. Its capital, Prague, has the lowest unemployment rate in the European Union.[23]

    Etymology

    Main articles:
    Name of Czechia

    The traditional English name "Bohemia" derives from Latin "Boiohaemum", which means "home of the Boii". The current name comes from the endonym Čech, spelled "Cžech" until the orthographic reform in 1842.[24][25] The name comes from the Slavic tribe (Czechs,

    cognate to the Czech word člověk (a person).[26]

    The country has been traditionally divided into three lands, namely

    Saint Wenceslas. When the country regained its independence after the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian empire
    in 1918, the new name of Czechoslovakia was coined to reflect the union of the Czech and Slovak nations within the one country.

    Following the dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, the Czech part of the former nation found itself without a common single-word geographical name in English. The name Czechia /ˈtʃɛkiə/ was recommended by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs (minister Josef Zieleniec). In a memorandum to all Czech embassies and diplomatic missions in 1993, the full name "Czech Republic" was recommended for use only in official documents and titles of official institutions [27] (cit.). The geographical name still has not reached general recognition, but its usage is increasing. It can be found in dictionaries,[28] maps, special literature,[29] tourist road atlases,[30] maps,[31] encyclopedias,[32] media,[33] and on the web. Czech president Miloš Zeman uses the name Czechia in his official speeches and he announced in April 2016 the government would make a formal request to the UN to include the name in its geographical database.[34][35]

    History

    Main article: History of the Czech lands
    Map
    Diachronic distribution of Celtic peoples, showing expansion of the core territory into the Czech lands by the 270s BC
    Stone sculpture
    Stone head of a hero (cc. 450-50 B.C.) wearing a torc, example of Iron Age Celtic art.
    Historical affiliations

    Prehistory

    Archaeologists have found evidence of prehistoric human settlements in the area, dating back to the Paleolithic era. The figurine Venus of Dolní Věstonice, together with a few others from nearby locations, found here is the oldest known ceramic article in the world.

    In the

    classical era, from the 3rd century BC Celtic migrations, the Boii and later in the 1st century, Germanic tribes of Marcomanni and Quadi settled there. Their king Maroboduus is the first documented ruler of Bohemia. During the Migration Period
    around the 5th century, many Germanic tribes moved westwards and southwards out of Central Europe.

    Magyars). In the sixth century they moved westwards into Bohemia, Moravia and some of present-day Austria and Germany. During the 7th century, the Frankish merchant Samo, supporting the Slavs fighting against nearby settled Avars, became the ruler of the first known Slav state in Central Europe, the Samo's Empire. The Moravian principality Great Moravia
    arose in the 8th century and reached its zenith in the 9th, when it held off the influence of the Franks and won the protection of the Pope.

    Bohemia

    Main article: Bohemia
    Duke of Austria
    (1251–1278)

    The Duchy of Bohemia emerged in the late 9th century, when it was unified by the Přemyslid dynasty. In 10th century Boleslaus I, Duke of Bohemia conquered Moravia, Silesia and expanded farther to the east. The Kingdom of Bohemia was, as the only kingdom in the Holy Roman Empire, a significant regional power during the Middle Ages. It was part of the Empire from 1002 till 1806, with the exception of the years 1440–1526.[citation needed] In 1212, King Přemysl Ottokar I (bearing the title "king" since 1198) extracted the Golden Bull of Sicily (a formal edict) from the emperor, confirming Ottokar and his descendants' royal status; theDuchy of Bohemia was raised to a Kingdom. The bull declared that the King of Bohemia would be exempt from all future obligations to the Holy Roman Empire except for participation in imperial councils. German immigrants settled in the Bohemian periphery in the 13th century. Germans populated towns and mining districts and, in some cases, formed German colonies in the interior of Bohemia. In 1235, the Mongols launched an invasion of Europe. After the Battle of Legnica in Poland, the Mongols carried their raids into Moravia, but were defensively defeated at the fortified town of Olomouc.[36] The Mongols subsequently invaded and defeated Hungary.[37]

    Coat of Arms
    Coat of arms of Kingdom of Bohemia emerged in the 13th century
    Copy of the Bohemian Crown
    The Crown of Saint Wenceslas is the 4th oldest in Europe
    Crown of Bohemia in the late 14th century
    Lands of the Bohemian Crown until 1740
    Holy Roman Empire 1600
    Holy Roman Empire in 1600. It included the Czech lands from 1004 to 1806, and Prague was the imperial seat in 1346–1437 and 1583–1611.

    King

    Danube river to the Baltic Sea. In 1306, the last king of Přemyslid line was murdered in mysterious circumstances in Olomouc while he was resting. After a series of dynastic wars, the House of Luxembourg gained the Bohemian throne.[39]

    The 14th century, in particular, the reign of the

    cathedral of Saint Vitus in Gothic style were completed during his reign. He unified Brandenburg (until 1415), Lusatia (until 1635), and Silesia (until 1742) under the Czech crown. The Black Death, which had raged in Europe from 1347 to 1352, decimated the Kingdom of Bohemia in 1380,[40] killing about 10% of the population.[41]

    By the end of the 14th century started the process of the so-called Bohemian (Czech) Reformation. The religious and social reformer Jan Hus formed a reform movement later named after him. Although Hus was named a heretic and burnt in Constance in 1415, his followers seceded from the Catholic Church and in theHussite Wars (1419–1434) defeated five crusades organized against them by the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund. Petr Chelčický continued with the Hussite Reformation movement. During the next two centuries, 90% of the inhabitants became adherents of the Hussite movement.

    After 1526 Bohemia came increasingly under

    Habsburg Monarchy, were buried in Prague. Between 1583–1611 Prague was the official seat of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II
    and his court.

    The Defenestration of Prague sparked the Thirty Years' War
    Monument to František Palacký, a significant member of the Czech National Revival

    The Defenestration of Prague and subsequent revolt against the Habsburgs in 1618 marked the start of the Thirty Years' War, which quickly spread throughout Central Europe. In 1620, the rebellion in Bohemia was crushed at the Battle of White Mountain, and the ties between Bohemia and the Habsburgs' hereditary lands in Austria were strengthened. The leaders of the Bohemian Revolt were executed in 1621. The nobility and the middle class Protestants had to either convert to Catholicism or leave the country.[42]

    The following period, from 1620 to the late 18th century, has often been called colloquially the "Dark Age". The population of the

    Catholicism.[44] The flowering of Baroque culture
    shows the ambiguity of this historical period. Ottoman Turks and Tatars invaded Moravia in 1663.[45] In 1679–1680 the Czech lands faced a devastating plague and an uprising of serfs.[46]

    The reigns of

    Great Famine killed about one tenth of the Czech population, or 250,000 inhabitants, and radicalised the countryside leading to peasant uprisings.[47] Serfdom
    was abolished (in two steps) between 1781 and 1848.

    The end of the

    Austria–Hungary. During the 18th and 19th century the Czech National Revival began its rise, with the purpose to revive Czech language, culture and national identity. The Revolution of 1848 in Prague, striving for liberal reforms and autonomy of the Bohemian Crown within the Austrian Empire, was suppressed. In 1866 Austria was defeated by Prussia in the Austro-Prussian War. The Austrian Empire needed to redefine itself to maintain unity in the face of nationalism. At first it seemed that some concessions would be made also to Bohemia, but in the end the Emperor Franz Joseph I effected a compromise with Hungary only. The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 and the never realized coronation of Franz Joseph as King of Bohemia led to a huge disappointment of Czech politicians.[49] The Bohemian Crown lands became part of the so-calledCisleithania (officially "The Kingdoms and Lands represented in the Imperial Council"). The first elections under universal male suffrage were held in 1907. The last King of Bohemia was Blessed Charles of Austria
    who ruled in 1916–1918.

    Czechoslovakia

    Czechoslovak declaration of independence rally in Prague on Wenceslas Square, 28 October 1918
    Main article: History of Czechoslovakia

    An estimated 1.4 million Czech soldiers fought in World War I, of whom some 150,000 died. Although the majority of Czech soldiers fought for the

    Bohemian Crown (Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia) and parts of the Kingdom of Hungary (Slovakia and the Carpathian Ruthenia) with significant German, Hungarian, Polish and Ruthenian speaking minorities.[51]

    In 1929 compared to 1913, the gross domestic product increased by 52% and industrial production by 41%. In 1938 Czechoslovakia held a 10th place in the world industrial production.[52]

    The interwar Czechoslovakia

    Although Czechoslovakia was a unitary state, it provided what were at the time rather extensive rights to its minorities and remained the only democracy in this part of Europe in the interwar period. The effects of the Great Depression including high unemployment and massive propaganda from Nazi Germany, however, resulted in discontent and strong support among ethnic Germans for a break from Czechoslovakia.

    Adolf Hitler took advantage of this opportunity and, using Konrad Henlein's separatist Sudeten German Party, gained the largely German speaking Sudetenland (and its substantial Maginot Line-like border fortifications) through the 1938 Munich Agreement (signed by Nazi Germany, France, Britain and Italy). Czechoslovakia was not invited to the conference, therefore in fact betrayed by the United Kingdom and France, so Czechs and Slovaks call the Munich Agreement theMunich Betrayal because the Western powers decided to give up Czechoslovakia instead of facing Hitler, which later proved inevitable. All that despite the fact that Czechoslovakia had alliance agreement with France.

    Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (left), first president of Czechoslovakia, and Edvard Beneš
    (right), president before and after World War II.

    Despite the mobilization of 1.2 million-strong Czechoslovak army and the Franco-Czech military alliance, Poland annexed the

    Zaolzie area around Český Těšín; Hungary gained parts of Slovakia and the Subcarpathian Rus as a result of the First Vienna Award in November 1938. The remainders of Slovakia and the Subcarpathian Rus gained greater autonomy, with the state renamed to "Czecho-Slovakia". After Nazi Germany threatened to annex part of Slovakia, allowing the remaining regions to be partitioned by Hungary and Poland, Slovakia chose to maintain its national and territorial integrity, seceding from Czecho-Slovakia in March 1939, and allying itself, as demanded by Germany, with Hitler's coalition.[53]

    The remaining Czech territory was occupied by Germany, which transformed it into the so-called Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. The protectorate was proclaimed part of the Third Reich, and the president and prime minister were subordinated to the Nazi Germany's Reichsprotektor. 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 the next day. Approximately 345,000 Czechoslovak citizens, including 277,000 Jews, were killed or executed while hundreds of thousands of others were sent to prisons and Nazi concentration camps or used as forced labour. Up to two-thirds of the citizens were in groups targeted by the Nazis for deportation or death.[54] One concentration camp was located within the Czech territory at Terezín, north of Prague.

    Prague liberated by Red Army in May 1945

    There was

    Czechoslovak government-in-exile and its army fought against the Germans and were acknowledged by the Allies; Czech/Czechoslovak troops fought from the very beginning of the war in Poland, France, the UK, North Africa, the Middle East and the Soviet Union. The German occupation ended on 9 May 1945, with the arrival of the Soviet and American armies and the Prague uprising. An estimated 140,000 Soviet soldiers died in liberating Czechoslovakia from German rule.[55]

    In 1945–1946, almost the entire German-speaking minority in Czechoslovakia, about 3 million people,

    were expelled to Germany and Austria. During this time, thousands of Germans were held in prisons and detention camps or used as forced labour. In the summer of 1945, there were several massacres. The only Germans not expelled were some 250,000 who had been active in the resistance against the Nazi Germans or were considered economically important, though many of these emigrated later. Following a Soviet-organised referendum, the Subcarpathian Rus never returned under Czechoslovak rule but became part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, as the Zakarpattia Oblast
    in 1946.

    Czechoslovakia uneasily tried to play the role of a "bridge" between the West and East. However, the

    1946 elections, the Communists gained 38%[56] of the votes and 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. A significant change came in 1948 with coup d'état by the Communist Party. The Communist People's Militias
    secured control of key locations in Prague, and a single party government was formed.

    The Prague Spring political liberalization of the communist regime was stopped by the 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia

    For the next 41 years, Czechoslovakia was a Communist state within the Eastern Bloc. This period is characterized by lagging behind the West in almost every aspect of social and economic development. The country's GDP per capita fell from the level of neighboring Austria below that of Greece or Portugal in the 1980s. The Communist government completely nationalized the means of production and established a command economy. The economy grew rapidly during the 1950s but slowed down in the 1960s and 1970s and stagnated in the 1980s. The political climate was highly repressive during the 1950s, including numerous show trials and hundreds of thousands of political prisoners, but became more open and tolerant in the late 1960s, culminating in Alexander Dubček's leadership in the 1968 Prague Spring, which tried to create "socialism with a human face" and perhaps even introduce political pluralism. This was forcibly ended byinvasion by all Warsaw Pact member countries with the exception of Romania and Albania on 21 August 1968.

    The invasion was followed by a harsh program of "Normalization" in the late 1960s and the 1970s. Until 1989, the political establishment relied on censorship of the opposition. Dissidents published Charter 77 in 1977, and the first of a new wave of protests were seen in 1988. Between 1948 and 1989 more than 250,000 Czechs and Slovaks were sent to prison, and over 400,000 emigrated.[57]

    Velvet Revolution and independence

    1st Czech president
    honoring wounded in protests.
    Main articles: Velvet Revolution and Dissolution of Czechoslovakia

    In November 1989, Czechoslovakia returned to a liberal democracy through the peaceful "

    privatisations, with the intention of creating a market economy. This process was largely successful; in 2006 the Czech Republic was recognised by the World Bank as a "developed country",[16] and in 2009 the Human Development Index ranked it as a nation of "Very High Human Development".[58]

    From 1991, the Czech Republic, originally as part of Czechoslovakia and since 1993 in its own right, has been a member of the

    OECD. The Czech Republic joined NATO on 12 March 1999 and the European Union on 1 May 2004. On 21 December 2007 the Czech Republic joined the Schengen Area
    .

    Government and politics

    Main articles:
    Politics of Czechia
    Chamber of Deputies

    Czechia is a pluralist multi-party parliamentary representative democracy, with the Prime Ministeras the head of government. The Parliament (Parlament České republiky) is bicameral, with the Chamber of Deputies (Czech: Poslanecká sněmovna) (200 members) and the Senate (Czech: Senát) (81 members).[59]

    The president is a formal head of state with limited and specific powers, most importantly to return bills to the parliament, appoint members to the board of the Czech National Bank, nominate constitutional court judges for the Senate's approval and dissolve the Chamber of Deputies under certain special and unusual circumstances. He also appoints the prime minister, as well the other members of the cabinet on a proposal by the prime minister. From 1993 until 2012, the President of Czechia was selected by a joint session of the parliament for a five-year term, with no more than two consecutive terms. Since 2013 the presidential election is direct. [60] Miloš Zeman was the first directly elected Czech President.

    The

    Chamber of Deputies.[61]

    The

    11th Prime Minister
    .

    The members of the Chamber of Deputies are elected for a four-year term by

    election threshold. There are 14 voting districts, identical to the country's administrative regions. The Chamber of Deputies, the successor to the Czech National Council
    , has the powers and responsibilities of the now defunct federal parliament of the former Czechoslovakia.

    The political system of Czechia

    The members of the Senate are elected in single-seat constituencies by two-round runoff voting for a six-year term, with one-third elected every even year in the autumn. The first election was in 1996, for differing terms. This arrangement is modeled on the U.S. Senate, but each constituency is roughly the same size and the voting system used is a two-round runoff. The Senate is unpopular among the public and suffers from low election turnout.[citation needed]

    Main office-holders
    Office Name Party Since
    President Miloš Zeman SPOZ 8 March 2013
    Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka
    ČSSD
    		 17 January 2014
    Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies
    		 Jan Hamáček
    ČSSD
    		 27 November 2013
    President of the Senate
    		 Milan Štěch
    ČSSD
    		 24 November 2010

    Law

    Main articles:
    Law enforcement in Czechia
    Seat of the Constitutional Court of Czechia in Brno.

    Czechia has a civil law system based on the continental type, rooted in Germanic legal culture. Czech judiciary has triumvirate system of the main courts, the Constitutional Court which oversees violations of the Constitution by either the legislature or by the government consisting of 15 constitutional judges, the Supreme Court is the court of highest appeal for almost all legal cases heard in Czechia formed of 67 judges and the Supreme Administrative Court decides on issues of procedural and administrative propriety. It also has jurisdiction over many political matters, such as the formation and closure of political parties, jurisdictional boundaries between government entities, and the eligibility of persons to stand for public office.

    Foreign relations

    Main article:
    Foreign relations of Czechia
    See also: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Czechia
    Countries with Embassies of Czechia.

    Czechia has an established structure of foreign relations. It is a member of the

    Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Council of Europe and is an observer to the Organization of American States.[63] All countries with diplomatic relations with Czechia have embassy located in Prague, and some of them have consulates
    across the country.

    The

    Minister of Foreign Affairs have primary roles in setting foreign policy. Membership in the European Union is central to Czechia's foreign policy. Czechia held the Presidency of the Council of the European Unionfor
    the first half of 2009.

    Czechia has strong ties with

    members
    .

    Czech officials have supported dissenters in

    Burma, Belarus, Moldova and Cuba.[68]

    Czech soldier in Afghanistan

    Military

    Main article: Military of Czechia

    The Czech armed forces consist of the

    Czech Army, the Czech Air Force and of specialized support units. The armed forces are managed by theMinistry of Defence. The President of Czechia is Commander-in-chief of the armed forces. In 2004 the army transformed itself into a fully professional organization and compulsory military service was abolished. The country has been a member of NATO since 12 March 1999. Defense spending is approximately 1.04% of the GDP (2015).[69] The armed forces are charged with protecting Czechia and its allies, promoting global security interests, and contributing to NATO
    .

    Currently, as a member of NATO, the Czech military are participating in

    OT-90, BVP-2 and Czech modernized tanks T-72
    (T-72M4CZ).

    Administrative divisions

    See also:
    Regions of Czechia and List of districts of Czechia

    Since 2000, Czechia has been divided into thirteen regions (Czech: kraje, singularkraj) and the capital city of Prague. Every region has its own elected regional assembly (krajské zastupitelstvo) and hejtman (a regional governor). In Prague, the assembly and presidential 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) lost most of their importance in 1999 in an administrative reform; they remain as territorial divisions and seats of various branches of state administration.[71]

    Map of Czechia with traditional regions and current administrative regions
    Map with districts
    Licence
    plate letter         		Region name
    in English     		Region name
    in Czech     		Administrative
    seat     		Population
    (2004 estimate)     		Population
    (2011 estimate)[72]
    A  Prague a Hlavní město Praha n/a 1,170,571 1,268,796
    S  Central Bohemian Region Středočeský kraj Pragueb 1,144,071 1,289,211
    C  South Bohemian Region Jihočeský kraj České Budějovice 625,712 628,336
    P  Plzeň Region Plzeňský kraj Plzeň 549,618 570,401
    K  Karlovy Vary Region Karlovarský kraj Karlovy Vary 304,588 295,595
    U  Ústí nad Labem Region Ústecký kraj Ústí nad Labem 822,133 835,814
    L  Liberec Region Liberecký kraj Liberec 427,563 432,439
    H  Hradec Králové Region Královéhradecký kraj Hradec Králové 547,296 547,916
    E  Pardubice Region Pardubický kraj Pardubice 505,285 511,627
    M  Olomouc Region Olomoucký kraj Olomouc 635,126 628,427
    T  Moravian-Silesian Region Moravskoslezský kraj Ostrava 1,257,554 1,205,834
    B  South Moravian Region Jihomoravský kraj Brno 1,123,201 1,163,508
    Z  Zlín Region Zlínský kraj Zlín 590,706 579,944
    J  Vysočina Region Kraj Vysočina Jihlava 517,153 505,565

    a Capital city.
    b Office location.

    Geography

    See also:
    Geography of Czechia
    Satellite image of Czechia

    Czechia lies mostly between latitudes 48° and 51° N (a small area lies north of 51°), and longitudes 12° and 19° E.

    The Czech landscape is exceedingly varied.

    Krkonoše range of the Sudetes. The highest point in the country, Sněžka at 1,602 m (5,256 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 (Czech
    : Odra).

    Podyjí National Park is one of four national parks.

    Water from the landlocked Czechia flows to three different seas: the

    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 down river could be transferred to seagoing ships. The territory reverts to Germany in 2028.

    Phytogeographically, Czechia belongs to the Central European province of the Circumboreal Region, within the Boreal Kingdom. According to theWorld Wide Fund for Nature, the territory of Czechia can be subdivided into four ecoregions: the Western European broadleaf forests, Central European mixed forests, Pannonian mixed forests, and Carpathian montane conifer forests.

    There are four national parks in Czechia. The oldest is Krkonoše National Park (Biosphere Reserve), Šumava National Park (Biosphere Reserve), Podyjí National Park, Bohemian Switzerland.

    The three historical lands of Czechia (formerly the core countries of the Bohemian Crown) correspond almost prefectly with the river basins of the Elbe (Czech: Labe) and the Vltava basin for Bohemia, the Morava one for Moravia, and the Oder river basin for Czech Silesia (in terms of the Czech territory).

    Climate

    Czechia map of Köppen climate classification.
    Moravian-Silesian Beskids

    Czechia has a temperate continental climate, with warm summers and cold, cloudy and snowy winters. The temperature difference between summer and winter is relatively high, due to the landlocked geographical position.[73]

    Within Czechia, temperatures vary greatly, depending on the elevation. In general, at higher altitudes, the temperatures decrease and

    precipitation increases. The wettest area in Czechia is found around Bílý Potok in Jizera Mountains and the driest region is the Louny District to the northwest of Prague
    . Another important factor is the distribution of the mountains; therefore, the climate is quite varied.

    Rolling hills of Králický Sněžník

    At the highest peak of Sněžka (1,602 m or 5,256 ft), the average temperature is only −0.4 °C (31 °F), whereas in the lowlands of the South Moravian Region, the average temperature is as high as 10 °C (50 °F). The country's capital, Prague, has a similar average temperature, although this is influenced by urban factors.

    The coldest month is usually January, followed by February and December. During these months, there is usually snow in the mountains and sometimes in the major cities and lowlands. During March, April and May, the temperature usually increases rapidly, especially during April, when 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 with occasional flooding.

    The warmest month of the year is July, followed by August and June. On average, summer temperatures are about 20 °C (68 °F) – 30 °C (86 °F) higher than during winter. Summer is also characterized by rain and storms.

    Bohemian Forest foothills, southwestern Bohemia

    Autumn generally begins in September, which is still relatively warm and dry. During October, temperatures usually fall below 15 °C (59 °F) or 10 °C (50 °F) anddeciduous trees begin to shed their leaves. By the end of November, temperatures usually range around the freezing point.

    The coldest temperature ever measured was in Litvínovice near České Budějovice in 1929, at −42.2 °C (−44.0 °F) and the hottest measured, was at 40.4 °C (104.7 °F) inDobřichovice in 2012.[74]

    Most rain falls during the summer. Sporadic rainfall is relatively constant throughout the year (in Prague, the average number of days per month experiencing at least 0.1 mm of rain varies from 12 in September and October to 16 in November) but concentrated heavy rainfall (days with more than 10 mm per day) are more frequent in the months of May to August (average around two such days per month).[75]

    Environment

    See also:
    Protected areas of Czechia

    Czechia ranks as the fifth most environmentally conscious country in the world in Environmental Performance Index.[76]

    Map of protected areas
    Map of Protected areas of Czechia: National Parks (grey) and Protected Landscape Areas (green).
    Large owl with prey
    Eurasian eagle-owl is a protected predator.
    Cute cat
    Eurasian lynx was reintroduced and protected after extensive hunting in the past.

    Economy

    Main article:
    Economy of Czechia
    Czechia is part of the EU single market and the Schengen Area.
    Škoda Auto is one of the largest car manufacturers in Central Europe. In 2014, it sold a record number of 1,037,000 cars and said it aimed to double sales by 2018. (image of Škoda Superb)
    Czech National Bank in Prague

    Czechia possesses a developed,

    recent global economic crisis
    . Growth has been led by exports to the European Union, especially Germany, and foreign investment, while domestic demand is reviving.

    Most of the economy has been privatised, including the banks and telecommunications. A 2009 survey in cooperation with the Czech Economic Association found that the majority of Czech economists favour continued liberalization in most sectors of the economy.[80]

    The country has been a member of the

    World Trade Organisation on 1 January 1995. In 2012, Nearly 80% of Czech exports went to, and more than 65% of Czech imports came from, other European Union member states.[82]

    Czechia would become the 49th largest economy in the world by 2050 with a

    GDP of US$ $342 billion.[83]

    Czech crown, and it had been floating until 7. 11. 2013, when the central bank temporarily pegged the exchange rate at 27 crowns per euro in order to fight deflation.[85] When it joined EU, Czechia obligated itself to adopt the euro
    , but the date of adoption has not been determined.

    The

    OECD, currently ranks the Czech education system as the 15th best in the world, higher than the OECD average.[86] Czechia is ranked 24th in the 2015 Index of Economic Freedom
    .

    Leading Czech transportation companies include

    Jawa Motors (motorcycles). http://www.worlddiplomacy.org states that "Elections in 2013 brought a new government for Czechia. Although starting off 2013 rather weakly, the economy rebounded strongly in the coming quarters and most recently (Q1,2015) the economy has enjoyed the fastest GDP increase in the entire EU, clocking at 2.8% compared with Q4,2014, or 3.9% year-on-year."[87]

    In November 2015, Czech

    Czech economy the highest growth rate in Europe.[88]

    Unemployment rate is at 4.9%, giving Czechia the second lowest unemployment rate in the European Union after Germany.[89]

    Energy

    Main article:
    Energy in Czechia
    Dukovany Nuclear Power Station

    Production of Czech electricity exceeds consumption by about 10 TWh per year, which are exported. Nuclear power presently provides about 30 percent of the total power needs, its share is projected to increase to 40 percent. In 2005, 65.4 percent of electricity was produced by steam and combustion power plants (mostly coal); 30 percent by nuclear plants; and 4.6 percent from renewable sources, including hydropower. The largest Czech power resource is Temelín Nuclear Power Station, another nuclear power plant is in Dukovany.

    Czechia is reducing its dependence on highly polluting low-grade brown coal as a source of energy. Natural gas is procured from Russian Gazprom, roughly three-fourths of domestic consumption and from Norwegian companies, which make up most of the remaining one-fourth. Russian gas is imported via Ukraine (Druzhba pipeline), Norwegian gas is transported through Germany. Gas consumption (approx. 100 TWh in 2003–2005) is almost double electricity consumption. South Moravia has small oil and gas deposits.

    Transportation infrastructure

    Main article:
    Transport in Czechia
    densest in Europe
    .

    Kunovice (near Uherské Hradiště
    ).

    České dráhy (the Czech Railways) is the main railway operator in Czechia, with about 180 million passengers carried yearly. Its cargo division, ČD Cargo, is the fifth largest railway cargo operator in the European Union.[citation needed] With 9,505 km (5,906.13 mi) of tracks, Czechia has one of the densest railway networks in Europe.[90] Of that number,2,926 km (1,818.13 mi) is electrified, 7,617 km (4,732.98 mi) are single-line tracks and 1,866 km (1,159.48 mi) are double and multiple-line tracks.[91] In 2006 the new Italiantilting trains Pendolino ČD Class 680 entered service. They have reached a speed of 237 km/h setting a new Czech railway speed record.

    Russia, via pipelines through Ukraine and to a lesser extent, Norway, via pipelines through Germany, supply Czechia with liquid and natural gas.

    The road network in Czechia is 55,653 km (34,581.17 mi) long.[92] There are 775,8 km of motorways and 439,1 km of expressways.[citation needed] Thespeed limit is 50 km/h within towns, 90 km/h outside of towns and 130 km/h on expressways.[citation needed]

    Communications

    Main article: Internet in Czechia

    Czechia ranks in the top 10 countries worldwide with the fastest average internet speed.[93] Czechia has the most

    Český Telecom slowed down broadband penetration. At the beginning of 2004, local-loop unbundling began and alternative operators started to offer ADSL and alsoSDSL
    . This and later privatisation of Český Telecom helped drive down prices.

    On 1 July 2006, Český Telecom was acquired by globalized company (Spain owned) Telefónica group and adopted new name Telefónica O2 Czechia. As of June 2014, VDSL and ADSL2+ are offered in many variants, with download speeds of up to 40 Mbit/s and upload speeds of up to 2Mbit/s. Cable internet is gaining popularity with its higher download speeds ranging from 2 Mbit/s to 1 Gbit/s.

    Science and technology

    Otto Wichterle, inventor of the contact lens

    The Czech lands have a long and rich scientific tradition. The research based on cooperation between

    Academy of Sciences and specialised research centers brings new inventions and impulses in this area. Important inventions include the moderncontact lens, the separation of modern blood types, and the production of Semtex plastic explosive. In March 1978, Czechoslovakian Vladimír Remek
    was the first person outside of the Soviet Union and the United States to go into space.

    Prominent scientists who lived and worked in historically Czech lands include:

    A number of other scientists are also connected in some way with the Czech lands, including astronomers

    psychoanalytic school of psychiatry Sigmund Freud, physicists Christian Doppler, Ernst Mach, Nikola Tesla, Albert Einstein, engineer Viktor Kaplan, automotive engineerFerdinand Porsche and logician Kurt Gödel
    .

    Tourism

    Main article:
    Tourism in Czechia
    Prague is one of the most visited cities in Europe.

    The Czech economy gets a substantial income from tourism. Prague is the fifth most visited city in Europe after London, Paris, Istanbul and Rome.[105] In 2001, the total earnings from tourism reached 118 billion CZK, making up 5.5% of GNP and 9% of overall export earnings. The industry employs more than 110,000 people – over 1% of the population.[106] The country's reputation has suffered with guidebooks and tourists reporting overcharging by taxi drivers and pickpocketing problems mainly in Prague, though the situation has improved recently.[107][108] Since 2005, Prague's mayor, Pavel Bém, has worked to improve this reputation by cracking down on petty crime[108] and, aside from these problems, Prague is a safe city.[109] Also, Czechia as a whole generally has a low crime rate.[110] For tourists, Czechia is considered a safe destination to visit. The low crime rate makes most cities and towns very safe to walk around.

    Medieval castles such as Karlštejn are frequent tourist attractions.

    There are several centres of tourist activity. The spa towns, such as Karlovy Vary, Mariánské Lázně and Františkovy Lázně and Jáchymov, are particularly popular relaxing holiday destinations.[citation needed] Architectural heritage is another object of visitor´s interest – it includes many castles and châteaux from different historical epoques, namely Karlštejn Castle, Český Krumlov and the Lednice–Valtice area. There are 12

    Krkonoše Mountains
    attract visitors seeking outdoor pursuits.

    The country is also known for its various

    festivals throughout the country.[citation needed
    ] Aquapalace Praha in Čestlice near Prague, is the biggest water park in central Europe.[111]

    Czechia has a number of

    Pilsner Fest (every year in August in Plzeň), The "Olomoucký pivní festival" (in Olomouc) or festival "Slavnosti piva v Českých Budějovicích" (inČeské Budějovice
    ).

    Demographics

    Main article:
    Demographics of Czechia

    {{Largest cities of Czechia}}

    Historical population
    YearPop.±%
    1857 7,016,531—    
    1869 7,617,230+8.6%
    1880 8,222,013+7.9%
    1890 8,665,421+5.4%
    1900 9,372,214+8.2%
    1910 10,078,637+7.5%
    1921 10,009,587−0.7%
    1930 10,674,386+6.6%
    1950 8,896,133−16.7%
    1961 9,571,531+7.6%
    1970 9,807,697+2.5%
    1980 10,291,927+4.9%
    1991 10,302,215+0.1%
    2001 10,230,060−0.7%
    2011 10,436,560+2.0%
    2014 10,528,477+0.9%
    2015 10,541,466+0.1%

    According to preliminary results of the 2011 census, the majority of the inhabitants of Czechia are

    Moravians(4.9%), Slovaks (1.4%), Poles (0.4%), Germans (0.2%) and Silesians (0.1%). As the 'nationality' was an optional item, a substantial number of people left this field blank (26.0%).[112] According to some estimates, there are about 250,000 Romani people in Czechia.[113][114]

    There were 437,581 foreigners residing in the country in September 2013, according to the Czech Statistical Office,[115] with the largest groups being Ukrainian (106,714), Slovak (89,273), Vietnamese (61,102), Russian (32,828), Polish (19,378), German (18,099), Bulgarian (8,837), American (6,695), Romanian (6,425), Moldovan (5,860), Chinese (5,427), British (5,413), Mongolian (5,308), Kazakh (4,850), Belarusian (4,562).[115]

    The

    Jewish population of Bohemia and Moravia, 118,000 according to the 1930 census, was virtually annihilated by the Nazi Germans during the Holocaust.[116] There were approximately 4,000 Jews in Czechia in 2005.[117] The former Czech prime minister, Jan Fischer, is of Jewish origin and faith.[118]

    The total fertility rate (TFR) in 2015 was estimated at 1.44 children born/woman, which is below the replacement rate of 2.1, and one of the lowest in the world.[119] In 2015, 47.8% of births were to unmarried women.[120] The life expectancy in 2013 was estimated at 77.56 years (74.29 years male, 81.01 years female).

    guest workers by the Czechoslovak government.[123] In 2009, there were about 70,000 Vietnamese in Czechia.[124] Most decide to stay in the country permanently.[125]

    At the turn of the 20th century, Chicago was the city with the third largest Czech population,

    Czechdescent.[128]

    Religion

    Czechia has the lowest rate of citizens who answered "I believe there is a God" in the EU
    Main articles:
    Religion in Czechia and Religion in the European Union
    Religion in Czechia (2011)[129]
    Undeclared
     
    		 45%
    Irreligion
     
    		 34%
    Roman Catholicism
     
    		 10%
    Other religions
     
    		 9%
    Protestantism
     
    		 0.8%

    Czechia has one of the least religious populations in the world, being the country with the third most atheistic population by percentage, behind only China and Japan.

    Pagan). 45% of the population did not answer the question about religion.[129] From 1991 to 2001 and further to 2011 the adherence to Roman Catholicism decreased from 39% to 27% and then to 10%; Protestantism similarly declined from 3.7% to 2% and then to 0.8%.[132]

    According to a Eurobarometer Poll in 2010,[133] 16% of Czech citizens responded that "they believe there is a God" (the lowest rate among the countries of the European Union),[134]whereas 44% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 37% said that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force".

    According to new polls about Religiosity in the

    Atheist accounts for 20%, Undeclared accounts for 6%.[135]

    Education

    Main article:
    Education in Czechia

    Education in Czechia is compulsory for 9 years, but the average number of years of education is 13.1.[136] Additionally, Czechia has a relatively equal educational system in comparison with other countries in Europe.[136]

    Culture

    Main article: Culture of Czechia

    Art

    Painting of a woman
    Painting of a woman
    Painting of a woman
    Painting of a woman
    Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter (1896) by Art Nouveau artist Alphonse Mucha

    Czechia is known worldwide for its individually made, mouth blown and decorated art glass and crystal. One of the best Czech painters and decorative artists was

    National Gallery in Prague
    , which manages the largest collection of art in Czechia.

    Other notable Czech artists include:

    Architecture

    Main articles: Czech Gothic architecture, Czech Renaissance architecture, and Czech Baroque architecture

    The earliest preserved stone buildings in Bohemia and Moravia date back to the time of the

    Hussite wars
    , many of them were damaged or destroyed.

    Royal Summer Palace in Prague considered the purest Renaissance architecture outside Italy[137]

    The Renaissance style penetrated the Bohemian Crown in the late 15th century when the older Gothic style started to be slowly mixed with Renaissance elements (architects Matěj Rejsek, Benedikt Rejt). An outstanding example of the pure Renaissance architecture in Bohemia is the Royal Summer Palace, which was situated in a newly established garden of Prague Castle. Evidence of the general reception of the Renaissance in Bohemia, involving a massive influx of Italian architects, can be found in spacious châteaux with elegant arcade courtyards and geometrically arranged gardens.[138] Emphasis was placed on comfort, and buildings that were built for entertainment purposes also appeared.[139]

    St. Nicholas’ Church in Prague, a magnificent exemplar of the Bohemian Baroque

    In the 17th century, the Baroque style spread throughout the Crown of Bohemia. Very outstanding are the architectural projects of the Czech nobleman and imperial generalissimoAlbrecht von Wallenstein from the 1620s. His architects Andrea Spezza and Giovanni Pieroni reflected the most recent Italian production and were very innovative at the same time. Czech Baroque architecture is considered to be a unique part of the European cultural heritage thanks to its extensiveness and extraordinariness. In the first third of the 18th century the Bohemian lands were one of the leading artistic centers of the Baroque style. In Bohemia there was completed the development of the Radical Baroque style created in Italy by Francesco Borromini and Guarino Guarini in a very original way.[140] Leading architects of the Bohemian Baroque were Jean-Baptiste Mathey, František Maxmilián Kaňka, Christoph Dientzenhofer, and his son Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer.

    Santini

    In the 18th century Bohemia produced an architectural peculiarity – the Baroque Gothic style, a synthesis of the Gothic and Baroque styles. This was not a simple return to Gothic details, but rather an original Baroque transformation. The main representative and originator of this style was

    Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel, who used this style in renovating medieval monastic buildings.[138]

    During the 19th century, the

    revival architectural styles were very popular in the Bohemian monarchy. Many churches were restored to their presumed medieval appearance and there were constructed many new buildings in the Neo-Romanesque, Neo-Gothic and Neo-Renaissance styles. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries the new art style appeared in the Czech lands – Art Nouveau. The best-known representatives of Czech Art Nouveau architecture were Osvald Polívka, who designed the Municipal House in Prague, Josef Fanta, the architect of the Prague Main Railway Station, and Jan Kotěra
    .

    Bohemia contributed an unusual style to the world's architectural heritage when Czech architects attempted to transpose the

    T. G. Masaryk invited the prominent Slovene architect Jože Plečnik to Prague, where he modernized the Castle and built some other buildings. Between World Wars I and II, Functionalism, with its sober, progressive forms, took over as the main architectural style in the newly established Czechoslovak Republic. In the city of Brno, one of the most impressive functionalist works has been preserved – Villa Tugendhat, designed by the architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.[138] The most significant Czech architects of this era were Adolf Loos, Pavel Janák and Josef Gočár
    .

    Dancing House in Prague

    After the World War II and the Communist coup in 1948 the art in Czechoslovakia came under the strong Soviet influence.

    Hotel International in Prague is a brilliant example of the so-called Socialist realism, the Stalinistic art style of the 1950s. Czechoslovak avant-garde artistic movement known as the Brussels style(called after the Brussels World's Fair Expo 58
    ) became popular in the time of political liberalization of Czechoslovakia in the 1960s.

    Even today, Czechia is not shying away from the most modern trends of international architecture. This fact is attested to by a number of projects by world-renowned architects (Frank Gehry, Jean Nouvel, Ricardo Bofill, and John Pawson). There are also contemporary Czech architects whose works can be found all over the world (Eva Jiřičná, Jan Kaplický).[138]

    Literature

    Main article: Czech literature
    Franz Kafka

    Czech literature is the literature written by Czechs, mostly in the Czech language, although other languages like Old Church Slavonic, Latin or German have been also used, such as by author Franz Kafka, who—while bilingual in Czech and German[141][142]—wrote his works in German, during the era of Austrian rule.

    Influential Czech authors who wrote in Latin include Cosmas of Prague († 1125), Peter of Zittau († 1339), John Hus († 1415), Bohuslav Hasištejnský z Lobkovic(1461–1510), Jan Dubravius (1486–1553), Tadeáš Hájek (1525–1600), Johannes Vodnianus Campanus (1572–1622), and Bohuslav Balbín (1621–1688). In the late 13th century the royal court in Prague was one of the centers of German Minnesang. The most famous Czech medieval German-language work is the Ploughman of Bohemia (Der Ackermann aus Böhmen), written around 1401 by Johannes von Tepl. The heyday of Czech German-language literature can be seen in the first half of the 20th century, which is represented by the well-known names of Franz Kafka, Max Brod, Franz Werfel, Rainer Maria Rilke, Egon Erwin Kisch, and others.

    The Bible translations played an important role in the development of Czech literature and standard Czech language. The oldest Czech translation of the Psalms originated in the late 13th century and the first Czech translation of the whole Bible was finished around 1360. The first complete printed Czech Bible was published in 1488 (Prague Bible). The first complete Czech Bible translation from original languages was published between 1579–93 and is known as the Bible of Kralice.

    Czech-language literature can be divided into several main time periods: the Middle Ages (

    Adam Václav Michna z Otradovic, Bedřich Bridel, Jan František Beckovský); the Enlightenment and Czech reawakening in the 19th century (Václav Matěj Kramerius, Karel Hynek Mácha, Karel Jaromír Erben, Karel Havlíček Borovský, Božena Němcová, Jan Neruda, Alois Jirásek); the avant-garde of the interwar period (Karel Čapek, Jaroslav Hašek, Vítězslav Nezval, Jaroslav Seifert, Bohuslav Reynek); the years under Communism and the Prague Spring (Josef Škvorecký, Bohumil Hrabal, Milan Kundera, Arnošt Lustig, Václav Havel); and the literature of the post-Communist Czechia (Ivan Martin Jirous
    ).

    Jaroslav Seifert was the only Czech writer awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. A famous antiwar comedy novel The Good Soldier Švejk by Jaroslav Hašek is the most translated Czech book in history. It was depicted by Karel Steklý in two color films The Good Soldier Schweik in 1956 and 1957.

    Czech literature and culture played a major role on at least two occasions, when Czechs lived under oppression and political activity was suppressed. On both of these occasions, in the early 19th century and then again in the 1960s, the Czechs used their cultural and literary effort to strive for political freedom, establishing a confident, politically aware nation.[citation needed]

    Music

    Antonín Dvořák
    Main articles:
    Moravian traditional music

    The musical tradition of Czech lands arose from first church hymns, whose first evidence is suggested at the break of 10th and 11th century. The first significant pieces of Czech music include two chorales, which in their time performed the function of anthems: "Hospodine pomiluj ny" (

    Saint Adalbert of Prague (sv.Vojtěch), bishop of Prague, living between 956 and 997.[144]

    Smetana Hall in Prague, one of the main venues in the annual Prague Spring Festival

    The wealth of musical culture in Czechia lies in the long-term high-culture classical music tradition during all historical periods, especially in the

    Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Panocha Quartet
    and many others.

    Czech music can be considered to have been beneficial in both the European and worldwide context, several times co-determined or even determined a newly arriving era in musical art,

    modern classical
    music.

    The most famous music festival in the country is Prague Spring International Music Festival of classical music, a permanent showcase for outstanding performing artists, symphony orchestras and chamber music ensembles of the world.

    Theatre

    Main article: Theatre of Czechia

    The roots of Czech theatre can be found in the Middle Ages, especially in cultural life of

    multimedia art
    project in international context

    Film

    Main article:
    Cinema of Czechia

    The tradition of Czech cinematography started in the second half of 1890s. Peaks of the production in the era of silent movies represent historical drama "The Builder of the Temple", social and erotic (very controversial and innovative at that time ) drama "Erotikon" directed by Gustav Machatý.[146] Early sound film era of Czech film was very productive, above all in mainstream genres with special role of comedies by Martin Frič or Karel Lamač, however more internationally successful were drammatic movies, above all famous

    romantic drama film "Ecstasy" by Gustav Machatý, and romantic "The River" by Josef Rovenský
    .

    American poster of Karel Zeman's 1958 film A Deadly Invention

    After the repressive period of Nazi occupation of the country and early communist official dramaturgy of socialist realism in movies at the turn of 1940s and 1950s with a few exceptions such a "

    multimedia art
    project in international context (mentioned also in "Theatre section" above).

    In 1960s, so called Czech New Wave (also

    Údolí včel ("The Valley of The Bees") orAdelheid belong to the srtistic peaks of Czech cinema production. The film "Marketa Lazarová" was voted the all-time best Czech movie in a prestigious 1998 poll of Czech film critics and publicists. Another internationally well-known author is Jan Švankmajer (in the beginning of the career conjoined with above mentioned project "Laterna Magika"), a filmmaker and artist whose work spans several media. He is a self-labeled surrealist known for his animations and features, which have greatly influenced many artists worldwide.[148]

    Films

    Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
    while six others earned a nomination:
    The Fireman's Ball (1968), My Sweet Little Village (1986), The Elementary School (1991), Divided We Fall (2000) and Želary
    (2003). The
    Czech Lion
    is the highest award for Czech film achievement.

    The Barrandov Studios in Prague are the largest film studios in country and one of the largest in Europe with many many popular film locations in the country.[149] Filmmakers have come to Prague to shoot scenery no longer found in Berlin, Paris and Vienna. The city of Karlovy Vary was used as a location for the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale.[150]

    Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival, One World Film Festival, Zlín Film Festival and Fresh Film Festival
    .

    Media

    Since Czechia is a democratic republic, journalists and media should be free to write about everything, except supporting

    Czech law. The country was ranked as the 13th most free press in the World Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders in 2014.[151]

    The most trustful media in Czechia are

    TV Prima and TV Barrandov
    are also very popular, with TV Nova being the most popular channel in Czechia.

    Newspapers are quite popular in Czechia. The best-selling daily national newspapers are

    Mladá fronta DNES (average 752,000 daily readers) and Daily (average 72,000 daily readers).[153]

    Video games

    Main article: Video gaming in Czechia

    Czechia is home to several globally successful video game developers, including

    ARMA, DayZ, Space Engineers, Machinarium, Shadowgun and BLACKHOLE. TheCzech Game of the Year Awards are held annually at the Anifilm festival in Třeboň
    .

    Cuisine

    Main article: Czech cuisine

    Czech cuisine is marked by a strong emphasis on meat dishes. Pork is quite common; beef and chicken are also popular. Goose, duck, rabbit and wild game are served. Fish is rare, with the occasional exception of fresh trout and carp, which is served at Christmas.

    Budweiser Budvar
    . Apart from these and other major brands, Czechia also boasts a growing number of top quality small breweries and mini-breweries seeking to continue the age-old tradition of quality and taste, whose output matches the best in the world.

    Tourism is slowly growing around the Southern Moravian region too, which has been producing wine since the Middle Ages; about 94% of vineyards in Czechia are Moravian. Aside from slivovitz, Czech beer and wine, the Czechs also produce two unique liquors, Fernet Stock and Becherovka. Kofola is a non-alcoholic domestic cola soft drink which competes with Coca-Cola and Pepsi in popularity.

    Some popular Czech dishes include:

    • Vepřo knedlo zelo: roast pork with bread dumplings and stewed cabbage
    • Svíčková na smetaně: roast sirloin of beef with steamed dumplings and cream of vegetable sauce
    • Rajská (omáčka): beef in tomato sauce, traditionally served with dumplings
    • Koprovka: beef in dill sauce, traditionally served with dumplings
    • Pečená kachna: roast duck with bread or potato dumplings and braised red cabbage
    • Guláš
      : a variety of beef and pork goulash stews, served with dumplings or bread
    • Smažený sýr: fried cheese, typically served with potatoes or french fries and tartar sauce
    • Bramboráky: potato pancakes, traditionally served with sour cabbage

    There is also a large variety of local sausages, wurst, pâtés, and smoked and cured meats. Czech desserts include a wide variety of whipped cream, chocolate, and fruit pastries and tarts, crêpes, creme desserts and cheese, poppy seed filled and other types of traditional cakes such as buchty, koláče and štrůdl.

    Sports

    Sport in Czechia

    Sports play a part in the life of many Czechs, who are generally loyal supporters of their favorite teams or individuals. The two leading sports in Czechia are

    2001. In total the country has won 14 gold medals in summer (plus 49 as Czechoslovakia) and five gold medals (plus two as Czechoslovakia) in winter Olympic history
    .

    The Czechoslovakia national football team was a consistent performer on the international scene, with eight appearances in the FIFA World Cup Finals, finishing in second place in 1934 and 1962. The team also won the European Football Championship in 1976, came in third in 1980 and won the Olympic gold in 1980. After dissolution of Czechoslovakia, the Czech national football team finished in second (1996) and thrird (2004) place at the European Football Championship.

    Sport is a source of strong waves of patriotism, usually rising several days or weeks before an event. The events considered the most important by Czech fans are: the

    UEFA European Football Championship, UEFA Champions League, FIFA World Cup and qualification matches for such events.[154]
    In general, any international match of the Czech ice hockey or football national team draws attention, especially when played against a traditional rival.

    Czechia also has great influence in tennis, with such players as

    2011 Wimbledon Championships – Women's Doubles championKvěta Peschke and 18 time Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova
    .

    One of the most popular Czech sport is

    Giant Mountains – Krkonoše
    .

    See also

    • List of Czechia-related topics
    • Outline of Czechia

    References

    Notes
    1. ^ "Czech language". Czechia – Official website. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Czechia. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
    2. 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 Czechia who belongs to a national or an ethnic minority, which traditionally and on a long-term basis lives within the territory of Czechia, 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 Czechia 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. ^ "Czechia Population 2014". World Population Review. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
    5. ^ "Czechia Demographics Profile 2014". Index Mundi. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
    6. ^ "Population change - 1st - 2nd quarter of 2015". Czech Statistical Office. 21 March 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
    7. ^ Census of Population and Housing 2011: Basic final results. Czech Statistical Office. Retrieved on 19 December 2012.
    8. ^ a b c d "Czechia". International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
    9. ^ "Gini coefficient of equivalised disposable income (source: SILC)". Eurostat Data Explorer. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
    10. ^ "Human Development Report 2015" (PDF). United Nations. 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
    11. ^ "Oxford English Dictionary". Retrieved 13 September 2014.
    12. ^ "Information about Czechia". Czech Foreign Ministry.
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    Further reading

    • Hochman, Jiří. Historical dictionary of the Czech State (1998)

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