MY COUNTRY

MY COUNTRY
The Czech Republic is a sovereign, united and democratic state with the president as a head of state. The area of the Czech Republic is about 80,000 square kms. The number of inhabitants is more than 10 million people.

The Czech Republic lies in the middle of Europe. It borders with Germany, Poland, Slovakia and Austria. The major nationalities living here are Czech, but there are minority groups such as the Roms, the Poles, the Germans, the Ukrainians and the Russians.

In the Czech Republic there are many spots of great natural beauty as well as areas totally spoiled by industries (e.g. the Most area, the Ore mountains). The border of Bohemia and Moravia is lined by the Sumava mountains, the Ore, the Jizera, the Luz mountains, the Giant mountains and the Eagle mountains. Bohemia and Moravia are separated by the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. The highest mountain regions in Moravia are the Hruby Jesenik, the Moravian-Silesian Beskids. The highest Czech mountain is Snezka (1603 m). The longest rivers are the Vltava, the Elbe, the Morava. Cascades or dams were built on the Vltava river. South Bohemia is rich in ponds. Bohemia and Moravia are quite rich in mineral springs and spas. Among the most beautiful natural places belong : the Czech Paradise, "rock town" in Prachov rocks, the Decin walls, Czech Switzerland, the Boubin virgin forests, Koneprusy caves, Macocha abyss, the Jesenik mountains etc.

There are many places associated with our history because the territory was settled by the Slavs already in the 5th century. In the 9th century they founded the first state formation - the Great Moravian Empire. In Bohemia e.g. Rip or Stadice are associated with the oldest legends. The most beautiful historic towns are Prague, Kutna Hora, Tabor, Telc, Olomouc, Kromeriz. Tourists can also visit preserved old castles or ruins such as Karlstejn, Konopiste, Hluboka, Zvikov, Loket...

Some important historical moments in our past:

5th July 863 the Slavonic missionaries Cyril and Method arrived to bring Christianity to Great Moravia.

Charles IV. ruled in the 14th century. During his reign the Prague University was founded, Prague New Town was built and the economy developed as did cultural gothic style.

6th July 1415 Master John Huss was burned to death.



After The Battle of the White Mountain 1620, the country was Germanized.

At the end of World War I the Austrian-Hungarian Empire fell and in October 1918 the independent Czechoslovak Republic was proclaimed with T.G. Masaryk as the first President.

In March 1939 the Bohemia and Moravia were occupied by the Germans.

In 1945 Czechoslovakia was liberated by the Red and US Armies.

In February 1948 the Communist Party seized the power.

In November 1918 the Velvet Revolution started. In December 1990 Vaclav Havel was elected as the ninth Czechoslovak President.

Cultural heritage is very rich and it can offer the world many outstanding values. For example in literature the Cosmas Chronicle, the Kralice Bible, the outstanding personalities of Komensky, Jungmann, Macha and Jaroslav Seifert who is a Nobel prize winner.

In music we have beautiful middle-age chorals, great composers such as Janacek, Dvorak, Smetana.

Prague is a museum of all possible architecture styles. The most outstanding architect of the gothic period was Petr Parler.

The Czech economy, after more than 40 years under a state monopoly system, is undergoing crucial changes to reconstruct it into prosperous free market system with the help of privatization. The most important part of our economy is engineering. Other important branches are metallurgical and chemical industries and tourism. Textile and glass industries have a long tradition as do cut glass, china. The main items of our agriculture are wheat, corn, sugar-beet, grapes, hops and fruit. In animal production, cattle-breeding and pig-breeding are the most important. Fish-breeding, especially carp-breeding has a long tradition in South Bohemia ponds.