Geography

The Czech Republic is bordered by Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, Germany to the west, and Poland to the north. It has a land area of 30,450 square miles (78,866 square kilometers).

The Czech Republic sits on the Bohemian Massif, a large elevated basin surrounded by low mountain ranges. The Sudeten Mountains in the northeast contain the country's highest point, Mount Snezka. It rises to a height of 5,256 feet (1,602 meters). In the southwest is the large Bohemian Forest.

The country's main river is the Elbe, which flows into Germany and becomes a major waterway. The Oder and Vistula rivers flow north into Poland. Other significant rivers are the Berounka, Vltava, Sázava, Iser, Uhlava, and Morava. The Vltava (Moldau in German) is the longest within the country, flowing 270 miles (435 kilometers).

Most parts of the Czech Republic have a moderate climate. Winter temperatures are mild, with January in Prague averaging 27° F (−3° C). Summers are warm, with temperatures averaging about 65° F (18° C). Precipitation is heaviest in the mountains.

Plants and animals

Spruce and fir trees are common in the high forests. Oak, ash, and maple grow at lower levels. The forests, however, have been severely affected by pollution resulting from the extensive use of coal in factories and power stations. Wildlife has also been affected by the pollution. The country's animals include wild boars, brown bears, marmots, otters, mink, and deer.

People and culture

More than 75 percent of the Czech Republic's people live in urban areas. Most cities are modest in size. Prague has a population of more than 1 million, but the second largest city, Brno, has a population of only about 390,000. Ostrava, in the northeast, and Plze┥ (Pilsen), in the southwest, are the other major cities. Plze┥ is one of the most famous beer-brewing centers in the world.

Czechs and Moravians make up about 95 percent of the country's population. Slovaks form the largest minority. Other ethnic groups include Poles, Germans, Hungarians, and Roma (Gypsies). The official language is Czech, a Slavic language closely related to Slovak and Polish. About 40 percent of the people are Roman Catholic. Many people follow no religion.

Czech culture has made significant contributions to music and literature. The famous 19th-century Czech composer Antonín Dvorák is noted for using traditional folk music in his compositions. The lively dance known as the polka originated in Bohemia. The country's great literary figures include Franz Kafka, a writer of visionary fiction. The Czech poet Jaroslav Seifert received the Nobel prize for literature in 1984. Václav Havel, the first president of the Czech Republic, was also an important playwright and poet.

Economy

Between 1948 and 1989 Czechoslovakia had a Communist government that owned all major industries. After Communist rule ended, the country's economy entered a period of transition. Industries formerly controlled by the state were returned to private hands. By the time Czechoslovakia was split in 1993, the Czech Republic had made much progress toward an economy based on free enterprise. The transition continued into the 21st century.

The Czech Republic is an industrialized country with only limited mineral resources. It has to import some of the raw materials needed for its factories. The minerals that are mined include coal, lead, zinc, iron ore, uranium, and tin. Major industrial products include iron and steel, machinery and transport equipment, rubber, cement, glass, chemicals, textiles, and electronics. Tourism became increasingly important after the end of the Communist era. The main agricultural products are wheat, barley, corn (maize), rye, sugar beets, and potatoes.

History

From the early Middle Ages until 1918 Moravia and Bohemia were both Central European kingdoms. Moravia was settled in the 4th century by Germans and Celts and in the 6th and 7th century by Avars. The Slavs, ancestors of the present occupants, arrived in the late 8th century. The Slavs had settled in Bohemia by the 6th century. By the mid-9th century the Moravians had formed a kingdom. It eventually grew into Great Moravia and included part of Poland, all of Bohemia, and part of Hungary. This small empire collapsed in the early 10th century.

The decline of Moravia led to the rise of Bohemia. In 1029 Moravia became part of the kingdom of Bohemia. Thereafter the two regions remained closely attached. In 1526 Bohemia and Moravia came under the control of the Hapsburg monarchy of Austria. A Czech revolt against Austria was harshly put down in 1620. Bohemia and Moravia then became part of the empire of Austria-Hungary.

There was a renewed push for a separate Czech nation beginning in the 19th century. Bohemia, Moravia, and neighboring Slovakia drew closer together as they sought to throw off the yoke of Austria-Hungary. When Austria-Hungary collapsed in 1918, Bohemia, Moravia, and Slovakia were united in the independent republic of Czechoslovakia.

On January 1, 1993, Czechoslovakia was divided into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Václav Havel, who had been elected president of Czechoslovakia in 1989, became the first president of the Czech Republic. In 1999 the Czech Republic became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Population (2001 estimate), 10,269,000.