Geography

Czechoslovakia's total area was only 49,382 square miles (127,899 square kilometers). Austria bordered Czechoslovakia to the southwest, with Germany to the northwest, Poland to the north, the Ukraine to the east, and Hungary to the south.

Czechoslovakia was made up of three provinces, Bohemia, Moravia, and Slovakia. Bohemia, in the western part of the country, has both mountains and forests. Moravia, with its lowlands, occupied the center of Czechoslovakia. Slovakia in the east consists mainly of the Carpathian Mountains. These mountains contain the highest mountain in the country, Gerlachovka, or Gerlach Peak, at 8,707 feet (2,654 meters). (For geographic details of these regions, see the articles on the Czech Republic and Slovakia.)

People and culture

Czechoslovakia was made up of many different groups of people. Czechs and Slovaks were the majority of the population. Although they spoke slightly different languages, both groups could understand each other. In addition, Hungarians, Poles, and Ukrainians also lived in Czechoslovakia. Before World War II, the country had large German and Jewish populations. Most of the Jewish population was killed during the war, while many of the Germans were forced to leave the country after the war.

Czechoslovakia made many contributions to the world in terms of art, music, and literature. One of the most famous writers of the 20th century, Franz Kafka, was Czechoslovakian. The first elected president of Czechoslovakia, Vaclav Havel, was a famous writer before taking office in 1989. In addition, folk music and folk art were a major part of the rich cultural heritage of Czechoslovakia.

History

Czechoslovakia was created after the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian empire at the end of World War I. From the beginning, there was tension between the two main ethnic groups, the Czechs and the Slovaks. Because the government of the country was controlled by the majority Czech population, the Slovak minority was angry. The tension between these two groups lasted throughout the existence of Czechoslovakia.

During World War II, Czechoslovakia was taken over by Nazi Germany. In 1945, at the end of the war, the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia. Three years later the Communist Party, which was backed by the Soviet Union, took control of Czechoslovakia's government.

During the 40 years of Communism, there were many changes in Czechoslovakia. First, farms that were once operated by independent people were taken over by the government. Second, many factories were created, which led to the problem of pollution. Finally, people were not allowed to practice religion. When citizens tried to fight against the Communist government in 1968, the Soviet Union invaded the country. It was not until the late 1980s that the protests against the government began to work. Finally, in 1989, the Communist government stepped down, and free elections were held in 1990.

After Communism ended, tensions between the Czechs and the Slovaks increased. The people of Slovakia voted to separate from the nation of Czechoslovakia. Government officials in Czechoslovakia worked to negotiate a peaceful breakup of the country. On December 31, 1992, Czechoslovakia was dissolved into two separate countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.