Czech Republic facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Czech Republic
Česká republika
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![]() Location of Czech Republic (dark green)
– on the European continent (green & dark grey) |
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Capital and largest city
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Prague (Praha) |
Official languages | Czech |
Officially recognized minority languages |
Slovak, Bulgarian, Croatian, German, Greek, Hungarian, Polish, Romani, Russian, Rusyn, Serbian and Ukrainian |
Ethnic groups
(2011)
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63.7% Czechs, 4.9% Moravians, 1.4% Slovaks, 29.9% others and unspecified |
Religion | non-declared and non-religious (80%), Catholic (10,3%) |
Demonym(s) | Czech |
Government | Parliamentary republic |
Miloš Zeman | |
• Prime Minister
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Bohuslav Sobotka |
Formation | |
• Principality of Bohemia
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c. 870 |
• Kingdom of Bohemia
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1198 |
28 October 1918 | |
• Czech Republic
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1 January 1993 |
Area | |
• Total
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78,866 km2 (30,450 sq mi) (116th) |
• Water (%)
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2 |
Population | |
• 2011 census
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10,562,214![]() |
• Density
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134/km2 (347.1/sq mi) (84th) |
GDP (PPP) | 2011 estimate |
• Total
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$268.772 billion |
• Per capita
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$25,525 |
GDP (nominal) | 2011 estimate |
• Total
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$218.363 billion |
• Per capita
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$20,938 (38th) |
Gini (2008) | 26 low · 4th |
HDI (2010) | ![]() very high · 27th |
Currency | Czech koruna (CZK) |
Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
• Summer (DST)
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UTC+2 (CEST) |
Driving side | right |
Calling code | +4204 |
ISO 3166 code | CZ |
Internet TLD | .cz³ |
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Czech Republic (Czech: Česká republika) is a country in Central Europe, sometimes also known as Czechia (Czech: Česko). The capital and the biggest city is Prague. The currency is the Czech Crown (koruna česká - CZK). 1€ is about 27 CZK. The president of the Czech Republic is Miloš Zeman. The Czech Republic's population is about 10.5 million. The local language is Czech language. The Czech language is a Slavic language. It is related to languages like Slovak and Polish. In 1993 the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the name Czechia be used for the country outside of formal official documents. This has not caught on in English usage.
Czech Republic 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 the Czech Republic, 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 Czech Republic was a part of Czechoslovakia (current area of Czech republic 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 1968 invasion arrived by Warsaw pact and for the next 41 years Czechoslovakia was Communist state. In November 1989 Czechoslovakia returned to a liberal democracy through the peaceful "Velvet Revolution". Czechoslovakia peacefully split into two countries (Czech Republic and Slovakia) in 1993. Czech Republic has been a member of the European Union since May 1, 2004 and a member of NATO since March 12, 1999.
Geography
The highest point in the country is Sněžka at 1,602 m (5,256 ft).
There are four national parks in the Czech Republic. 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 communist government created 13 centralized regions instead of historical countries. In 1960 was regions recreated and there were only 8 regions. In 2000 was created 14 regions with their own regional self-government.
English name | Czech name | Administrative seat |
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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) | ||||
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Undeclared | 45.2% | |||
Irreligion | 34.2% | |||
Roman Catholicism | 10.3% | |||
Other religions | 9.4% | |||
Protestantism | 0.8% | |||
The Czech Republic has one of the least religious populations in the world. According to the 2011 census, 34.2% of the population stated they had no religion, 10.3% was Roman Catholic, 0.8% was 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
- Czech Republic at the Olympics
- Czech Republic national football team
- List of rivers of the Czech Republic
Images for kids
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Battle between Protestant Hussites and Catholic crusaders during the Hussite Wars; Jena Codex, 15th century
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The 1618 Defenestration of Prague sparked the Thirty Years' War.
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Woodcut depiction of Latin class by pedagogue and philosopher John Amos Comenius, Orbis Pictus, 1658
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Rally in Prague on Wenceslas Square for the Czechoslovak declaration of independence from the Habsburg Austro-Hungarian Empire, 28 October 1918
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The Prague Spring political liberalization of the communist regime was stopped by the 1968 Soviet-led invasion.
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Seat of the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic in Brno.
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A Škoda 7Ev electric multiple unit. The Czech railway network is largely electrified and is among the densest in Europe.
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Gregor Mendel, founder of the modern science of genetics
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Prague is one of the most visited cities in Europe.
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Karel Čapek (right) with president T.G. Masaryk
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Smetana Hall in Rudolfinum at Prague, one of the main venues in the annual Prague Spring Festival
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Miloš Forman, one of the main creators the Czechoslovak New Wave
