Coor din ates: 4 9 °4 5 ′N 1 5 °3 0′E Czech Republic [10] The Czech Republic (/ˈtʃɛk -/ ( listen); Czech: [11] Czech Republic Česká republika [ˈtʃɛskaː ˈrɛpublɪka] ( listen)), known alternatively by its short-form name, Česká republika (Czech) [12] Czechia (/ˈtʃɛkiə/ ( listen); Czech: Česko [ˈtʃɛsko] ( listen)), is a landlocked country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west, Austria to the south, Slovakia to the east and Poland to the northeast.[13] The Czech Republic covers an Flag area of 7 8,866 square kilometres (30,450 sq mi) Greater coat of arms with a mostly temperate continental climate and Motto: "Pravda vítězí" (Czech) oceanic climate. It is a unitary parliamentary "Truth prevails" republic, with 10.6 million inhabitants; its capital Anthem: and largest city is Prague, with 1.3 million residents. Kde domov můj (Czech) Other major cities are Brno, Ostrava and Pilsen. The Where is my home Czech Republic is a member of the European Union 0:00 MENU (EU), NATO, the OECD, the United Nations, the OSCE, and the Council of Europe. It is a developed country [14] with an advanced,[15] high income[16] export-oriented social market economy based in services, manufacturing and innovation. The UNDP ranks the country 14th in inequality-adjusted human development.[17] The Czech Republic is a welfare state with a "continental" European social model, a universal health care system and tuition-free university education. It ranks as the 6th safest or most peaceful country and Location of the Czech Republic (dark green) is one of the most non-religious countries in the – in Europe (green & dark grey) world,[18] while achieving strong performance in – in the European Union (green) – [Legend] democratic governance. Capital Prague and largest city 50°05′N 14°28′E The Czech Republic includes the historical Official language Czech[1] territories of Bohemia,[19] Moravia, and Czech Officially recognised List Silesia. The Czech state was formed in the late 9th languages[2][3] century as the Duchy of Bohemia under the Great [4] Moravian Empire. After the fall of the Empire in Ethnic groups (2011 ) 64% Czechs 907 , the centre of power transferred from Moravia 26% unspecified to Bohemia under the Přemyslid dynasty. In 1002, 5% Moravians the duchy was formally recognized as part of the 1.4% Slovaks 0.4% Poles Holy Roman Empire,[20][21] becoming the Kingdom 3.2% other of Bohemia in 1198 and reaching its greatest territorial extent in the 14th century. Besides Religion 44.7% undeclared Bohemia itself, the king of Bohemia ruled the lands 34.5% non-religious of the Bohemian Crown, he had a vote in the 10.5% Catholic election of the Holy Roman Emperor, and Prague 2.1% other Christians was the imperial seat in periods between the 14th 0.7% other religions and 17 th century. In the Hussite Wars of the 15th Demonym Czech century driven by the Protestant Bohemian Government Unitary parliamentary Reformation, the kingdom faced economic constitutional republic embargoes and defeated five consecutive crusades • President Miloš Zeman proclaimed by the leaders of the Catholic Church. • Prime Minister Andrej Babiš Following the Battle of Mohács in 1526, the whole Legislature Parliament Crown of Bohemia was gradually integrated into the • Upper house Senate • Lower house Chamber of Deputies Habsburg Monarchy alongside the Archduchy of Austria and the Kingdom of Hungary. The Formation Protestant Bohemian Revolt (1618–20) against the • Duchy of Bohemia c. 870 Catholic Habsburgs led to the Thirty Y ears' War. • Kingdom of Bohemia 1198 • Czechoslovakia 28 October 1918 After the Battle of the White Mountain, the (Independence from Habsburgs consolidated their rule, eradicated Austria-Hungary) Protestantism and reimposed Catholicism, and also • Federalization of 1 January 1969 adopted a policy of gradual Germanization. This Czechoslovakia (Czech Socialist Republic) contributed to the anti-Habsburg sentiment. A long • Czech Republic became 1 January 1993 history of resentment of the Catholic Church independent [22][23] [24][25] followed and still continues. With the • Joined the European Union1 May 2004 dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the Area Bohemian Kingdom became part of the Austrian • Total 78,866 km2 Empire and the Czech language experienced a (30,450 sq mi) (115th) revival as a consequence of widespread romantic • Water (%) 2 nationalism. In the 19th century, the Czech lands Population became the industrial powerhouse of the monarchy • 2016 estimate 10,610,947 [5] (84th) and were subsequently the core of the Republic of • 2011 census 10,436,560[6] Czechoslovakia, which was formed in 1918 following • Density 134/km2 (347.1/sq mi) (87th) the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I. GDP (PPP) 2018 estimate • Total $368.659 billion[7] Czechoslovakia remained the only democracy in (50th) this part of Europe in the interwar period.[26] • Per capita $36,784[7] (39th) However, the Czech part of Czechoslovakia was GDP (nominal) 2018 estimate occupied by Germany in World War II, while the • Total $237.997 billion[7] Slovak region became the Slovak Republic; (49th) [7] Czechoslovakia was liberated in 1945 by the armies • Per capita $22,468 (41st) of the Soviet Union and the United States. The Czech Gini (2015) 25.0[8] country lost the majority of its German-speaking low · 5th inhabitants after they were expelled following the HDI (2015) 0.878[9] war. The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia won very high · 28th the 1946 elections and after the 1948 coup d'état, Currency Czech koruna (CZK) Czechoslovakia became a one-party communist state under Soviet influence. In 1968, increasing Time zone CET (UTC+1) dissatisfaction with the regime culminated in a • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2) reform movement known as the Prague Spring, Drives on the right which ended in a Soviet-led invasion. Calling code +420b Czechoslovakia remained occupied until the 1989 Patron saint St. Wenceslaus Velvet Revolution, when the communist regime collapsed and market economy was reintroduced. ISO 3166 code CZ On 1 January 1993, Czechoslovakia peacefully Internet TLD .czc dissolved, with its constituent states becoming the independent states of the Czech Republic and a. The question is rhetorical, implying "those places Slovakia. The Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999 where my homeland lies". and the EU in 2004. b. Code 42 was shared with Slovakia until 1997. c. Also .eu, shared with other European Union member states. Contents Name History Prehistory Bohemia Czechoslovakia Velvet Revolution and the European Union Geography Climate Environment Government and politics Law Foreign relations Military Administrative divisions Economy Industry Energy Transportation infrastructure Communications and IT Science and philosophy Humanities Science and technology Tourism Demographics Urbanisation Religion Education Health Culture Art Architecture Literature Music Theatre Film Media Video games Cuisine Sports See also References Further reading External links Name The traditional English name "Bohemia" derives Historical affiliations from Latin "Boiohaemum", which means "home Samo's Empire 631–658 of the Boii". The current name comes from the Great Moravia 830s–907 Duchy of Bohemia 880s–1198 Polish ethnonym associated with the area, which ultimately comes from the Czech word Čech. Kingdom of Bohemia 1198–1918 [27][28][29] Margraviate of Moravia 1182–1918 The name comes from the Slavic tribe (Czechs, Czech: Češi, Čechové) and, according to Duchies of Silesia 1335–1742, and as Austrian Silesia 1742-1918 legend, their leader Čech, who brought them to Lands of the Bohemian Crown 1348–1918 Bohemia, to settle on Říp Mountain. The part of the Holy Roman Empire 1002–1806 etymology of the word Čech can be traced back part of the Austrian Empire 1804–1867 to the Proto-Slavic root *čel-, meaning "member part of Austria-Hungary 1867–1918 of the people; kinsman", thus making it cognate [30] Czechoslovakia 1918–1939 to the Czech word člověk (a person). Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (protectorate of Nazi Germany) 1939–1945 The country has been traditionally divided into Czechoslovakia 1945–1992 three lands, namely Bohemia (Čechy) in the Czech Republic 1993–present west, Moravia (Morava) in the east, and Czech Silesia (Slezsko; the smaller, south-eastern part of historical Silesia, most of which is located within modern Poland) in the northeast. Known as the lands of the Bohemian Crown since the 14th century, a number of other names for the country have been used, including Czech/Bohemian lands, Bohemian Crown, Czechia [31] and the lands of the Crown of 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. After Czechoslovakia dissolved in 1992, the Czech part lacked a common English short name. The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommended the English name Czechia in 1993, and the Czech government approved Czechia as the official short name in 2016. History 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. Left: Venus of Dolní Věstonice is the oldest ceramic article in the world, dated to 29,000–25,000 BCE Right: Distribution of Celtic peoples, showing expansion of the core territory in the Czech lands, which were inhabited by the Gallic tribe of Boii The core Hallstatt territory before 500 BCE Maximum Celtic expansion by the 270s BCE Areas that remain Celtic-speaking today 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.