Geography

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country located in the very heart of Europe.  It's geographic location is 49'45 N, 15'30 E, with a total land area of 78,866 sq km.  The Czech Republic is bordered by Germany, Poland, Austria and Slovakia. The country is comprised of three historical regions:  Bohemia (to the west), Moravia (in the east) and Silesia (in the southeast).

 

Population

The Czech Republic has a population of approximately 10.3 million people.  The capital of the Czech Republic is Prague, which has a population of 1.2 million people. 

 

Landscape Features

The Czech Republic has a varied landscape, with water, mountains and forests being the most prominent features.  The weather is temperate with warm, humid summers, and cloudy, wet winters.  However, there are great variations of temperature and weather across the country due to its varied landscape.

 

World Affiliations

After World War II, the country was known as Czechoslovakia.  The Czech lands were joined with Slovakia at that time, and remained joined through the Communist Regime.  After the fall of Communism, during the Velvet Revolution in 1989, the Czech lands remained joined with Slovakia.  However, the two countries decided to peacefully split at the end of 1992, and in January of 1993, the Czech lands were named the Czech Republic. 

 

The Czech Republic  became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1994, and the country joined the European Union as a full member in 2004. 

 

Official Language

Czech is the official language of the country.

 

Official Currency

The Koruna (or Crown) is the official currency of the Czech Republic, which was adopted in 1993 after the peaceful split with Slovakia. 

 

Economy

The Czech Republic has one of the most successful economies of the the former Soviet Bloc countries.  The ecomomy made great strides after the fall of Communism and early growth was supported by export to the European Union, along with strong foreign and domestic investments.  The Czech economy continues to have a strong and steady growth with exports expanding to the rest of the world and foreign investments in the country's infrastructure and financial markets.   

 

Czech National Anthem 

Name of anthem:  "Where is My Home", composed by Frantisek Skroup, and lyrics by Josef Tyl.  This anthem was adopted by the Czech Republic in 

1992.  It is a beautiful melody that captures the nation's spirit.

Here is a beautiful video of scenery from the Czech Republic, with the Czech national anthem playing in the background.  Enjoy!