Bohemia, Moravia, and Czech Silesia

The territory of the present-day Czech Republic comprises three historic regions: (1) Bohemia, or Čechy; (2) Moravia, or Morava; and (3) Czech Silesia or České Slezsko. Of these three regions, Bohemia covers roughly the western three-fifths of the Czech Republic (see the lavender-colored area in the map below); Moravia covers roughly the easternmost two-fifths of the Czech Republic (see the light blue-colored area in the map below); and Czech Silesia covers the northeasternmost boundary with Poland (see the dark purple-colored area in the map below).

Map of the three historic regions of the Czech Republic

(Source: Wikipedia article on the Czech Republic: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czech_Republic)

Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia are today considered to be historical/cultural regions and have no formal jurisdictional significance. However, over the course of their history they have constituted jurisdictions in their own right and also served as jurisdictional parts of yet larger political wholes. The most important of these historical jurisdictions are reflected in the descriptive access points for these three regions. Subject headings refer to the territories covered by those historical regions as jurisidictional and/or cultural/geographical areas. The access points and subject headings for each region can be found in the following chapters:

• Authorized Access Points and Subject Headings for Bohemia

• Authorized Access Points and Subject Headings for Moravia

• Authorized Access Points and Subject Headings for Czech Silesia

Sources

For fuller discussions of the historical regions of Bohemia, Moravia, and Czech Silesia in their various juridical manifestations, consult the following sources, all of which include very helpful maps:

• Bohemia, Wikipedia, n.d.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohemia

• Lands of the Bohemian Crown, Wikipedia, n.d.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lands_of_the_Bohemian_Crown

• Moravia, Wikipedia, n.d.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moravia

• Czech Silesia, Wikipedia, n.d.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czech_Silesia

• Austrian Silesia, Wikipedia, n.d.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austrian_Silesia

Revised: Jan. 13, 2016.

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