Czech Republic

Czech Republic, which was earlier known as Czechoslovakia is a country located right in the heart of Europe. Before its independence the Czech land was ruled by the Hubsburg emperors and later it became a part of the Austrian empire. The country got its independent in the year 1918 after the decline of the Austro-Hungarian empire after world war I. A the at time the country was better known as Czechoslovakia. The country was later splitted into two parts Czech republic and Slovak Republic. This Central European nation has a unique geographical location and borders Germany in the North, Poland in North west and West, Slovakia in the east and Austria in the South. Prague, the capital city of Czech republic is one of the ancient cities of Europe and also a major tourist destination of the country. The characteristic feature of Czech republic can be described under the following points:

Official Languages:

Czech is the official language spoken by the people of Czech republic and is regulated by the Czech language Institute. It is one of the West Slavic language and as a result has a close similarity with the Slovak, Polish, Pomeranian and Lucastian Serbian languages. Czech people all over the country and the world speak in the Czech language. However as the country is very close to countries like Austria and Germany Austrian and German speaking people are seen in large numbers here and to some extent these two languages are officially used also. You will also get to see the use of Czenglish, a form of poor or broken English in the Czech republic. Czenglish is still spoken in the country by some native

Independence, Republic and Government:

The original Czech lands was under the control of the Hubsburg rulers from 1526. Afterwards it also became part of the Austrian empire and Austrian-Hungary. Czechoslovakia got its independence as the Austro-Hunagrian empire fell in the year 1918 after the first world war. After occupation by Germany and the Red Party the Communists got the majority in 1946 elections. Between 1948 and 1989 Czechoslovakia was a Communist state. The situation changed in 1989 after the Velvet revolution in 1989. It was on the very first day of the year 1993 that Czechoslovakia was splitted into two separate nations the Czech Republic and the Slovak republics. The country joined NATO in 1999 and became a part of the European Union in 2004. Czech Republic has a pluralist multi-party parliamentary representative democracy where the Prime Minister is the head of the government.

In Czech Republic the Parliament has two chambers-the chambers of Deputies and the Senate. The Chamber of Deputies has 200 members and the Senate has 81 members. The people of Czech Republic elects a legislature on national level for a four-year term. Municipal elections and regional elections are also held once in every four years.

At Present President Vaclav Clause is the head of the state and Mirek Topolanek, a member of the Civic Democratic party, is the head of the Czech republic government.

• Prague: Prague is the capital city of Czech republic and also the biggest commercial, economic and historical center of the country. For abundance of historical monuments, architecture, and memories of golden past Prague is also a major tourist destination in Czech republic. The city is situated in then center of Bohemia region on the bank of river Vltava.

• Karlovy Vary: The city which is called Carlbad in English is actually spa city also located in the Bohemia region on the confluence of river Ohre and Tepla. Carlsbad was named after Roman emperor Charles IV, who was the founder of the city. Invented in the year 1370, the city is famous for more than 300main and small hot springs.

• Brno or Brunn (German): Brno is the second largest city in Czech Republic. The city founded in the year 1243 is located in the country's southeastern part at the confluence of Svitava and Svratka rivers. Brno is the political and cultural center for the people of South Moravian region. At present Brno is the home to over 4,00,000 people.

• Ostrova: Situated in the Moravian-Silesian region on the confluence of Ostravice, Oder and Opava rivers, Ostrova is the third largest city in Czech Republic. Ostrova is also the administrative center of the Moravian-Silesian region.

The other top cities of Czech Republic are:

• Cesky


• Krumlov


• Plzen


• Marian ske


• Lazne


• Usti nad


• Labem


• Cheb


• Liberec

Culture and Heritage:

Czech republic is a Central European nation with rich history. There are more than 700 museums and many art galleries all over the country that speak abouit the rich cultural heritage of the country. Art and architecture are most important proofs of the culture and heritage of Czech Republic. Some specimens of the Classic Czech art can be seen in the libraries, cinemas, theaters, galleries and concert halls. The country is the home of great talents like composer Antonin Dvorak, writer Franz Kafta, Milan Kundera painter Toyen, award winning film director Milos Forman, singer Magdalena Kozena. The word 'Robot' was invented by Czech writer Karel kapek in a play named RUR. The country also has some wonderful regional traditions that are still maintained by the villagers mainly in the Moravian-Silesian region. Traditional costumes worn by the people of these villages will give you a taste of the culture of Czech republic.

Tourism

Tourism is one of the most flourishing sectors in Czech Republic and the country earns a large amount of money from this sector. Prague, the capital city of Czech republic is one of the biggest historical center of central Europe and is also a major tourist destination. Apart from Prague there are large number of UNESCO designated monuments, churches, monasteries, castles, ancient Bohemian and Moravian towns, some historical, religious and engineering sights, the castles and chateux, the natural landscape naturally decorated by romantic ruins of some ancient castles, the folk architecture also attracts a large number of national and international tourists. Large number of people visits the museums and art galleries also to get an idea about the art and architecture, regional traditions of Czech Republic. Another important aspect of the tourism industry in the country is its unique cuisine. The Czech cuisine has been largely influenced by its neighboring countries. The Czech cuisine emphasize mainly on meat dishes. Pork and beef are most popular. Besides a wide variety of chicken,duck goose, rabbit dishes are also served to food-lovers.

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