Portal:Czech Republic

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Welcome to the Czech Portal!
Vítejte na Českém portálu!

The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The Czech Republic has a hilly landscape that covers an area of 78,871 square kilometers (30,452 sq mi) with a mostly temperate continental and oceanic climate. The capital and largest city is Prague; other major cities and urban areas include Brno, Ostrava, Plzeň and Liberec.

The Duchy of Bohemia was founded in the late 9th century under Great Moravia. It was formally recognized as an Imperial Estate of the Holy Roman Empire in 1002 and became a kingdom in 1198. Following the Battle of Mohács in 1526, all of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown were gradually integrated into the Habsburg monarchy. Nearly a hundred years later, the Protestant Bohemian Revolt led to the Thirty Years' War. After the Battle of White Mountain, the Habsburgs consolidated their rule. With the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the Crown lands became part of the Austrian Empire.

In the 19th century, the Czech lands became more industrialized; further, in 1918, most of the country became part of the First Czechoslovak Republic following the collapse of Austria-Hungary after World War I. Czechoslovakia was the only country in Central and Eastern Europe to remain a parliamentary democracy during the entirety of the interwar period. After the Munich Agreement in 1938, Nazi Germany systematically took control over the Czech lands. Czechoslovakia was restored in 1945 and three years later became an Eastern Bloc communist state following a coup d'état in 1948. Attempts to liberalize the government and economy were suppressed by a Soviet-led invasion of the country during the Prague Spring in 1968. In November 1989, the Velvet Revolution ended communist rule in the country and restored democracy. On 31 December 1992, Czechoslovakia was peacefully dissolved, with its constituent states becoming the independent states of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The Czech Republic is a unitary parliamentary republic and developed country with an advanced, high-income social market economy. It is a welfare state with a European social model, universal health care and free-tuition university education. It ranks 32nd in the Human Development Index. The Czech Republic is a member of the United Nations, NATO, the European Union, the OECD, the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the Visegrád Group. (Full article...)

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Goral men's choir from Jablunkov during the parade of the Jubileuszowy Festiwal PZKO 2007 in Karviná

The Polish minority in the Czech Republic is a Polish national minority living mainly in the Trans-Olza region of western Cieszyn Silesia. The Polish community is the only national (or ethnic) minority in the Czech Republic that is linked to a specific geographical area. Trans-Olza is located in the north-eastern part of the country. It comprises Karviná District and the eastern part of Frýdek-Místek District. Many Poles living in other regions of the Czech Republic have roots in Trans-Olza as well.

Poles formed the largest ethnic group in Cieszyn Silesia in the 19th century, but at the beginning of the 20th century the Czech population grew. The Czechs and Poles collaborated on resisting Germanization movements, but this collaboration ceased after World War I. In 1920 the region of Trans-Olza was incorporated into Czechoslovakia after the Polish–Czechoslovak War. Since then the Polish population demographically decreased. In 1938 it was annexed by Poland in the context of the Munich Agreement and in 1939 by Nazi Germany. The region was then given back to Czechoslovakia after World War II. Polish organizations were re-created, but were banned by the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. After the Velvet Revolution Polish organizations were re-created again and Trans-Olza had adopted bilingual signs. (Full article...)

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Satellite image of the Czech Republic

Photographer: NASA; License: Public domain

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In this month

14 November 1960 – The deadliest rail disaster in Czech history takes place in Eastern Bohemia, resulting in 118 deaths
14 November 1918 – Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (pictured) becomes the first President of Czechoslovakia
17 November 1939 – Nazi Germany storms Czech universities, executing nine students and professors, later commemorated as International Students' Day
17 November 1989 – The Velvet Revolution starts in Prague, culminating in the end of 41 years of Communist rule in Czechoslovakia
24 November 1966 – The deadliest air disaster in Czechoslovakia takes place near Bratislava, killing all 82 on board

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Nedvěd playing for the Czech Republic at the 2006 FIFA World Cup

Pavel Nedvěd (Czech pronunciation: [ˈpavɛl ˈnɛdvjɛt] ^ⓘ; born 30 August 1972) is a Czech former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Czech players of all time and he won numerous trophies with Italian clubs Lazio and Juventus. He won the last ever Cup Winners' Cup with Lazio and led Juventus to the 2003 UEFA Champions League final.

Nedvěd was a vital player in the Czech team that reached the final of Euro 1996 and afterwards he attracted the attention of big European clubs. He also captained the team at UEFA Euro 2004, where they were defeated in the semi-final by eventual champions Greece, and Nedvěd was named in the Team of the Tournament. Furthermore, Nedvěd helped his team qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup for the first time since the breakup of Czechoslovakia. Due to his quick and energetic runs during matches, Nedvěd was nicknamed "Furia Ceca" ("Czech Fury") by Italian football fans. His nickname in Czech is Méďa ("Little Bear"), stemming from the similarity between his surname and the Czech word for bear, Medvěd. (Full article...)

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John Amos Comenius Petr Čech Dominik Hašek Jaromír Jágr Gregor Mendel Tomáš Rosický Franz Kafka Bedřich Smetana Emanuel Moravec Gustav Mahler Fredy Hirsch Antonín Kinský Vlastimil Koubek Petra Kvitová Martin Miller (actor) Vratislav Lokvenc Vladimír Remek Leoš Janáček Libor Michálek Vojtěch Jarník Markéta Vondroušová Zdeňka Wiedermannová-Motyčková

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Did you know?

...that in 1990, Czech and Slovak politicians "fought" the Hyphen War, a political battle over whether "Czechoslovakia" should be spelled with a hyphen?
... that in 2013, the Czech Republic plans to directly elect its president for the first time in its history?
... that Czech international footballer Jan Suchopárek dislocated his shoulder while attempting a bicycle kick?
... that Czech Karel Robětín was not only an Olympian and national tennis champion but also an international paper industry tycoon?

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General images

The following are images from various Czech Republic-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1House of the Black Madonna (from Czech architecture)
Image 2Map of protected areas of the Czech Republic: national parks (grey) and protected landscape areas (green) (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 3Territories ruled by Ottokar II of Bohemia in 1273 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 4Fried cheese, served with tartar sauce and side salad (from Czech cuisine)
Image 5Adria Palace (Prague) (from Czech architecture)
Image 6Monument to the village of Lidice murdered by the Nazis (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 7Venus of Dolní Věstonice, the oldest ceramic article in the world (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 8A "traditional Bohemian platter" at a restaurant in central Prague, consisting of roast duck, roast pork, beer sausage, smoked meat, red and white cabbage, bread, bacon and potato dumplings. (from Czech cuisine)
Image 9An 1892 map showing Bohemia proper outlined in pink, Moravia in yellow, and Austrian Silesia in orange (from Bohemia)
Image 10The First Czechoslovak Republic (1918-1938) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 11Bohemian city Karlovy Vary (from Bohemia)
Image 12Czech kings Ottokar II, Wenceslas II and Wenceslas III from the Přemyslid dynasty (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 13Semi-detached villa in Brno by Otto Eisler, according to MoMA's Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson, is a defining building of the International style. (from Czech architecture)
Image 14Grand Café Orient in Prague (from Czech architecture)
Image 15Detailed map of Bohemia, 1742 (from Bohemia)
Image 16Václav Havel, playwright, dissident and president from 1989 to 2003 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 17Apple strudel with raisins (from Czech cuisine)
Image 18Zelňačka (from Czech cuisine)
Image 19Dacian Influence over Bohemia (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 20Emperor Francis Joseph I. (reigned 1848–1916) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 21Bohemia as the heart of Europa regina; Sebastian Münster, Basel, 1570 (from Bohemia)
Image 22Svíčková na smetaně (Marinated tenderloin), served here with dumplings and cream (from Czech cuisine)
Image 23Cubist lamp by Emil Králíček, Jungmannovo náměstí, next to the Gothic Church of Our Lady of the Snows (Prague) (from Czech architecture)
Image 24Prague-style beef goulash (from Czech cuisine)
Image 25Obložené chlebíčky, a type of snack or appetizer (from Czech cuisine)
Image 26Bohemia (westernmost area) in Czechoslovakia 1918–1938 (from Bohemia)
Image 27Lands of the Bohemian Crown (until 1635), map by Josef Pekař, 1921 (from Bohemia)
Image 28Church of Saint Agnes of Bohemia (Spořilov) (from Czech architecture)
Image 29Iconic brutalist Transgas building, demolished in 2019 (from Czech architecture)
Image 30Beheading of 27 Bohemian nobles at the Old Town Square in Prague, 1621 (contemporary illustration) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 31Territory under the control of the Přemyslids, c. 1301 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 32Korozluky Castle (from Czech architecture)
Image 33Emperor and King Charles IV. Luxembourg (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 34A panorama of Zittau (from Bohemia)
Image 35Buděticko Nature Park with Rabí Castle (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 36Saint Wenceslas, Czech prince (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 37Vladislaus Hall at the Prague Castle, built from 1490 to 1502 by Benedikt Rejt (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 38The National Theater from 1881 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 39Kačina Castle in Chotkov (from Czech architecture)
Image 40Linguistic map of interwar Czechoslovakia (c. 1930) (from Bohemia)
Image 41Rotunda of St. George from the beginning of the 12th century on Mount Říp (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 42Fried bramboráky (potato pancakes) (from Czech cuisine)
Image 43Nakládaný hermelín (marinated cheese) (from Czech cuisine)
Image 44Great Moravia during the reign of Svatopluk I (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 45Hroby Nature Monument in Radenín (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 46Library of Clementinum, a former Jesuit College, built in 1722 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 47Vepřo-knedlo-zelo (Roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut) (from Czech cuisine)
Image 48Writer Božena Němcová (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 49Duchy of Bohemia, around 1029 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 50Copper engraving of the Second Defenestration of Prague from Theatrum Europaeum by Matthäus Merian. (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 51St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague Castle, John of Luxembourg laid the foundation stone in 1344 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 52The Kingdom of Bohemia in 1618 with other Bohemian Crown lands within the Holy Roman Empire (1618). (from Bohemia)
Image 53Cubist architecture in Prague (from Czech architecture)
Image 54Pilsner Urquell in a branded mug (from Czech cuisine)
Image 55Řežabinec a Řežabinecké tůně National Nature Reserve (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 56The radical Hussites became known as Taborites, after the town of Tábor that became their center (from Bohemia)
Image 57Monument to Master Jan Hus, a religious reformer and philosopher in Prague (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 58Stone sculpture of a Celtic man, found in Mšecké Žehrovice (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 59Frgál, a type of koláč baked in Moravian Wallachia (from Czech cuisine)
Image 60Svíčková na smetaně served with dumplings, whipped cream and cranberries (from Czech cuisine)
Image 61Entrance to Moravian Karst PLA (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 62The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Bohemia (from Bohemia)
Image 63The coat of arms of the Přemyslid dynasty (until 1253–1262) (from Bohemia)
Image 64Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, philosopher, Czechoslovak president in the years 1918-1935 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 65Empress Maria Theresa (reignet 1740–1780) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 66Baroque St. Nicholas Church in Malá Strana, built between 1704 and 1755 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 67The extent of the Protestant Reformation (1545–1620) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 68Bronze sword, Urnfield culture, c. 1200 BC (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 69Europe after the Congress of Vienna in 1815 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 70Christmas cookies (vánoční cukroví) (from Czech cuisine)
Image 71John Amos Comenius (1592-1670), Czech philosopher and school reformer (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 72A panorama of Kłodzko, the capital city of Kłodzko Land, which is referred to as "Little Prague" (from Bohemia)
Image 73Russian occupation in 1968 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 74King George of Podebrady, one of the first promoters of united Europe (from History of the Czech lands)

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Topics

Czech lands: Bohemia • Moravia • Czech Silesia

History: Únětice culture • Boii • Marcomanni • Samo • Great Moravia • Přemyslid dynasty • Lands of the Bohemian Crown • Czech lands (1526–1648) • 1648–1867 • 1867–1918) • Czechoslovakia • Czech Republic

Geography: Lakes • Protected areas • Regions • Rivers

Law: Judiciary • Law enforcement • Supreme Court of the Czech Republic

Politics: Administrative divisions • Government • Constitution • Elections • Foreign relations • Army • Parliament • Political parties • President • Prime Minister

Economy: Banks • Czech koruna • Energy • Oil and gas deposits • Stock Exchange • Tourism • Transport

Culture: Architecture • Art • Cinema • Cuisine • Demographics • Education • Language • Literature • Media • Music • Philosophy • Prostitution • Public holidays • Religion • Sport • Television • Video games

Symbols: Flag • Coat of arms • National anthem (Kde domov můj)

Lists: Outline of the Czech Republic • List of Czech Republic–related topics

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WikiProjects

WikiProject Czech Republic

WikiProject Europe

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Featured and good content

	Featured articles		Dominik Hašek • Earth-grazing meteoroid of 13 October 1990 • Franz Kafka • Gustav Mahler • Bedřich Smetana • The Bartered Bride
	Good articles		Patrik Berger • FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 • Reinhard Heydrich • Leoš Janáček • Vlastimil Koubek • Libor Michálek • Pavel Nedvěd • Panzer 35(t) • Polish minority in the Czech Republic • Prague Spring • Punch-up in Piestany • Randy Blythe manslaughter case • The Brothers Grimm (film) • Winton Train • Zaolzie