Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Germany to the west, Austria to the south, Slovakia to the east and Poland to the north. Its capital and largest city, with 1, 3 million inhabitants, is Prague. The Czech Republic includes the historical territories of Bohemia and Moravia and a small part of Silesia.
History The Bohemian or Czech state emerged in the late 9 th century, when it was unified by the Přemyslid dynasty. The Kingdom of Bohemia was, as the only kingdom in the Holy Roman Empire, a significant regional power during the Middle Ages. It was part of the Empire from 1002 till 1806, with the exception of the years 1440– 1526.
In the 15 th century, the religious and social reformer Jan Hus formed a movement later named after him. Although Hus was named a heretic and burnt in Constance in 1415, his followers seceded from the Catholic Church and in the Hussite Wars (1419– 1434) defeated five crusades organized against them by the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire, Bohemia became part of the Austrian Empire and later of Austria–Hungary. Serfdom was not completely abolished until 1848. After the Revolutions of 1848, Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria instituted an absolute monarchy in an effort to balance competing ethnic interests in the empire
Following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I, the independent republic of Czechoslovakia was created in 1918. This new country incorporated the Bohemian Crown (Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia) and parts of the Kingdom of Hungary (Slovakia and the Carpathian Ruthenia) with significant German, Hungarian, Polish and Ruthenian speaking minorities. In November 1989, Czechoslovakia returned to a liberal democracy through the peaceful "Velvet Revolution". However, Slovak national aspirations strengthened and on 1 January 1993, the country peacefully split into the independent Czech Republic and Slovakia. In 2006 the Czech Republic was recognised by the World Bank as a "developed country", and in 2009 the Human Development Index ranked it as a nation of "Very High Human Development".
Language The official language of Czech Republic is Czech. It said almost 95 percent of the population. The second largest is Slovak (2%).
Cities
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. It is the fourteenth-largest city in the European Union.
Brno is the capital of judicial authority of the Czech Republic because it is the seat of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Administrative Court, and the Supreme Prosecutor's Office. Beside that, the city is a significant administrative centre. Brno Exhibition Centre ranks among the largest exhibition centres in Europe
Karlovy Vary is a spa city situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic. It is historically famous for its hot springs (13 main springs, about 300 smaller springs, and the warm-water Teplá River).
Mariánské Lázně or Marienbad is a spa town in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. The town, surrounded by green mountains, is a mosaic of parks and noble houses. Most of its buildings come from the town's Golden Era in the second half of the 19 th century, when many celebrities and top European rulers came to enjoy the curative carbon dioxide springs.
Teplice is a town in the Czech Republic, the capital of the Teplice District in the Ústí nad Labem Region. It is the state's second largest spa town. Teplitz was the primary seat of the Clary-und. Aldringen Austro-Hungarian princes.
Tourism The Czech economy gets a substantial income from tourism. For tourists, the Czech Republic is considered a safe destination to visit. The low crime rate makes most cities and towns safe to walk around even after dark. There are several centres of tourist activity. The spa towns, such as Karlovy Vary, Mariánské Lázně and Františkovy Lázně, are particularly popular holiday destinations. Other popular tourist sites are the many castles and chateaux, such as those at Karlštejn Castle, Český Krumlov and the Lednice–Valtice area. There are 15 churches elevated to the rank of basilica by the Pope. Away from the towns, areas such as Český ráj, Šumava and the Krkonoše Mountains attract visitors seeking outdoor pursuits. The country is also famous for its love of puppetry and marionettes with a number of puppet festivals throughout the country. The Czech Republic also has a number of beer festivals
Cuisine Czech cuisine is marked by a strong emphasis on meat dishes. Pork is quite common; beef and chicken are also popular. Goose, duck, rabbit and wild game are served. Fish is rare, with the occasional exception of fresh trout and carp, which is served at Christmas.
The famous Pilsener style beer originated in the western Bohemian city of Plzeň, and further south the town of České Budějovice, known as Budweis in German
Svíčková na smetaně is a signature Czech dish, consisting of marinated beef with Czech dumplings (knedlíky)
stewed cabbage Vepřo-knedlo-zelo fried cheese Smažák famous potato pancakes Bramboráky
…besides a large variety of delicate local sausages, wurst, pâtés and smoked meats and other traditional local foods
Czech desserts include a wide variety of whipped cream, chocolate and fruit pastries and tarts, crepes, creme desserts and cheese, poppy seed filled and other types of traditional cakes buchty and koláče
Respect üCzechs don't appreciate when foreigners incorrectly assume that their country was part of the Soviet Union or the Russian Empire – both definitely false – although it was part of the Soviet Bloc and, until 1918, an Austro-Hungarian territory. Commenting about how "everything is quite cheap here" comes across as condescending about the country's economic status. üIf you are knowledgable about the Czechoslovakian communist regime following the second world war, bear in mind that this is still a sensitive issue for many and that it is easy to upset people in discussions on the subject. üCzechs are one of the most atheist people in the world. This is true especially in large Bohemian cities. Don't assume that anyone you do not know believes in God or has a passion for Christianity. Respect that and your religion will also be respected. ü Always say hello (Dobrý den) and goodbye (Na shledanou) when you enter and leave a small shop as it is polite.
üWhen entering a Czech household, always remove your shoes. Czechs usually wear slippers or sandals when inside a house and never their outdoor shoes. Depending on how traditional the host family are, they may insist you change immediately into house shoes as a hygiene precaution, though this is rare. At the very least they will offer you some to keep your feet warm. üNever mention the Czech towns and places with their former German names, when asking for directions (e. g. referring to Karlsbad instead of Karlovy Vary etc. ) or while chatting with the locals. Czechs will be offended and they will regard it as ignorance and a lack of respect towards themselves.
Questions ØWhat is the capital of Czech Republic? ØWhat was the name of Czech Republic? ØWhat is the capital of judicial authority in Czech Republic? ØWhat is the name of the famous beer in Czech Republic? ØWhat is the most popular national dish in Czech Republic? ØWhat is the favorite holyday in Czech Republic?
