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Czech Republic Facts and Stats

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Czech Republic Stats and Facts

The Czech Republic is a small, land-locked country that sits in between Germany, Poland, Slovakia and Austria. Many still think of this country as being in Eastern Europe, but the reality is quite different. The Czech Republic actually sits in the heart of Europe, in what we call Central Europe.

Foreigners are amazed when they come to visit at just how small this country is. Even so, Czechia (or the Czech Lands) offers varied landscapes, cities and villages, and beautiful architecture.

Read on to find out some of the interesting facts and stats about this beautiful country. Three hours from Prague, to the north, you will find mountains. To the south, you can find lakes and plains. This small country has a lot to offer and much to explore!

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Beautiful Sights and Natural Areas of the Czech Republic

This video will take you on a tour of many of the most beautiful sights and natural areas of the Czech Republic. You will see how varied are the different parts of this small, land-locked country.
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Travel Books and Maps

Here is a selection of travel books and maps that offer excellent guidance for visitors to the Czech Republic. One of my favorite tour guide books is Rick Steve's Prague & the Czech Republic. Steve's books are thoroughly researched and offer helpful tips and tricks for tourists who come to the Czech Republic.
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Location and Size of the Czech Republic

Climate and Geography

Prachovske SkalyCzechia
The Czech Republic actually sits in the heart of Europe, though many people still think of it as an Eastern European country. Czechia is bordered by Germany, Poland, Slovakia and Austria, and is specifically located at the geographic coordinates of 49 45 N, 15 30 E. The country has a total area of 78,867 sq km ( 30 450.718 938 square miles), and is just a little bit smaller than the state of South Carolina, in the United States.

Climate
The climate of the Czech Republic is temperate with warm summers and relatively cold winters. One thing I can attest to, and that is no matter what the season, the Czech Republic usually manages to have high relative humidity. Despite being a landlocked country, the Czech Republic has many rivers, lakes and streams. Weather patterns from across Europe bring much moisture to the land. The soil here is rich, and I do believe if you were to stick a tree branch into the ground, it would begin to grow in no time. I have never lived in so prolific a place, aside from Minnesota when I was a kid.

Geography
The geography of Czechia is as varied as any place I've lived, though I've not seen a desert here. We have mountain chains that surround much of the country, which acted as protection for centuries to keep out invaders. The highest mountain is Snezka at 1,602 m (5,256 ft), located in the Krkonose Mountains (Giant Mountains) in the north, along the border with Poland. The lowest point is near Hrensko at 117 m (384 ft), where the Elbe River leaves the country. The terrain of Bohemia, in the west, is scenic with rolling hills and plains, while Moravia, in the south, has very hilly, drier country.

Wherever you visit in the Czech Republic, the beauty of the various landscapes captures and soothes your spirit. I can't say enough how beautiful the Czech Republic is. If you don't believe me, then you need to come and see for yourself!

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Prague

Capital of the Czech Republic

Overlook of PragueGem of Europe
Prague, or Praha, is a gem of a city situated in the heart of Europe. It is the capital of the Czech Republic, with a population of about 1.5 million. The old city center is what makes Praha such a gem; it is one of the best preserved cities in all of Europe. During two world wars, only a small portion of the old city was destroyed. Buildings in Prague's Old Town Square date from the Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical periods.

Ancient
Prague is both ancient and new, with a long history of human activity. The area around Prague was first settled around 600,000 BC, and was later settled by Ice Age hunters about 25,000 years ago. The first records of settlement date back to 4000 BC, and since that time, area of Prague has been continuously settled by Celtic and Germanic tribes, and later by the Slavs. Archeological digs have found Neolithic tools and shrines, along with smithies and many small settlements up and down the Vltava river.

Main Tourist Sites
Prague's main tourist sites are found in the old city center, on both sides of the Vltava River. Some of the most famous sites include Hradcany (Prague Castle), Mala strana (Lesser Town), Stare mesto (Old Town), Josefov (Jewish Town), Nové mesto (New Town), and the Vysehrad (Vysehrad). Prague offers something for everyone, including a museum holding a miniature hand-made model of the city.

Cultural Capital
Along with famous tourist sites, Prague is the cultural capital of the Czech Republic. It's possible to find everything from black light theaters to classical concerts and opera in the city. Tickets for most events are priced low enough to make attending these events affordable for most people--both Czechs and tourists.

UNESCO Sites

World Heritage Sites

Sts. Peter and Paul Basilica at the VysehradThe Czech Republic is home to many UNESCO World Heritage sites. Some of these include Cesky Krumlov, Kutna Hora, Prague, and Litomysl.

Cesky Krumlov

Cesky Krumlov, located in southern Bohemia, contains about 300 protected buildings in it's old city center, which contains the oldest Baroque theater in the world. Another attraction is the State Castle, built in the 14th century.
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Kutna Hora

Kutna Hora was the site of royal silver mines back in the Middle Ages, making it the most powerful and richest city in the Czech Republic at that time. St. James Church and St. Barbara's Cathedral (both built in the 1300s) are two of the most famous tourist sites in the city. Tourists can also visit an actual mine from medieval times, and a church with its interior completely decorated with human bones.
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Litomysl

Litomysl, located in the eastern Bohemia, is home to a famous Renaissance castle built in 1568. The town's main square includes a Gothic town hall and other buildings from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Litomysl is also home to Bedrich Smetana, a famous Czech composer.
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Czech National Anthem

The Czech Republic's national anthem was written by Frantisek Skroup and Josef Kajetan Tyl. It was originally a piece written to accompany theatrical comedy in Prague, on December 21, 1834. The song became very popular among Czechs. When Czechoslovakia gained its independence from the Habsburg Empire in 1918, the song was then proclaimed the country's national anthem.
This video clip displays some beautiful scenes of the Czech Republic, with the Czech national anthem playing in the background.
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The Czech Language

Tongue-Tied Foreigners

Official Language
Czech is the official language of the Czech Republic, and is a West Slavic language spoken by about 12 million native speakers around the world. The name "Czech" (cestina) comes from the Slavic tribe of Czechs who settled Czechia.

Czech and Slovak Languages
It is interesting to note that the Czech and Slovak languages are mutually intelligible; Czechs can understand written and spoken Slovak, while Slovaks can understand written and spoken Czech. However, while Slovak school children are taught Czech, young Czechs are no longer taught Slovak. Many Czechs 25 years of age and below are not able to understand Slovak.

Czech Difficult for Foreigners
The Czech language is difficult for foreigners to learn due to declension (cases). There are many Czech words that have no vowels, which makes pronunciation a guessing game for foreigners. For example, the word "krk" (meaning neck) is pronounced similar to "kerk," with a trilled "r." However, Czechs say, "As a word is spelled, so it is pronounced." This is still a guessing game for first-time foreign speakers of Czech. In addition, each noun has seven different forms or cases, with each case being used for different purposes. Nouns and adjectives must use the same forms in a sentence. Foreigners find this quite complicated. Along with cases, the Czech language is also based on gender. There are three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. The masculine gender is also divided into animate and inanimate.

Verb Tenses Simple
One of the easiest parts of the Czech language is verb tenses. Verb tenses are fairly simple when compared to English. The basic Czech tenses are present, past and future. The past is used for most past actions, while the present tense is used for ongoing actions that continue into the present (English's present perfect). This part of learning the Czech language is a bit easier for foreigners. However, the language, as a whole, can be quite challenging for most foreigners.

Sounds of Czech Language

Basic Czech Lesson

This video will demonstrate how the Czech language sounds, while also giving you a basic introduction to speaking Czech.
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Czech Koruna

Official Currency

I Czech KorunaThe Czech Koruna is the official currency of the Czech Republic, and was first adopted in 1993 and the fall of the communist regime. Czechs planned to adopt the Euro by 2012, but the government ended this plan in 2007. Many Czechs are not in favor of adopting the Euro for many reasons. One of the main reasons is the decline in the Euro's value in recent months (2011) due to the Euro crisis caused by member states are on the brink of default due to their huge deficits.

Have you visited or lived in the Czech Republic?

Please share your own experiences from a time you visited or lived in this beautiful country!

  • DonD Jan 19, 2012 @ 4:00 am | delete
    Try to visit Kutná Hora in Czech Republic it's a beautiful place for vacation. Anyways I like your lense it's very useful and thank you for giving us the stats and facts about Czech Republic.
  • SherVacik Jan 27, 2012 @ 4:35 pm | delete
    I would love to visit Kutna Hora! It's on my list--hopefully we'll be able to visit this year. Thank you for your comment! :)
  • Serenia Dec 17, 2011 @ 7:14 am | delete
    Nope - never been. Isnt that where King Wenceslaus came from? As in Czechoslovakia is AKA Bohemia? Isnteresting lens - LOVE the language videos.
  • SherVacik Dec 17, 2011 @ 7:44 am | delete
    Yes, that's exactly where he comes from--and the Christmas song is about this famous Czech king! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your comment!
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Czech Off the Beaten Path

Expat Life in the Czech Republic

Czech Off the Beaten Path is my blog about expat life in the Czech Republic. I've lived in Prague for five years, and am married to a Czech. My husband and I have many adventures, which include learning how to navigate cross-cultural marriage.
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SherVacik

My name is Sher Vacik, and I'm a freelance editor, proofreader, writer and digital designer.

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