The Czech Republic is a young European state that emerged on the map of Europe in 1993 as a result of the collapse of Czechoslovakia. What is interesting about this country today? What attracts millions of tourists from all over the world? What is the area of the Czech Republic and how many people live in it? You will learn about all this from our article.
Czech Republic: area and geographical location
In what part of Europe is the republic located? Which countries does the Czech Republic directly border with?
The area of the country is about 79,000 square kilometers. This is approximately comparable with the Krasnodar Territory of Russia, or with the three regions of Central Ukraine (for example, Cherkasy, Kirovograd and Poltava). About 10.5 million people live in this territory (data as of July 2016).
To be more precise, the area of the Czech Republic (thousand km2) corresponds to a value of 78.86. The country is located in the central part of Europe and has no access to the sea. Czech neighbors are four independent states: Germany, Poland, Slovakia and Austria. The republic maintains friendly relations with all these countries. The longest interstate border is between Czechs and Poles (658 km).
The modern area of the Czech Republic includes three historical areas. These are Moravia (in the east), Silesia (in the northeast), as well as Bohemia (in the central part), which is considered the historical core of Czech statehood.
Can the area of the Czech Republic decrease?
The political map of Europe continues to be redrawn today. And far from always this happens as a result of revolutions, wars or separatist manifestations. Sometimes the area of states may vary slightly due to banal cartographic errors.
So, the area of the Czech Republic in the near future may decrease by 500 square kilometers. The fact is that recently the German cartographer Rolf Böhm discovered a discrepancy between the real area of his country and the specified data in official documents. He found out that unaccounted “hectares” of German land are located on the bed of the Kirnich River.
To solve the problem, a special cadastral commission will be created in the near future from representatives of both countries. It is possible that the borders of states after repeated measurements will shift in favor of Germany.
Czech Internal Division
In the administrative-territorial plan, the Czech Republic is divided into 13 regions (territories) and the capital city of Prague. Regions, in turn, are divided into regions (there are 77 in all in this country). 6242 - this is the total number of settlements in the Czech Republic.
Each of the 13 regions has its own “president” (mayor in Prague) and a regional council. Regions include territorial communities of the second and first (or lower) levels.
The capital and largest city of the Czech Republic is Prague. Here lives 1/9 of the country's population. Prague is considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. At any time of the year on its old streets you can see crowds of tourists - representatives of different countries and continents.
Travelers and other interesting cities of the Czech Republic do not pass by . Among them are Brno, Karlovy Vary, Cesky Krumlov, Kutna Hora, Pilsen, Litomyšl and others.
Natural features and landscapes
The Czech Republic is a variety of landforms (mountain ranges, gentle hills and river canyons), mild climate and beautiful natural landscapes. In summer, the air temperature here rarely exceeds + 28-30 degrees, which makes the stay in the country very comfortable.
The main Czech rivers: Odra, Laba and Vltava. The streams of this small country carry their fresh water to three different seas of Europe (Black, Baltic and Northern). The highest point of the state is Mount Snezka (1602 meters).
Czech landscapes are very diverse. The historic area of Bohemia is surrounded on all sides by low gentle mountains - the Sudetenland. The eastern part of the country - Moravia - is a hilly and very picturesque area with an abundance of sections of virgin deciduous forest.
The Czechs are very sensitive to the protection of natural wealth. So, it was here, back in 1838, that one of the first natural reserves in Europe was established. About 14% of the country's territory is under state protection. Perhaps the most beautiful in the Czech Republic is the Šumava nature reserve, which is famous for its many lakes, centuries-old trees and perfectly clean air.
8 interesting facts about the Czech Republic
You can complete a short geographical sketch about this country by listing the most interesting facts about it. So, did you know that:
- prostitution and certain types of drugs are legalized in the Czech Republic;
- Czech grammar and pronunciation are considered the most difficult in Europe;
- there are an incredible amount of pet stores in this country;
- the leader in marijuana use in Europe is not Holland at all, but the Czech Republic;
- in the town of Kutna Hora there is a temple completely erected from human bones;
- in Prague is the largest castle in Europe;
- it is forbidden to install satellite dishes on old buildings in the Czech Republic - they spoil the appearance of old quarters;
- One of the most popular Czech souvenirs is the Krotek toy (the hero of the famous cartoon).
Finally
The area of the Czech Republic is 78.86 thousand square kilometers. The country's population exceeds the mark of ten million people.
The state is located in Central Europe and attracts a huge number of tourists. Travelers come to the Czech Republic to enjoy the most picturesque natural landscapes, visit first-class ski resorts, wander through the narrow medieval streets of ancient cities and taste the legendary Czech beer.