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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Sněžka – the highest peak of the Giant Mountains

The Giant Mountains, Krkonoše, or Karkonosze (Czech: [ˈkr̩konoʃɛ] ^ⓘ, Polish pronunciation: [karkɔˈnɔʂɛ] ^ⓘ, German: Riesengebirge pronounced [ˈʁiːzn̩ɡəˌbɪʁɡə] ^ⓘ), are a mountain range located in the north of the Czech Republic and the south-west of Poland, part of the Sudetes mountain system (part of the Bohemian Massif). The Czech–Polish border, which divides the historic regions of Bohemia and Silesia, runs along the main ridge. The highest peak, Sněžka (Polish: Śnieżka), is the Czech Republic's highest natural point with an elevation of 1,603 metres (5,259 ft).

On both sides of the border, large areas of the mountains are designated national parks (Krkonoše National Park in the Czech Republic and Karkonosze National Park in Poland), and these together comprise the Krkonoše/Karkonosze Transboundary Biosphere Reserve under the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme. The source of the River Elbe is within the Giant Mountains. The range has a number of major ski resorts, and is a popular destination for tourists engaging in downhill and cross-country skiing, hiking, cycling and other activities. (Full article...)

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Self Portrait by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, 1570. Collection of the National Gallery Prague.

Source: Národní Galerie v Praze, PD

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In this month

11 December 1949 – The Číhošť miracle takes place: during a church service of Josef Toufar in the village of Číhošť, the crucifix moves several times over the pulpit, prompting an intervention by the StB
15 December 1230 – Wenceslaus I succeeds Ottokar I as King of Bohemia
16 December 1992 – The Czech National Council adopts the Constitution of the Czech Republic
18 December 1935 – Edvard Beneš is elected second President of Czechoslovakia
22 December 1966 – Construction begins on the Stalin Monument (pictured), the largest representation of Stalin in the world

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Kvitová with the winner's trophy after defending her title at the 2018 Birmingham Classic

Petra Kvitová (Czech: [ˈpɛtra ˈkvɪtovaː]; born 8 March 1990) is an inactive Czech professional tennis player. Known for her powerful left-handed groundstrokes and variety, Kvitová has won 31 career singles titles, including two major titles at Wimbledon in 2011 and in 2014. She also won a bronze medal in singles while representing the Czech Republic at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Her career-high ranking of world No. 2 was achieved on 31 October 2011.

Kvitová first gained notice by defeating then-world No. 1 Dinara Safina in the third round of the 2009 US Open. This was followed by her first major semifinal appearance at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships. Then, during her breakthrough season in 2011, Kvitová won her first major title at Wimbledon over Maria Sharapova in the final, and becoming the first player of either gender born in the 1990s to win a major. At the end of the season, she won the WTA Championships on her debut. She also helped lead the Czech Republic to victory in the Fed Cup that same year, making it the Czech Republic's first such title as an independent nation. (Full article...)

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John Amos Comenius Petr Čech Dominik Hašek Jaromír Jágr Pavel Nedvěd Gregor Mendel Tomáš Rosický Franz Kafka Bedřich Smetana Emanuel Moravec Gustav Mahler Fredy Hirsch Antonín Kinský Vlastimil Koubek 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 2005 UNESCO proclaimed the Moravian male recruit dance verbuňk as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Mankind?
... that the World War II idea of Polish-Czechoslovakian confederation was eventually discarded by the Czechs, whose leader chose instead to believe in the Soviet Union promises of alliance?
... that footballer Petr Vrabec won six Czechoslovak league titles with Sparta Prague?
... that Miroslav Tyrš, the founder of Czech national sport movement Sokol, was born into a German family?

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General images

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

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

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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