All you need to know about Czech Republic

The beautiful Czech Republic is a land of castles and mountains, history and charm. This nation state in Central Europe is also known by the short name of Czechia since September of 2016 and is a popular destination not only for tourists, but expats from the whole world.

Read on to discover basic, interesting and fun facts about Czech Republic and some of the things there are to see and do there.

Basic facts

• Official title: Czech Republic (Česká republika)
• Area: 78,866 square kilometers
• Neighboring countries: Germany, Poland, Austria and Slovakia
• Population: 10,513,000 inhabitants
• Density of population: 134 inhabitants per square kilometer
• Capital: Prague (1.28 million inhabitants)
• Other major cities: Brno (385,000), Ostrava (303,000), Plzen (170,000), Liberec (102,000)
• Administrative language: Czech
• Religion: Non or Undeclared (79,4%), Roman Catholic (10.6%), Orthodox (3%), Protestant (0,8%);
• Political system: Parliamentary democracy
• Currency: Czech crown — CZK (Kč), $ 1 = 23 Kč, 1€ = 26 Kč
• Time zone: Central European Time (CET), from April to October — summer time (GMT + 1, GMT + 2)
• Climate: Temperate, four seasons, a mix of ocean and inland climate, changeable winters, warm summers. The average daily temperature in January, the coldest of winter months is about -2°C, in July, the warmest month, about 30°C.
• Telephone numbers: The country telephone code for the Czech Republic is +420.

State and public holidays

• January 1st — New Year´s Day; National Holiday — Formation of the Czech Republic
• variable — Easter Monday
• May 1st — May Day
• May 8th — National Holiday — Day of Liberation from Fascism (1945)
• July 5th — National Holiday — Day of Slav Missionaries Cyril and Methodius
• July 6th — National Holiday — Master John Huss (1415)
• September 28th — Saint Wenceslas Day
• October 28th — National Holiday — Foundation of Independent Czechoslovak State (1918)
• November 17th — Day of Fight for Freedom and Independence
• December 24th — Christmas Eve
• December 25th — Christmas Day
• December 26th — Boxing Day

Facts about the history of Czech Republic

1. Originally formed in the late ninth century, the Czech state was first known as the Duchy of Bohemia under the Great Moravian Empire.
2. It was formally recognized as part of the massive Holy Roman Empire in 1004 and became the Kingdom of Bohemia in 1198.
3. As the kingdom of Bohemia, it reached its zenith of wealth and power during the 13th and 14th centuries.
4. By 1526, along with the Archduchy of Austria and the Kingdom of Hungary, the Crown of Bohemia was gradually integrated into the Habsburg Monarchy.
5. A Protestant Bohemian revolt against the Catholic Habsburgs started the Thirty Years War. When it was over, the monarchy stabilized its rule, began a gradual Germanization and reinstated Catholicism.
6. The Bohemian Kingdom became part of the Austrian Empire when the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved in 1806.
7. In 1918 with the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I, the Republic of Czechoslovakia was formed. Due to a wave of romantic nationalism, the Czech language experienced a revival.
8. Germany occupied the Czech part of the nation during World War II. The Soviet Union liberated them in 1945. By 1946 the country had become Communist under Soviet influence.
9. During the 1989 Velvet Revolution the communist regime collapsed and in June of 1993, Czechoslovakia was peacefully dissolved. It then became two independent states: the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
10. The Czech Republic joined NATO (1999) and on May 1, 2004 it became a full member of the European Union.

Are you from IT sphere and would like to relocate to Prague? Then click here and join us!

• Welcome to Czech Republic film for foreigners made my Ministry of the Interior of the Czech republic:
• - (ENG) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNgVG7FWn18&feature=youtu.be&autoplay=1
• - (RUS) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHZx52UUAhU&feature=youtu.be&autoplay=1
• - (UKR) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEntK_XavCo&feature=youtu.be&autoplay=1
• Welcome to Czech Republic. Land of stories by UNESCO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUnN8WwYF0U
• Old Prague legends http://www.legendystareprahy.cz/en