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What to see outside
of Prague: -
Karlstejn Chateau -
Konopiste Chateau
Religion
The main religion of the Czech Republic is
Christianity. Approximately 40 percent of the population are Roman
Catholic. Protestant denominations account for about 3 percent of
the population. About 5 percent of people in the Czech Republic are
atheist. Many of those who identify themselves as members of
religious organizations do not practice their religion actively.
Prior to World War II (1939-1945), the country had a large Jewish
population. Most of the Jews died in the Holocaust, the Nazi
campaign to exterminate the Jews of Europe. There are currently
between 15,000 and 18,000 Jews living in the Czech Republic.
Land and Resources
The total area of the Czech
Republic is 78,864 sq km (30,450 sq mi). The maximum distance from
east to west is about 490 km (about 305 mi), and the maximum
distance from north to south is about 280 km (about 175 mi).
Mountain ranges surround much of the country.
Natural Regions
The Czech Republic contains two main
regions—Bohemia, located in the west, and Moravia, located in the
east. Part of the region of Silesia occupies the north-central
section of the country. The central part of the Czech Republic is
dominated by the elevated plateaus of the Bohemian-Moravian
Highlands and the low plains and rolling hills of the Bohemian
Basin. A number of rivers drain these areas, and much of the
country’s farmland is located there. Rising along the edges of these
central regions and extending outward to form much of the country’s
natural border are a number of mountain ranges. The Erzgebirge in
the north and the Šumava Mountains in the west, are well known for
their spas and ski resorts. The Šumava comprise part of the
Böhmerwald (Bohemian Forest), a highland region located in the west
and southwest that forms the country’s border with Germany. The
Sudety mountains are located in the north and form part of the
border with Poland. The Sudety range includes the Krkonoše
Mountains, which contain the country’s highest point, Snežka (1,603
m/5,259 ft). One of the country’s largest nature reserves is also
located in the Sudety range. Extending along the Czech-Slovak border
in the southeastern part of the country is a section of the
Carpathian Mountains. Also located in the southeast are the Moravian
Lowlands, which contain the fertile valley of the Morava River where
a variety of crops are grown.
Rivers and
Lakes
The main rivers of the Czech Republic are the
Elbe (known locally as the Labe), the Vltava, the Ohre, the Morava,
the Lužnice, the Jihlava, and the Svratka. The Sázava, Odra (Oder),
and Opava rivers are also important.
Population and Settlement
The Czech people are
descended from Slavic tribes who arrived to Bohemia and Moravia in
the 5th century a.d. The Czechs are the country’s dominant ethnic
group, representing about 94 percent of the population ,followed by
Slovaks with about 3 percent; Poles, Germans, Roma (Gypsies), and
Hungarians comprise most of the remainder.
Principal Cities
Prague (population, 1999 estimate,
1,193,270) is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic.
Other important cities include Brno (384,727), an educational and
industrial centre; Ostrava (322,111), a center for metal industries;
Plzen (168,422), noted for its breweries; and Olomouc (103,372), a
trade and industrial center
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