Czech Republic

Basic information

• Area: 78,867 km2

• Population: 10.5 mil• Capital city: Prague• Parts: Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia• Language: Czech• Minorities: Slovak, Polish, German, Ukrainian,

Gypsy

Symbols

• Flag • Coat of arms• Anthem – “Where is my home”

Geography

• Borders with Germany (the longest), Austria, Slovakia and Poland

• The highest peak: Sněžka 1,602 m in the Giant Mountains

• Mountains: the Eagle Mountains, the Beskydy Mountains, the Jizerské Mountains, the Jeseníky, Bohemian Forest

• Rivers: The Elbe, The Vltava, The Morava, The Oder

Geography

• National parks: Krkonoše, Šumava, Podyjí, Bohemian Switzerland

• Lakes: Black (Šumava), Čertovo (Plzeň), Laka (Šumava), Plešné (Šumava)

• Ponds: Rožmberk (Třeboň, the largest pond of the world), Svět (Třeboň), Bezdrev (České Budějovice, 3.)

Political system• The Czech Republic is a parliamentary state• It is divided into executive power (government,

president), legislative power (parliament) and judicial power (courts)

Government:• Prime minister: Petr Nečas• Deputy prime minister: Karel Schwanzerberg,

Karolína Peake• 14 Ministers• President: Václav Klaus

Political systemParliament:

• Chamber of deputies • 200 Members of parliament (elected for 4

years) • the Speaker: Miroslava Němcová • elections: every 4th year

• Senate • 81 senators (for 6 years) • the Speaker: Milan Štěch • elections: every 2nd year 1/3 of the senate

Political parties:• Civil Democratic Party (ODS) - the right, Petr Nečas• The Tradition, Responsibility, Prosperity (Top 09) - the

right, Karel Schwanzerberg • The Public Affairs (VV) - the middle, Radek John• The Christian Democratic Union - the Czechoslovak

People's Party (KDU-ČSL) – the middle, Pavel Bělobrádek• Czech Social Democratic Party(ČSSD)- the left,

Bohuslav Sobotka• The Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSČM) -

the left, Vojtěch Filip

Political system

Political system

President:• Václav Klaus• Elected for 5 years• Presidential veto• Amnesty• Chief of Czech

Army

UNESCO

• Český Krumlov • Kutná hora• Lednice-Valtice area• Village monument preservation area Holašovice • Chateau and gardens in Kroměříž• Villa Tugendhat in Brno

UNESCO• Litomyšl - castle• Olomouc – Pole of Plague• Prague - historical centre• Telč - historical centre• Třebíč- St. Prokop's basilic and Jewish

quarter• Ždár nad Sázavou - St. John Nepomuk's

church

St. John Nepomuk's church

• Zelená hora, Žďár nad Sázavou• It's in baroque style • The architect was John Blažej Santini-

Aichl• The church looks like a star (legend)

Villa Tugendhat

• The architect – Ludwig Mies van der Rohe • Icon of modernism• Example of functionalism• Iron, window, geometric shapes, luxurious

materials, modern technology, space and light• The split of Czechoslovakia was signed here by

V. Klaus and V. Mečiar

Brno

• The second largest city• Population: 379,000• Rivers: The Svitava, The Svratka• Center of higher education (33 faculties, 89,000

students)• Sites: Špilberk Castle, Cathedral of St. Peter and

Paul, Veveří Castle

Ostrava• The city with the worst air• Ostrava is famous with its coal mines• You can visit mine Landek museum• The city has got three big shopping centres

(Avion, Futurum and New Karolina)• In the centre there is Masaryk's square,

where is a famous Chrismas market and next to the square there is a cathedral.

Špilberk

Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul

Veveří

Coin

Masaryk University Campus VI

Moravia• Is one of historical Czech lands• The biggest cities are: Brno, Olomouc, Ostrava,

Opava, Frýdek-Místek, Český Těšín, Karviná, Havířov and Zlín

• The border between Moravia and Bohemia are Eagle Mountains, Czech-Moravian Highlands, Jihlava

• South Moravia is famous for wine (Pálava), there are also many interesting landmarks (Lednice, Valtice, etc.) and regions, e.g. Slovácko

• North Moravia has got nice mountains• In a coat of arms, there is an eagle with red and

white chessboard on a blue field

Silesia

• Is the smalest historical land of the Czech Republic

• It is situated in the north of Moravia, on the border with Poland

• In coat of arms, there is a black eagle on gold field

Sport• In Czechia the most popular sports are

football and ice hockey• In the last world championship in ice hockey

we got a bronze medal • A lot of Czech sportsmen play all around the

world

Transport• Trains – very popular, relatively cheap,

people use them mainly for longer distances• Buses (Veolia, Student Agency) - quite

expensive, for a schort ways (to school,work) also long ways, comfortable

• Airplanes - expensive,  international flights, Václav Havel Airport Praha, Leoš Janáček Airport Mošnov, Brno- Tuřany, Karlova Vary

• Taxi• Motorways

Nature

• Czech Republic has very beautiful nature and also very well marked trails (with Slovakia the best in the world)

• There are also a lot of castles, rocks, caves and mountains

• Forests are our richness

Pravčická gate

Pánská rock

Adršpach

Šumava

Giant Mountains

Bozkovské dolomitové jeskyně

Famous people

• Karel Čapek – 1890 - 1938– writer, translator– journalist, dramatist– invented word ROBOT

Famous people

• Otto Wichterle– 1913 – 1998– scientist, invertor– invented contact lenses

and nylon

Famous people

• Emil Zátopek- athlete, won medal in

Helsinki in 1952

Famous people

• Antonín Dvořák- composer, Slavonic

dances, Nymph

Tomas:Czech Republic is my home and I like the nature, rich history, but people are sometimes horrible because there are a lot of thieves and corruption.

Martin:Czech Republic has beautiful nature and that‘s the reason why I feel here good. We have also a lot of nice castles, towns and the best beer in the world.

Questions for class

• Three parts of czech political system?• Do you know some presidential rights?• What does it mean the Speaker in czech?• Five UNESCO landmarks?• Who wrote Nymph?• Example of 2 nature monuments