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Maturita Card 25: The Czech Republicz What basic facts do you know about the Czech

Republic?

The Czech Republic is located in the middle / centre/ heart o Europe. It is surrounded / bordered byGermany to the west, Poland to the north, Slovakia tothe east and Austria to the south. It has a populationo about 10 million. The capital city is Prague. The localcurrency is the Czech Crown.

z What facts do you know about Czech history?

The country began to orm in the 9th century with thecreation o Great Moravia. Ater its all, the Czech stateemerged. The Czech lands became a part o the HolyRoman Empire in the 10th century. King Charles IV wascrowned Holy Roman Emperor in 1355. His rule is knownas the Golden Age o Czech history. He establishedCharles University, the rst university in Central Europe,in 1348. The religious leader Jan Hus was executed in

1415. The Hussite Wars ollowed. Under the reign othe Habsburgs, the Czech lands became part o theAustroHungarian Empire. Rudol IIs rule is associatedwith Prague being a place o magic and mysticism. In1618, a revolt by Czech protestants against Catholic rulestarted the Thirty Year War, which led to the nal deeato the Czech protestants in 1620 at the Battle o WhiteMountain. Much o the Czech aristocracy let the countryaterwards. The 19th century saw the revival o the Czechlanguage and o Czech national consciousness. Thecountry became independent rom the AustroHungarianEmpire / An independent Czechoslovakia was ormedon October 28, 1918. Masaryk was the rst President.In 1938 the Munich Agreement between Germany,Italy, France and Great Britain saw the Sudetenlandregion given to Germany. The next year Germany invadedwhat remained o Czechoslovakia. In 1948 the CommunistParty took power. In 1989 the Velvet Revolution sawthe end o communism. Vclav Havel became the rstpresident o a newly democratic Czechoslovakia. In 1993the Velvet Divorce saw the separation o Czechoslovakiainto the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In 2004 the CzechRepublic became a ull member o the European Union.In 2007 it became a member o the Schengen Area.

z What can you tell me about Prague?

Prague is the largest city and the nations / countryscapital. It is a popular tourist destination. Prague isknown as the Golden City and the City o a HundredSpires because o its rich architecture (many churchesand cathedrals). Some popular sites in Prague arePrague Castle, Charles Bridge, the Astrological Clock,and the Old Town Square.

z What can you tell me about the Czech Republics

regions and major cities?

The country / nation can be divided into three broadhistorical / cultural regions: Bohemia (in the west),Moravia (in the east) and Silesia (in the northeast).

Traditionally / typically, Bohemia is seen as more urban/ cosmopolitan / industrial and Moravia is seen astraditional / rural / religious. Brno is the second largestcity and unocial capital o Moravia. Moravia is knownor its wines. Brno was once called the MoravianManchester because o its ast industrialization inthe 19th century. It is amous or the Tugendhat Villa.

Ostrava is known or its mining history. Plze andesk Budjovice are internationally amous or theirbeers. Karlovy Vary is a amous spa town.

z How would you describe Czech geography?

The Czech Republic has a temperate continentalclimate / our distinct seasons. The terrain / landscapeis hilly / quite mountainous around the bordersand atter in the centre. A number o rivers such asthe Labe, the Vltava and the Morava ow throughthe country. There are many ponds in south Bohemia.

The country oten sufers rom oods. The land is quiteheavily orested. umava in the south has some othe oldest orests in the country. esk rj (BohemianParadise) is a popular area or hiking and has manyinteresting rock ormations. Moravian Karst is amousor its cave systems.

z What do you know about the Czech political

system?

The Czech Republic is a parliamentary democracy.The parliament is bicameral / twochambered.

The lower house is called the Chamber o Deputiesand the upper house is called the Senate. Electionsor the Chamber o Deputies are held every ouryears (unless the government is dissolved / endsearlier). The Chamber o Deputies has proportionalrepresentation. A third o the Senate is elected ora sixyear term with elections occurring every twoyears. The government is ormed rom the lower house.The head o the government is the prime minister.The head o state is the president, who is elected everyve years and can only be elected or two terms.

z Who are some famous Czechs?

Charles IV is amous or being the only Czech to be HolyRoman Emperor. Jan Hus was an important religiousleader o the 14th and 15th centuries. Jan Komensk(John Comenius) was an important educational theoristand reormer in the 17th century. Karel apek, MilanKundera and Jaroslav Haek are amous Czech writers.The internationally renowned writer Franz Kaka livedin Prague. Milo Forman is an Oscarwinning director.Antonn Dvok and Bedich Smetana are signicant

composers.Two Czechs have won the Nobel Prize:Proessor Jaroslav Heyrovsk or chemistry andJaroslav Seiert or literature. Contact lenses arethe invention o / were invented by the chemist OttoWichterle. Some amous athletes are Jaromr Jgr oricehockey, Martina Navrtilov or tennis.

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