Gymnázium, Brno, Slovanské nám. 7, WORKBOOK – GEOGRAPHY 1

WORKBOOK

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Subjekt: GEOGRAPHY 1Teacher: Mgr. Tomáš SagánekStudent: …………………………………………..School year: …………../…………………………….

Topic A: The CZECH REPUBLIC1 Location, bacis characteristics2 Historical development of area/borders3 Geology 4 Physical geography5 Human geography6 Regions – NUTS 3Topics B: EUROPE8 Western Europe

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9 Norther EuropeTopic A: The CZECH REPUBLIC

1 Location, bacis characteristics

With a total area of 78,866 square kilometers, the Czech Republic is a midsize European country. Its size is comparable to Austria or Ireland and would it fit inside France seven times. The country could fit 122 times within the area of the United States. The Czech Republic makes up 2% of the European Union. The country comprises three historical lands - Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia. Bohemia is the largest, and its size corresponds to Togo in Africa or the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean. The area of Moravia is half the size of Bohemia, and the smallest land, Silesia, has an area of approximately 4,500 square kilometers. Administratively, the Czech Republic is divided into 14 regions; one of those being the cupital city of Prague. The largest region - Central Bohemia - surrounds Prague from all sides. The list of the largest cities of the Czech Republic opens with the capital city of Prague, which is followed by Plzen, Brno, Liberec and Ostrava. (www.czech.cz)

The Czech Republic is located in the Northern Hemisphere, approximately in the middle of the European Continent. Its neighboring states are Germany (to the west), Poland (to the north), Slovakia (to the east, which together with the Czech Republic constituted Czechoslovakia until 1992) and Austria (to the south). The Czech Republic does not have access to the sea. The main watershed divides the catchment areas of the North, Baltic and Black seas. The closest seas are the Baltic and the Mediterranean - both of which are very popular destinations for Czech travelers. The main rivers running through the Czech Republic are the Elbe (Labe_ (370 km) and the Vltava (433 km) in Bohemia, the Morava in Moravia (246 km), the Dyje (306 km) the Oder (Odra) (135 km) and the Opava rivers (131 km) in Silesia. From a geographical point of view, the Czech Republic lies on the boundary line of two mountain ranges. The hilly western and middle part of Bohemia is formed by the Czechhighlands and the slightly higher mountain ranges of Šumava, Ceský les, Krušné hory, Krkonoše, Orlické hory and Jeseníky. The West Carpathian Mountains (Beskydy) lie in theeastern part of the country. (www.czech.cz)

2 Historical development of area/borders

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3 Geology CR

4 Physical geography4.1 Landscape4.2 WatersWaters and mountains are the dominant elements that constitute the uniqueness and variety of the Czech Republic's terrain. Mountain ranges surround the country on almost all sides and have served as a natural border in the past. Some of Europe's largest rivers, e. g. the Elbe (Labe), havetheir origins in the Czech Republic.

You will be able to locate in the map:1. CATCHEMENT OF NORTH SEA

LABE (Cidlina, Mrlina, Jizera, Ploučnice, Kamenice, Orlice – Tichá a Divoká, Chrudimka, Vltava, Ohře, Bílina) VLTAVA ( Prameny: Teplá a Studená, Lužnice – Nežárka, Sázava, Otava: pramen = Vydra + Křemelná, Berounka: Úslava, Úhlava, Radbůza, Mže), Střela

2. CATCHEMENT OF BALTIC SEA ODRA (Ostravice, Olše, Opava – Moravice)

3. CATCHEMENT OF BLACK SEA MORAVA ( Třebůvka, Blata, Valová, Haná, Kyjovka, Oskava, Bystřice, Bečva: Rožnovská, Vsetínská, Moštěnka, Olšava) Dyje ( Jihlava, Svratka, Bobrava, Bytíška, Svratka, Punkva, Litava)

4. LAKES ( Černé, Čertovo, Plešné, Prášilské, Laka, Velký a Malý stav, Kamencové, Mladotické)5. FISHPONDS (Bezdrev, Svět, Rožmberk, Dvořiště, Vel. Tisý, Horusický, Bošilecký, Máchovo

jezero, Vel. Dářko, Nesyt, Lednický rybník, Žehuňský rybník, Mutěnický r)6. DAM LAKES (Skalka, Jesenice, Nechranice, Hracholusky, Lipno, Kořensko, Orlík, Kamýk,

Štěchovice, Vrané, Želivka, Rozkoš, Pastviny, Seč, Vranov, Dalešice, Nové Mlýny, Vír, Brněnská, Slezká Harta, Kružberk, Šance, Žermanice, Těrlicko)

7. WATER CHANNELS (Schwarzenberský kanál, Zlatá stoka, Nová řeka, Opatovický kanál, Baťův Kanál)

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Map: http://www.zemepis.com/rekycr.phpBlank map: http://www.zemepis.com/reky3.php

Experts speak of the territory of the Czech Republic as the roof of Europe. The main Europeanwatershed extends through the country, dividing the drainage areas of the north and south seas,which make Europe into a gigantic peninsula. Here we can even find the massif, Kralický Snežník (1,423 meters), from which water runs into three different seas according to which slope receives rain. The North Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea meet here. Another interesting fact is that the area of the three historical territories of the Czech Republic – Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia – are approximately equivalent with the most important catchment areas. Bohemia holds the Elbe catchment area , Moravia is the catchment area for the Morava and Silesia is the catchment area for the Oder.Reservoirs are of great importance for the purposes of water management in the Czech Republic. The most important of these are artificial lakes, which were mostly built in enclosed river valleys. There are 150 artificial lakes in the Czech Republic. There is of course a higher number (approximately 21,000) of fishponds, which form an inherent part of the Czech countryside. One of the reasons for the establishment of these was the lack of natural lakes. If we speak of the Czech Republic's waters, we must not forget to mention the mineral springs and spas. There is such a large number of these in the Czech lands that the standard definition of a mineral spring is much stricter here than in other European countries. Here we can find springs with various mineral ingredients, acidulous spring water containing carbon dioxide, hot and even radioactive springs. It is above all the West Bohemian spas that for centuries have been a hot spot for visitors from all over Europe and further afield.The Elbe catchment area The source of the Elbe River is in the highest Czech mountain range, the Krkonoše, and during its travels it meets almost all the rivers in Bohemia. The Vltava is the most important

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of these tributaries and drains the whole southern half of the Czech Republic. In addition, the capital city of Prague is situated on the Vltava, so it is rightly regarded as the Czech national river. After its confluence with the Vltava, the Elbe heads to the northwest, where the volcanic massif of the Central Bohemian Uplands stands in its path. The Elbe runs through this in a closed Halley known as Porta Bohemica – the Bohemian Gate. Similarly, over its final few kilometers within the territory of the Czech Republic, the Elbe runs through a narrow valley between sandstonerocks known as Bohemian-Saxonian Switzerland. It then flows hundreds of kilometers further through Germany up to the river's mouth, where it empties into the North Sea.The Morava catchment area The most important river in Moravia is the Morava - the names of the historical land and the river are the same in the Czech language. The source of the Morava River is in Kralický Snežník, the point of contact of three sea drainage areas in the Czech Republic. From here, it heads south through the lowlands of the Moravian depression and only at the southernmost tip of Moravia does it join up with the Dyje, the source of which is found in Austria, and drains the southwest part of Moravia. After passing the Austrian-Slovak border, the Morava continues on toward the Danube, which ends in the Black Sea after a long trek across Southeast Europe.The Oder catchment areaSimilarly, the catchment ar of the Oder River, which is the backbone of Silesia, only encroaches onto the territory of the Czech Republic to a small extent. The source of the Oder itself is in the relatively low Oderské vrchy highlands, although it is mainly in the Ostrava basin that the river is augmented by others flowing from the border mountain ranges of Hrubý Jeseník and the Moravian-Silesian Beskydy. Lysá hora, the location with the most rainfall in the Czech Republic, also lies within this catchment area. The Oder, similarly to the Elbe, then heads toward the northwest border of the Czech Republic to flow into the Baltic Sea at the Polish port of Szczecin. Artificial akesIn order to stop water from flowing too swiftly out of the territory of the Czech Republic, several dozens of artificial lakes have been constructed over the past 100-plus years. The job of these artificial lakes is to influence the flow of Czech rivers – as support in times of drought and as protection against floods. They are currently used for energy and recreational purposes, and some are drinking water reservoirs. The oldest Czech artificial lakes were created at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, mostly in the mountainous and industrially developed northern border areas of what today constitutes the Czech Republic. In the second half of the 20th century the largest set of artificial lakes in the Czech Republic was built, the Vltava Cascade. The enclosed valley of the Vltava from Šumava at the southern bordur of Bohemia right up to Prague was used for its construction.FishpondsThe tradition of establishing artificial water basins dates back in the Czech lands to the Middle Ages, when a large group of fishponds was created here, of which roughly a quarter have been preserved to this day. An undeniably spectacular work of this kind is the set of

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fishponds in the Trebon basin in South Bohemia, mostly established in the 16th century on the estate of the Rožmberk family. A large area of South Bohemia was then transformed from marshland into an enchanting region where bodies of water alternate with the untouched magic of the countryside. It is from here that carp most often comes - the traditional fish for Christmas dinner in the Czech Republic.LakesCzech lakes can literally be counted on the fingers of both hands. We will need one hand for the Sumava mountain range in South Bohemia. On the Czech side of these mountains, a mountain glacier has created five mountain tarns. The largest of these is known as the Black Lake. We can find only a few smaller lakes outside of Šumava. They may not be especially large, but thein origin is worth our attention. In North Moravia, in the municipality of Rejvíz, there are two peat lakes, and in West Bohemia, the Odlezelské (Mladotické) Lake was created by the blocking of the valley after a landslide in 1872. This was an unusual occurrence in such a geologically ancient territory as the Bohemian Massif. Maybe even more remarkable is the story of Kamencové Lake near the city of Chomutov in North Bohemia. A small lake existed here as far back as the Middle Ages and the local rock - alum - was mined nearby until the water extended into the mined area. Today, the lake is many times more extensive than the original one. Its renown, however, can be attributed to something completely different. As a result of the chemical composition of the water here, it contains no animal life whatsoever. On the other hand, it is excellent for bathing and so is a popular destination for visitors; and why not, when apparently there is only one other such place to be found in the whole world - and that's in California. (www.czech.cz)

4.3 ClimateThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country located in moderate geographical latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere.The climate of the Czech Republic is mild but variable locally and throughout the year.

The climate differs markedly among the various regions of the Czech Republic, depending on the height above sea level. Generally speaking, the higher you are, average temperatures may drop more and rainfall is more likely. Many other factors also play a role in this – the border mountain ranges, for example, significantly influence ground-level air flow and rainfall.

Various height levels of the sun during the year cause the changing of the seasons, differentiated from each other mainly by the development of temperatures and precipitation. Similarly to the whole moderate northern band, the beginning of the year in the Czech Republic is also characterized by a cold winter. After this comes spring, followed by a warm summer and chilly autumn. The alternation of the seasons has a marked effect, above all on vegetation.

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The weather at any given time may differ significantly from the long-term average. This variability of the weather is caused mainly by the changeable location and magnitude of two main pressure centers: the Icelandic Low and the Azores High. Mainly during the warm middle of the year, it can generally be said that expansion of the high pressure projection into our territory causes warmer and drier temperatures, whereas the Icelandic Low manifests itself with a greater number of atmospheric fronts, which bring more clouds and precipitation.

The climate of the Czech Republic can then be labeled as moderate, of course with great local diversity seen throughout the year. Further changeability then is up to the weather itself.

Find out more about the climate and weather in the Czech Republic on the website of the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute .

Diversity of the Czech climate

Some of the main climatological factors are the geographical latitude, height above sea level and distance from the ocean. Differences in geographical latitude are negligible in the Czech Republic; the northernmost point is only 2.5 degrees further north than the southernmost. The most important factor in the diversity of the Czech climate remains the varied topography, thanks to which the climate varies among individual regions of the country.

The average air temperature is strongly dependent on the height above sea level. When the temperature on the highest mountain in the Czech Republic, Sněžka (1,602 meters), is only 0.4 °C, the lowlands of southeast Moravia can experience temperatures of almost 10 °C. The highest average air temperatures have also been recorded in Prague, where the effect of the city climate has a warming effect – the “heat island” phenomenon.

The annual rainfall is also markedly dependent on the height above sea level. If we want to find the rainiest area in the Czech Republic, we would have to look to the highest mountain range with steep slopes facing northwest. The average total rainfall there is in excess of 1,200 millimeters. On the other hand, the driest region of the Czech Republic, apart from the lowest-situated, southeast Moravia, is northwest Bohemia, which is shaded in this direction by the Krušné Mountains.

Characteristics of the seasons

December, January and February are counted as the winter months. The coldest of these is January, when even in the lowlands the average monthly temperature falls below 0 °C. If there is any precipitation in winter, it is usually snowfall in the mountains. In the lowlands it can alternately rain and snow. Snow coverage usually lasts for several months at higher

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altitudes above sea level, which attracts winter sports enthusiasts. Snow can remain for several days, even in the lowlands, although most winters it is rather “slushy.”

During March, April and May, there is a sharp increase in temperatures. We can get an idea of the character of individual months from the following saying: “Březen - za kamna vlezem, duben - ještě tam budem, máj - půjdeme v háj“ (“March – we get behind the stove, April – we’ll still be there, May – off we go to the garden”). Snow coverage usually disappears in the mid-spring, even in the highest mountains of the Czech Republic, so even there the swift growth of vegetation so typical for spring can occur. Czech rivers are at their fullest in spring as a result of the melting snow. There are many Czech folk traditions connected with this period.

If you love heat, the best time to visit the Czech Republic is July, when the average temperature is 20 °C warmer than in January. The hottest daily temperatures can be in excess of 30 °C. Days such as these can be pleasantly spent near the water, which truly heats to a suitable temperature for swimming in the second half of summer. Another way to escape the sultry summer heat is to take a trip to the mountains, where the average daily temperatures are just over 10 °C. The hottest months are also those with the most rainfall as the hot air brings the highest level of moisture to the Czech Republic.

The first of the autumn months is August, which is still relatively hot and markedly drier than the preceding month. The period of good weather that usually comes in August is known as Indian Summer. The average daily temperatures usually fall once again below 10 °C around the start of October, which is when the leaves on the trees begin to change into a multitude of colors and fall to the ground: This is why the Czech word for November is derived from the words for falling leaves. The first light frosts can also occur at this time, announcing the nearness of the coming winter (www.czech.cz).

4.5 Soils4.6 Nature

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National parks'National park' is a globally used category in which internationally and nationally important and unique territories with preserved natural environments or ecosystems that have not been greatly affected are proclaimed.

Šumava National Park and protected landscape area Šumava is often called the green roof of Europe for its location at the very center of densely populated Central Europe. It has a relatively high level of preservation of its natural environment and rich water resources.

Podyjí National Park This national park represents an excellently preserved example of river valley countryside in the hilly level of Central Europe.

České Švýcarsko National Park (Bohemian Switzerland National Park) Česko-saské Švýcarsko (Czech-Saxon Switzerland) is one of the traditional and best-known tourist areas in Central Europe.

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Krkonoše National Park (KRNAP)

The Žďár Peaks The rugged landscape of the Žďár Peaks is characteristic in its varied alternation of meadows, pastures, fields, forests and fishponds. It is interlaced with an irregular network of boundaries, ravine paths, small woods and groups of trees and bushes.

The Železné Mountains The Železné Mountains represent a hilly wooden ridge of unique geological constitution, striated with deep valleys of numerous streams.

Slavkov Forest Slavkov Forest protected landscape area is a mountainous island of green, calm and thus far virtually untouched natural environment.

Poodří Preserved water and wetland ecosystems in Poodří are important for migratory birds as well as for many endangered species.

The Orlice Mountains The Orlice Mountains offer a harmoniously balanced landscape with good conditions for tourism and skiing. The protected area covers many rare types of vegetation and endangered animal spaces.

Moravian Karst This is one of the most beautiful and also most visited areas in the Czech Republic. There are extended karst cave systems hidden underground, small sinking rivers pass through some of them. The Moravian Karst belongs to the most important karst areas in Central Europe.

The Lusatian Mountains The landscape is interesting for its broken relief with dense forests; the character of the region is underlined with traditional Lusatian architecture. The most valuable parts of the Lusatian Mountains are the natural forest covers in the highest parts and humid mountain and foothill meadows rich in many precious plant species.

Litovelské pomoraví The extended foodplain forests and well-preserved banks of the Morava River are the main natural phenomenon of this protected area. Natural forests, alluvial meadows and numerous ponds are the unique biotops of fauna, in particular bird.

Elbe Sandstone Valleys, ravines and canyons, surrounded by rock columns that partly create rock towns, are the main formations of this landscape.

Kokořínsko Kokořínsko is known mainly as a picturesque landscape accented by the variety of its sandstone rocks.

Jizerské Mountains The Jizerské Mountains are the northernmost Czech mountain range. It is a region of steep, rocky slopes, somber marshland and never-ending forests. The region is wild in its prehistoric preservation yet has been settled by people for ages.

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Jeseníky Mountains The Jeseníky Mountains is unique for its floristic richness, which is caused mainly by the altitude division and polymorphism of the landscape; climate and oil structure are other important factors.

Bohemian Paradise In the second half of the 19th century, Bohemian Paradise was named as a landscape area where the natural values were raised to the level of historical monuments.

Bohemian Karst Bohemian Karst is a diversely formed, almost wild landscape with romantic corners.

Bohemian Middle Mountains The Bohemian Middle Mountains, with their landscape of steep rocks and deep valleys, belongs among the most peculiar and at the same time the most beautiful mountains in the Czech Republic.

Broumovsko The Broumov Highlands are a rugged and picturesque landscape of mountains, valleys, rocks and gorges, a mosaic of forests and meadows, pasture land and fields.

Blanský Forest The protected area of Blanský Forest represents an integrated landscape complex with untouched natural environment.

Blaník The fundamental element of this area is its mosaic of woods, fields, meadows and smaller fishponds with appropriately integrated villages containing numerous historical monuments.

Beskydy Beskydy is a landscape of mountain ridges, deep valleys, gurgling streams and small rivers, wide forests, flowering slopes and typical cottages of Moravian shepherds. The Carpathian massif - a green ridge of Central Europe - reaches here, at its peak, its highest altitude above sea level.

UNESCO biosphere reservations

Krkonoše National Park (KRNAP) KRNAP is one of the most important protected landscape areas in the Czech Republic and is also one of the largest parks in Europe.

Šumava National Park and protected landscape area Šumava is often called the green roof of Europe for its location at the very center of densely populated Central Europe. It has a relatively high level of preservation of its natural environment and rich water resources.

The Třeboň region The Třeboň region is one of the few protected landscape areas that has a flat landscape cultivated by man for centuries. Despite this, exceptionally valuable natural elements have been preserved here.

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Pálava Although the protected landscape area of Pálava is one of the smallest, it is also one of the most significant in the Czech Republic.

Křivoklátsko Křivoklátsko, a protected landscape area and UNESCO biosphere reservation, is the largest complex of deciduous and mixed forests in the Czech Republic. There are a number of rare animal and vegetable species on the steep, rocky slopes of the Berounka Valley.

White Carpathians This territory has been formed for hundreds of years and has the character of an extensive English park. The forest areas (45%) alternate flowery meadows with solitary, ragged oaks and beeches. It is unique in Europe.

Moravian Karst This is one of the most beautiful and also most visited areas in the Czech Republic. There are extended karst cave systems hidden underground, small sinking rivers pass through some of them. The Moravian Karst belongs to the most important karst areas in Central Europe.

Location: about 30 kilometers north and northeast of Brno, in the southwest part of the Drahan Highlands The area is one of the ecologically cleanest in the Czech Republic. The character of the landscape is that of a plateau with many sink-holes, which is divided by deep, canyonlike dry valleys. The cave system, at almost 35 kilometers, is the longest in the Czech Republic (part of this includes the Nová Rasovna Cave, 13-C, Spirálka, Piková dáma, Sloupsko-šošůvké Caves and the Amatérská Cave). The central cave system in the middle section is the 12-kilometer-long Rudické sink-Bull Rock. There is a complex of massive waterfalls of the Jedovnický stream, which leads underground here. Over 1,000 caves have been recorded in the territory of Moravian Karst. In many, we can find preserved evidence of long-extinct life and the development of human society. Kůlna Cave (a part of Sloupsko-šošůvské jeskyně ) contains proof of the oldest Neanderthal settlement, which dates back 120,000 years. The first finds of artistic endeavors from the Pekárna Cave represent engravings of horses and bison. These are between 11,000 and 13,000 years old.

The caves contain unique fauna. The best-known are bats, a total 18 species of which have been found here. A group that has not yet been sufficiently studied is that of true cave animals (invertebrates in the Moravian Karst), many of which have been described here as new species.The Punkva , Kateřinská , Balcarka and Sloupsko-šošůvské caves are open to the public. In the central part of the region, the landscape with deep valleys and lime rocks offers good climbing terrain. There are also the best conditions for other forms of active recreation, such as trekking and cycling.Area: 94 km² .Height above sea level: 220 meters (Říčka Stream)610 meters (Haličova skála)

Flora and faunaDo you want to know which animals you can see in the countryside in the Czech Republic and which plants and trees grow there?

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The most common species of animals living in the wild in this country include the hare, marmot, otter, marten and mink. In the woods and fields you will very often see pheasants, partridges, wild boars, red deer, ducks and geese. Occasionally, you can also spot eagles, vultures and herons. In the northeastern part of Moravia you can very rarely see wolves and brown bears.Although the indigenous forests in the Czech Republic have been artificially replaced mainly by spruce woods, you can still find more than one-third of forests with original tree structure. Forests typical of the Czech Republic mainly include a mixture of oaks, firs and spruce.

The symbolic tree of the Czech Republic is the linden; the largest living tree in the Czech Republic is actually a linden. This particular tree is marked as a monumental tree and is called Vejvoda’s linden (at a point 130 centimeters above the ground, the trunk perimeter is 12.5 meters), situated in Pastviny, not far from Ústí nad Orlicí.

On the other hand, the Klokočovská linden in the Železné Mountains is considered the oldest Czech tree; its age is estimated about 1,000 years. We are sure that was already a fully grown tree in the 14th century.

Although more than 10 million people live in the relatively small territory of the Czech Republic, you can still find hundreds of beautiful places that you could call a natural paradise. There are many ways of visiting these places. A popular way is to follow marked biking trails, to go for a trip with a particular target location, to spend a vacation in the great outdoors or to enjoy agro-tourism.

National parks and protected areasThe activities of man have a negative impact on natural ecosystems, and jeapordize the existence of flora and fauna. The Czech Republic is aware of this risk, of course, and therefore labors for nature protection.Protected areas are one form of nature protection in the Czech Republic. The principle is to restrict accessibility to a respective area for people and some of their activities. The objective is to preserve the natural environment and, first of all, its natural restoration.

Protected areas in the Czech Republic are divided according to the degree of protection: protected landscape areas, national parks, nature reserves and other types. Inclusion of an area in a specific group is decided by the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic . Nature protection is the concern of the Agency for CR Nature and Landscape Protection .

Specific protected landscape areas are controlled and cared for by the Authority of Nature Protection , established in 1995.

National parks occupy 1.5 % of the Czech Republic territory. The largest park is the Krkonoše National Park.

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Monumental trees are a matter of interest of the Czech Republic. Trees obtain this status e.g. due to their age, size or some myth linked to them.

The living environment

The Ministry of Environment of the Czech Republic together with ecological organizations monitor the living environment on a long-term basis. Information about the current situation and progress is important for the implementation of important plans.

There are six indicators used for evaluating the situation and development of the living environment. Those serve for quantitative evaluation of e.g. environmental trends, targets of ecological policy and evaluation of achievements.

These indicators include:

production of greenhouse gases, spendings on living environment protection, protected areas, organic farming, waste production, air quality index.

Production of greenhouse gases

The threat of climate change is considered to be the most severe threat for the living environment worldwide. In 1992, a UN Framework Convention on Climate Change was signed in Rio de Janerio. Signatary states agreed on the reduction of greenhouse gasses and the execution of other actions in order to deflect changes in the climate.

In 1997, industrially advanced countries met in the Japanese city of Kyoto and agreed on the reduction of greenhouse gasses between 2008 and 2012 by 5.2%, in comparison with 1990. The Czech Republic, which signed the protocol and rafitied it, contracted together with other European Union countries to reduce greenhouse gases by 8%.

Spendings on living environment protection

Spendings on living environment protection include both investments and ordinary spending on protection arrangements. The total spending can only be estimated at this time, as only finances from public sources and part of spending on waste management are monitored. The Czech Republic is gradually implementing environmental directions of the EU. Necessary insvestments estimated at CZK 200 billion to 300 billion will be partly financed from EU

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fonds.

The proportion of investment put into the protection of the living environment should gradually increase to 2.0-2.4% of gross domestic product. These spendings should also include an estimation of investments into technological changes leading to a reduction of the environmental load. Attention will also be paid to non-public spendings.

Protected areas

Destruction of ecosystems is one of the main reasons the number of wild species of plants and animals is decreasing, in some instances leading to extinction. Wild fauna and flora constitute a rich natural heritage that must necessarily be preserved for future generations. Protected areas, as one of the basic tools of ecosystem protection, have a key role in this field.

Current Czech legislation mandates the protection of all free landscape (Act No. 114/1992). Aditionally, Special Protected Areas are also recognized. Special protected large-size areas include national parks and protected landscape areas. Special protected small-size areas comprise national nature preserves, nature preserves, national nature reserves and nature reserves. After the Czech Republic joined the EU, the types of protected areas increased through project NATURA 2000, a system of protected areas chosen according to common principles of the EU, independent of national networks of protected areas.

Organic farming

The overall character of the landscape together with its biodiversity is highly influenced by the intensity and methods of agricultural utilization of the landscape. Intensive agriculture using many different chemicals has in the past resulted in water pollution, degradation of soils, damage of ecosystems and loss of biodiversity.

Targets of the Czech Republic´s policy of protecting the living environment include the support and further development of environmentally friendly agricultural methods. The proportion of area used for organic farming is to increase at least 10% by 2020. Environmentally friendly agricultural methods are supported in order to begin the use of soils in nature preserves, national parks and buffer zones of water resources entirely according to the principles of correct agricultural practices and/or organic farming.

Organic farming is characterized by: environmentally friendly management of natural resources, proliferation of materials

and methods that do not affect the living environment, livestock breeding in line with environmental requirements and natural methods of

livestock breeding with a limited use of veterinary pharmaceuticals, environmentally friendly methods of manufacturing.

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More information can be found under Organic farming .

Waste production

Waste is defined as each movable object that people plan to or must get rid off. Recycling and secondary utilization of waste is a key issue when considering long-time sustainability. As the production of waste increases, the best solution is further utilization: It reduces requirements on dumping places, incineration, further liquidation of waste and operative spendings. The most common materials that are recycled include metals, paper, textiles, plastics and used oils.

The environmental policy of the Czech Republic focuses on the support of recycling and secondary utilization of wastes: By the end of 2005, at least 25% of all packing materials should have been recycled.

Air quality index

A general evaluation of the air is to provide a simplified but comprehensive report of its quality. This indicator monitors all harmful substances in the air: dust, sulphur dioxine, oxides of nitrogen, oxide coals, ozone, lead and cadmium. These substances must not exceed the maximum allowable limits: If they do exceed them, precautions such as side-tracking of major sources of pollution, diverting, etc., must be established.

The amount of polluted air in heavily inhabited areas significantly declined in comparison with 1990, although in larger industrial zones and big cities it remains on a high level.

5 Human geography

5.1. PopulationMinoritiesPoles The most concentrated linguistic minority in the Czech Republic are ethnic Poles, historically the majority, today constituting about 10% of the Karviná and Frýdek-Místek districts population. Poles have the right to use their language in official dealings, the public media (the Czech TV and the Czech Radio) regularly broadcast in Polish, and there are many Polish primary and secondary schools in the area. The Polish minority has been decreasing substantially since World War II as education in Polish was difficult to obtain, while Czech

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authorities did not permit bilingual signs to maintain Polish awareness among the population.The erection of bilingual signs has technically been permitted since 2001, if a minority constitutes 10% of the population of a municipality. The requirement that a petition be signed by the members of minority was cancelled, thus simplifying whole process. [4] Still, only a couple of villages with large Polish minorities have bilingual signs (Vendryně/Wędrynia for instance).

Germans The German minority of the Czech Republic, historically the largest minority of the country, was almost entirely removed when 3 million were forcibly expelled in 1945–6. Remaining Germans are granted some special rights in theory; however, the actual use of German in dealings with officials is usually not possible. There is no bilingual education system in Western and Northern Bohemia, where the German minority is most concentrated. However, this is in large part due to the absence of German speaking youth, a heritage of the post-war policy of the Communist government.According to the 2001 census there remain 13 municipalities and settlements in the Czech Republic with more than 10% Germans.Many representatives of expellees' organizations support the erection of bilingual signs in all formerly German speaking territory as a visible sign of the bilingual linguistic and cultural heritage of the region, yet their efforts are not supported by some of the current inhabitants, as the vast majority of the current population is not of German descent.

Greeks Another influential minority are Greeks. Large numbers of Greeks arrived in Czechoslovakia when the Greek Civil War broke out. The first transports of Greek children arrived in 1948 and 1949. Later, more transports, also including adults, arrived. [5] They were partly leftists, communists and guerillas with their relatives, hence the willingness of Czechoslovak government to allow the immigration.[6] This was viewed rather as a temporary solution. After the defeat of DSE and other left-wing guerillas, the Greeks stayed in Czechoslovakia. In total more than 12,000 Greeks immigrated to Czechoslovakia between 1948 and 1950.[6] Today, there are about 7000 Greeks in the country (3219 according to 2001 census data)[6], mostly in the towns of Prague, Brno, Ostrava, Jeseník, Krnov, Třinec, Karviná, Šumperk, Vrbno pod Pradědem, Havířov and Bohumín (most of these towns are in the Moravian-Silesian Region).[7]

Vietnamese There are also Asian minorities in the Czech Republic. The largest is the Vietnamese one. During the communist era the governments of Czechoslovakia and Vietnam had a deal concerning the education of Vietnamese people in Czechoslovakia. Vietnamese people came to Czechoslovakia for the first time in 1956 and then the number of new migrants grew until the fall of communism. First generation Vietnamese work mostly as

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small-scale businessmen in markets. The second generation, raised in the Czech Republic, is viewed by many as a future elite of the country, because of its very good results in schools. [8]

Still, many Vietnamese are without the Czech citizenship. One of the towns with the largest Vietnamese communities is Cheb.

Roma The Romani or Romany people (Devanagari, as a noun, singular Rom, plural Roma; sometimes Rrom, Rroma) or Romanies are an ethnic group living in many communities all over the world. The Roma are among the best known ethnic groups that appear in literature and folklore, and are often referred to as Gypsies or Gipsies, a term that is sometimes considered pejorative and is based on a mistaken belief of an origin in Egypt [1] . The term is, however, still in widespread official use, for instance in the UK. In actuality, the Roma have their origins in India.[2][3]

The Roma are still thought of as wandering nomads in the popular imagination, despite the fact that today the vast majority live in permanent housing.[4] This widely dispersed ethnic group lives across the world not only near their historic heartland in Southern and Eastern Europe,[5] but also in the American continent and the Middle East

Religion Most of the Czech population claim to be atheist, agnostic, non-believer or no-organized believer (59%). The largest denomination is Czechs' traditional faith, Roman Catholicism, estimated at 27.4% of the population.[2]

Statistics

Population: 10,325,941 (July 2007 est.) ageing population, 10,228,744 (July 2007 est.)

Age structure:20060–14 years: 14.4% (male 760,065; female 719,449)15–64 years: 71.2% (male 3,683,215; female 3,642,023)65 years and over: 14.4% (male 582,904; female 899,533)20050–14 years: 14.7% (male 773,028; female 731,833)15–64 years: 71.1% (male 3,651,018; female 3,627,006)65 years and over: 14.2% (male 565,374; female 892,879)20040–14 years: 14.9% (male 784,186; female 742,760)15–64 years: 71.0% (male 3,638,782; female 3,620,219)65 years and over: 14.0% (male 557,945; female 876,685)2003

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0–14 years: 15.2% (male 797,847; female 756,628)15–64 years: 70.8% (male 3,625,092; female 3,608,696)65 years and over: 13.9% (male 551,801; female 871,391)

Population growth rate:+0.77% (2007 est.),+0.35% (2006 est.),+0.30% (2005), -0.071% (2007 est.)

Birth rate:11.15 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)10.28 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)10.00 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)9.57 births/1,000 population

Death rate:10.26 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)10.15 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)10.56 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)Net migration rate:6.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)3.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)3.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005

Life expectancy at birth:total population: 76.02 years, male: 72.74 yearsfemale: 79.49 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.41 children born/woman (2007), 1.22 children born/woman (2007 est.)

Nationality:noun: Czech(s) (Czech language: Čech, plural: Češi)adjective: Czech (česká)

Ethnic groups: Czech 90.4%, Moravian 3.7%[9], Slovak 1.9%, Polish 0.5%, German 0.4%, Silesian 0.1%[9], Roma 0.1% (those officially claiming so, unofficial estimate is cca. 2%), Hungarian 0.1%, other 2.8% (March 2001)Ukrainians are the largest group of people without Czech citizenship living in the country.

Religions: Atheist and agnostic 60.0%, Roman Catholic 27.4%, Protestant 1.2%, Hussites 1.0%, Jehovah's Witnesses 0.2%, Eastern Orthodox 0.2%, other religions 2.8%, unknown 8.8% (March 2001)

Languages: Czech, also in some regions Moravian dialects,Cieszyn Silesian dialect and Polish language in Těšínské Slezsko as well as various Sudeten German dialects that are currently in extreme danger of extinction.

Literacy: total population: 99.9% (1999 est.)

(www.wikipedia.org)

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5.2. Settlement

5.3. Agriculrure5.4. Industry (translace and construct a map with a legend of listed examples of industry)

1. TĚŽEBNÍ………………….. Mostecká uhelná společnost, a.s. Moravské naftové doly, a.s. OKD, a.s.

2. ENERGETICKÝ………………… ČEZ, a.s. EON, a.s.

3. HUTNICKÝ A HUTNÍ VÝROBA……………………….. Vítkovice, a.s. Nová Huť, a.s. Třinecké železárny, a.s. Železárny a drátovny Bohumín,

4. STROJÍRENSKÝ……………… ČKD, a.s. Praha Daewoo Avia Praha

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Aero Vodochody Škoda, a.s. Kablo Kladno JAWA Divišov AKUMA Mladá Boleslav ČZ Strakonice FAVORIT Rokycany LIAZ Jablonec ETA Hlinsko Karosa, Vysoké Mýto ZETOR Brno ŽĎAS, Žďár nad Sáz. ČZ, Uherský Brod ČKD Blansko ADAST Adamov TOS Kuřim MEOPTA Přerov TATRA Kopřivnice TPC Kolín HYUNDAI Nošovice

5. CHEMICKÝ……………………… Benzina, a.s. Kaučuk, Kralupy nad Vltavou SPOLANA, Neratovice CHEMOPETROL Litvínov SETUZA Ústí nad L Barum Continental, Otrokovice FATRA Napajedla Galena Opava Zentiva (Léčiva) Praha

6. DŘEVOZPRACUJÍCÍ………….. SOLO Sušice SEPAP Štětí Thonet Bystřice n Host Tuskulum Rousínov

7. TEXTILNÍ, ODĚVNÍ, KOŽEDĚLNÝ, OBUVNICKÝ…………………… Jitex Písek Kras Brno OP Prostějov KARA Trutnov Botana Skuteč Svit Zlín Moravolen Šumperk Koutný Prostějov

8. SKLÁŘSKÝ…………………..

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Karlovarský porcelán Moser KV – křišťálové sklo Crystalex Nový Bor Precióza Jablonec Vertex Litomyšl Sklo Bohemia, Světlá n. Sázavou Granát Turnov

9. POTRAVINÁŘSKÝ………… Tabák Kutná Hora – Philips Morris Vitana Byšice Jihočeské mlékárny Budvar n.p. Prazdroj Kralovský pivovar Krušovice Staropramen Jan Becher Rudolf Jelínek, Vizovice Radegast Bohemia sekt Starý Plzenec

10.DALŠÍ………………………. PETROF Hradec Králové Varhany, Krnov Hartman RICO, Vev. Bitýška České: dráhy, aerolinie…Česká plavba Labská

Mineral FuelsThe energy policy of the Czech Republic has promoted the following aims: the decontrol of prices for energy; the denationalization, rationalization, and restructuring of the energy industry sector; an increase in the level of conservation, health and safety, and pollution control in the energy sector; the diversification of electricity, natural gas, and petroleum supply; and the raising of the efficiency of domestic production of fossil fuels. To help make its governmental and economic structures more compatible with those of the EU, the Government will proceed with harmonizing the country’s energy sector’s standards with those of the EU. Coal.—Bituminous, or hard coal, occurs mainly in the Upper Silesian basin. Of the resources in this region, only about 15% is in the Czech Republic; the balance of the resources is in Poland. Bituminous coal (phytokaustobiolite, as it is described in the Czech Republic’s annual Mineral Commodity Summaries of the Czech Republic) has a higher degree of coalification than lower rank coals. Some of the characteristics of Czech bituminous coal include a carbon content of more than 73.4%, volatile matter of less than 50%, and a dry (ash-free) calorificvalue that exceeds 24 megajoules per kilogram (MJ/kg). As of December 31, 2000, the Czech Republic reported that the total resource of bituminous amounted to about 16.354 billion metric tons (Gt). Coal output in 2000 remained steady at just more than 17 Mt. Imports of 1.095 Mt were derived almost exclusively from Poland. About 6 Mt of bituminous coal wasexported, mainly to Austria, Germany, and Slovakia (GEOFOND, 2001, p. 62, 63). In addition to bituminous coal, the Czech Republic distinguishes two types of lower rank coal—brown coal and lignite. Brown coal has a lower level of coalification; that is, with a fixed level of carbon of less than 73.5%, volatiles of more than 50%, and a dry (ash-free) calorific value of

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less than 24 MJ/kg. The vitrinite reflective boundary between bituminous coal and brown coal is lower than 0.5% for brown coal. The boundary between brown coal and lignite, however, is not recognized owing to the inclusion of high volatile lignite in the brown coal category (GEOFOND, 2001, p. 67). The Czech Republic’s brown coal deposits are worked in the northwestern part of the country in the Bohemian brown coal basins. The major brown coal basins are found in Krusnehory Mountains region and cover an area of 1,900 square kilometers (km2). Coal also is mined in the Cheb, Sokolov, and Zitava basins. As of December 31, 2000, total resources of brown coal amounted to more than 9.652 Gt. Brown coal was used primarily as a fuel in the country’s electric power industry; a minor proportion was consumed by the chemicals sector. In 2000, major foreign commerce in brown coal centered on exports of about 3 Mt; Germany (67%) and Slovakia (26%) were the major recipients(GEOFOND, 2001, p. 67, 69). According to GEOFOND (2001, p. 71), Czech standards for coal describe high-volatile lignite as a variety of brown coal that has undergone the least amount of coalification and still has xylitic characteristics (fragments of wood, preserved tree trunks, etc.). Its dry calorific value is less than 17 MJ/kg. The boundary between brown coal and highvolatile lignite is not distinct. Lignite is consumed mainly by the electric-power-generating sector; it also is used for heating. The chief deposits occur in the Vienna basin, which extense from Austria to Moravia. Total resources of lignite in the Czech Republic at the end of 2000 amounted to more than 1.029 Gt(GEOFOND, 2001, p. 71).Natural Gas and Petroleum.—According to GEOFOND (2001, p. 75), the Czech Republic’s oil-and-gas-bearing/producing area is in the so-called Vienna-Moravia oil-bearing province. The deposits in this area are hosted in a large number of “individual oil-bearing structures and producing horizons ...”to a depth of 2,800 meters (m). Sandstones of Middle and Upper Badenian age are described as hosting the most productive oil deposits. Hrusky was the largest deposit, but most of the oil had been extracted, and the structure serves mainly as an underground gas storage facility. Another oilbearing area is in the Moravian region of the Carpathian foredeep where exploration was being conducted. Petroleum in this region occurs in weathered crystalline Paleozoic rocks. The prevailing type of petroleum is a light, sulfur-free paraffin to paraffin-napthene oil. As of December 31, 2000, the Czech Republic’s petroleum resources amounted to about 37.5 Mt, of which about11.1 Mt was categorized as economic proven; 13.5 Mt as economic probable; and about 12.9 Mt as subeconomic. In 2000, the Czech Republic imported about 5.8 Mt of petroleum, of which about 4.8 Mt was imported from Russia, and about 500,000 t came from Kazakhstan. Total imports of petroleum from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)accounted for more than 90% of the country’s import needs. Exports during the same period were about 111,000 t (GEOFOND, 2001, p. 76). Natural gas production declined by about 17% from 143 million cubic meters produced in 1999. In 2000, Russia supplied the Czech Republic with about 78% of more than 9.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas imports; about21% was obtained from Norway (GEOFOND, 2001, p. 80)

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5.5. Services

5.6 TransportationThe Czech Republic has unique location in the central Europe. Since Middle Age this country was situated on important European crossroads. Amber road and other trade roads are the best evidence.

1. Railway serviceWhat is the history of railways in the CR or Austrio-Hungarian Empire? (look in the czech textbook) The net is very dense but old and should be modernized. The only modernized parts of the czech railways are the coridors (learn all 4 of them and the main railway knods).

2. Roads transportThe net is very dense and old too that is why it must be modernized and developed. There is a roads classification which gives us several classes of roads: morotway, expressway, 1st. class, 2nd. class, 3rd classs,Study all main czech motorways and express roads (D1, D2, D8…). Cargo transport is rapidly developing because of transformation of czech economy and rising export plus the CR entered EU in 2004 and as a consequence many trucks of foreign cargo companies are daily crossing CR

3. Air transport What are the international airports and which airlines operate in the CR (Low cost and regular airlines)

4. Shipping Elbe and Moldau are the only rivers which are used for shipping, mainly cargo transport. Southern Moravian region is famous for passinger shipping transport: Brněnská dam, Lednicý areal, Baťa Channel, Punkevní caves

5. PipelinesDružba – transports oil and gas from Russia via Bratislava and ends in Rafinery Chemopetrol LitvínovIngolstadt – transports oil from Germany and ends in Litvínov.

As a practise place and label motorways, coridors and international air ports in attached map.

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Map of RAILWAY CORRIDORS

www.gymnaslo.agb.cz

I N V E S T I C E D O R O Z V O J E V Z D Ě L Á V Á N ÍT E N T O P R O J E K T J E S P O L U F I N A N C O V Á N E V R O P S K Ý M S O C I Á L N Í M

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Gymnázium, Brno, Slovanské nám. 7, WORKBOOK – GEOGRAPHY 1

6 Regions – NUTS 3

Topic B: EUROPE

8 Western Europe

9 Norther Europe

www.gymnaslo.agb.cz

I N V E S T I C E D O R O Z V O J E V Z D Ě L Á V Á N ÍT E N T O P R O J E K T J E S P O L U F I N A N C O V Á N E V R O P S K Ý M S O C I Á L N Í M

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