Portal:Czech Republic

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Welcome to the Czech Portal!
Vítejte na Českém portálu!

The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The Czech Republic has a hilly landscape that covers an area of 78,871 square kilometers (30,452 sq mi) with a mostly temperate continental and oceanic climate. The capital and largest city is Prague; other major cities and urban areas include Brno, Ostrava, Plzeň and Liberec.

The Duchy of Bohemia was founded in the late 9th century under Great Moravia. It was formally recognized as an Imperial Estate of the Holy Roman Empire in 1002 and became a kingdom in 1198. Following the Battle of Mohács in 1526, all of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown were gradually integrated into the Habsburg monarchy. Nearly a hundred years later, the Protestant Bohemian Revolt led to the Thirty Years' War. After the Battle of White Mountain, the Habsburgs consolidated their rule. With the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the Crown lands became part of the Austrian Empire.

In the 19th century, the Czech lands became more industrialized; further, in 1918, most of the country became part of the First Czechoslovak Republic following the collapse of Austria-Hungary after World War I. Czechoslovakia was the only country in Central and Eastern Europe to remain a parliamentary democracy during the entirety of the interwar period. After the Munich Agreement in 1938, Nazi Germany systematically took control over the Czech lands. Czechoslovakia was restored in 1945 and three years later became an Eastern Bloc communist state following a coup d'état in 1948. Attempts to liberalize the government and economy were suppressed by a Soviet-led invasion of the country during the Prague Spring in 1968. In November 1989, the Velvet Revolution ended communist rule in the country and restored democracy. On 31 December 1992, Czechoslovakia was peacefully dissolved, with its constituent states becoming the independent states of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The Czech Republic is a unitary parliamentary republic and developed country with an advanced, high-income social market economy. It is a welfare state with a European social model, universal health care and free-tuition university education. It ranks 32nd in the Human Development Index. The Czech Republic is a member of the United Nations, NATO, the European Union, the OECD, the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the Visegrád Group. (Full article...)

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Gun laws in the Czech Republic adhere to the European Firearms Directive. Legal accessibility is comparable to those EU countries which consider firearms to be primarily tools of individual or collective safety (i.e. Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Baltic states, Finland) and not just sporting instruments (see Gun laws in the European Union).

Right to keep and bear arms is considered to be an attribute of liberty in the country. It is explicitly recognized in the first Article of the Firearms Act. At the constitutional level, the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms protects the "right to defend one's own life or life of another person also with arms under conditions stipulated by law". (Full article...)

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Dancing House in Prague

Photographer: Matteo Piotto; License: Creative Commons CC-BY-SA

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In this month

14 November 1960 – The deadliest rail disaster in Czech history takes place in Eastern Bohemia, resulting in 118 deaths
14 November 1918 – Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (pictured) becomes the first President of Czechoslovakia
17 November 1939 – Nazi Germany storms Czech universities, executing nine students and professors, later commemorated as International Students' Day
17 November 1989 – The Velvet Revolution starts in Prague, culminating in the end of 41 years of Communist rule in Czechoslovakia
24 November 1966 – The deadliest air disaster in Czechoslovakia takes place near Bratislava, killing all 82 on board

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Kvitová with the winner's trophy after defending her title at the 2018 Birmingham Classic

Petra Kvitová, OLY (Czech: [ˈpɛtra ˈkvɪtovaː]; born 8 March 1990) is an inactive Czech professional tennis player. Known for her powerful left-handed groundstrokes and variety, Kvitová has won 31 career singles titles, including two major titles at Wimbledon in 2011 and in 2014. She also won a bronze medal in singles while representing the Czech Republic at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Her career-high ranking of world No. 2 was achieved on 31 October 2011.

Kvitová first gained notice by defeating then-world No. 1 Dinara Safina in the third round of the 2009 US Open. This was followed by her first major semifinal appearance at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships. Then, during her breakthrough season in 2011, Kvitová won her first major title at Wimbledon over Maria Sharapova in the final, and becoming the first player of either gender born in the 1990s to win a major. At the end of the season, she won the WTA Championships on her debut. She also helped lead the Czech Republic to victory in the Fed Cup that same year, making it the Czech Republic's first such title as an independent nation. (Full article...)

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John Amos Comenius Petr Čech Dominik Hašek Jaromír Jágr Pavel Nedvěd Gregor Mendel Tomáš Rosický Franz Kafka Bedřich Smetana Emanuel Moravec Gustav Mahler Fredy Hirsch Antonín Kinský Vlastimil Koubek Martin Miller (actor) Vratislav Lokvenc Vladimír Remek Leoš Janáček Libor Michálek Vojtěch Jarník Markéta Vondroušová Zdeňka Wiedermannová-Motyčková

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Did you know?

...that the Sedlec Ossuary is a chapel decorated with the bones of 40,000 people?
... that in 2013, the Czech Republic plans to directly elect its president for the first time in its history?
... that, having played 465 league matches, Jaroslav Šilhavý holds the record for the most appearances in top-flight Czech football?
... that a 1926 voyage to Java inspired Czech poet Konstantin Biebl for the remainder of his life?

General images

The following are images from various Czech Republic-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1A panorama of Zittau (from Bohemia)
Image 2Emperor Francis Joseph I. (reigned 1848–1916) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 3The Kingdom of Bohemia in 1618 with other Bohemian Crown lands within the Holy Roman Empire (1618). (from Bohemia)
Image 4Christmas cookies (vánoční cukroví) (from Czech cuisine)
Image 5Russian occupation in 1968 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 6The radical Hussites became known as Taborites, after the town of Tábor that became their center (from Bohemia)
Image 7Territory under the control of the Přemyslids, c. 1301 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 8A panorama of Kłodzko, the capital city of Kłodzko Land, which is referred to as "Little Prague" (from Bohemia)
Image 9Saint Wenceslas, Czech prince (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 10The extent of the Protestant Reformation (1545–1620) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 11Bohemia as the heart of Europa regina; Sebastian Münster, Basel, 1570 (from Bohemia)
Image 12A "traditional Bohemian platter" at a restaurant in central Prague, consisting of roast duck, roast pork, beer sausage, smoked meat, red and white cabbage, bread, bacon and potato dumplings. (from Czech cuisine)
Image 13Venus of Dolní Věstonice, the oldest ceramic article in the world (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 14Obložené chlebíčky, a type of snack or appetizer (from Czech cuisine)
Image 15Church of Saint Agnes of Bohemia (Spořilov) (from Czech architecture)
Image 16Europe after the Congress of Vienna in 1815 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 17The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Bohemia (from Bohemia)
Image 18Territories ruled by Ottokar II of Bohemia in 1273 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 19Vladislaus Hall at the Prague Castle, built from 1490 to 1502 by Benedikt Rejt (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 20Czech kings Ottokar II, Wenceslas II and Wenceslas III from the Přemyslid dynasty (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 21Korozluky Castle (from Czech architecture)
Image 22Iconic brutalist Transgas building, demolished in 2019 (from Czech architecture)
Image 23The coat of arms of the Přemyslid dynasty (until 1253–1262) (from Bohemia)
Image 24The National Theater from 1881 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 25Grand Café Orient in Prague (from Czech architecture)
Image 26Linguistic map of interwar Czechoslovakia (c. 1930) (from Bohemia)
Image 27The First Czechoslovak Republic (1918-1938) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 28Kačina Castle in Chotkov (from Czech architecture)
Image 29Václav Havel, playwright, dissident and president from 1989 to 2003 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 30Rotunda of St. George from the beginning of the 12th century on Mount Říp (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 31Baroque St. Nicholas Church in Malá Strana, built between 1704 and 1755 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 32King George of Podebrady, one of the first promoters of united Europe (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 33An 1892 map showing Bohemia proper outlined in pink, Moravia in yellow, and Austrian Silesia in orange (from Bohemia)
Image 34Bohemian city Karlovy Vary (from Bohemia)
Image 35Entrance to Moravian Karst PLA (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 36Stone sculpture of a Celtic man, found in Mšecké Žehrovice (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 37Pilsner Urquell in a branded mug (from Czech cuisine)
Image 38Lands of the Bohemian Crown (until 1635), map by Josef Pekař, 1921 (from Bohemia)
Image 39Svíčková na smetaně (Marinated tenderloin), served here with dumplings and cream (from Czech cuisine)
Image 40Writer Božena Němcová (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 41Zelňačka (from Czech cuisine)
Image 42Duchy of Bohemia, around 1029 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 43Buděticko Nature Park with Rabí Castle (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 44Bohemia (westernmost area) in Czechoslovakia 1918–1938 (from Bohemia)
Image 45Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, philosopher, Czechoslovak president in the years 1918-1935 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 46Fried cheese, served with tartar sauce and side salad (from Czech cuisine)
Image 47Nakládaný hermelín (marinated cheese) (from Czech cuisine)
Image 48Map of protected areas of the Czech Republic: national parks (grey) and protected landscape areas (green) (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 49Cubist architecture in Prague (from Czech architecture)
Image 50Monument to the village of Lidice murdered by the Nazis (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 51Apple strudel with raisins (from Czech cuisine)
Image 52Cubist lamp by Emil Králíček, Jungmannovo náměstí, next to the Gothic Church of Our Lady of the Snows (Prague) (from Czech architecture)
Image 53Beheading of 27 Bohemian nobles at the Old Town Square in Prague, 1621 (contemporary illustration) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 54Dacian Influence over Bohemia (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 55Vepřo-knedlo-zelo (Roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut) (from Czech cuisine)
Image 56John Amos Comenius (1592-1670), Czech philosopher and school reformer (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 57Hroby Nature Monument in Radenín (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 58Emperor and King Charles IV. Luxembourg (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 59Semi-detached villa in Brno by Otto Eisler, according to MoMA's Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson, is a defining building of the International style. (from Czech architecture)
Image 60House of the Black Madonna (from Czech architecture)
Image 61Svíčková na smetaně served with dumplings, whipped cream and cranberries (from Czech cuisine)
Image 62Řežabinec a Řežabinecké tůně National Nature Reserve (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 63Adria Palace (Prague) (from Czech architecture)
Image 64Great Moravia during the reign of Svatopluk I (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 65Bronze sword, Urnfield culture, c. 1200 BC (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 66Monument to Master Jan Hus, a religious reformer and philosopher in Prague (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 67Library of Clementinum, a former Jesuit College, built in 1722 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 68Detailed map of Bohemia, 1742 (from Bohemia)
Image 69Empress Maria Theresa (reignet 1740–1780) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 70Prague-style beef goulash (from Czech cuisine)
Image 71St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague Castle, John of Luxembourg laid the foundation stone in 1344 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 72Frgál, a type of koláč baked in Moravian Wallachia (from Czech cuisine)
Image 73Fried bramboráky (potato pancakes) (from Czech cuisine)
Image 74Copper engraving of the Second Defenestration of Prague from Theatrum Europaeum by Matthäus Merian. (from History of the Czech lands)

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Topics

Czech lands: Bohemia • Moravia • Czech Silesia

History: Únětice culture • Boii • Marcomanni • Samo • Great Moravia • Přemyslid dynasty • Lands of the Bohemian Crown • Czech lands (1526–1648) • 1648–1867 • 1867–1918) • Czechoslovakia • Czech Republic

Geography: Lakes • Protected areas • Regions • Rivers

Law: Judiciary • Law enforcement • Supreme Court of the Czech Republic

Politics: Administrative divisions • Government • Constitution • Elections • Foreign relations • Army • Parliament • Political parties • President • Prime Minister

Economy: Banks • Czech koruna • Energy • Oil and gas deposits • Stock Exchange • Tourism • Transport

Culture: Architecture • Art • Cinema • Cuisine • Demographics • Education • Language • Literature • Media • Music • Philosophy • Prostitution • Public holidays • Religion • Sport • Television • Video games

Symbols: Flag • Coat of arms • National anthem (Kde domov můj)

Lists: Outline of the Czech Republic • List of Czech Republic–related topics

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WikiProjects

WikiProject Czech Republic

WikiProject Europe

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Featured and good content

	Featured articles		Dominik Hašek • Earth-grazing meteoroid of 13 October 1990 • Franz Kafka • Gustav Mahler • Bedřich Smetana • The Bartered Bride
	Good articles		Patrik Berger • FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 • Reinhard Heydrich • Leoš Janáček • Vlastimil Koubek • Libor Michálek • Pavel Nedvěd • Panzer 35(t) • Polish minority in the Czech Republic • Prague Spring • Punch-up in Piestany • Randy Blythe manslaughter case • The Brothers Grimm (film) • Winton Train • Zaolzie