Portal:Czech Republic

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.

During the 19th century, the Czech lands underwent significant industrialization. Following the collapse of Austria-Hungary after World War I, most of the region became part of the First Czechoslovak Republic in 1918. 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 and EFTA 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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The Maiden by Gustav Klimt, 1913. Collection of the National Gallery Prague.

Source: Národní Galerie v Praze, PD

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In this month

2 June 1541 – A fire destroys much of Malá Strana and the northern part of Prague Castle
10 June 1348 – The foundation stone of Karlštejn Castle (pictured) is laid
20 June 1976 – The Czechoslovakia national football team win UEFA Euro 1976
23 June 1955 – The first national Spartakiad is held, marking ten years after the nation's liberation at the end of World War II
30 June 1945 – State security service StB is established

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Jágr with the Czech Republic in 2010

Jaromír Jágr (Czech pronunciation: [ˈjaromiːr ˈjaːɡr̩] ^ⓘ; born 15 February 1972) is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger and owner of Rytíři Kladno of the Czech Extraliga (ELH). He previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils, Florida Panthers and Calgary Flames, serving as captain of the Penguins and the Rangers, between 1990 and 2008.

After leaving the Rangers in 2008, he played three seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) with Avangard Omsk. He returned to the NHL in 2011 with the Flyers and remained in the league for seven more years before being assigned by the Flames in 2018 to HC Kladno. Having played in 37 professional seasons (as of 2024) and over 2,000 professional games, Jágr has had the longest playing career in professional ice hockey history. He is the most productive European player who has ever played in the NHL and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players ever. (Full article...)

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John Amos Comenius Petr Čech Dominik Hašek Pavel Nedvěd Gregor Mendel Tomáš Rosický Franz Kafka Bedřich Smetana Emanuel Moravec Gustav Mahler Fredy Hirsch Antonín Kinský Vlastimil Koubek Petra Kvitová 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 in 1990, Czech and Slovak politicians "fought" the Hyphen War, a political battle over whether "Czechoslovakia" should be spelled with a hyphen?
... that the Cross of Merit of the Minister of Defence of the Czech Republic is the highest award presented by the Czech Minister of Defence?
... 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?

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General images

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

Image 1Baroque St. Nicholas Church in Malá Strana, built between 1704 and 1755 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 2Svíčková na smetaně served with dumplings, whipped cream and cranberries (from Czech cuisine)
Image 3Linguistic map of interwar Czechoslovakia (c. 1930) (from Bohemia)
Image 4Empress Maria Theresa (reignet 1740–1780) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 5Emperor Francis Joseph I. (reigned 1848–1916) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 6Entrance to Moravian Karst PLA (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 7Emperor and King Charles IV. Luxembourg (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 8A "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 9Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, philosopher, Czechoslovak president in the years 1918–1935 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 10Christmas cookies (vánoční cukroví) (from Czech cuisine)
Image 11Bohemia (westernmost area) in Czechoslovakia 1918–1938 (from Bohemia)
Image 12Bohemia as the heart of Europa regina; Sebastian Münster, Basel, 1570 (from Bohemia)
Image 13Lands of the Bohemian Crown (until 1635), map by Josef Pekař, 1921 (from Bohemia)
Image 14A panorama of Zittau (from Bohemia)
Image 15Fried bramboráky (potato pancakes) (from Czech cuisine)
Image 16Territory under the control of the Přemyslids, c. 1301 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 17Obložené chlebíčky, a type of snack or appetizer (from Czech cuisine)
Image 18Monument to Master Jan Hus, a religious reformer and philosopher in Prague (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 19Apple strudel with raisins (from Czech cuisine)
Image 20Writer Božena Němcová (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 21Bohemian city Karlovy Vary (from Bohemia)
Image 22Nakládaný hermelín (marinated cheese) (from Czech cuisine)
Image 23The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Bohemia (from Bohemia)
Image 24Prague-style beef goulash (from Czech cuisine)
Image 25Hroby Nature Monument in Radenín (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 26Václav Havel, playwright, dissident and president from 1989 to 2003 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 27The coat of arms of the Přemyslid dynasty (until 1253–1262) (from Bohemia)
Image 28Copper engraving of the Second Defenestration of Prague from Theatrum Europaeum by Matthäus Merian. (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 29Detailed map of Bohemia, 1742 (from Bohemia)
Image 30Europe after the Congress of Vienna in 1815 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 31Buděticko Nature Park with Rabí Castle (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 32Cubist architecture in Prague (from Czech architecture)
Image 33Pilsner Urquell in a branded mug (from Czech cuisine)
Image 34The First Czechoslovak Republic (1918–1938) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 35Church of Saint Agnes of Bohemia (Spořilov) (from Czech architecture)
Image 36Iconic brutalist Transgas building, demolished in 2019 (from Czech architecture)
Image 37House of the Black Madonna (from Czech architecture)
Image 38King George of Podebrady, one of the first promoters of united Europe (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 39Řežabinec a Řežabinecké tůně National Nature Reserve (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 40Rotunda of St. George from the beginning of the 12th century on Mount Říp (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 41Dacian Influence over Bohemia (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 42Municipal House (from Czech architecture)
Image 43Vladislaus Hall at the Prague Castle, built from 1490 to 1502 by Benedikt Rejt (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 44An 1892 map showing Bohemia proper outlined in pink, Moravia in yellow, and Austrian Silesia in orange (from Bohemia)
Image 45Vepřo-knedlo-zelo (Roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut) (from Czech cuisine)
Image 46Bronze sword, Urnfield culture, c. 1200 BC (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 47A panorama of Kłodzko, the capital city of Kłodzko Land, which is referred to as "Little Prague" (from Bohemia)
Image 48Korozluky Castle (from Czech architecture)
Image 49Map of protected areas of the Czech Republic: national parks (grey) and protected landscape areas (green) (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 50John Amos Comenius (1592–1670), Czech philosopher and school reformer (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 51The radical Hussites became known as Taborites, after the town of Tábor that became their center. (from Bohemia)
Image 52Beheading of 27 Bohemian nobles at the Old Town Square in Prague, 1621 (contemporary illustration) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 53Cubist lamp by Emil Králíček, Jungmannovo náměstí, next to the Gothic Church of Our Lady of the Snows (Prague) (from Czech architecture)
Image 54Zelňačka (from Czech cuisine)
Image 55Frgál, a type of koláč baked in Moravian Wallachia (from Czech cuisine)
Image 56Russian occupation in 1968 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 57Grand Café Orient in Prague (from Czech architecture)
Image 58Venus of Dolní Věstonice, the oldest ceramic article in the world (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 59Czech kings Ottokar II, Wenceslas II and Wenceslas III from the Přemyslid dynasty (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 60The Kingdom of Bohemia in 1618 with other Bohemian Crown lands within the Holy Roman Empire (1618) (from Bohemia)
Image 61Great Moravia during the reign of Svatopluk I (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 62Fried cheese, served with tartar sauce and side salad (from Czech cuisine)
Image 63Territories ruled by Ottokar II of Bohemia in 1273 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 64Kačina Castle in Chotkov (from Czech architecture)
Image 65Monument to the village of Lidice murdered by the Nazis (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 66St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague Castle, John of Luxembourg laid the foundation stone in 1344 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 67Library of Clementinum, a former Jesuit College, built in 1722 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 68The National Theater from 1881 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 69Duchy of Bohemia, around 1029 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 70Stone sculpture of a Celtic man, found in Mšecké Žehrovice (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 71The extent of the Protestant Reformation (1545–1620) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 72Adria Palace (Prague) (from Czech architecture)
Image 73Svíčková na smetaně (Marinated tenderloin), served here with dumplings and cream (from Czech cuisine)
Image 74Saint Wenceslas, Czech prince (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 75Semi-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)

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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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