Terrain

The Czech Republic has two main regions-Bohemia in the west and Moravia in the east. The central part of the country is dominated by the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands and the lowlands of the Bohemian Basin. The Sudeten Mountains, which border Poland, contain the country's highest peak, Snezka 1603 m

Climate

The country is characterized by a transition zone between oceanic and continental climate. Oceanic climate dominates the western parts of the Czech Republik, while the eastern parts see an extension of continental climatic conditions. Given the natural barrier of the Slovakian mountain ranges, the Bohemian Basin and the lowlands do not experience that much precipitation.

Fauna/Flora

Despite centuries of clear-cutting for cultivation, forests still cover about one-third of the Czech Republic. Most remaining virgin forest is in uncultivable mountain areas. Above the tree line (about 1400 m) there is little but grasses, shrubs and lichens.

The richest wildlife are bears, wolves, lynx and other wildcats, marmots, otters, martens and minks. Pheasants, partridges, ducks, wild geese and other game birds are common in woods and marshes.

History/Politics

The territory was first inhabited around 500 AD by Slavonic tribes. The early feudal Great Moravian Empire was formed in the 9th century, power was later taken over by the Premyslid family. In 1212, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II made Bohemia a largely independent kingdom. When the Premyslid dynasty had died out in 1306, the Czech throne went to the Luxemburgs.

From 1347 to 1378, Bohemia achieved political and cultural prominence under King Charles IV. Around 1400, a reform movement led by Bohemian Jan Hus took place in the Czech lands, attacking corruption of the Roman Catholic Church. In 1458, Jirí of Podebrady, backed by Hus supporters, became king of Bohemia, the first Protestant to be elected king in Europe. Later in the 15th century, a Polish prince, Vladislav II, ruled Bohemia and Hungary, but after the death of his heir in 1526, Hungary and Bohemia fell under the rule of the Austrian Habsburg Dynasty.

A 1618 revolt by the Czech nobility against the Habsburgs began the Thirty Years' War. German culture dominated the Czech lands for 150 years to follow. In the late 1700s, a Czech nationalist movement began, and by the late 19th century, a movement calling for Czech self-government had developed.

At the end of World War I in 1918, Czechoslovakia was created, with Masaryk serving as president. The new republic included the Czech regions of Bohemia and Moravia, part of Silesia, and Slovakia. During the 1920s and early 1930s the country was stable, although there was frustration over the predominant role of Czechs in political and economic life.

In 1938, German dictator Adolf Hitler invaded the region of Czechoslovakia known as "Sudetenland". German forces also invaded and occupied Bohemia and Moravia, while Slovakia declared independence under German influence. Czechoslovakian President Eduard Benes established a government in exile in London, and after the war ended, Czechoslovakia was resurrected.

In 1948 the Communists, who had won the largest percentage of voters in the 1946 election, seized power. In 1968, Alexander Dubcek, a Slovak Communist leader, began a programme of liberal reforms. The USSR led an invasion that re-established tight control. The Communist Party remained in power until November 1989, when Czechs and Slovaks joined in mass demonstrations that forced the government to resign. Václav Havel became the country's new president, and in June 1992, Czechoslovakia held its first free elections since 1946.

However, because of differences regarding the pace and shape of reform, tensions developed between Czech and Slovak leaders. In July 1992, Slovakia declared its sovereignty, and the following January, the Czechoslovak Federation was replaced by two new independent states, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Havel was elected president of the new Czech Republic in February 1993, and Václav Klaus, who had become the Czech prime minister in June 1992, continued to head the government.

Since 1993, the Czech Republic has experienced political stability, although in the 1996 election Klaus's centre-right coalition lost its parliamentary majority. In November 1997, Václav Klaus was forced to resign amid a campaign finance scandal, and in January 1998, President Havel was narrowly reelected to another five-year term. In parliamentary elections held in June 1998, Milos Zeman became the Czech Republic's new prime minister.

Economy

In the early 1990s, the post-Communist government moved quickly to re-establish a free-market economy, and by December 1994, more than 80% of Czech Republic firms were privatised or preparing to privatise. Some 55% of the country's labour force works in the service sector, with 40.2% in industry and another 4.8% in agriculture, forestry, and fishing. The tourism industry has grown since the collapse of Communism. Gross domestic product growth was 3.1% in 2000.

Culture

Prague is a major European cultural centre, and Czech intellectuals and artists have made major contributions to art, literature, and music. Outstanding Czech writers include Franz Kafka, Jaroslav Hasek, Karel Capek, Milan Kundera, Jaroslav Seifert, and Václav Havel.

The Czech Republic has fine examples of architecture from many periods. There is also a strong folk tradition, with Czech composers such as Bedrich Smetana showing the influence of Czech folk music in their work. Further, the country is famous for outstanding achievements in artistic forms like religious sculpture, and marionette & puppet theatre.