czechrep

Maturitní otázka číslo 17.
The Czech republic
( 79 000 sq. km, 11 000 inhabitants
( in the middle of Europe
( borders on Germany (longest frontier – in the west), Poland (in the north), Austria (in the south) and Slovakia (in the east)
( capital – Prague
Relief
( the Giant Mountains – the highest mountain is Snow Mountain (1 603); partly Czech, partly Polish
( the Eagle Mountains, the Ore Mountains, the Bohemian Forest, the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, the Jeseník Mountains, the Moravian-Silesian Besides, Šumava
( the longest rivers are the rivers Vltava, Elbe, Morava
History
( the old legend says that Primal Father Czech came with his people to Bohemia, climbed up the hill Říp, observed the country and gave order to his people to settle in this fertile country
( first Slavs came to Bohemia in the 5th century
( in the 9th century they invited the first state formation - the Great Moravian Empire
( in the 10th century A new state had developed = Czech state
( the best and the most important ruler was King Charles IV (14th century) – he developed the economy, founded Prague University and built Prague New Town
( the crisis of medieval Europe culminated here in the Hussite movement - reformation teaching of Master Jan Hus who was burnt to death in 1415
( 1620 – Battle of the White Mountain – the country was Germanised and many non-Catholic artist and scientic had to leave the country (e.g. Jan Amos Comenius)
( the 19th century was Age of Reason – there were period of Enlightenment, Czech language and literature became important
( at the end of the World War I the Austrian-Hungarian Empire fell and in October 1918 the independent Czechoslovak Republic was proclaimed with T.G.Masaryk as the first president
( 1939 – Hitler occupied whole Czechoslovak Republic
( 1945 - Czechoslovak Republic became a satellite of the USSR – the socialistic era
( 1989 – the people throw out the communists, science then the republic is freedom and democratic
( 1992/1993 – Czech and Slovak republic was divided into independent countries
Industry
( electrical energy from coal and uranium
( most important part of our economy is engineering (machines, motorcars, locomotives, tractors, trams, …)
( metallurgical and chemical industries are important, too
( textile and glass industries have a long tradition
( tourism
Agriculture
( wheat, maize, sugar-beet, grapes, hops and fruit
( cattle and pig breeding
( Fish breeding (especially carp-breeding) has a long tradition
Population
( the major nationalities living here are Czech and Moravian
( minority groups - the Silesians, the Gypsies, The Poles, the Germans, the Ukrainians and the Russians
Cities
( Ostrava - coal mining, city was known as a steel heart of the socialist republic, miners from all country;
today a lot of mines are closed and miners are unemployed
- Ostrava’s way of life and local dialect have been influenced by the mixture of nationalities – Czechs,
Slovaks, Poles, Germans and Gypsies
- two universities – Ostrava’s University and Technical University Báňská
- four theatres: Moravia–Silesia National Theatre – four division: drama, opera, musical comedy, ballet
- Theatre of Marionettes- does shows around Europe
- Chamber Theatre Arenas
- Petr Bezruč Theatre – produce unique plays for young audiences
- the centre of Ostrava – banks, restaurants, stores, shops, …
( Mariánské Lázně – the youngest spa, founded in 19th century
- clean air, the peace of the environment, the calming silence of the woods
- Marienbad’s rich mineral springs – they cure the ailments of the kidneys, urinary tracts, metabolic
disorders, motor disorders, diseases of nervous system, respiratory system, …
- cultural life – the Chopin Music Festival, the International Cultural Fest