Facts About Prague and The Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is smack dab in the center of Europe (you’ll hear that from a lot of locals). It’s a landlocked country surrounded by Austria, Germany, Poland and Slovakia on four sides. The major geographical regions are Bohemia in the west, Moravia in the east, and part of Silesia to the north (the rest of Silesia lies in Poland). Bohemia is a mixture of plains, plateaus and hills, whereas Moravia is more rugged, bordered by the Sudete and the Carpathian mountains. The entire country is cradled between several mountain ranges, with gaps interspersed between the mountains, locking the Czech Republic into a kind of bowl, far away from any ocean or sea.

Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, is in north central Bohemia, straddling both sides of the Vltava River. The Old Town and Lesser Quarter rest in the flats of the river basin, whereas Prague Castle, Letna and Žižkov stand upon hills and plateaus. The city itself is tightly packed with buildings, churches, galleries and theatres, allowing visitors to easily amble about on foot, if they so chose, while taking in the numerous sights.

Celtic tribes originally settled this bend of the Vltava River before the Germanic and Slavic-speaking peoples pushed them out. Over time, the Slavs began to outnumber the Germans. A myriad of invaders passed through and left behind a mixture of different ethnicities. A vibrant Jewish community emerged around the 10^th century, and shortly there after German merchants settled here to trade their wares. One of the consequences of Hitler’s 20^th century invasion was the eventual expulsion of the German speaking population from the country at the end of the Second World War, especially from the borderlands near Germany, in the region of Sumava.

Modern Prague, while dominated by Czechs (of course), is also home to quite a large Romany population, as well as a growing community of expatriates, composed of Europeans, North Africans, North Americans, Vietnamese and other nationalities. The Germanic and Jewish influences have diminished, but are still visible in the city’s character. Since entering the European Union, this metropolis of over a million people has become more diverse, with many immigrants coming here to live and work. Prague is a great place to reside (especially if you love beer and pork), begin a career, or simply visit. It’s an exceptionally vibrant city with a rich and varied history.