Czech Republic
Overview
The Czech Republic (Česká republika, Czechia) is a landlocked country in Central Europe, comprising Bohemia in the west, Moravia in the east, and Czech Silesia in the northeast. Its capital is Prague, it borders Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Poland, and has a population of approximately 10.5 million. In 1993 it became an independent state through the peaceful split of Czechoslovakia (the so-called 'Velvet Divorce'), and it joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union (EU) in 2004.
Main Content
Geography and Climate
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country, and the Bohemian Basin is surrounded on all sides by mountains such as the Sudetes, the Bohemian Forest, and the Ore Mountains. The Moravian region in the east continues into the gentle lowlands of the Carpathian Mountains. The Vltava and Labe (Elbe) rivers flow toward the North Sea, while the Morava River flows into the Danube basin. The climate is continental, with hot summers and cold winters, and western Bohemia, including Karlovy Vary, is famous as a spa region.
History
After Great Moravia in the 9th century, the Duchy of Bohemia formed in the 10th century and was elevated to the Kingdom of Bohemia in 1198. In 1348, during the reign of Charles IV, Charles University, the oldest university in Central Europe, was founded in Prague. After the Hussite Wars in the 15th century and the Thirty Years' War triggered by the 1618 Defenestration of Prague, Bohemia came under the rule of the Habsburg Empire. In 1918, Czechoslovakia gained independence under the leadership of figures such as Tomáš Masaryk, but it experienced the 1938 Munich Agreement and the 1939 Nazi occupation, and in 1948 a communist coup brought it into the Eastern Bloc. The 1968 'Prague Spring' was crushed by the invasion of Warsaw Pact forces, and in 1989 the Velvet Revolution brought about the bloodless collapse of the communist regime.
Politics and Administration
It is based on a parliamentary system while adopting a dual structure in which the president is elected by direct popular vote. The Chamber of Deputies has 200 seats (four-year terms), and the Senate has 81 seats (six-year terms, with one-third renewed every two years); substantive executive power rests with the prime minister and the cabinet. Direct presidential elections were introduced in 2013, and in March 2023 Petr Pavel, a former military officer, took office as president and is maintaining a pro-Western line. The administrative divisions consist of 14 regions (kraj).
Economy
GDP per capita (purchasing power basis) is close to the EU average, and the automotive industry is central. Mechanical, electronics, and precision industries are developed, including Škoda Auto under the Volkswagen Group, and beer brewing, represented by Pilsner Urquell and Budvar, as well as tourism, are also important pillars. The currency is the domestic koruna (CZK), and euro adoption has been deferred. The unemployment rate has been among the lowest in Europe, and in energy it is pursuing an expansion of nuclear power (Dukovany and Temelín) while reducing the share of coal.
Culture and Society
In music, Smetana's symphonic poem 'Má Vlast' and Dvořák's 'New World Symphony' are representative, while in literature Kafka, Čapek, Hašek's 'Švejk', and the Kublai puppet theater are representative. The Czech New Wave film and animation traditions are also strong. Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, Český Krumlov, and the Kutná Hora Cathedral are designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, attracting tourists. Socially, it has one of the higher proportions of non-religious population in Europe, and its per capita beer consumption is among the highest in the world.
Recent Developments
In 2024–2025, the Czech Republic went through a period in which security, energy transition, and changes in the political landscape converged. In 2024, it led the 'ammunition purchasing initiative' to support Ukraine, demonstrating its presence in European security, and in the same year Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power was selected as the preferred bidder for the new Temelín nuclear power project, making its nuclear expansion policy more concrete. In the October 2025 general election, ANO 2011 led by Andrej Babiš won, ending the cabinet of Petr Fiala, and a new coalition centered on Babiš was launched, with adjustments in the direction of foreign policy and fiscal management under discussion. Economically, inflation slowdown and base rate cuts continued, but the discussion of euro adoption is expected to maintain a deferred stance for the time being. Efforts to strengthen energy security centered on LNG and nuclear power in order to move away from dependence on Russian gas are also continuing.
Related Topics
- [[Prague]]
- [[Czechoslovakia]]
- [[Velvet Revolution]]
- [[European Union]]
- [[Andrej Babiš]]