Basic facts about the Czech Republic

Geography

The Czech Republic is the country located in Central Europe and it is dominated by the Bohemian Massif that is about 900 metres height above the sea level. These mountains are surrounded by really huge elevated basin which is called the Bohemian Plateau. The main and the largest rivers are the Elbe, the Vltava River (which flows during the capital of the Czech Republic) and the Morava River. Relates to the government the Czech Republic is the parliamentary democracy.

Brief history

The region was first settled by Slavic tribes which came from the Vistula basin in the 5th century. After the era of the Great Moravia in the 9th century the important Czech kingdom came to its power and the Premyslide dynasty ruled the lands since the 10th century. Charles IV from the Luxembourg dynasty was not only the Bohemian king but also the Holy Roman Emperor. During his reign he made Prague to be the capital of the Czech kingdom and the Roman Empire as well. He had the new crown jewels made and he found the Charles University which was the first one in the whole central Europe.

Since the Hussite movement

The Hussite movement which flourished at the beginning of the 15th century strengthen the typical Czech nationalism and the need for reformation of the church. On the other hand, it slowed down culture, humanism and renaissance. The Habsburg dynasty which ruled the country since 1526 to the end of the World War I forced the Czech people to the Catholicism and strong germanism. The independence of the state was installed after the WWI.