Czech Republic

Czech Republic lies landlocked between Germany, Poland, Austria, and Slovakia, encompassing the historic regions of Bohemia, Moravia, and Czech Silesia. Rolling highlands, sandstone cliffs, and river basins define the landscape, while the Vltava and Elbe Rivers cut through Prague before flowing north to the North Sea. National parks protect spruce forests in Šumava and sandstone towers in Bohemian Switzerland, and the Moravian Karst hides underground caves, gorges, and subterranean rivers carved by limestone erosion.

Czechia is a parliamentary republic with a president serving as head of state and a prime minister leading the government accountable to the Chamber of Deputies and Senate. Regions and municipalities oversee transport, education, and cultural heritage, and courts uphold a constitution rooted in democratic principles. The country is part of the Visegrád Group, European Union, and NATO, emphasizing cooperation across Central Europe.

History includes Great Moravian states, Bohemian kingdoms under Přemyslid and Luxembourg dynasties, and the cultural flowering of Charles University in the 14th century. Hussite reformers, Habsburg rule, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire left architectural layers that survived into the 20th century, when Czechoslovakia formed after World War I. The Velvet Revolution of 1989 peacefully ended communist rule, and the Velvet Divorce of 1993 created the modern Czech Republic while maintaining close ties with Slovakia.

The Czech economy blends automotive production, aerospace components, precision machine tools, and nanotechnology with energy innovation and Moravian wine. Breweries in Plzeň and České Budějovice anchor a storied beer tradition, while research parks around Prague and Brno incubate cybersecurity, AI, and medical devices. Glassmakers in the Jizera Mountains produce crystal exports, and spa towns such as Karlovy Vary attract wellness tourism. Investments in rail electrification and solar parks support climate goals, complementing nuclear reactors at Temelín and Dukovany.

Cultural life features Gothic cathedrals, Renaissance town squares, and UNESCO-listed treasures like Český Krumlov. Composers such as Antonín Dvořák and writers like Franz Kafka influence global arts, while film festivals in Karlovy Vary celebrate international cinema. Traditions include Easter egg painting, folk dances in Moravia, and glass ornament making. Czech diplomacy promotes science, cybersecurity, and human rights within the European Union, United Nations, and regional partnerships.