The country called Czechoslovakia
existed in central Europe from 1918
through 1992. It was formed after
WorldWar I from parts of the defeated
empire called Austria-Hungary. On
January 1, 1993, Czechoslovakia split
into two countries: the Czech Republic
and Slovakia. The capital of Czechoslovakia
was Prague.
Geography and People
Czechoslovakia shared borders with Germany,
Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, and
Austria. Its three main regions were
Bohemia, Moravia, and Slovakia. The
Bohemians and the Moravians together
were known as Czechs. They had most
of the power, which angered the Slovaks.
Most of the people of Czechoslovakia
spoke Slavic languages. However, there
were many German speakers in an area
called the Sudetenland.
History
DuringWorldWar II, Czechoslovakia
was taken over by Germany. In 1945, as
the war was ending, the army of the
Soviet Union freed Czechoslovakia.
Then Communists backed by the Soviets
took control. Czechoslovakia
struggled under Communist rule. Its
farms produced fewer crops. The people
lost many freedoms.
The Communist government was
unpopular. In 1968 a leader named
Alexander Dubcek tried to make the
government more democratic. The
Soviet Union did not like the changes. It
forced out Dubcek. The new government
went back to strict control.
In the 1980s protests against the government
began to work. In 1989 the Communist
government resigned. Vaclav
Havel became the country’s first non-
Communist president in more than 40
years. The last Soviet troops left in 1991.
After Communism ended, relations
between Czechs and Slovaks worsened.
The people of Slovakia voted to form a
separate country. At midnight on
December 31, 1992, Czechoslovakia
broke up. The Czech Republic and Slovakia
took its place.
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Austria-Hungary • Czech Republic
• Prague • Slovakia • Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics
238 Czar BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a country in central
Europe. It was formerly part of the
Communist country of Czechoslovakia.
The independent Czech Republic came
into being in 1993. The country is
known for its picture-book towns, its
polka dance, and the architecture of its
capital, Prague.
Geography
The Czech Republic is bordered by Slovakia,
Austria, Germany, and Poland.
Low mountain ranges surround the
country. In the southwest is the large
Bohemian Forest. The country’s main
river is the Elbe, which flows into Germany.
Most parts of the Czech Republic
have a moderate climate.Winter temperatures
are mild, and summers are
warm. Snow and rain are heaviest in the
mountains.
Plants and Animals
Spruce and fir trees are common in the
high forests. Oak, ash, and maple trees
grow at lower levels. Pollution from the
use of coal has severely damaged the
forests, however. The country’s animals
include wild boars, brown bears, marmots,
otters, mink, and deer.
People
Czechs make up about 90 percent of the
country’s population. Moravians form
the largest minority group. Other ethnic
groups include Slovaks, Poles, Germans,
and Roma (Gypsies). The official language
is Czech, a Slavic language closely
related to Slovak and Polish. About 40
percent of the people are Roman Catholic.
Many people follow no religion.
About 75 percent of the population lives
in urban areas.
Economy
Manufacturing is the most important
part of the Czech Republic’s economy.
Factories produce machinery, food
products, metals, cars, computers,
chemicals, and other goods. The
country has limited resources of coal,
petroleum (oil), natural gas, and
minerals. It must import many of the
raw materials needed for its factories.
Trade, tourism, banking and other services
are also important to the economy.
Agriculture is a smaller part of the
economy. The main crops are wheat,
barley, corn, sugar beets, and potatoes.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Czech Republic 239
History
Germans, Celts, and Avars were some of
the first peoples in Moravia and Bohemia,
the two main provinces of the
Czech Republic. The Slavs, ancestors of
the Czechs, arrived between the 500s
and the 700s. By the mid-800s the
Moravians had formed a kingdom. It
eventually grew into Great Moravia and
included part of Poland, all of Bohemia,
and part of Hungary.
The decline of Moravia in the early 900s
led to the rise of Bohemia. In 1029
Moravia became part of the kingdom of
Bohemia. In 1526 Bohemia and Moravia
came under the control of the Hapsburg
monarchy of Austria. Austria, and
later the empire of Austria-Hungary,
ruled Bohemia and Moravia until after
WorldWar I (1914–18).
When Austria-Hungary collapsed in
1918, Bohemia, Moravia, and neighboring
Slovakia were united to form the
independent republic of Czechoslovakia.
Czechoslovakia soon became a Communist
country. Vaclav Havel, a playwright
and poet, was elected president of
Czechoslovakia after Communism
ended in 1989.
On January 1, 1993, Czechoslovakia
peacefully split into the Czech Republic
and Slovakia. Havel became the first
president of the Czech Republic. In
2004 the country joined the European
Union.
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Czechoslovakia • Prague • Slovakia
Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, is
