1._THE_CZECH_REPUBLIC

* INDUSTRY, AGRICULTURE, EXPORT/IMPORT

agriculture

- the Czech Republic produces grain, sugar-beet, maize, hop, sunflower, fruit, vegetable, oats, barley, potatoes, grapevine

industry

• is traditionally an industry country

• metallurgy – Ostrava – ArcelorMittal Ostrava – iron ore

• Třinec – Třinecké železárny (Moravia Steel) – steel products

• mechanical engineering – Prague – Avia Motors – lorries

• Brno – Zetor – tractors

• Plzeň – Škoda – trains, trolley buses

• Mladá Boleslav – Škoda – cars

• Kopřivnice – Tatra – lorries

• chemical industry – Ústí nad Labem – Spolchemie

• Neratovice – Spolana

• Kralupy nad Vltavou – Česká rafinérská

• Pardubice – Synthesia, Paramo

• textile, clothes and leather industry – Zlín – Baťa – shoes

• Prostějov – OP Prostějov

• food industry – Kunín – Mlékarna Kunín – dairy products

• Olomouc – Olma – dairy products

• Prostějov – Cukrovar Vrbátky - sugar

• breweries – Prague – Staropramen – beer

• České Budějovice – Budějovický Budvar – beer

• Plzeň – Plzeňský prazdroj – beer

• local breweries produce local beer

• glass, jewelleries, porcelain – Karlovy Vary – Sklárna Moser – glass

• Karlovy Vary – Starorolský porcelán Moritz Zdekauer – porcelain

• Jablonec nad Nisou – jewelleries

• wood and paper industry - Papírny Štětí, Papírny Větřní, pencil manufacturing – Koh-i-Noor

• matches – Sušice, iron ore, black coal – Ostravsko-karvinské doly

export

- cars, raw materials, fuel, chemicals

import

- cars, machinery and transport equipment, raw materials, fuel, chemicals

* SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT

- after overthrowing Communism, the country set up a parliamentary democracy

- the parliament consists of two houses; the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate

- the head of state is the president, and it is he who appoints a prime minister

- there are 200 people in the Chamber of Deputies, and they serve a 4−year term

- the 81 Senate members are elected for 6 years, the president is elected every 5 years by the citizens

* HISTORY, LEGENDS, OUTSTANDING PERSONALITIES

- beginning in the 4th century BC – Celtic tribes settled in region, followed by Germanic and Slavic tribes

- in the 9th century – country began to form with the creation of Great Moravia. After its fall,

the Czech state emerged with help from Premyslids

- when the Přemyslid dynasty died out by the sword in 1306 the Czech throne went by way of dynastic wedding

to the Luxemburgs -> Charles IV. was a Czech king and an Emperor, during his reign Prague grew into one of the

largest European metropolis, was important centre of education and architecture

- the kingdom of Bohemia was important and powerful in the region, but conflicts like the Hussite Wars hurt it

- the 15th century – Hussite Wars, it’s named after Jan Hus

- the 17th century – 30 Year War, 1620 – The Battle on the White Mountain

- 1867 – the Czech Lands become a part of the Empire of Austria-Hungary