The Czech Republic - anglická verze

THE CZECH REPUBLIC

The Czech Republic is the state which we live, and which most of us were also born. It is our native country.

The Czech Republic is situated in Central Europe. It is said that it lies in heart of Europe. The Czech Republic is an inland country. Which its area of 78864km2 it is located in the temperate climatic zone.

Our republic has four neighbours. In the north it borders on Poland and in the south on Austria. The shortest border is with Slovakia in the east and the longest with Germany in the west.

The Czech Republic has a population of about 10,3 million. Some live in Bohemia, others in Moravia and some in Silesia. The three oldest parts of our republic are Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia. Besides Czechs, Moravians and Selesians, different national minorities live there as well. There are Slovaks, Poles, Germans, Hungarians and Romanies. Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic. It is home to more than 1,2 million people.

Mountain ranges form our country´s natural borders. The surface of our country is rather hilly. The Western border is formed by the Krušné Mountains, where the highest peak is called Klínovec (1244 m). The Šumava range, where we can find a lot of swamps, extends to the south. Also two glacial lakes can be found there – Černé and Čertovo. The Šumava range is kown for its original virgin forest. There are a lot of old trees and bushes. It is dangerous for tourists to walk there on their own. The highest mountains in the Czech Republic are the Giant Mountains. That´s where the highest peak in the Czech Republic, Sněžka, is located, reaching a height of 1602 m. The Jizerské Mountains lie on the border with Poland, where the Orlické Mountains are also located. Other mountain ranges visited by tourists are, for example, Beskydy, Hrubý Jeseník and the Little Carpathians along the border with Slovakia.

Czech nature can offer tourists much that is of interest. Sandy rocks in Český Ráj or stalactite caves in Moravský Kras are a frequent destination of visitors. The underground rivulet Punkva flows there. The greatest abyss, called Macocha, which is also situated in Moravský Kras, is 138 m deep.

The Czech Republic does not have any seacoast, but it has many navigable rivers. Thanks to the Ebe, Morava and Oder we can use the ports of neighbouring countries. The Elbe has its source in the Giant Mountains and leaves our native country at Hřensko. It flows throughout Germany and enters the North Sea.

The largest and the most important tributary of the Elbe is the Vltava. Several dams have been built on this river, for example Lipno, Orlík and Slapy. These dams are not only used for the production of electricity, but are in the first place a favourite destination for people, who come here for recreation and amusement. A lot of people spend their holidays or vacations there.

Onother important river is the Oder that drains water from our country into the Baltic Sea. The MOrava and its tributary the Dyje flow into the Danube, which flows into the Black Sea. So the Czech Republic is connected to other countries that abut this sea.