● Czech Republic: 10 827 529 inhabitants.
● Prague: 1 357 326 inhabitants.
● Ethnic composition: 81.2% Czech, 13.7% Moravian and Silesian, 3.1% Slovak, 0.6% Polish, 0.5% German, 0.3% Romany, and 0.3% others.
● Czech borders with countries: Austria, Slovakia, Poland, and Germany.
● Executive language: Czech.
● Climate zone: Mild continental climate - temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters.
● Electrical voltage: 220 V – 50/60 HZ.
● To connect to the power grid, Czechs use the Europlug (also used in Germany, Poland, Greece, etc.).
● The Czech country code is +420.
● Prague, Czech Praha, is the capital city of the Czech Republic. Located in the heart of Europe, it is one of the continent’s finest cities and the major Czech economic and cultural center.
● Prague is the largest city of the Czech Republic and the 15th largest city in the European Union. You can find it in the center of Bohemia on the Vltava River.
● At present, Prague covers an area of 496 square kilometers.
● Transportation in Prague: tram, metro, bus, taxi, cars.
● The capital of the Czech Republic is our most valuable urban conservation area. In 1992 the historical core of the city covering 866 hectares was listed in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Register.
● Czech Republic is located in the Central European Time Zone – GMT +1.
● During summer time, it is in effect GTM+2, meaning from the last Sunday in March till the last Sunday in October.
In Prague is now.
January 1st – Restoration Day of the Independent Czech State, New Year’s Day
March, April – Easter Monday
May 1st – Labor Day
May 8th – National Holiday – Liberation Day (1945)
July 5th – National Holiday – Saints Cyril & Methodius Day
July 6th – National Holiday - Jan Hus Day
September 28th – National Holiday – Czech Statehood Day
October 28th – National Holiday – Independent Czechoslovak State Day
November 17th – National Holiday – Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day
December 24th – Christmas Eve
December 25th – Christmas Day
December 26th – St. Stephan’s Day
In the early history of the land that is today the Czech Republic, various tribes settled the land starting with the Celtics, then the Germanic tribes, and later the Slavic people. In the 9th century, the Kingdom of Bohemia began to emerge and became a power. Bohemia was part of the Holy Roman Empire and several kings ruled the land. The peak of the Bohemian kingdom arrived with Charles IV in 1342. He was king of Bohemia and the Holy Roman Emperor. The Holy Roman Empire would rule over the land for many years until the 1800s when the Austrians and the Habsburg Empire would take control.
After WW I, the country of Czechoslovakia was formed from the Czech and Slovak lands of the Austrian Empire. At the start of World War II, Czechoslovakia quickly became a part of Germany. After the war, the country came under the dominion of the Soviet Union and the communist party. Once the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990, Czechoslovakia's freedom was restored. The Czechs and the Slovaks decided they would each rather have their own country, and they were peacefully split up into the Czech Republic and Slovakia (1989). In 2004 the Czech Republic became a member of the European Union (EU).
Prague, as the capital city of the Czech Republic, is located in the heart of Central Europe. Medieval Prague originated as an agglomeration of towns and several smaller settlements of craftsmen, merchants, and farmers. Stone fortifications protected Prague's Old Town as it grew from the right bank of the Vltava. In the mid-14th century, Prague was the center of the Holy Roman Empire and Europe’s third-largest inhabited city. Prague was part of the Habsburg Monarchy and the capital city of the lands covering the Czech lands. In the 19th century, this area was the most powerful part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Prague was a dominant city with a mixture of Jewish, German, and Czech cultures. The Czechoslovak Republic was established in 1918, and Prague became the capital, which caused a large boom in the economy and territorial changes. Prague has always played an important role in the history of the nation, country, and Europe. Since the Middle Ages, Prague has been known as one of the most beautiful cities in the world and has been attributed adjectives such as "golden", "city of hundred spires", "the crown of the world", "a stone dream".
Despite the city's turbulent history, Prague's progress in recent years has been more stately than revolutionary. The booming tourism sector and a solid industrial base have left its citizens in better economic shape than the rest of the country.
All of the legislative bodies of the Czech Republic are located in Prague – the parliament, government, the president, as well as some of the most important social and educational institutions. Prague has an amazing reputation when it comes to universities, which is why the city is full not only of tourists but also of foreign students.
● The Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle in the world. It has the most castles in Europe. There are over 2000 castles and chateaux in the Czech Republic, more than in any other country in Europe.
● Czech Jan Janský discovered blood groups.
● Poppy seeds are legal in the Czech Republic. In fact, we love them, especially on pies.
● We wouldn’t have contact lenses if Czech Otto Wichterle didn’t come up with them.
● The word „robot“ was created by Czech Josef Čapek.
● The tallest building in the world – Burj Khalifa uses Czech-made elevators.
● Czech Ester Ledecká was the first in history to win two gold Olympic medals in two different sports disciplines.
● The founder of the lightning conductor was...you guessed it. Czech, Prokop Divis.
● These 3 following Czech movies have won Oscars: The Shop on Main Street, Closely Watched Trains, and Kolya.
● The Czech Republic ranks as the eighth safest country to live in the world.
● Beer is very popular in the Czech Republic. Czech people are the world’s heaviest consumers of beer.
● The Czech Republic has produced influential figures in literature and art. Writer Franz Kafka, known for his surrealist works, and artist Alfons Mucha, famous for his Art Nouveau style, were both born in Prague.
HI AHOJ (ahoy)
GOOD MORNING / DOBRÉ RÁNO (dobree rano)
GOOD DAY / DOBRÝ DEN (dobree den)
GOOD NIGHT / DOBROU NOC (dobro nots)
GOOD BYE / NASHLEDANOU (na-skle-dano)
PLEASE / PROSÍM (pro-seem)
THANK YOU / DĚKUJI (de kwee ye)
DRINKS / NÁPOJE (naa-po-yeh)
FOOD / JÍDLO (yee-dlo)
HOW ARE YOU? / JAK SE MÁŠ ? (yak se mash?)
I‘M WELL / MÁM SE DOBŘE (mam seh dobreh)
HOW MUCH? / KOLIK? (ko-leek)
YES / NO ANO / NE
RESTAURANT / RESTAURACE
CAR / AUTO (outah)
BEER / PIVO (pee-vo)
WHAT‘S THE TIME? / KOLIK JE HODIN? (ko-leek yeh ho-din)
BEAUTIFUL / KRÁSNÁ (F) KRÁSNÝ (M)
CAN I SMOKE HERE? / SMÍM TU KOUŘIT? (smeem too koo-ur-zet)
BILL / ÚČET (oo-chet)
I‘D LIKE TO PAY PLEASE / ZAPLATÍM PROSÍM (za-pla-teem pro-seem)
ASHTRAY / POPELNÍK (po-pel-nik)
LET‘S GO. / POJĎME or JDEME (poodma or e-deme)
CALL SHEET / DISPOZICE (dis-po-seet-say)
DAY / NIGHT DEN / NOC (den) / (notz)
WRAP / LIKVIDACE (lick-vi-dat-ce)
THAT‘S A WRAP / JE KONEC (yeh ko-nets)
LUNCHTIME / POLEDNÍ PAUZA (po-led-nee pow-sa)
QUIET / TICHO (teek-ho)
DON‘T WALK / NECHODIT (neh-ho-dit)
TURN OVER RADIO / VYPNOUT VYSÍLAČKY (veep-note vee-see-lach-kee)
DICTIONARY / SLOVNÍK (slov-nikh)
I HAVE (HAVE NO)TIME / MÁM /NEMÁM/ ČAS (mam/nemam chas)
DO YOU HAVE TIME? / MÁŠ ČAS? (mash chas)
COULD I HAVE A TAXI? / MŮŽU MÍT TAXI (moo-zhoo meet taxi)