Countries of the World (Europe) - Czechia
First European country in my new geography series. One thing you will notice is I will be starting at different points in each list - I DON'T want this to become an overview of all the "A" countries at the same time (like reading the encyclopedia, for those who remember actually using physical encyclopedias!). Again, I'm going to play with the format on these first few and see what I like, then try to be as consistent with my content going forward as I can.
Jay LeBlanc
12/22/20255 min read
Section I - Basic Info on Czechia
Official Name: Czech Republic
Population: 10,837,890 (86th largest in the world, 12th largest in Europe)
Area/Size: 30,451 square miles (a little smaller than South Carolina)
Capital: Prague (1.35 million - sister city of Chicago, IL and Phoenix, AZ)
Spoken Languages: Czech (official - 90%), small areas of Slovak and German
Religions: None (65%), Catholic (30%)
Life Expectancy: 78.7 years Literacy Rate: 99%
Per Capita Income: $53,817 Unemployment: 2.6%
What do they Export?: Precious metals (gold), minerals, coffee, tea, and spices
Export Partners: Germany (32%), Slovakia (8%), Poland (7%), France (5%)
Import Partners: Germany (24%), China (13%), Poland (10%), Slovakia (6%)
Government Type: Parliamentary republic (last election 2023 - open and free)
Section II - Images of Czechia
6 Key Dates in Czechian History
Probably no surprise to teachers, but most of the time the "key dates" will drive what the present-day issues are in the country. Certainly that will be true with the more recent events - the Cold War and subsequent breakup of (first) the Warsaw Pact and (second) Czechoslovakia impacts a lot of the issues in Czechia today (including the name changes!).
1212 - 1526 - in 1212 a decree proclaimed Bohemia a kingdom and Bohemian princes hereditary kings. Bohemia thus became one of the most important states within the framework of the Holy Roman Empire. The kingdom of Bohemia reached its peak of power and prestige during the reign of Charles IV (1346-1378), who was both King of Bohemia and head of the Holy Roman Empire. But when the royal line died out in 1526, Bohemia became part of the Austrian Empire.
Oct 28, 1918 - with the impending collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire near the end of World War I, Czechs and Slovaks took the initiative to break away and declare independence (rather than wait for the Treaty of Versailles negotiations to decide their fate). For the subsequent 20 year period, the new Czechoslovakia nation rose to become one of the 10 richest countries in the world at the time.
Sep 30, 1938 - after threats from Adolf Hitler to start a war, the Munich Agreement (signed by Germany, England, France, and Italy - but NOT Czechoslovakia) agreed to allow Hitler to annex the Sudetenland into Germany in return for a promise of peace. However, Hitler subsequently invaded the rest of the country in March 1939. Czechoslovakia (unlike Austria) was treated as a conquered nation after the war and the prior government was re-installed for the 3-year period from 1945 to 1948.
Feb 1948 - Nov 1989 - a pro-Communist government was appointed in Feb 1948 as an attempt to avoid a civil war or Russian invasion. Instead, the Communists consolidated power quickly and upon the death of President Beneš later that year allied with the Soviet Union. For the next 41 years Czechoslovakia was controlled by a series of Communist leaders, with a couple of exceptions (one noted below). Finally in Nov 1989, the "Velvet Revolution" (peaceful, in sharp contrast to the end of Communist rule in other Eastern European nations) began 3 years of democracy under Vaclav Havel while negotiating the ultimate split of the country in two.
Jan-Aug 1968 - within the previous window of Communist control, the "Prague Spring" was a brief period of economic and political liberalization in Czechoslovakia under Alexander Dubček that began in January 1968 and effectively ended on August 20, 1968, when Soviet forces invaded the country.
January 1, 1993 - Czechoslovakia was peacefully divided and the independent Czech and Slovak Republics were founded. Václav Havel was elected the Czech Republic‘s first president. In the following years the Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004.
Other Non-Political Issues
Section III - Issues of Czechia
General Information on Czechia:
“Czech Republic", One World Nations Online, Jan 2025, https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/czech_republic.htm
“Czech Republic", Wikipedia, Dec 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czech_Republic or https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czech_Republic
"Czechia (Czech Republic) Travel Guide", National Geographic, Dec 2025, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destination/czech-republic
“Czechia Explained in 16 minutes (History, Geography, & Culture)” (video), Opentiera, Dec 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzzkK5sdNco
"Visit Czechia" (national tourism site), Czech Republic, 2025, https://www.visitczechia.com/
“The World Factbook - Czechia", Central Intelligence Agency, Dec 2025, https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/czechia/
History Links on Czechia:
"Chamberlain and Hitler 1938" (Primary Source lesson plan), The National Archives (Britain), https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/chamberlain-and-hitler/
“Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution Started 30 Years Ago—But It Was Decades in the Making", Time Magazine, Nov 2019, https://time.com/5730106/velvet-revolution-history/
"How Did Czechoslovakia Become a Country?", The Collector, https://www.thecollector.com/how-czechoslovakia-become-country/
“Invasion: The Crushing of the Prague Spring”, Radio Free Europe, Aug 2018, https://www.rferl.org/a/crushing-of-prague-spring-1968/29420107.html
“The True Story Behind 'Good King Wenceslas'", The Mystery of History, Dec 2023, https://themysteryofhistory.com/the-true-story-behind-good-king-wenceslas/
Current Events Stories on Czechia:
"Czech-Slovak relations chill to glacial", DW News (Germany), Jun 2025, https://www.dw.com/en/czech-slovak-relations-chill-to-glacial/a-72697750
“Czech Republic mourns victims of Prague university mass shooting” (video), BBC News, Dec 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTpygK7b3Ts
“The Czech Republic Is Caught in a Nuclear Tug of War”, Foreign Policy, Oct 2020, https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/09/08/czech-republic-nuclear-tug-of-war-china-russia-united-states/
“Prague bans night-time pub crawls in bid to attract ‘more cultured, wealthier’ tourists”, The Guardian, Oct 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/15/prague-pub-crawl-ban-tourism-zdenek-hrib
“Why Trouble Is Brewing in the Czech Republic", Journal of Democracy, Sep 2025, https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/online-exclusive/why-trouble-is-brewing-in-the-czech-republic/
Other Interesting Links Related To Czechia:
"The 'British Schindler' who saved 669 children from the Nazis", BBC History Magazine, Nov 2019, https://www.historyextra.com/period/second-world-war/nicholas-winton-british-schindler-kindertransport-ww2-nazis/
“Can Bruins' David Pastrnak Carry Czechia To The Olympic Podium?” (video), Hockey News, Dec 2025, https://sports.yahoo.com/videos/bruins-david-pastrnak-carry-czechia-004354660.html
“The Culture of Czechia”, Google Arts and Culture, https://artsandculture.google.com/project/czechia
"I'm an American who moved to the Czech Republic 5 years ago. It's completely changed my definition of work-life balance", Business Insider, Jul 2025, https://www.businessinsider.com/moved-from-america-to-czech-republic-work-career-surprises-2025-7