TOEFL Test Centers in Czech Republic

EDU February 16, 2019

Country Overview

The Czech Republic is a parliamentary democracy in Central Europe with the capital Prague. The landlocked state consists of the historical areas of Bohemia and Moravia as well as a small part of Silesia and is framed by several wooded low mountain ranges. These include the Bohemian Forest in the southwest, the Ore Mountains in the northwest and the Sudetes in the northeast, to which the Giant Mountains belong. In the interior of the country, too, mountainous and hilly landscapes determine the picture. In western Bohemia, spa towns such as Karlsbad and Marienbad are based on hot medicinal springs. There is moderate Continental climate. The majority of the population is of Czech nationality. The proportion of the urban population is over 70%, a tenth of the total population lives in the capital. The Roma minority is estimated at around 3%. Before the expulsion in 1945, the German population group was the largest ethnic minority. The majority of Czechs do not belong to any denomination or give no information about their religious affiliation. After the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, the Czech Republic became part of the newly founded Czechoslovakia in 1918. Following the Second World War, it was ruled communist from 1948. In 1989, the “soft” revolution ended 40 years of communist rule. In 1993 the Czech Republic became independent. The industrial sector with a strong automotive industry gives the country a growing level of prosperity. The country has been a member of NATO since 1999 and the EU since 2004.

Country facts

• Official name: Czech Republic
• License plate: CZ
• ISO-3166: CZ, CZE (203)
• Internet domain:.cz
• Currency: 1 Czech crown (Kč) = 100 Heller
• Area: 78 870 km²
• Population (2018): 10.6 million
• Capital: Prague
• Official language (s): Czech
• Form of government: Parliamentary republic
• Administrative division: 14 districts (Kraje)
• Head of State: President Miloš Zeman
• Head of Government: Andrej Babiš
• Religion (s) (2011): Christians (10.4% Catholics, 1.1% Protestants), 54% other / n / a, 34.5% non-denominational
• Time zone: Central European Time
• National Day: October 28th

Location and infrastructure

• Location (geographical): Central Europe
• Location (coordinates): between 48 ° 34 ‘and 51 ° 03’ north latitude and 12 ° 05 ‘and 18 ° 51’ east longitude
• Climate: temperate continental climate
• Highest mountain: Schneekoppe (1602 m)
• Road network (2019): 55 744 km (paved)
• Railway network (2017): 9 408 km

Population

• Annual population growth (2018): 0.1%
• Birth rate (2018): 9.2 per 1000 residents.
• Death rate (2018): 10.5 per 1000 residents.
• Average age (2018): 42.5 years
• Average life expectancy (2018): 78.9 years (men 76; women 82.1)
• Age structure (2018): 15.2% younger than 15 years, 19.4% older than 65 years
• Literacy rate (15 year olds and older) (2011): 99%
• Mobile phone contracts (pre-paid and post-paid) (2017): 119 per 100 residents
• Internet users (2017): 79 per 100 residents

Economy

• GDP per capita (2018): 22,850 US $
• Total GDP (2018): US $ 242 billion
• GNI per capita (2018): US $ 20,260
• Education expenditure (2015): 5.8% of GDP
• Military expenditure (2018): 1.1% of GDP
• Unemployment rate (15 years and older) (2017): 3.1%

The Vltava – the river of Bohemia

The Vltava rises on the Black Mountain in the Bohemian Forest, flows on the slopes of the mountains first to the southeast and then, turning to the north, enters the Bohemian Uplands. Picturesque old towns line its course. The small town of Rosenberg (Rožmberk nad Vltavou) lies in a loop of the river, overlooked by two mighty castles. It also flows around the old town of Český Krumlov, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The magnificent castle and palace complex rises high above the river, the largest in the country after Prague Castle. The old town center of České Budějovice, famous for its brewing art, lies on the banks of the river. At the confluence of the Vottava and Moldau rivers, the Klingenberg Castle (Zvíkov), which was built by the Bohemian King Wenceslaus I, sits enthroned on a steep, narrow headland. Was built in the first half of the 13th century and which served at times as a royal residence and repository of Bohemian imperial regalia. At Orlík the Vltava breaks through the Central Bohemian Heights. Here the river was dammed in the 1960s and a water reservoir was created that extends over 70 km to the north. Together with the Slapy reservoir to the north, it serves as a popular excursion area for the people of Prague. The Vltava then flows majestically through the valley basin of Prague, the castle town of Hradschin and the Lesser Town on the left, leaving the old town and new town behind on the right, past numerous churches, castles, palaces and town houses of bygone times. The magnificent Charles Bridge, built in the 14th century, is one of the oldest and most beautiful stone bridges in Europe.

How closely the river is connected to Czech culture and identity can be guessed from the popularity of Bedřich Smetana’s composition “Vltava” (“The Vltava”). In the second part of the cycle “Má Vlast” (“My Fatherland”), which consists of six symphonic poems, which Smetana created between 1874 and 1879, the composer drew the course of the river from the source to the confluence with the Elbe, represented by two motifs orchestral means. The entire cycle premiered in November 1882 and was enthusiastically received by the audience.