Ahoy - Czech Republic & Prague

 

Czechoslovakia was occupied by Nazi Germany in 1938–45 and was under Soviet domination from 1948 to 1989. On January 1, 1993, Czechoslovakia separated peacefully into two new countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The Czech Republic has a hilly landscape that covers an area of 78,871 square kilometers (30,452 sq mi) with a mostly temperate continental and oceanic climate. The capital and largest city is Prague; other major cities and urban areas include Brno, Ostrava, Plzeň and Liberec.

Prague (known as Praha) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia.

It is known as the  "city of a hundred spires" and "the golden city".

 It is one of the most thriving Cities in Central Europe. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate oceanic climate, with relatively warm summers and chilly winters.

Prague is a political, cultural, and economic hub of central Europe, with a rich history and Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture. It was the capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia and residence of several Holy Roman Emperors, most notably Charles IV (r. 1346–1378). It was an important city to the Habsburg monarchy and Austro-Hungarian Empire. The city played major roles in the Bohemian and the Protestant Reformations, the Thirty Years' War and in 20th-century history as the capital of Czechoslovakia between the World Wars and the post-war Communist era.

It became part of  the European Union in 2004. It is a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).  The economy of the Czech Republic is a developed export-oriented social market economy based in services, manufacturing, and innovation that maintains a high-income welfare state and the European social model.

Prague is 6^th in the Best Cities to Live in the World and 3^rd most beautiful country in the world

The Czech capital came in sixth in Time Out’s annual poll of best cities and ranked third for its beauty in the world. Out of the 53 cities ranked in the list, the top five were Edinburgh, Chicago, Medellín, Glasgow, and Amsterdam. Prague, as stated, was sixth. Finishing out the Top 10 were Marrakesh, Berlin, Montreal, and Copenhagen.

Its rich history makes it a popular tourist destination and the city receives more than 8.5 million international visitors annually (pre-covid). In 2017, Prague was listed as the fifth most visited European city after London, Paris, Rome, and Istanbul.

Prague is the third richest region in the EU

Prague ranked third among Europe's 281 regions in terms of gross domestic product per inhabitant, according to the data from 2019.

The Czech Republic ranks 12th in inequality-adjusted human development and 24th in World Bank Human Capital Index, ahead of countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom or France. It was described by The Guardian as "one of Europe’s most flourishing economies".(Wikepedia)

As of 2022, the Czech GDP per capita at purchasing power parity is $46,811 and $28,077 at nominal value. As of September 2021, the unemployment rate in the Czech Republic was the lowest in the EU at 2.6%, and the poverty rate is the second lowest of OECD members, following Denmark. The Czech Republic ranks 21st in the Index of Economic Freedom (ranked behind Chile), 24th in the Global Innovation Index (ranked behind Australia), 32nd in the Global Competitiveness Report, 41st in the ease of doing business index and 25th in the Global Enabling Trade Report (ranked behind Canada). The largest trading partner for both export and import is Germany, followed by other members of the EU. The Czech Republic has a highly diverse economy that ranks 7th in the 2019 Economic Complexity Index. The Czech Republic also ranks as the 6th most peaceful country, while achieving strong performance in democratic governance. It has the lowest unemployment rate in the European Union.

The Programme for International Student Assessment, coordinated by the OECD, currently ranks the Czech education system as the 15th most successful in the world, higher than the OECD average. The UN Education Index ranks the Czech Republic 10^th in the world.

Health care in the Czech Republic is similar in quality to that of other developed nations. The Czech universal health care system is based on a compulsory insurance model, with fee-for-service care funded by mandatory employment-related insurance plans. According to the 2016 Euro health consumer index, a comparison of healthcare in Europe, the Czech healthcare is 13th, ranked behind Sweden and two positions ahead of the United Kingdom.

The population of Czech Republic is 10.7 million people and the average age is 43 years. The population of Prague is 1.3 million people spread over 473sq km.  

Some of the famous companies from Czech Republic are Skoda, Pilsner, Budweiser, Bata, Tatra etc.

Education in Czech Republic

Charles University is one of the oldest University in Europe and is situated in Prague. Stated in 1374 and is also the largest university in Central Europe.

Prague University of Economics & Business is another major University and its Business School is ranked 23 in the Top Masters in Management (MIM) program in the world.

It uses its own currency, the Czech koruna, instead of the Euro.

 

References:

Source Wikipedia.