The Central Bohemian Region ( cz, Středočeský kraj, german: Mittelböhmische Region) is an administrative unit ( cz, kraj) of the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply 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. Th ...
, located in the central part of its historical region of
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bo ...
. Its administrative centre is in the Czech capital
Prague, which lies in the centre of the region. However, the city is
not part of it but is a region of its own.
The Central Bohemian Region is in the centre of
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bo ...
. In terms of area, it is the largest region in the Czech Republic, with 11,014 km
2, almost 14% of the total area of the country. It surrounds the country's capital,
Prague, and borders
Liberec Region (in the north),
Hradec Králové Region (northeast),
Pardubice Region (east),
Vysočina Region (southeast),
South Bohemian Region (south),
Plzeň Region (west) and
Ústí nad Labem Region (northwest).
Administrative divisions
The Central Bohemian Region is divided into 12 districts:
Příbram District is the region's largest district in terms of area (15% of the total region's area), while
Prague-West District is the smallest one (5%). In 2019, the region counted in total 1,144 municipalities where of 26 were municipalities with a delegated municipal office. 1,028 municipalities had less than 2,000 inhabitants and they accounted for 41% of the total population of the region. 82 municipalities had a status of town.
Geography
With an area of 11,014 km
2, the Central Bohemian Region is the largest region of the Czech Republic, occupying 14% of its total area. The region has relatively diversified terrain. The highest point of the region is located on Tok hill (865 m) in
Brdy
Brdy is a range of hills in the Czech Republic, forming a long massif stretching for c. 60 km southwest from Prague. The northern section of the Brdy is called "Hřebeny" and features one narrow ridge (highest elevation Písek - 690 m). The m ...
Highlands in the southwestern part of the region. The lowest point of the region is situated on the water surface of the Elbe River (Czech: Labe) near Dolní Beřkovice.
The region is divided into two landscape types. The northeastern part is formed by the
Polabí lowlands with a high share of land being used for agricultural purposes and
deciduous
In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, a ...
forests. The south-western part of the region is hilly with
coniferous
Conifers are a group of cone-bearing seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single extant class, Pinopsida. All extant ...
and mixed forests.
Important rivers in the region are
Labe,
Vltava,
Berounka,
Jizera and
Sázava. On the Vltava river, a series of nine dams (Czech: Vltavská kaskáda) was constructed throughout the 20th century.
The agricultural land accounts for 83.5% of all land in the region, which 11p.p. more than the national average. The highest share of the agricultural land can be found in
Polabí, especially in Kolín and Nymburk districts.
There are a number of
landscape parks located in the region.
Křivoklátsko is the largest and most important landscape park in the region, being at the same time a UNESCO Biosphere Reservation. Another remarkable area is the
Bohemian Karst
Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to:
*Anything of or relating to Bohemia
Beer
* National Bohemian, a brand brewed by Pabst
* Bohemian, a brand of beer brewed by Molson Coors
Culture and arts
* Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, origin ...
, the largest
karst
Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...
area in the Czech republic, where the
Koněprusy Caves (Czech: Koněpruské jeskyně) are located. Finally, a large part of Kokořínsko Landscape Park is situated in the Central Bohemian Region.
Population
As of January 1, 2019 the Central Bohemian Region had 1,369,332 inhabitants and was the most populous region in the country. About 53% of the inhabitants lived in towns or cities. This is the lowest proportion among the regions of the Czech Republic.
Since the second half of the 1990s the areas surrounding Prague have been significantly influenced by
suburbanization. High numbers of young people have moved to the region and since 2006 the region has been experiencing a natural population growth. In 2019, the average age in the region was 41.2 years, the lowest number among the regions in the Czech Republic.
[
The table shows cities and towns in the region that had more than 10,000 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2019):
]
Economy
The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the region was 24.1 billion € in 2018, accounting for 11.6% of Czech economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 25,300 € or 82% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 84% of the EU average, which makes Central Bohemia one of the wealthiest regions in the Czech Republic. Six out of ten employees in the region work in the tertiary sector and the share of this sector on the total employment has been increasing over time. On the other hand, the share of primary and secondary sector has been decreasing. The unemployment rate in the region is in the long-term lower than the national average. As of December 31, 2012 the registered unemployment rate was 7.07%. However, there were considerable differences in the unemployment rate within the region. The lowest unemployment rate was in Prague-East District
Prague-East District ( cs, okres Praha-východ) is a district (''okres'') within the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. Its administrative seat is in Prague. The most populated town of the district is Brandýs nad Labem-Stará Bole ...
(3.35%) while the highest in Příbram District (10.10%). The average wage in the region in 2012 was CZK 24,749 (approximately EUR 965).
Industry
The most important branches of industry in the region are mechanical engineering, chemical industry and food industry. Other significant industries are glass production, ceramics and printing. On the other hand, some traditional industries such as steel industry, leather manufacturing and coal mining have been declining in the recent period.
In 2006, 237 industrial companies with 100 or more employees were active in the region. A car manufacturer ŠKODA AUTO a.s. Mladá Boleslav became a company of nationwide importance. Another car manufacturer which is active in the region is TPCA Czech, s.r.o. in Kolín.
Agriculture
The north-eastern part of the region has very favourable conditions for agriculture. The agriculture in the region is oriented especially in crop farming, namely the production of wheat, barley, sugar beet and in suburban areas also fruit farming, vegetable growing and floriculture. Since the beginning of the 1990s the employment in agriculture, forestry and fishing has been decreasing.
Transport
The region has an advantageous position thanks to its proximity to the capital. A significant proportion of region's population commutes daily to Prague for work or to schools. Compared to other regions, the Central Bohemian region has the densest (and the most overloaded) transport network. The roads and railways connecting the capital with other regions all cross the Central Bohemian region.
Tourism
Central Bohemia official tourist board is based in Husova street 156/21 Prague 1 Old Town. The official website of Central bohemia i
www.centralbohemia.eu
(Currently under reconstruction). There are also social pages o
Faceboook
an
Instagram
Castles
* Karlštejn Castle
* Kokořín Castle
Kokořín Castle ( cs, Hrad Kokořín) is a castle located in Kokořín in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It was built in the first half of the 14th century by order of Hynek Berka of Dubá. It was heavily damaged during the Hu ...
* Konopiště
* Křivoklát Castle
* Lány
* Stranov
Photo gallery
File:Amerika Quarry HDR.jpg, Amerika quarry
File:Bezdez.jpg, Bezděz Castle
File:Cesky Sternberk noc 8838.JPG, Český Šternberk Castle
File:Labe v Poděbradech.jpg, Elbe in Poděbrady
File:Jílové nádraží 4.jpg, Jílové u Prahy
Jílové u Prahy (german: Eule) is a town in Prague-West District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 5,200 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.
...
train station
File:Fragner ESSO 1.jpg, ESSO power plant in Kolín
File:Karlštejn-obec s hradem.jpg, Karlštejn Castle
File:Kladno náměstí 2013.jpg, Kladno
File:Kolin Bartolomej2.JPG, Kolín, St. Bartholomew church
File:Konopiště, 2021 (68).jpg , Konopiště Castle
File:Kopeč, krajina v okolí.JPG, Countryside in the surroundings of Kopeč village (Mělník District
Mělník District ( cs, okres Mělník) is a district (''okres'') within Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Mělník.
Complete list of municipalities
Býkev -
Byšice -
Chlumín -
Chorušice -
Chvatěruby ...
)
File:Kralupy nad Vltavou, sídliště a Kaučuk.jpg, A view from Hostibejk hill at Kralupy nad Vltavou
File:KUTNA HORA (js) 11.jpg, Kutná Hora
Kutná Hora (; medieval Czech: ''Hory Kutné''; german: Kuttenberg) is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 20,000 inhabitants. The centre of Kutná Hora, including the Sedlec Abbey and its ossuary, was designa ...
, St. Barbara Church at the night
File:Peter Stehlik 2011.07.30 007.JPG, Lány Castle
File:Mackova hora detail.JPG, Observation tower at Macek hill in Nové Strašecí
File:Hrad (Mladá Boleslav).JPG, Mladá Boleslav
File:Mnichovice namesti.jpg, Mnichovice
Mnichovice is a town in Prague-East District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 4,000 inhabitants. It is a part of the Prague metropolitan area.
Administrative parts
Villages of Božkov and Myšlín are administrat ...
File:Nymburk, west view.jpg, Nymburk
File:Stara Boleslav.JPG, Stará Boleslav
File:Pribram dulsevcin-vyrez.jpg, A shaft building of the Ševčín shaft in Příbram
File:Rak Vysoká od JZ DSCN1399.JPG, High Gate in Rakovník
File:VrcholToku.jpg, Tok hill
File:Trebesice (zamek KH) B. PohledOdSV.jpg, Třebešice Castle (Kutná Hora District)
Třebešice Castle is a castle in Třebešice (Kutná Hora District), Třebešice in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic.
The structure itself dates back to the Renaissance architecture, Renaissance times, with further changes done ...
References
External links
Region statistics
{{Coord, 50, 0, N, 14, 32, E, region:CZ-SZ_type:adm1st, display=title
Regions of the Czech Republic
NUTS 2 statistical regions of the European Union