STREDNI CECHY - Geography and history
The region of Stredni Cechy lies in the centre of the Czech Republic and completely surrounds the region of Prague. Stredni Cechy covers 11 014 km2 representing 14 % of the Czech Republic's total area. In 2002, arable land made up 51 % of the region, with all agricultural land together representing 61 % of land use. This high proportion of agricultural land exceeds that of the other Czech regions and besides cereals and sugar beet a significant area is used for growing hops and for orchards. Forest land covers another 28 % of the region, with extensive forests being found in the areas of Dobríš, Rozmitál and Krivoklát.
The region's highest point is the peak of Tok (846 m) in the Brdské Hrebeny mountain range in the south-west of the region, with the lowest, at 153 m, being the river Labe (the Elbe) near Dolni Berkovice in the north of the region.
Stredni Cechy is situated in the Labe river basin from where all water flows into the North Sea. The Labe is the largest river in this region and supplies the region with water for industrial use, and plays an important role in water transport. The Vltava, the second largest river of the Czech Republic, divides the region into a western and eastern part and serves transport, energy and recreational functions through a series of reservoirs. The Rivers Jizera and
Zelivka provide sources of drinking water. The largest reservoir is at Orlík in the district of Príbram, spreading over an area of 2732 ha and into the region of South Bohemia. The second largest is the
Švihov reservoir on the River
Zelivka (1 670 ha) ahead of the Slapy reservoir which, with its 1 392 ha, ranks third.
The region is divided into 12 districts with a total of 1 146 local administrative units (obce).
Stredni Cechy prides itself on the four protected landscape areas - Ceský Kras (the Bohemian Karst), Ceský ráj (the Bohemian Paradise), the areas of Krivoklát and Kokorín and the Blaník mountain - located in the region. The town of Podebrady is famous for its mineral water and spa facilities for the treatment of vascular and heart diseases. Other spa towns are Lázne Toušen.
A region without a centre
The industrial strength of Stredni Cechy is shown by its large share of the total Czech industrial output, amounting in 2001 to 11 % of the total national gross value added generated by the industrial sector. The region is also a significant agricultural producer, notably for cereals, sugar beet and livestock.
Its location in the centre of the country and close links to Prague create good opportunities and conditions for employment, housing and capital construction, the transport services network, and the development of business activities.
The region's main negative characteristics are its unfavourable demographic structure (a high average age of the population, low birth rate and a high mortality rate).
Furthermore, the industrial character of much of the region has resulted in significant environmental problems with polluted rivers, damaged forests and lead-contaminated land. However, quality of the environment has been gradually improving over the last few years.
As the region's administrative institutions are all located in Prague, Stredni Cechy has no main regional city that would act as its own administrative and economic centre. This is also the case for the two districts of Praha-východ and Praha-západ that surround Prague.
Foreign investment in the region's industry
Stredni Cechy has a unique position compared with the other regions of the country. It surrounds the national capital, Prague, and does not have its own regional capital city. It is thus effectively represented by Prague in the area of international relations, and international cooperation is focused mainly on industrial and commercial contacts and on tourism.
There are several enterprises with significant foreign involvement in the region. The largest of these is the Czech car factory
Škoda in Mladá Boleslav which is closely associated with Volkswagen, but other notable companies include Delphi Packard Electric, Linde Frigera, Phoenix Zeppelin, Lonza Biotec, TRW Carr and Thermo King, Procter and Gamble - Rakona, Philip Morris CR.. In 2004, TPCA (Toyota, Peugeot, Citroen) automobile joint venture will start production of small cars in Ovcáry in the district of Kolín.
In 2002, more than 780 000 nights were spent in the region by non-resident tourists. However, for many of them Stredni Cechy was only a transit place on their way to Prague and some used the region's accommodation establishments in the areas around Prague as accommodation there is cheaper than in the city. There are some places of interest for tourists in Stredni Cechy, such as the Karlštejn castle. As is the case for Prague, the development of tourism after 1989 has resulted in an increased inflow of tourists, primarily from western Europe and further overseas.
|
|