The Czechoslovak Republic came into being following the disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. However, it was not in existence for very long. Following the Munich Agreement of 1939, Slovakia broke away and the Czech lands were occupied by Germany, which established the protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. After liberation in 1945, the Czechoslovak Republic was restored - though without the Sub-Carpathian Ukraine, which became part of the then Soviet Union. Following the collapse of communism in 1989, the Czechoslovak Federal Republic was dissolved by an act of Parliament on 31 December 1992. The independent Czech Republic came into being on 1 January 1993.
The territory of the Czech Republic is divided into eight regions (oblasti). These comprise the capital city, Praha, and the regions of Stredni Cechy, Jihozapad, Severozapad, Severovychod, Jihovychod, Stredni Morava and Moravskoslezsko. There are also 14 higher territorial self-governing units (kraje).
The regions are subdivided into districts (okresy). The Czech Republic has 76 districts and the capital city, Praha. Eeach region comprising between 6 and 14 districts as follows: Stredni Cechy 12, Jihozapad 14, Severozapad 10, Severovychod 13, Jihovychod 12, Stredni Morava 9 and Moravskoslezsko 6.
The districts are further subdivided into local administrative units (obce) of which there are 6 249. The local administrative units are the basic autonomous territorial units, ranging in size from small villages and sparsely populated rural areas to the city of Prague.
Fourteen cities have special administrative powers and exercise a higher degree of local government. These cities are sometimes divided into sectors (mestské cásti). Prague, as the capital city, has a special status; it is one of the 14th statutory cities as well as being a region in its own right. It is the seat of the president, the government and the parliament of the Czech Republic and is divided administratively into 57 sectors.
The Czech Republic shares borders with four countries: Germany, Austria, Slovak Republic and Poland. At 1st of January 2003, it had a total population of over 10.2 million and an area of 78 868 square kilometres.
