From a church decorated with 40,000 skeletons to the world’s biggest beer drinkers, these are the most interesting facts about the Czech Republic.
Fast facts
Official name: Czechia
Population: 10,837,890
Area: 78,867 sq km
Capital city: Prague
Major languages: Czech, Slovak
Major religions: Atheism, Christianity
Time zone: UTC+1 (Central European Time)
Interesting facts about the Czech Republic
1. The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in central Europe bordering Austria, Germany, Poland and Slovakia.
2. Along with Slovakia, the Czech Republic was founded in 1993 when Czechoslovakia split in two.
3. The relatively amicable break up of Czechoslovakia was known as the “Velvet Divorce” in reference to the bloodless Velvet Revolution that overthrew communist power in 1989.
4. As of 2023, the Czech Republic is ranked the 13th most peaceful country in the world according to the Global Peace Index.
5. In 2016, the Czech Republic changed its name to Czechia as it felt it was catchier and would make it easier for companies, politicians, and sportsmen to use on products, name tags and sporting jerseys.
6. The Czech Republic’s flag has two horizontal stripes of white and red with a blue triangle. It features three horizontal stripes in white, red, and blue. The white stripe represents Bohemia and the sky, and serves as a reminder of the country’s aspirations towards freedom and independence. The red stripe symbolizes Moravia and the blood shed by generations of Czechs fighting for their country’s freedom and sovereignty. The blue stripe is a nod to Slovakia, which was once part of Czechoslovakia before becoming an independent state in 1993. It is identical to the flag of former Czechoslovakia.
7. Over 6% of the Czech Republic’s population are expats. As of 2012, the country has over 660,000 foreigners registered as living in the Czech Republic.
8. The word robot was coined by Czech playwright Karel Čapek for artificial men in 1921.
9. The Czech Republic has the world’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge. The Sky Bridge 721 is (you guessed it) 721m (2,365ft) long.
10. The Czech Republic gets its name from the Czechs, a Slavic tribe that rose to prominence in the late 9th century AD.
11. The Czech Republic is the world’s third least religious country, with 75% of the population claiming to be either not religious or atheist after China and Sweden.
12. The world’s largest ancient castle is Hradcany Castle (AKA Prague Castle) in the Czech Republic. It was built in the 9th century and has an axis of 570m (1,870ft) and an average transverse diameter of 128m (420ft), giving a surface area of 7.28ha (18 acres).
13. The record-breaking tennis player Martina Navratilova is from the Czech Republic. In total, Navratilova won 59 slam titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles – more than any player in history. Navratilova also won the Wimbledon women’s singles title a record nine times, including six in a row from 1982-87.
14. Gregor Mendel is from the Czech Republic. Mendel was a monk who worked out the basic laws of inheritance through experiments with pea plants. He was born in Silesia in the Austrian Empire, which is now in the Czech Republic.
15. Prague is known as ‘the city of a hundred spires’ because of the city’s skyline, which features numerous towers, turrets, and steeples. Some estimates even suggest there are as many as 1,000.
16. Prague gets its name from an old Slavic word praga or prah, meaning ford, and refers to the city’s position at a crossing point of the Vltava River.
17. The Czech Republic has 17 properties inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, including the Historic Centre of Prague.
18. Baroness Bertha von Suttner from Prague was the first woman to be awarded the Peace Prize. She won the prize in 1905 “for her audacity to oppose the horrors of war”.
19. The Czech Republic drinks the most beer in the world per capita, consuming 184.1 liters per capita annually.
20. Following the Second World War, Soviet troops entered Czechoslovakia, and the country remained under hardline communist rule until the 1989 Velvet Revolution.
21. The Czech Republic was the first former Eastern Bloc state to acquire the status of a developed economy.
22. Known as the ‘Bone Church, ‘ Sedlec Ossuary in the Czech Republic is ornately decorated with bones from over 40,000 skeletons. Human bones discovered in the crypt are used to create crosses, chalices, pyramids and altars.
23. The tiny Czech town of Jáchymov invented the dollar in 1520. Originally known as the thaler, the currency was a result of silver mining in the region, and a switch was made from smaller coins to larger silver coins. The thaler eventually spread around the world and became known as the dollar.
24. One of the world’s oldest carmakers, Škoda, is from the Czech Republic. Its origins date back to 1895, and it is also considered to be Eastern Europe’s oldest car manufacturer.
25. Prague is famous for throwing people out of the window. Among other notable defenestrations in the city, the most famous is the aptly named Defenestration of Prague, when, in 1618, two imperial regents were thrown from the windows of Prague Castle. The incident was so famous that it gave rise to the term defenestration itself.
Every effort has been made to verify these facts about the Czech Republic using primary sources. However, if you find an error or have any questions, please contact us.
Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. A teacher for seven years, she has been committed to providing students with the best learning opportunities possible, both domestically and abroad. Dedicated to unlocking students' potential, Caitriona has taught English in several countries and continues to explore new cultures through her travels.