Prague. The capital city of the Czech Republic, Prague, is situated in the very heart of Europe, on the river Vltava and is therefore a place that has been an intersection of continental merchant routes for many ages.

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Jan Bellenghi                                                                        Grade: 9a

PRAGUE

The capital city of the Czech Republic, Prague, is situated in the very heart of Europe, on the

river Vltava and is therefore a place that has been an intersection of continental merchant

routes for many ages.

Prague was officially founded in the late 9th century by Prince Borivoj. It was during his reign

the very famous Prague Castle was built.  

However, there are signs of other tribes settling in Prague many hundred years

earlier than the Slavs.

The first king ruling Prague was John of Luxembourg (Charles IV) from 1310 to 1346.

Charles IV contributed significantly to the development of Prague when he founded the oldest

university in central Europe, Charles University. He also invested  into the residential

area of Prague by the construction of public houses and adorning the area with numerous

structures such as the Charles Bridge and the magnificent St. Vitus’ Cathedral. Increasing

Prague’s size and population to 50,000 inhabitants and 8 km², he had made Prague the largest

European city at the time.

After Charles IV´ death in 1346, difficulties all over the country cropped up. Many uprisings

and revolts lead by the peasants and the clergy were initiated in an attempt to overthrow the

king and start reforms. The Czech Republic entered the age of depression.

From the end of World War II (1945) to 1989, Czechoslovakia was under communist rule and

“supervised”  by the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics). Tyrannical tactics kept

 

political dissent at a minimum, although there were attempts by citizens to reform the

communist government once again. The most notable came in 1968. It was called the Prague

Spring. Soviet troops invaded the Czech capital to suppress the reformist movement.

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After decades of nationalization under the communists, the Czech economy rapidly privatized

in the 1990s and is now a day’s one of the most industrialized city in Europe, with

mining, manufacturing, and constructing all important parts of the economy. The

industrialization though also has its downside. Serious environmental problems in many parts

of the country are one of the results. Prague is currently facing a tremendous air pollution

problem due to the numerous factories settled in the city.

The Czech Republic´s Capital  has an area of 496 km². ...

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