Czechoslovakia became a communist-ruled state in 1948. Dissatisfaction with the communist regime resulted in troops from neighboring communist countries invading in 1968 and remaining until the peaceful 1989 Velvet Revolution, when the communist regime collapsed.

On 1 January 1993, the country of Czechoslovakia was dissolved into the current countries of Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic. Historically, Prague has been the capital of the Holy Roman Empire, an important city in Austria-Hungary, and the capital of Czechoslovakia. It is now one of the most visited cities in Europe.

The Czech Republic has a population of around 10.7 million people as of 2023.

The highest point in the Czech Republic is Snezka at 1,602 m (5,256 ft).

Tourism is a major source of income for the Czech economy. In 2011, Prague was the sixth most visited city in Europe and the tourist industry employees over 1% of the population.

The main official language is Czech. The Slovic language of Slovakia is very similar to Czech and is recognized as a minority language in the country.

The currency of the Czech Republic is the Koruna.

Skoda Auto, the large European car manufacturer, is from the Czech Republic.

Drivers use the right-hand side of the road in the Czech Republic.

Prague castle is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest ancient castle in the world by area, at over 7 hectares (70,000 m²).

Alphonse Mucha (1860 - 1939) was a famous Czech painter and decorative artist known for his art nouveau posters and his large canvases named The Slav Epic, which represent the history of Czechs and Slavic's.

Franz Kafka (1883 - 1924) was a Czech, born Prague, he was a writer of novels and short stories. He wrote in German his mothers tongue and was regarded as one of the most influential authors of the 20th century.

Unique Czech dishes include roast pork with bread dumplings and stewed cabbage, roast beef with steamed dumplings and creamy vegetable sauce, roast duck with dumplings and red cabbage, and potato pancakes. Fish is rare, except at Christmas when carp is served.

Beer has been brewed in the Czech Republic since the year 1118, the country has the highest beer consumption per capita in the world.

The most popular sports in the Czech Republic are ice hockey, football, sport shooting, tennis, basketball, volleyball, handball, and athletics.

The Czech ice hockey team won Olympic gold in 1998 and has won six gold medals at the World Championships.

Tennis greats Martina Navratilova (18 Grand Slams) and Ivan Lendl (8 Grand Slams) are from the Czech Republic.

For more information, check out maps of the Czech Republic or take a closer look at the Czech flag.