The Czech Language

Czech is spoken by roughly 12 million people living in the Czech Republic, where it is the official language. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Czech is a relative of Polish, Slovak, and the Sorbian languages found in the eastern parts of Germany. Czech was not standardized as a language until the 15th and 16th Centuries when Jan Hus established its unique orthography and the Bible was first translated into Czech in 1593.1

There are several Czech dialects, the main three being those of Moravia, Bohemia and Silesia; however, the dialect spoken in the capital city of Prague is the foundation for the standard written form of the language.2

Below are some brief but important facts about the country of Czechland and its people.

Capital: Prague
Currency: Czech koruna (CZK)
Government Type: Parliamentary democracy
Population: 10,246,178 (July 2004 est.)
Internet Country Code: .cz
Internet Hosts: 295,677 (2004)
Internet Users: 2.7 million (2003)

For additional demographic information on Czechland and its people, please see the following link:

http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ez.html

For information on The Czech Writing System, please see our Quick Facts Library.

1 "Czech language" Encyclopædia Britannica from Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service.
http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?tocId=9028458
[Accessed November 28, 2004]

2 "Czech language" Encyclopædia Britannica from Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service.
http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?tocId=9028458
[Accessed December 1, 2004]