Prague

For other places of the same name see Prague (disambiguation).

Statistics
Area:	496 km²
Population:	1,169,106 (2001)
Map

Prague (Praha in Czech) is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated on the Vltava river, it is home to approximately 1.2 million inhabitants. (It can be derived from jobs statistics, however, that additional 300 000 work there without having registered as residents.) Nicknames for Prague have included "city of a hundred spires", "the golden city", "the Paris of the Twenties in the Nineties", the "mother of all cities", and "the heart of Europe". Since 1992, the historic center of Prague has been included in the UNESCO list of world heritage sites.

Founded in the latter part of the 9th century, Prague soon became the seat of the kings of Bohemia, some of whom later reigned also as emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. The city flourished during the 14th-century reign of Charles IV, who ordered the building of the New City, the Charles Bridge, Saint Vitus Cathedral, the oldest gothic cathedral in central Europe and actually inside the Castle, and the Charles University, the oldest university in central Europe north of the Alps. Prague was then the third-largest city in Europe.

The four independent boroughs that had formerly constituted Prague were eventually proclaimed a single city in 1784. Those four cities were Hradčany; (the Castle District, west and north of the Castle), Malá Strana; (the Lesser Town, south of the Castle), Staré Město; (the Old Town, on the east bank opposite the Castle) and Nové Město; (the New Town, further south and east). The city underwent further expansion with the annexation of Josefov in 1850 and Vyšehrad; in 1883, and at the beginning of 1922, another 37 municipalities were incorporated, raising the city's population to 676,000. Most of the city's 50,000 Jews died in the Nazi genocide of World War II.

Prague is a popular tourist destination. There are lots of old buildings, many with beautiful murals on them. It contains one of the world's most pristine and varied collections of architecture, from Art Nouveau to baroque, Cubist, Gothic, Neo-Classical and ultra-modern. Some of its many tourist attractions are Staré Město, various places connected to Franz Kafka, Malá Strana, Hradčany with St. Vitus's Cathedral, the Charles Bridge, Astronomical Clock and the Lennon Wall.

Prague is a traditional cultural center, hosting many theaters (including National Theatre), opera houses, concert halls, galleries and music clubs. It is also the site of most important offices and institutions of the Czech Republic, including the President, the Government and both houses of the Parliament. Besides Charles University, the city contains another 7 universities and colleges including the Czech Technical University (CVUT) founded in 1707.

Public transport infrastructure consists of three metro lines, as well as tramway lines and buses.

Prague suffered serious flooding in August 2002, with parts of the city having to be evacuated. The floods caused a lot of damage, but fortunately no major landmarks (such as the Charles Bridge) were destroyed.

On 1st August 2004, a granate exploded under a car near the Sunday overcroweded Wenzels Square. More than 18 people were injured, nobody died. The casualties came from Great Britain, Ireland and the United States. Police said there was a criminal intent. Criminal gangs had a war under each other.

Prague is served by Ruzyne International Airport, which is the hub of the flag carrier, CSA Czech Airlines

See also: Defenestrations of Prague