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| image_caption = Panoramic view of [[Prague Castle]]
| image_caption = Panoramic view of [[Prague Castle]]
| image_flag = Flag of Moravia.svg
| image_flag = Flag of Moravia.svg
| image_considerably less damage during World War II than some other major cities in the region, allowing most of its historic architecture to stay true to form. It contains one of the world's most pristine and varied collections of architecture, from [[Art Nouveau]] to [[Baroque]], [[Renaissance]], [[Cubism|Cubist]], [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]], [[Neoclassicism|Neo-Classical]] and ultra-modern. Some popular sights include:
| image_shield = Praha CoA CZ.svg
| image_map =
| pushpin_map=Czech Republic
| subdivision_type = [[Countries of the world|Country]]
| subdivision_name = [[Czech Republic]]
| area_footnotes = <ref>[http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/table.do?tab=table&init=1&language=en&pcode=tgs00002&plugin=1 Total area and land area, by NUTS 2 regions - km2]</ref>
| area_total_km2 = 496
| elevation_footnotes = {{Citation needed|date=June 2009}}
| elevation_max_m = 399
| population_footnotes = <ref>[http://www.czso.cz/csu/2009edicniplan.nsf/engt/2500261555/$File/400109q214.pdf Population: by area, region and district of the Czech Republic in January – June 2009 (preliminary results)]</ref>
| population_as_of = 2009-06-30
| population_total = 1242002
| population_density_km2 = auto
| latd = 50| latm = 05| lats = | latNS = N
| longd = 14| longm = 25| longs = | longEW = E
| coordinates_display=inline,title
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_party =
| leader_name = Pavel Bém
| established_title = Founded
| established_date = [[8th century]]
| area_code_type = [[ISO 3166-2:CZ|ISO 3166-2]]
| area_code =
| timezone = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset = +1
| timezone_DST = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset_DST = +2
| postal_code_type = Postal code
| postal_code = 1xx xx
| blank_name_sec1 = [[NUTS]] code
| blank_info_sec1 = CZ01
| blank1_name_sec1 = [[GDP]] per capita ([[Purchasing Power Standard|PPS]])
| blank1_info_sec1 = € 38,400 (2006)<ref name=eurostat>{{cite web
| title= GDP per inhabitant in 2006 ranged from 25% of the EU27 average in Nord-Est in Romania to 336% in Inner London
| publisher= Eurostat
| url= http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/PGP_PRD_CAT_PREREL/PGE_CAT_PREREL_YEAR_2009/PGE_CAT_PREREL_YEAR_2009_MONTH_02/1-19022009-EN-AP.PDF}}</ref>
| website = [http://www.praha.eu/ www.praha.eu]
| footnotes =
}}
'''Prague''' ({{IPA-en|ˈprɑːɡ}}; {{lang-cs|[[:cs:Praha|Praha]]}} {{IPA-cs|ˈpraɦa|pron|Cs-Praha.ogg}}, see also [[Names of European cities in different languages: M-P#P|other names]]) is the [[Capital (political)|capital]] and [[World's largest cities|largest city]] of the [[Czech Republic]]. Nicknames for Prague have included "the mother of cities" (''Praga mater urbium'', or "Praha matka měst" in Czech), "city of a hundred [[spire]]s", or Stověžatá Praha in Czech and "the golden city" or Zlaté město in Czech.<ref name=nicknames>{{cite web|url=http://www.pis.cz/cz/praha/zakladni_info/privlastky_hlavniho_mesta_prahy|title=Přívlastky hlavního města Prahy |publisher=PIS, Pražská informační služba, Prague Information Service |accessdate=2009-06-14}}</ref>


* [[Old Town (Prague)|Prague's economy is based on various industrial sectors. Prague's industrial sector is split into aircraft engines, diesel engines, refined oil products, electronics, chemicals, food, printing, automobiles etc. Also a significant proportion of research and development is based in Prague. Approximately one-fifth of all investment in the Czech Republic takes place in Prague city.
Situated on the River [[Vltava]] in central [[Bohemia]], Prague has been the political, cultural, and economic centre of the Czech state for more than [[8th century|1100]] years. For many decades during the [[Gothic art|Gothic]] and [[Renaissance]] eras, Prague was the permanent seat of two [[Holy Roman Emperors]] and thus was also the capital of the [[Holy Roman Empire]].

Today, the city proper is home to more than 1.2 million people, while its [[metropolitan area]] is estimated to have a population of over 1.9 million.<ref name="LUZ">{{cite web
| author = Eurostat
| title = Urban Audit 2004
| url =http://www.urbanaudit.org/DataAccessed.aspx
| accessdate = 2008-07-20}}
</ref>

Since 1992, the extensive historic centre of Prague has been included in the [[UNESCO]] list of [[World Heritage Site]]s, making the city one of the most popular [[tourist destination]]s in Europe, receiving more than 4.1 million international visitors annually, {{as of|2009|lc=on}}.<ref>{{cite web|title=Development of incoming tourism to the Czech Republic in 2008|url= http://www.czechtourism.com/eng/uk/docs/press-centre/studies-and-statistics/articles-commentary/statistiky2009.html|work=Official site|publisher=Czech Tourism|date=2009|accessdate=30 September 2009}}</ref>

==Etymology==
[[File:Vltava in Prague.jpg|thumb|[[commons:Category:Bridges in Prague over Vltava|Bridges]] over
[[Vltava]] river, as seen from the [[Prague Castle|Castle]].]]
[[File:Prague panorama upstream from Charles Bridge.JPG|thumb|Prague panorama upstream [[Vltava]] river, from [[Charles Bridge]].]]
[[File:Praha, Nové město, propust jezu.JPG|thumb|Prague, New Town, a weir on [[Vltava]] river, under the [[Prague Castle|Castle]], in background.]]


The name Prague comes from an old [[Slavic languages|Slavic]] root, ''praga'', which means “[[ford (river)|ford]]”, referring to the city's origin at a crossing of the Vltava River. This root is found in other toponyms in the region. For example, [[Warsaw#Districts|two riverside districts of Warsaw]] bear the name of ''Praga'' as well.


The native name of the city, Praha, is also related to the modern Czech word ''práh'', which means “threshold”: A legendary etymology connects the name of the city with [[Libuše]], prophetess and a wife of mythical founder of the [[Přemyslid dynasty]]. She is said to have ordered "the city to be built where a man hews a threshold of his house."

Czech "práh", the "threshold", shall be understood here as to be in the river, rapids or cataract: its edge as a passage to the other river side.

Contrarily, although there are a few weirs nowadays, there was not discovered any such geological threshold in the river under the [[Prague Castle]]. Thus some derive the name "Phaha" from the stone of the hill, where the [[:cs:Pražský hrad#Raně středověké osídlení ostrožny před založením přemyslovského sídla|original castle]] was built: "na prazě", the original term for [[shale]] rock ({{lang-cs|[[:cs:břidlice|břidlice]]}}). In those days, there were forests around the [[Prague Castle|Castle]], on the nine hills of the future city: the [[Old Town, Prague|Old Town]] on the other river bank as well as the [[Lesser Town]] underneath the [[Prague Castle|Castle]] appeared later.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://drexler.blogy.novinky.cz/0807/o-vzniku-nazvu-praha |publisher=Drexler, novinky.cz |title=drexler blog |date=2008-07-11 |accessdate=2009-06-14}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Prague SPOT 1030.jpg|thumb|left|Prague seen from Spot Satellite.]]
[[File:PragueCastleNight.jpg|thumb|left|[[Prague Castle]] at night.]]
[[File:St Vitus Cathedral from south.jpg|thumb|left|[[St. Vitus Cathedral]].]]
{{Main|History of Prague}}
The history of Prague spans thousands of years, during which time the city grew from a castle known as [[Vyšehrad]] to the multicultural capital of a modern [[Europe]]an state, the [[Czech Republic]].

===Ancient age===
The area on which Prague was founded was settled as early as the [[Paleolithic]] age. Around 200 BC the [[Celts]] had a settlement in the south, called [[:cs:Závist|Závist]], but later they were replaced by the [[Marcomanni]], a [[Germanic peoples|Germanic people]] and later by the [[West Slavs|West Slavic people]]. According to legends, Prague was founded by [[Libuše]] and her husband, [[Přemysl, the Ploughman|Přemysl]], founder of the dynasty of the same name. Whether this legend is true or not, Prague's first nucleus{{Citation needed|date=June 2009}} was a castle on a hill commanding the left (western) bank of [[Vltava]]: this is known as [[Prague Castle]], to differentiate from another castle, which was later, in the latter part of the 9th century{{Citation needed|date=June 2009}}, erected on the opposite right (eastern) bank the Přemyslid fort [[Vyšehrad]], which is now wrongly considered as the oldest one.

The city became the seat of the dukes and later kings of Bohemia. Under emperor [[Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor|Otto II]] the city became a bishopric in 973. Until Prague was elevated to archbishopric in 1344, it was under the jurisdiction of the [[Archbishopric of Mainz]].

It was an important seat for trading where merchants from all of Europe settled, including many [[Jew]]s, as recalled in 965 by the Jewish merchant and traveller [[Abraham ben Jacob|Ibrahim ibn Ya'qub]]. The [[Old New Synagogue]] of 1270 survives.

King [[Vladislaus II of Bohemia|Vladislav II]] had a first bridge on the [[Vltava]] built in 1170, the Judith Bridge, which was destroyed by flood in 1342.

In 1257, under King Otakar II, [[Malá Strana]] ("Lesser Quarter") was founded in Prague on a place of an older village in the future [[Hradčany]] area: it was the district of the German people. These had the right to administrate the law autonomously, pursuant to [[Magdeburg rights]]. The new district was on the opposite bank of the Staré Město ("Old Town"), which had a borough status and was defended by a line of walls and fortifications.

===The era of Charles IV===
[[File:CharlesBridgeMalaStranaPragueCzechRepublic.jpg|thumb|A view of one of the bridge towers of the [[Charles Bridge]].]][[File:Karlův most.jpg|thumb|[[Charles Bridge]].]]
The city flourished during the 14th century reign of the king of [[Bohemia]] and [[Holy Roman Emperor]] [[Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles IV]] of the new [[House of Luxembourg|Luxembourg dynasty]]. He ordered the building of the [[New Town, Prague|New Town]] (Nové Město) adjacent to the Old Town. The Charles Bridge was erected to connect the new district to Malá Strana. Monuments by Charles include the [[St. Vitus Cathedral|Saint Vitus Cathedral]], the oldest [[Gothic architecture|gothic]] cathedral in [[central Europe]], which is actually inside the Castle, and the [[Charles University in Prague|Charles University]]. The latter is the oldest university in central Europe. Prague was then the third-largest city in Europe. Under Charles, Prague was, from 1355, the actual capital of the [[Holy Roman Empire]], and its rank was elevated to that of archbishopric (1344). It had a [[Mint (coin)|mint]], and [[Germans|German]] and [[Italians|Italian]] merchants, as well as bankers, were present in the city. The social order, however, became more turbulent due to the rising power of the [[Artisan|craftsmen]]'s [[guild]] (themselves often torn by internal fights), and the presence of increasing number of poor people.

During Easter 1389, members of the Prague clergy announced that Jews had desecrated the host (Eucharistic wafer) and the clergy encouraged mobs to pillage, ransack and burn the Jewish quarter. Nearly the entire Jewish population of Prague (3,000 people) perished.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.everything2.org/title/The%2520Prague%2520Pogrom%2520of%25201389 |publisher=Everything2 |title=The Prague Pogrom of 1389 |date=April 1389 |accessdate=2009-06-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prague.cz/jewish-quarter/ |publisher=prague.cz |title=The former Jewish Quarter in Prague |date=April 1389 |accessdate=2009-06-16}}</ref>

During the reign of King [[Wenceslaus, King of the Romans|Wenceslas IV]] (1378–1419), [[Jan Hus]], a theologian and lector at the Charles University, preached in Prague. In 1402, he began giving sermons in the Bethlehem Chapel. Inspired by John Wycliffe, these sermons focused on reforming the Church. Having become too dangerous for the political and religious establishment, Hus was summoned to the Council of Constance, put on trial for heresy, and burned in [[Konstanz]] in 1415. Four years later Prague experienced its First Defenestration (the act of throwing someone out the window as a political protest - in this case, the city's councillors out the window of the New Town Hall), when the people rebelled under the command of the Prague priest [[Jan Želivský]]. Hus' death, coupled with Czech proto-nationalism and proto-Protestantism, had spurred the so-called [[Hussite Wars]]. In 1420, peasant rebels, led by the general [[Jan Žižka]], along with Hussite troops from Prague, defeated the [[Bohemia]]n King [[Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor|Sigismund]], in the [[Battle of Vítkov Hill]].

In the following two centuries, Prague strengthened its role as a merchant city. {{Reference necessary|Many noteworthy Gothic buildings were erected}}, including the [[Vladislav Hall]] of the [[Prague Castle]].

===Habsburg era===
In 1526, the Kingdom of Bohemia was handed over to the [[House of Habsburg]]: the fervent Catholicism of its members was to bring them into conflict in Bohemia, and then in Prague, where [[Protestantism|Protestant]] ideas were at the time having increasing success.{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}} These problems were not preeminent under Holy Roman Emperor [[Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor|Rudolf II]], elected King of Bohemia in 1576, who chose Prague as his home. He lived in the Prague Castle where his court saw invitations to astrologers and magicians, but also scientists, musicians, and artists. Rudolf was an art lover too and Prague became the capital of European culture. This was a prosperous period for the city: famous people living there in that age include the astronomers [[Tycho Brahe]] and [[Johannes Kepler|Johann Kepler]], the painter [[Giuseppe Arcimboldo|Arcimboldo]], the alchemists [[Edward Kelley]] and [[John Dee]], the poetess [[Elizabeth Jane Weston]], and others.

In 1618, the famous Second [[Defenestrations of Prague|Defenestration of Prague]] provoked the [[Thirty Years' War]], a particularly harsh period for Prague and Bohemia. Ferdinand II of Habsburg was deposed, and his place as King of Bohemia taken by [[Frederick V, Elector Palatine]]; however the Czech army under him was crushed in the [[Battle of White Mountain]] (1620) not far from the city. Following this in 1621 was an execution of 27 Czech lords (involved in the Battle of White Mountain) in Old Town Square and an exiling of many others. The city suffered subsequently during the war under Saxon (1631) and [[Battle of Prague (1648)|Swedish (1648) occupation]]. Prague began a steady decline which reduced the population from the 60,000 it had had in the years before the war to 20,000. In the second half of the 17th century Prague's population began to grow again. [[History of the Jews in the Czech Republic|Jews]] have been in Prague since the end of the 10th century and, by 1708, they accounted for about a quarter of Prague’s population.<ref>[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/Prague.html Prague], The Virtual Jewish History Tour</ref>

In 1689, a great fire devastated Prague, but this spurred a renovation and a rebuilding of the city. In 1713–1714, a major outbreak of [[Plague (disease)|plague]] hit Prague one last time. The economic rise continued through the 18th century, and the city in 1771 had 80,000 inhabitants. Many of these were rich merchants who, together with noblemen of German, Spanish and even Italian origin, enriched the city with a host of palaces, churches and gardens, creating a [[Baroque]] style renowned throughout the world. After the [[Battle of Prague (1757)|Battle of Prague]] in 1757 the city was badly damaged during a Prussian bombardment.<ref>[http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Prague Prague]. 1911 Edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica.</ref> In 1784, under [[Joseph II]], the four municipalities of Malá Strana, Nové Město, Staré Město and Hradcany were merged into a single entity. The Jewish district, called Josefov, was included only in 1850. The [[Industrial Revolution]] had a strong effect in Prague, as factories could take advantage of the coal mines and ironworks of the nearby region. A first suburb, Karlín, was created in 1817, and twenty years later population exceeded 100,000.

[[Revolutions of 1848|The revolutions that shocked all Europe around 1848]] touched Prague too, but they were fiercely suppressed. In the following years the Czech nationalist movement (opposed to another nationalist party, the German one) began its rise, until it gained the majority in the Town Council in 1861. Prague had [[German language|German]]-speaking near-majority in 1848, but by 1880 the German population decreased to 14% (42,000), and by 1910 to 6.7% (37,000), due to a massive increase of the city's overall population caused by the influx of [[Czechs]] from the rest of Bohemia and Moravia and also due to the assimilation of some Germans.<ref>[http://www.jstor.org/pss/1428754 The Erosion of "Gemeinschaft": German Writers of Prague, 1890–1924, by Peter Horwath], German Studies Review, Vol. 4, No. 1 (Feb., 1981), pp. 9–37</ref>

===20th century===
[[File:Prague - Jerusalemer Synagoge.jpg|thumb|The Jerusalemer Synagogue, built in 1905 to 1906 by Wilhelm Stiassny, of Bratislava, is the largest Jewish place of worship in Prague]]
At the beginning of the 20th century Czech lands were the most productive part of the [[Austria–Hungary|Austro-Hungarian Empire]] with 80% of Empire's industrial production and some Czech politics began with attempts to separate it from Habsburg empire.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}

====The First Republic====
{{Main|Czechoslovak Republic (1918–1938)}}
World War I ended with the defeat of the [[Austro-Hungarian Empire]] and the creation of [[Czechoslovakia]]. Prague was chosen as its capital and Prague Castle as the seat of president ([[Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk|Tomáš Masaryk]]). At this time Prague was a true European capital with highly developed industry. By 1930, the population had risen to 850,000.

====Second World War====
{{Main|Occupation of Czechoslovakia}}
[[Hitler]] ordered the German army to enter Prague on [[15 March]] [[1939]] and from Prague Castle proclaimed [[Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia|Bohemia and Moravia a German protectorate]].
For most of its history Prague had been a multiethnic city with important Czech, German, and (mostly Czech- and/ or German-speaking) Jewish populations. From 1939, when the country was occupied by Nazi Germany, and during World War II, most Jews either fled the city or were killed in [[the Holocaust]].

In 1942, Prague was witness to the assassination of one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany - [[Reinhard Heydrich]] (during [[Operation Anthropoid]]). Hitler ordered bloody reprisals. At the end of the war [[Bombing of Prague in World War II|Prague suffered several bombing raids]] by the U.S. Air Force. Over 1000 people were killed and hundreds of buildings, factories and historical landmarks were destroyed (however the damage was small compared to the total destruction of many other cities in that time). Once the outcome of the war was decided and it was known that Germany would surrender to the allies, Prague [[Prague uprising|revolted]] against the Nazi occupants on [[5 May]] [[1945]] two days before Germany capitulated, on May 7. Four days later the [[Red Army|Soviet army]] entered the city. The majority of the German population either fled or was [[Expulsion of Germans after World War II|expelled]] in the [[Beneš decrees|aftermath]] of the war.

====Cold War====
{{Main|History of Czechoslovakia (1948–1968)}}
[[File:Prague crowd Malá Strana.jpg|thumb|Mostecká street packed with tourists in the afternoon.]]

Prague was a city in the territory of military and political control of the Soviet Union (see [[Iron Curtain]]). The 4th Czechoslovakian Writers' Congress held in the city in 1967 took a strong position against the regime. This spurred the new secretary of the Communist Party, Alexander Dubček to proclaim a new deal in his city's and country's life, starting the short-lived season of the "socialism with a human face". It was the [[Prague Spring]], which aimed at the renovation of institutions in a democratic way. The Soviet Union and its allies reacted with the invasion of Czechoslovakia and the capital in August 1968 by tanks, suppressing any attempt at work.

====Era after the Velvet Revolution====
In 1989, after the riot police beat back a peaceful student demonstration, the [[Velvet Revolution]] crowded the streets of Prague and the Czechoslovak capital benefited greatly from the new mood.
In 1993, after the split of Czechoslovakia, Prague became the capital city of the new [[Czech Republic]]. In the late 1990s Prague again became an important cultural centre of Europe and was notably influenced by [[globalization]]. In 2000 [[anti-globalization Protests in Prague]] (some 15,000 protesters) turned violent during the IMF and World Bank summits. In 2002 Prague suffered from [[2002 European floods|widespread floods]] that damaged buildings and also its underground transport system.
Prague [[Prague bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics|launched a bid]] for the [[2016 Summer Olympics]],<ref>[http://www.gamesbids.com/cgi-bin/news/viewnews.cgi?category=1&id=1174578823 Prague Assembly Confirms 2016 Olympic Bid]</ref> but failed to make the Candidate city shortlist. Due to low political support, Prague's officials chose in June 2009 to cancel the city's planned bid for [[2020 Summer Olympics]] as well.<ref>[http://www.gamesbids.com/eng/olympic_bids/future_bids_2016/1216134440.html It’s Official – Prague Out Of 2020 Bid]</ref>

==Main sights==
[[File:Praga 0003.JPG|thumb|[[Prague Astronomical Clock|The Astronomical Clock]].]]
[[File:PG07ME957 edit.jpg|thumb|Milunić and Gehry's [[Dancing House]].]]
[[File:Pisecka brana Prague CZ 044.jpg|thumb|[[Písek Gate]].]]

Since the fall of the [[Iron Curtain]], Prague has become one of Europe's (and the world's) most popular tourist destinations. It is the sixth most-visited European city after [[London]], [[Paris]], [[Rome]], [[Madrid]] and [[Berlin]].<ref name="Sixth most visited">{{cite web
| author =www.radio.cz
| title =Prague, sixth most visited city in Europe
| url =http://www.radio.cz/en/article/65335
| accessdate = 2006-11-26 }}</ref> Prague suffered considerably less damage during World War II than some other major cities in the region, allowing most of its historic architecture to stay true to form. It contains one of the world's most pristine and varied collections of architecture, from [[Art Nouveau]] to [[Baroque]], [[Renaissance]], [[Cubism|Cubist]], [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]], [[Neoclassicism|Neo-Classical]] and ultra-modern. Some popular sights include:

* [[Old Town (Prague)|Old Town]] (Staré Město) with its [[Old Town Square (Prague)|Old Town Square]]
* The [[Prague Astronomical Clock|Astronomical Clock]] (Orloj) on Old Town Square
* The picturesque [[Charles Bridge]] (Karlův most)
* The vaulted gothic [[Old New Synagogue]] (Staronová synagoga) of 1270.
* [[New Town, Prague|New Town]] (Nové město) with its busy and historic [[Wenceslas Square]]
* [[Malá Strana]] (Lesser Quarter) with its [[Infant Jesus of Prague]]
* [[Prague Castle]] (Pražský hrad - the largest castle in the world) with its [[St. Vitus Cathedral]]
* [[Josefov]] (the old Jewish quarter) with [[Old Jewish Cemetery (Prague)|Old Jewish Cemetery]] and [[Old New Synagogue]]
* [[Jan Žižka]] equestrian statue in Vítkov park, Žižkov - Prague 3.
* The [[Lennon Wall]]
* [[Vinohrady]], a sightly quarter in the center
* [[Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague]] - huge collections of glass, furniture, textile, toys, Art Nouveau, Cubism, Art Deco, and so on.
* The museum of [[Operation Anthropoid|Heydrich assassination]] in the crypt of the [[Orthodox Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius|Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius]]
* [[National Museum (Prague)|National Museum]]
* [[Vyšehrad]] castle & cemetery where many famous Czechs are buried including the composers [[Antonín Dvořák]] & [[Bedřich Smetana]].
* [[Písek Gate]], last preserved city gate of Baroque fortification
* [[Petřín Lookout Tower|Petřínská rozhledna]], an observation tower on Petřín hill, which resembles the [[Eiffel Tower]]
* [[Anděl (neighborhood)]] which is probably the busiest part of the city with a super modern shopping mall and architecture
* [[Žižkov Television Tower]] (Žižkovský vysílač) with observation deck - Prague 3.
* The [[New Jewish Cemetery]] in Olšany, location of [[Franz Kafka]]'s grave - Prague 3.
* The [[Prague Metronome|Metronome]], a giant, functional metronome that looms over the city
* The [[Dancing House]] (Fred and Ginger Building)
* The Mucha Museum, showcasing the [[Art Nouveau]] works of [[Alfons Mucha]]
* The vast cemeteries that are also used for walks by the locals, such as [[Olšany Cemetery]]
* Places connected to writers living in the city, such as [[Franz Kafka]] (One popular destination is the Franz Kafka museum, also his grave at the Jewish cemetery near the metro station želivského)
* The [[Prague Zoo]] elected as the 7th best zoo in the world by [[Forbes magazine]]

==Geography==
===Location===
On [[Vltava]] river, in the center of the [[Bohemian basin]].
===Topography===
Similarly as Rome, the city of Prague is spread over nine hills: [[:cs:Letná|Letná]], [[:cs:Národní památník na Vítkově|Vítkov]], [[:cs:Opyš|Opyš]], [[:cs:Větrov (Praha)|Větrov]], [[:cs:Kostel svatého Jana na Skalce|Skalka]], [[:cs:Emauzský klášter|Emauzy]], [[:cs:Vyšehrad|Vyšehrad]], [[:cs:Karlov (Praha)|Karlov]] and the highest [[:cs:Petřín|Petřín]].<ref name=nicknames />
===Climate===

Humid Continenal Climate with warm summers and cold/cool winters.

{{Infobox Weather
|metric_first= Yes |single_line= Yes |location = Prague
|Jan_Hi_°C = 1.4 |Jan_REC_Hi_°C = 17.4 |Feb_Hi_°C = 3.1 |Feb_REC_Hi_°C = 18.5
|Mar_Hi_°C = 7.7 |Mar_REC_Hi_°C = 22.5 |Apr_Hi_°C = 13.4 |Apr_REC_Hi_°C = 28.6
|May_Hi_°C = 18.8 |May_REC_Hi_°C = 32.8 |Jun_Hi_°C = 21.3 |Jun_REC_Hi_°C = 37.2
|Jul_Hi_°C = 23.7 |Jul_REC_Hi_°C = 37.8 |Aug_Hi_°C = 23.5 |Aug_REC_Hi_°C = 36.8
|Sep_Hi_°C = 18.5 |Sep_REC_Hi_°C = 33.1 |Oct_Hi_°C = 12.9 |Oct_REC_Hi_°C = 27.0
|Nov_Hi_°C = 5.6 |Nov_REC_Hi_°C = 19.5 |Dec_Hi_°C = 2.2 |Dec_REC_Hi_°C = 17.4
|Year_Hi_°C = 12.7 |Year_REC_Hi_°C = 37.8
|Jan_Lo_°C = -3.6 |Jan_REC_Lo_°C = -27.5 |Feb_Lo_°C = -3.3 |Feb_REC_Lo_°C = -27.1
|Mar_Lo_°C = -0.2 |Mar_REC_Lo_°C = -27.6 |Apr_Lo_°C = 3.5 |Apr_REC_Lo_°C = -8.0
|May_Lo_°C = 8.4 |May_REC_Lo_°C = -1.6 |Jun_Lo_°C = 11.3 |Jun_REC_Lo_°C = 3.6
|Jul_Lo_°C = 13.4 |Jul_REC_Lo_°C = 7.8 |Aug_Lo_°C = 13.0 |Aug_REC_Lo_°C = 6.4
|Sep_Lo_°C = 9.1 |Sep_REC_Lo_°C = 0.7 |Oct_Lo_°C = 4.9 |Oct_REC_Lo_°C = -7.5
|Nov_Lo_°C = 0.4 |Nov_REC_Lo_°C = -16.9 |Dec_Lo_°C = -2.1 |Dec_REC_Lo_°C = -24.8
|Year_Lo_°C = 4.6 |Year_REC_Lo_°C = -27.6
|Jan_MEAN_°C = -1.1 |Feb_MEAN_°C = -0.1 |Mar_MEAN_°C = 3.8 |Apr_MEAN_°C = 8.4
|May_MEAN_°C = 13.6 |Jun_MEAN_°C = 16.3 |Jul_MEAN_°C = 18.5 |Aug_MEAN_°C = 18.3
|Sep_MEAN_°C = 13.8 |Oct_MEAN_°C = 8.9 |Nov_MEAN_°C = 3.0 |Dec_MEAN_°C = 0.0
|Year_MEAN_°C = 8.6
|Jan_Precip_cm = |Jan_Precip_mm = 24 |Feb_Precip_cm = |Feb_Precip_mm = 23
|Mar_Precip_cm = |Mar_Precip_mm = 28 |Apr_Precip_cm = |Apr_Precip_mm = 38
|May_Precip_cm = |May_Precip_mm = 77 |Jun_Precip_cm = |Jun_Precip_mm = 73
|Jul_Precip_cm = |Jul_Precip_mm = 66 |Aug_Precip_cm = |Aug_Precip_mm = 70
|Sep_Precip_cm = |Sep_Precip_mm = 40 |Oct_Precip_cm = |Oct_Precip_mm = 31
|Nov_Precip_cm = |Nov_Precip_mm = 32 |Dec_Precip_cm = |Dec_Precip_mm = 25
|Year_Precip_cm = |Year_Precip_mm = 527
|Jan_Sun= 62 |Feb_Sun= 92 |Mar_Sun= 124 |Apr_Sun= 192 |May_Sun= 241 |Jun_Sun= 254
|Jul_Sun= 228 |Aug_Sun= 219 |Sep_Sun= 166 |Oct_Sun= 117 |Nov_Sun= 58 |Dec_Sun= 43
|Year_Sun= 1796
|Jan_Hum= 87 |Feb_Hum= 81 |Mar_Hum= 79 |Apr_Hum= 71 |May_Hum= 68 |Jun_Hum= 71
|Jul_Hum= 73 |Aug_Hum= 71 |Sep_Hum= 80 |Oct_Hum= 84 |Nov_Hum= 88 |Dec_Hum= 87
|Year_Hum= 78
|Jan_Precip_days = 14 |Feb_Precip_days = 12 |Mar_Precip_days = 14 |Apr_Precip_days = 11
|May_Precip_days = 14 |Jun_Precip_days = 13 |Jul_Precip_days = 18 |Aug_Precip_days = 14
|Sep_Precip_days = 12 |Oct_Precip_days = 14 |Nov_Precip_days = 13 |Dec_Precip_days = 12
|Year_Precip_days = 161
|source = www.weatheronline.co.uk
|source2 = http://www.chmi.cz/meteo/ok/extrklem.html
}}

==Culture==
[[File:Wenceslas Square.jpg|thumb|[[Wenceslas Square]] and National Museum at night.]]
[[File:Rudolfinum.jpeg|thumb|[[Rudolfinum]] - one of Prague's prestigious concert and exhibition halls]]
Prague is traditionally one of the cultural centres of [[Europe]], hosting many cultural events.{{Citation needed|date=August 2008}}
{{See also2|[[List of museums in Prague|museums]]|[[Theatre of the Czech Republic#List of important Czech theatres and theatre companies|theatres and operas]]|[[List of galleries in Prague|galleries]]|[[List of libraries in Prague|libraries]]}}
Significant cultural institutions:
* [[National Theatre (Prague)|National Theatre]] (Národní divadlo)
* [[Estates Theatre]] (Stavovské or Tyršovo or Nosticovo divadlo), premiere of [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]]'s ''[[Don Giovanni]]'' was held there
* The [[Rudolfinum]] (home to the [[Czech Philharmonic]] Orchestra)
* The Municipal House (home to [[Prague Symphony Orchestra]])
* The Smetana Theatre (home to the [[Prague State Opera]] (Státní opera))
* [[National Museum (Prague)|National Museum]] (Národní muzeum)
* Museum of the Capital City of Prague
* Jewish Museum in Prague
* Mucha Museum
* [[Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague]]
* [[Náprstek Museum]] (Náprstkovo muzeum)
* [[Josef Sudek Gallery]]
* [[Clementinum|National Library]]
* [[National Gallery in Prague|National Gallery]]
There are hundreds of concert halls, galleries, cinemas and music clubs in the city. Prague hosts [[List of festivals|Music Festivals]] including the [[Prague Spring International Music Festival]], the [[Prague Autumn International Music Festival]] and the [[Prague International Organ Festival]]. [[Film festival]]s include the [[Febiofest]], the [[One World Film Festival|One World]] and Echoes of the [[Karlovy Vary International Film Festival]]. Prague also hosts the [[Prague Writers Festival]], the ''Summer [[Shakespeare]] Festival'' <ref>[http://www.shakespeare.cz/lss/?artid=1&lang=en ABOUT FESTIVALS, Summer Shakespeare Festival 2009, AGENTURA SCHOK, spol. s r.o., Praha<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>, the [[Prague Fringe Festival]], the [[World Roma Festival]] as well as hundreds of [[Vernissage]]s and [[fashion show]]s.

Many films have been made at the [[Barrandov Studios]]. Hollywood movies set in Prague include ''[[Mission: Impossible|Mission Impossible]]'', ''[[Blade II]]'' and ''[[xXx]]''. Other Czech films shot in Prague include ''[[Empties]]'' and ''[[The Fifth Horseman is Fear]]''. Also, the music video to "[[Diamonds from Sierra Leone]]" by [[Kanye West]] was shot in Prague, and features shots of the Charles Bridge and the Astronomical Clock, among other famous landmarks. Prague was also the setting for the film "Dungeons and Dragons" in 2000.

Forbes Traveler Magazine listed [[Prague ZOO]] among the world's best zoos.<ref>[http://www.forbestraveler.com/best-lists/top-zoos-story.html The World's Best Zoos]. ForbesTraveler.com. November 5, 2007.</ref>

The Prague restaurant [[Allegro Prague|Allegro]] received the first [[Michelin Guide|Michelin]] star in the whole of post-Communist Eastern Europe.

With the growth of low-cost airlines in Europe, Prague has become a popular weekend city destination allowing tourists to visit its many museums and cultural sites as well as try its famous Czech beers and hearty cuisine.

Prague sites many buildings by renowned architects, including [[Adolf Loos]] ([[Villa Müller]]), [[Frank O. Gehry]] ([[Dancing House]]), or [[Jean Nouvel]] ([[Anděl (neighborhood)|Golden Angel]]).

==Economy==
The GDP per capita of Prague is more than double that of the Czech Republic as a whole, with a per-capita GDP (PPP) of 33,784 (purchasing power standard) in 2004, which is 157.1% of the [[European Union]] average, ranking Prague among the 12 richest [[European Union|EU]] regions,<ref> [http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/PGP_PRD_CAT_PREREL/PGE_CAT_PREREL_YEAR_2007/PGE_CAT_PREREL_YEAR_2007_MONTH_02/1-19022007-DE-AP.PDF Regional GDP per inhabitant in the EU 27 (PDF)], Eurostat. Retrieved July 07, 2007.</ref> in Purchasing Power. However, the price level is significantly lower than in comparable cities.

The city is the site of the European headquarters of many international companies{{Citation needed|date=August 2009}}.

Since the late 1990s, Prague has become a popular filming location for international productions and [[Hollywood, Los Angeles, California|Hollywood]], Bollywood motion pictures. A combination of architecture, low costs and the existing motion picture infrastructure have proven attractive to international film production companies.

Prague's economy is based on various industrial sectors. Prague's industrial sector is split into aircraft engines, diesel engines, refined oil products, electronics, chemicals, food, printing, automobiles etc. Also a significant proportion of research and development is based in Prague. Approximately one-fifth of all investment in the Czech Republic takes place in Prague city.


Almost one-half of the national income from tourism is spent in Prague. The city offers approximately 73,000 beds in accommodation facilities, most of which were built after 1990, including almost 51,000 beds in hotels and boarding houses capable of satisfying all categories of visitors.
Almost one-half of the national income from tourism is spent in Prague. The city offers approximately 73,000 beds in accommodation facilities, most of which were built after 1990, including almost 51,000 beds in hotels and boarding houses capable of satisfying all categories of visitors.


==Colleges and universities==
==Colleges and universities* [[Sparta Prague]] -> [[European League]]
{{Seealsocat|Education in Prague}}
Several universities and colleges are located in the city:
* [[Charles University in Prague|Charles University]] (UK) founded in 1348 (the [[List of oldest universities in continuous operation|oldest]] [[university]] in Central and Eastern Europe)
* [[Czech Technical University in Prague|Czech Technical University]] (ČVUT) founded in 1707
* [[Academy of Fine Arts in Prague|Academy of Fine Arts]] (AVU) founded in 1800
* [[Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design]] (VŠUP) founded in 1885
* [[Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague|Institute of Chemical Technology]] (VŠCHT) founded in 1920
* [[Academy of Performing Arts in Prague|Academy of Performing Arts]] (AMU) founded in 1945
* [[Czech University of Life Sciences Prague|Czech University of Agriculture]] (ČZU) founded in 1906/1952
* [[University of Economics, Prague|University of Economics]] (VŠE) founded in 1953
* [[Anglo-American College]] (AAC) founded in 1990
* [[University of New York in Prague]] [http://www.unyp.cz/] (UNYP) founded in 1998
* [[University of Northern Virginia in Prague]] [http://www.unva.cz/] (UNVA) founded in 1998

==Science, research and hi-tech centers==
{{Expand section|date=June 2009}}
{{see also cat|Science and technology in the Czech Republic}}
The region city of Prague is an important centre of research:
* [[Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic]] (CAS) founded in 1953
:...and its institutes:
:* [[Czech Language Institute]] (''Ústav pro jazyk český'') founded in 1946
:* [[Institute of Information Theory and Automation]] (UTIA) founded in 1959

==Transport==
{{Split section|date=June 2009}}
<!-- Category:Transport in Prague -->
<!-- an article The Prague Public Transit expected -->
{{Expand section|date=June 2009}}
[[File:Praha, Střížkov, stanice metra Střížkov, nástupiště II.jpg|thumb|[[Střížkov (Prague Metro)|Střížkov metro station]] on line C]]
[[File:Praha, Jindřišská, stará tramvaj.jpg|thumb|The "nostalgic tram" no. 91 runs through the city centre]]
[[File:Barrandov_bridge_at_night.jpg|thumb|Barrandov bridge at night, part of the Municipal Ring Road.]]
[[File:Praha, Trója, Výstavba tunelu Blanka.jpg|thumb|Construction of [[Tunnel Blanka]] at quarter [[Troja]] ]]
[[File:Lahovicka-etakada-04-2009.JPG|thumb|Construction of 2 km long bridge across river [[Vltava]] and [[Berounka]] valley on [http://www.rsd.cz/rsd/rsd.nsf/38fd1ebb511a4facc1256c22002f8f54/39da6e3db5c7f53cc12570d50024bb97?OpenDocument Prague Ring Road] in April 2009]]
===Public transportation===
The public transport infrastructure consists of an integrated transport system of [[Prague Metro]] (its length is 59&nbsp;km with 57 stations in total), [[Prague tram system|Prague Tram System]] (including the [[:File:Tram91.jpg|"nostalgic tram" no. 91]]), [[Buses in Prague|buses]], the [[Petřín funicular]] to [[Petřín|Petřín Hill]], and five ferries: PID, Pražská integrovaná doprava <small>({{lang-en|Prague integrated traffic system}})</small> Prague integrated traffic) All services have a common ticketing system, and are run by [[Prague Public Transit Co. Inc.|The Prague Public Transit]] (''Dopravní podnik hl. m. Prahy, a.s.'') and some other companies ([http://www.ropid.cz/dopravci/ full list]). Recently, Prague integrated transport coordinator (ROPID) has franchised operation of ferries on the Vltava river, which are also a part of the public transport system with common fares, taxi.

===Cars and trucks===
{{Expand section|date=June 2009}}
The recent situation on the streets is very unpleasant: the main traffic stream of cars leads through the centre of the city. The longest city [[Tunnel]] in Europe with a proposed length of 5.5&nbsp;km and with 5 interchanges with the surface is now being built to relieve congestion in the north-western part of Prague. The tunnel is called [[Tunel Blanka]] and it is part of the [[Municipal Ring Road]]. Construction started in 2007 and the tunnel is scheduled to be completed in 2011/2012. The southern part of the [[Prague Ring Road]](with a length of almost 17&nbsp;km) is also under construction with a proposed completion date of April 2010. {{Citation needed|date=June 2009}}

===Rail===
The city forms the hub of the [[České dráhy|Czech railway]] system, with services to all parts of the Czech Republic and abroad. There is also a commuter rail system known as [[Esko Prague]] which serves the Prague metropolitan area.

Prague has two international railway stations, [[Praha hlavní nádraží|Hlavní nádraží]] (formerly called and sometimes still referred to as Wilsonovo nádraží) and Praha-Holešovice. Intercity services also stop at the main stations Praha-Smíchov and [[Masaryk railway station|Masarykovo nádraží]]. In addition to these, there are a number of smaller suburban stations.
In the future rail should play a greater role in Prague Public Transport System.{{Citation needed|date=February 2008}}

===Air===
{{See also|List of airports in the Czech Republic}}
====Ruzyně====
Prague is served by [[Ruzyně International Airport]], the biggest airport in the [[Czech Republic]] and one of the busiest in Central and Eastern Europe. It is the hub of the flag carrier, [[Czech Airlines]], as well as of the low-cost airline [[Smart Wings]] operating throughout Europe.

====Other airports====
Other airports in Prague include the city's original airport at the [[Kbely]] north-east district, which is serviced by the [[Czech Air Force]], internationally too: The runway (9-27) at Kbely is 2&nbsp;km long. The airport also houses the [[Prague Aviation Museum, Kbely|Prague Aviation Museum]].

The close airpport in [[Letňany]] is mainly used for private aviation and aeroclub aviation.

Another close airport is [[Aero Vodochody]] aircraft factory's on the north, used for testing purposes, as well as for aeroclub aviation.

====Aeroclub airfields====
There are a few aeroclubs around Prague:
I.e. the [[Točná]] airfield is located in the south part of the city, just on the right (east) river bank, and serves mostly as an aeroclub.

===Ships and ferries===
{{Expand section|date=June 2009}}
* [[Pražská paroplavební společnost]]
* ferries

===Taxis===
Taxi services in Prague can be divided into two sectors. There are major taxicab companies, operating call-for-taxi services (radio-taxi) or from regulated taxi stands, and independent drivers, who make pickups on the street. The latter are notorious for overcharging, targeted mainly at foreign tourists and are possibly managed by (mob) crime organizations.{{Citation needed|date=August 2008}}

===Funiculars===
{{Expand section|date=June 2009}}
* on [[Petřín|Petřín funicular]] hill
* in [[Prague ZOO|ZOO]]

==Sport==
[[File:StadiumEden.jpg|thumb|Synot Tip Arena - [[Stadion Eden|Eden football stadium]], home to [[Slavia Prague]] club]]
Prague is the site of many sports events, national [[stadium]]s and [[team]]s

* [[Prague International Marathon]]
* [[Slavia Prague]] -> [[European League]]
* [[Sparta Prague]] -> [[European League]]
* [[O2 Arena (Prague)|O<sub>2</sub> arena]] -> [[National Hockey League|NHL]] 2008 Opening Game, [[2004 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships]] and [[Euroleague]] Final Four
* [[O2 Arena (Prague)|O<sub>2</sub> arena]] -> [[National Hockey League|NHL]] 2008 Opening Game, [[2004 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships]] and [[Euroleague]] Final Four
* [[Strahov Stadium]] &mdash; the second-largest stadium in the world
* [[Strahov Stadium]] &mdash; the second-largest stadium in the world
Line 362: Line 24:
| url =http://www.wfdf.org/index.php?page=news/WUCC_2010_Press_Release.html
| url =http://www.wfdf.org/index.php?page=news/WUCC_2010_Press_Release.html
| accessdate = 2008-09-10 }}</ref>
| accessdate = 2008-09-10 }}</ref>

==Miscellaneous==
[[File:Zizkov tv tower.jpg|thumb|Prague [[Žižkov Television Tower|TV tower]] with crawling "babies"]]
Prague is also the site of some of the most important offices and institutions of the Czech Republic.

* [[President of the Czech Republic]]
* The [[Politics of the Czech Republic|Government]] and both houses of [[Parliament of the Czech Republic|Parliament]]
* [[Česká televize|Czech Television]] and other major broadcasters
* [http://www.blubrry.com/player/?p=4779 Expats Radio Online] Free online radio from the centre of Europe specifically for expatriates
* [[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty|Radio Free Europe]] &mdash; [[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty|Radio Liberty]]
* [[Prague Institute|Prague Institute for Global Urban Development]]
* [[EU Cup of Australian Football|EU Cup of Australian Football 2008]]

==Prague as a venue==
Recent major events held in Prague:
* [[NATO]] Summit 2002
* [[International Monetary Fund]] and [[World Bank]] Summit 2000
* [[International Olympic Committee]] Session 2004
* [[International Astronomical Union]] General Assembly 2006
* [[EU]] & [[USA]] Summit 2009
* [[Barack Obama]] gave a major speech in Prague in 2009, committing the [[USA]] to nuclear disarmament

==International relations==
{{Main|List of twin towns and sister cities in the Czech Republic}}
===Twin towns — Sister cities===

Prague is involved in a number of official as well as unofficial [[Town twinning|partnerships]] with other major world cities.<ref name="Prague Partner Cities">{{cite web|url=http://magistrat.praha-mesto.cz/72647_Partnerska-mesta|title=Prague Partner Cities|publisher=[[copyright|©]] 2009 [http://magistrat.praha-mesto.cz/ Magistrát hl. m. Prahy] |language=Czech|accessdate=2009-07-02}}</ref>
The city of Prague also maintains its own [[European Union|EU]] delegation in [[Brussels]] called Prague House.<ref>{{cite web
| author =www.prazsky-dum.cz
| title =Prague House
| url =http://www.prazsky-dum.cz/aj/index.html
| accessdate = 2007-04-20 }}</ref>

====Partner cities====
{| style="width:100%; background:none;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| '''official''':
* {{flagicon|Germany}} '''[[Berlin]]''', [[Germany]] (June 10, 1995)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.berlin.de/rbmskzl/staedteverbindungen/index.en.html|title=Berlin's international city relations |publisher=Berlin Mayor's Office|accessdate=2009-07-01}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|Tunisia}} '''[[Tunis]]''', [[Tunisia]]<ref name="Tunis">{{cite web|url=http://www.commune-tunis.gov.tn/fr/mairie_cooperation1.htm|title=Cooperation Internationale|publisher=© 2003-2009 City of Tunis Portal|language=French|accessdate=2009-07-31}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|Belgium}} '''[[Brussels]]''', [[Belgium]] (2003)
* {{flagicon|Spain}} '''[[Madrid]]''', [[Spain]] (October 23, 1989)<ref name="Madrid">{{cite web|url=http://www.munimadrid.es/portal/site/munimadrid/menuitem.dbd5147a4ba1b0aa7d245f019fc08a0c/?vgnextoid=4e84399a03003110VgnVCM2000000c205a0aRCRD&vgnextchannel=1ccd566813946010VgnVCM100000dc0ca8c0RCRD&vgnextfmt=especial1&vgnextfmt=especial1&idContenido=d9ecc435a6b5b010VgnVCM100000d90ca8c0RCRD&rmEspecial=285cea336ba9a110VgnVCM2000000c205a0aRCRD&rmCapitulo=bf0f77d586cf2110VgnVCM1000000b205a0aRCRD |title=Madrid Official Website |publisher=Madrid City Government [http://www.munimadrid.es/UnidadWeb/Contenidos/EspecialInformativo/RelacInternac/RRII/HermanamientosyAcuerdos/Files/praga.pdf agreement] |date=1989-10-23 |accessdate=2009-04-19}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|United States}} '''[[Chicago]]''', [[Illinois]], [[United States]] (1990)
* {{flagicon|Germany}} '''[[Frankfurt am Main]]''', [[Germany]] (1990)<ref name="Frankfurt">{{cite web|url=http://www.frankfurt.de/sixcms/detail.php?id=502645|title=Frankfurt -Partner Cities|publisher=[[copyright|©]] 2008 [http://www.frankfurt.de/ Stadt Frankfurt am Main]|accessdate=2008-12-05}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|Germany}} '''[[Hamburg]]''', [[Germany]] (1990)
* {{flagicon|Italy}} '''[[Teramo]]''', [[Italy]] (2005)
* {{flagicon|Japan}} '''[[Kyoto]]''', [[Japan]] (1996)
* {{flagicon|Russia}} '''[[Moscow]]''', [[Russia]] (2000)
* {{flagicon|Germany}} '''[[Nuremberg]]''', [[Germany]] (1990)
* {{flagicon|France}} '''[[Paris]]''', [[France]] (1997)
* {{flagicon|United States}} '''[[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]]''', [[Arizona]], [[United States]] (1991)
* {{flagicon|Italy}} '''[[Trento]]''', [[Italy]] (2002)
* {{flagicon|Russia}} '''[[Saint Petersburg]]''', [[Russia]] (1992)<ref name="saint_petersburg">{{cite web |url=http://eng.gov.spb.ru/figures/ities |title=Saint Petersburg in figures - International and Interregional Ties |publisher=Saint Petersburg City Government |accessdate=2008-11-23}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|Albania}} '''[[Tirana]]''', [[Albania]]<ref name="International relations">{{cite web |url=http://www.tirana.gov.al/common/images/International%20Relations.pdf |title=Twinning Cities: International Relations |accessdate=2009-06-23 |work=Municipality of Tirana |publisher=www.tirana.gov.al|format=PDF}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|Republic of China}} '''[[Taipei]]''', [[Republic of China|Taiwan]] (2001)<ref>[http://www.edunet.taipei.gov.tw/attach/The%2045%20Sister%20Cities%20list.doc Sister city list] (.DOC)</ref>
* {{flagicon|Poland}} '''[[Jasło]]''', [[Poland]] (2008) (only with the Prague 10 district)<ref name="twinning">''{{cite web|url=http://www.jaslo.pl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=107&Itemid=100|title=Jasło Official Website - “Współpraca Międzynarodowa Jasła” (Jasło's Twin Towns) |publisher=}}</ref>
| '''unofficial''':
* {{flagicon|Iraq}} '''[[Baghdad]]''', [[Iraq]]
* {{flagicon|People's Republic of China}} [[Beijing]], [[People's Republic of China|China]]
* {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} '''[[Birmingham]]''', [[England]], [[United Kingdom]]
* {{flagicon|Slovakia}} '''[[Bratislava]]''', [[Slovakia]]<ref name="Bratislava">{{cite web|url=http://www.bratislava-city.sk/bratislava-twin-towns|title=''Bratislava City - Twin Towns''|publisher=<small>[[copyright|©]] 2003-2008 Bratislava-City.sk|accessdate=2008-10-26}}</small></ref>
* {{flagicon|Turkey}} '''[[Istanbul]]''', [[Turkey]]
* {{flagicon|Hungary}} '''[[Budapest]]''', [[Hungary]]
* {{flagicon|Denmark}} '''[[Copenhagen]]''', [[Denmark]]
* {{flagicon|Finland}} '''[[Helsinki]]''', [[Finland]]
* {{flagicon|Malaysia}} '''[[Malacca|Melaka]]''', [[Malaysia]]
* {{flagicon|Israel}} '''[[Jerusalem]]''', [[Israel]]
* {{flagicon|Portugal}} '''[[Lisbon]]''', [[Portugal]]
* {{flagicon|Latvia}} '''[[Riga]]''', [[Latvia]]
* {{flagicon|Italy}} '''[[Rome]]''', [[Italy]]
* {{flagicon|Netherlands}} '''[[Rotterdam]]''', [[Netherlands]]
* {{flagicon|South Korea}} '''[[Seoul]]''', [[South Korea]]
* {{flagicon|Bulgaria}} '''[[Sofia]]''', [[Bulgaria]]
* {{flagicon|People's Republic of China}} '''[[Shanghai]]''', [[People's Republic of China|China]]
* {{flagicon|Austria}} '''[[Vienna]]''', [[Austria]]
* {{flagicon|Lithuania}} '''[[Vilnius]]''', [[Lithuania]]
| '''Partner cities in the future''':
* {{flagicon|Greece}} '''[[Athens]]''', [[Greece]]
* {{flagicon|Azerbaijan}} '''[[Baku]]''', [[Azerbaijan]]
* {{flagicon|Slovenia}} '''[[Ljubljana]]''', [[Slovenia]]
* {{flagicon|Luxembourg}} '''[[Luxembourg (city)|Luxembourg]]''', [[Luxembourg]]
* {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} '''[[Porthmadog]]''', [[Wales]], [[United Kingdom]]
* {{flagicon|Poland}} '''[[Warsaw]]''', [[Poland]]
* {{flagicon|Sweden}} '''[[Stockholm]]''', [[Sweden]]
* {{flagicon|Italy}} '''[[Turin]]''', [[Italy]]
* {{flagicon|United States}} '''[[Miami]]''', [[Florida]], [[United States]]
|}

==== Historically or culturally related ====
* {{flagicon|Austria}} [[Wien]], [[Austria]]
* {{flagicon|Poland}} [[Wrocław]], [[Poland]]
* {{flagicon|Czech Republic}} [[Brno]], [[Czech Republic]]
* {{flagicon|Czech Republic}} [[Brno]], [[Czech Republic]]
* {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Dresden]], [[Germany]]
* {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Dresden]], [[Germany]]

Revision as of 19:28, 4 December 2009

This article is about the capital of the Czech Republic. For other uses, see Prague (disambiguation).

{{Infobox settlement| name = Prague | native_name = Template:Lang-cs | native_name_lang = cs: | motto = [Praga Caput Rei publicae] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)
(Prague, Capital of the Republic; Latin) | image_skyline = Hradschin Prag.jpg | image_caption = Panoramic view of Prague Castle | image_flag = Flag of Moravia.svg | image_considerably less damage during World War II than some other major cities in the region, allowing most of its historic architecture to stay true to form. It contains one of the world's most pristine and varied collections of architecture, from Art Nouveau to Baroque, Renaissance, Cubist, Gothic, Neo-Classical and ultra-modern. Some popular sights include:

  • [[Old Town (Prague)|Prague's economy is based on various industrial sectors. Prague's industrial sector is split into aircraft engines, diesel engines, refined oil products, electronics, chemicals, food, printing, automobiles etc. Also a significant proportion of research and development is based in Prague. Approximately one-fifth of all investment in the Czech Republic takes place in Prague city.

Almost one-half of the national income from tourism is spent in Prague. The city offers approximately 73,000 beds in accommodation facilities, most of which were built after 1990, including almost 51,000 beds in hotels and boarding houses capable of satisfying all categories of visitors.

==Colleges and universities* Sparta Prague -> European League

Architecturally similar

Namesakes

Czech emigration has left a number of namesake cities scattered over the globe, though more heavily concentrated in the New World.

See also

Further reading

Guides

Culture and society

  • Becker, Edwin et al., ed. Prague 1900: Poetry and Ectasy. (2000). 224 pp.
  • Burton, Richard D. E. Prague: A Cultural and Literary History. (2003). 268 pp. excerpt and text search
  • Cohen, Gary B. The Politics of Ethnic Survival: Germans in Prague, 1861-1914. (1981). 344 pp.
  • Fucíková, Eliska, ed. Rudolf II and Prague: The Court and the City. (1997). 792 pp.
  • Holz, Keith. Modern German Art for Thirties Paris, Prague, and London: Resistance and Acquiescence in a Democratic Public Sphere. (2004). 359 pp.
  • Iggers, Wilma Abeles. Women of Prague: Ethnic Diversity and Social Change from the Eighteenth Century to the Present. (1995). 381 pp. online edition
  • Porizka, Lubomir; Hojda, Zdenek; and Pesek, Jirí. The Palaces of Prague. (1995). 216 pp.
  • Sayer, Derek. "The Language of Nationality and the Nationality of Language: Prague 1780-1920." Past & Present 1996 (153): 164-210. Issn: 0031-2746 Fulltext: in Jstor
  • Spector, Scott. Prague Territories: National Conflict and Cultural Innovation in Kafka's Fin de Siècle. (2000). 331 pp. online edition
  • Svácha, Rostislav. The Architecture of New Prague, 1895-1945. (1995). 573 pp.
  • Wittlich, Peter. Prague: Fin de Siècle. (1992). 280 pp.

References

  1. ^ WFDF. "Prague, Czech Republic to host the WFDF World Ultimate Club Championships 2010". Retrieved 2008-09-10.
  2. ^ Praha, Texas, Handbook of Texas online. Retrieved on 2009-02-24.
  3. ^ History of Prague, Oklahoma, City of Prague, OK official website. Retrieved on 2009-02-24.
  4. ^ Prague, Saunders County, Virtual Nebraska, University of Nebraska. Retrieved on 2009-02-24.
  5. ^ Heritage of New Prague, Minnesota, USA, New Prague Chamber of Commerce website. Retrieved on 2009-02-24.
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