Country Czech Republic Area 10,056.79 km2 | Capital Ceske Budejovice Population 636,459 | |
Colleges and Universities University of South Bohemia Ceske Budejovice Destinations Ceske Budejovice, Cesky Krumlov, Tabor, Pisek, Jindrichuv Hradec Points of interest Egon Schiele Art Centrum, Cesky Krumlov Castle, Klet, Black Tower, Cervena Lhota Castle | ||
South Bohemia (Czech: ) is an administrative unit (kraj) of the Czech Republic, located mostly in the southern part of its historical land of Bohemia, with a small part in southwestern Moravia. The western part of the South Bohemian Region is former Prachens (Prachensko), a huge archaic region with distinctive features with its capital, Pisek. In 2011, there were 623 municipalities in the region, whereof 54 had a status of town.
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Map of South Bohemian Region
The region borders (from the west clockwise) the regions Plzen, Central Bohemia, Vysocina and South Moravia. To the south it borders Austria and Germany. Until 30 May 2001, the region was named as or , after its capital, Ceske Budejovice. The South Bohemian Region is further divided into seven districts: Ceske Budejovice District, Cesky Krumlov District, Jindrichuv Hradec District, Pisek District, Prachatice District, Strakonice District and Tabor District.
Welcome to south bohemian region
Thanks to its geographical location and natural conditions the region belongs to the areas where the first settlements began to appear in the distant past. In the past centuries, the South Bohemia was famous for fishpond cultivation and forestry. The region has been industrialized since the beginning of the twentieth century. Nowadays, it is an attractive destination due to its natural and culturally historical richness. The travel industry has been recently the fastest growing industry in the region.
The region was established based on the constitutional lax No. 347/97 of Collections concerning the formation of higher territorial administrative units. The region and its authorities are specified by Act No. 129-2000 of Collections concerning regions, which came into effect on the day of the regional authorities elections, or on January 1, 2001.
Geography
South Bohemia consists of the South Bohemian Basin, Ceske Budejovice Basin and Trebon Basin. The Bohemian Forest (Czech: Sumava) is a low range of mountains situated in the south-west. Other highlands that can be found in the region are the Brdy Highlands (in the very northern part of the region), the Central-Bohemian Highlands (Czech: Stredoceska vrchovina, in the northern part of the region), the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands (Czech: Ceskomoravska vrchovina, eastern part of the region) and the Novohradske Mountains (in the south of the region). The highest elevation in the region is the 1,378-metre (4,521 ft) high Plechy in the Bohemian Forest, the lowest elevation with 350 metres above sea level is at the Orlik Dam.
The region is located in the drainage basin of Vltava river. Other significant rivers are Malse, Luznice, Otava, Nezarka and Lomnice. South Bohemia is famous for its countless ponds. In the past, more than seven thousand ponds were established across the region. With its 489 ha Rozmberk is the largest one, followed by Bezdrev (450 ha) and Horusice pond (415 ha). In the 20th century, a series of dams was constructed on Vltava river. Lipno Dam is the largest dam in the Czech Republic and has area of 4,870ha. Other dams in the region are Orlik Dam, Rimov Dam and Hnevkovice Dam.
A big part of the Sumava National Park is situated in South Bohemia. The Bohemian Forest is a popular holiday destination because it is excellent hiking country. Most interesting natural and cultural sights are connected with more than 500 km of summer marked trails and many bike trails.
Economy
In 2010, the region produced 5% of the national GDP. The GDP per capita is 84% of the national average, which is the 8th highest among all regions. In 2011, the business sector in the South Bohemian Region comprises 159,000 entities, 114,000 of which were sole traders. There are more than 300 thousand people employed in the region, whereof 31% in industry, 13% in trade and 10% in construction sector. The average salary in the region in September 2013 was CZK 21,768 (approximately EUR 850). The unemployment rate in September 2013 was 6.05%.