History and Politics

Recent history and industry

Previously known as the ‘Steel Heart of the Country' for the prevalence of heavy industry, particularly coal mining and steel works during the Communist period, the heavily-industrialised Moravia-Silesia region in the east of the Czech Republic shares similar industrial history and constants between industrial centres and rural areas with North East England.

Since the early 1990s, the region has successfully pursued economic reform, restructuring old industries in favour of new and high tech industrial sectors such as automotive, electronics, engineering, chemical, pharmaceuticals and information and communication technology. Since the accession of the Czech Republic to the European Union in 2004, the region has been a successful recipient of various EU Structural funds for further economic development.

Administrative Division

Moravia-Silesia is one of the 13 regions (plus Prague) of the Czech Republic. Its capital is Ostrava. Moravia-Silesia is in the north east, on the borders with Poland and Slovakia. The total population of the region is approximately 1.2 million; Ostrava has a population of 330,000 and is the third biggest city in the Czech Republic.

Area: 5,445 kmƒU (2,102 sq mi)

Population: 1,251,883 (2006) of 10,220,911 (July 2008 est.)

Population Density: 227.3 per kmƒU (2002)

Administrative Jurisdiction: 21 commune, 39 town, 302 municipality