South Bohemian Region

The area of ​​South Bohemian Region is 10 057 square kilometers, which corresponds to 12.8% of the country's area.

The boundaries of the South Bohemian Region coincide with the natural boundaries of the mountains. In its center is the South Bohemian Basin, which is framed by the Šumava Mountains from the south and west, from the Brda Uplands from the north-west, the Central Bohemian Upland from the north, the Czech-Moravian Upland from the north-east and the Novograd Mountains from the southeast . Forests occupy one third of the territory of the region, 4% occupy water surfaces, mainly ponds. The region is located at an altitude of 400-600 meters above sea level. The highest point is Mount Plekhi (1378 meters above sea level) in the Bohemian Forest massif, the lowest point is the surface of the Orlitsky reservoir in the Pisek region (330 meters above sea level).

The main river of the Czech Republic, the Vltava , its tributaries Otava , Malshe and smaller rivers flow through the territory of the region. In the south, there is the Lipno reservoir , formed as a result of the construction of the dam on the Vltava (this is the largest dam in the Czech Republic), in the north - the Orlitsky reservoir near the Orlitsky dam on the Vltava. The reservoir near Rzhimov supplies water to most of the region.

On the territory of the region there are about 7000 ponds, the total area of ​​which is more than 30,000 hectares.

The natural resources of the South Bohemian Region are the coniferous forests in the Bohemian Forest, the Graz mountain range. There are minerals in the region: building sand, crushed stone, clay, as well as peat , calcareous spar and graphite .

In the South Bohemian Region there is a national park and the Šumava landscape reserve with an area of ​​1,676.88 square kilometers, the Třeboонь landscape reserve (700 square kilometers), as well as the Blansky forest landscape reserve (212 square kilometers).

The territory of Southern Bohemia, due to its natural geographical isolation from prehistoric times to the early Middle Ages, developed relatively autonomously, therefore a rather distinctive material culture was formed here that distinguished southern Czechs from the population of neighboring regions. One of the features is the tumulus burial, which relates to all the archeological cultures that alternated here - the Unetitsa , Knoviz , Hallstatt and Lathen .

According to archaeological data, the oldest settlements of primitive hunters and fishermen appeared here at the end of the Paleolithic - the beginning of the Mesolithic . The most densely populated was the western part of the Cheskobudeevitsky depression. Further, settlements began to develop along the rivers flowing in this region, which were the most convenient transport routes among the impenetrable forests that covered the south of the Czech Republic. The Neolithic revolution began in the region, probably no earlier than 6 millennia BC. e. The oldest ceramics dated to ser. VI - ser. V millennia BC e., discovered during excavations in the areas of Ceske Budejovice and Tabor .

The central part of the region was settled at the beginning of the Bronze Age . Local settlements took part in the Danube - Vltava copper traffic from alpine mines to the north of the country. The confluence of Malshe and Vltava could very well be the intersection of trade routes (in 1908, more than 230 copper ingots were discovered here during excavations).

Southern Bohemia was part of the historical homeland of the Celts . In the II — I centuries BC. e. on the territory of Trshisov , Zvikov and Nevezitza there were Celtic oppidums . At the turn of the epoch, the gradual displacement of the Celtic tribes by the Germans begins. In the VI - VII centuries, the territory of the modern South Bohemian region gradually began to colonize the Slavs, and in the 2nd floor. VIII century , fortified Slavic settlements appeared here, some on the site of the former Celtic oppidums.

According to the chronicles of Kozma of Prague , in the X century the princely family of Slavnikovich in southern Bohemia belonged to the ancient settlements of Khinov , Doudlebi and Netolice . From the end of the 10th century, the south of the Czech Republic was already in the zone of influence of the princedom of Przemysłowice . In the XII century, the Przemysloviches transferred most of the South Bohemian possessions to the feudal family of Vitkovici . To the 2nd floor. The 13th century among the Vitkovichi, the Rozmberk branch , which had reached such power that it came into conflict with King Przemysl Otakar II, dominated. In order to limit the power of the Rozmberk in the south of the country and for the closer integration of the Czech Republic with Austria (of which he was the duke at the same time), Przemysl Otakar II promoted the German colonization of Southern Bohemia. It was strategically important for the king to create the fulcrum of his power in the sparsely populated area of ​​the Czech-Austrian border. In addition to encouraging the settlement of this region by secular German colonists, the king contributed to the organization of monastic communities loyal to him from Austria, for which, in particular, he founded the Zlatokorunsky monastery . However, Rožmberki successfully competed with the central authority in the colonization of the southern regions of the Czech Republic. Among other things, in contrast to Zlatokorunsky, they also founded the Visebrodsky Monastery .

In the XIII century , the oldest of the modern cities of the South Bohemian Region were founded: Pisek , Jindřichувv Hradec , Netolice , Ceske Budejovice , Nowe Grady , Trebon and Wolin , the historical centers of which are now cultural monuments.

The region is divided into 7 districts.

South Bohemian Region is the region with the lowest population density in the Czech Republic . In 2011, 628,336 residents lived in the region, the population density was 62.48 inhabitants per 1 square kilometer. Of the 7 administrative districts, the Ceske Budejovice district has the highest population density (113.81 inhabitants per 1 square kilometer). The administrative center of the region is the city of Ceske Budejovice, which is also the largest city in the region: a little more than 95,000 inhabitants live in it. Approximately one third of the population lives in cities, while 4.3% live in rural areas with less than 200 inhabitants. In total, 624 municipalities are located in the region.

The largest cities of the region (the number of inhabitants is indicated as of December 31, 2005):

• Ceske Budejovice (95 071 people)
• Tabor (35,769 people)
• Pisek (29 898 people)
• Strakonice (23,280 people)
• Jindrichuv Hradec (22 300 people)
• Cesky Krumlov (13,752 people)
• Prachatice (11,712 people)
• Trebon (8840 people).

South Bohemian Region is an agrarian region whose economy is based on agriculture , fish farming and forestry . In agriculture, the cultivation of cereals , fodder plants and potatoes predominates. In livestock breeding developed cattle and pigs . The share of agricultural enterprises in the region in the total agricultural production of the Czech Republic is 11%. Breeding fish in numerous ponds in the region has a long tradition. In the South Bohemian Region is half of the country's fisheries.

The largest industrial enterprises are concentrated around the administrative center - Ceske Budejovice , as well as the cities of Strakonice and Tabor . The share of South Bohemia in the total Czech industrial production is 5%. The region has developed the food industry, transport industry, engineering , clothing industry and the construction industry.

To the southwest of the town of Tin nad Vltavou is the Temelín nuclear power plant .

As of 2003, 141,000 enterprises were registered in the region, including 101,000 small businesses and 8,600 agricultural enterprises.

The D 3 motorway is being built from Prague via České Budějovice to the Austrian border, the R 4 motorway connects Prague and Pisek , another significant motorway runs from west to east and connects Vienna's capital Vienna with Pilsen (R 20 / E 49 motorway) .

The railway crosses the region from north to south, connecting Prague with Ceske Budejovice and the Austrian Linz , and from west to east, the České Budějovice - Pilsen railway line.

Protected historical monuments are the historical centers of cities:

• Ceske Budejovice
• Cesky Krumlov ( UNESCO World Heritage Site )
• Jindrichuv Hradec
• Trebon
• Slavonice
• Prachatice
• Camp

In addition, in the region there are a large number of castles and other tourist sites, such as Hluboka Castle , Krumlov Castle , Blatna Water Castle , Červená Lhota, Orlík, Zvíkov and many others. also the historic village of Holasovice (a World Heritage Site ) as an example of rural architecture of the 17th century , known as “peasant baroque ”.

• Official website of the South Bohemian Region
• South Bohemian Region on the website of the University of South Bohemia