Exploring Czech Republic and Slovakia: History, Culture & Everyday Life

2. In the heart of Europe

3. Brief history of our countries • 800/900 – Great Moravia • 828 – Christianity introduced on our lands • 863 – written language introduced • Slovaks • 1000 – Hungarian Empire • 1500s – Turkish invasion, Slovakia became the center of Empire • Czechs • Czech kingdom • Austrian Empire • Austrian-Hungarian Empire • 1918 Czechoslovakia

4. Czechoslovakia??? • 1918 division of Austrian-Hungarian Empire • 1918 – 1939, 1945 - 1948 democratic country • WW2 -> Czechs occupied by Germany, Slovak state • 1948 – 1989 communist rule • 1989 – Velvet Revolution, return to democracy • 1 Jan 1993 – Velvet divorce • Czech republic • Slovakia

5. Czech republic • Population: 10.4 million • Capital: Praha (Prague, Prag, Praga) • #5 most visited European city • 4 million tourists last year • Religion: Roman Catholic 39.2%, Protestant 4.6%, Orthodox 3.0%, other 13.4%, atheist 39.8% • Border: Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovakia

6. Slovakia • Population: 5.4 million • Capital: Bratislava • By certain geographers considered to be the exact center of European continent • Religion: • Roman Catholic 68.9%, Protestant 10.8%, Greek Catholic 4.1%, other or unspecified 3.2%, none 13% (2001 census) • Borders: Czech rep, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Ukraine

7. Old city centers Castles, chateaus, fortresses Churches, cathedrals Memorials History today

8. Slovakia • Type of government: parliamentary democracy • President (elected every 5 years): • Ivan Gašparovič • Parliament (elected every 4 years) • prime minister: Robert Fico + cabinet • European Union: • European Comission: 1 from each country • European Parliament: 14 out of 785 members

9. Czech Republic • President Václav Klaus • Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek • Parliament – 2 chambers • Senate – 81 seats (for 6 years, one third every 2 years) • Chamber of Deputies (200 seats for four years) • European Union

10. Agriculture & Industry • Agriculture: • different plants grown in different regions • Cereals, corn, potatoes, sugar beets, also vineyards • Industry: • Fast growing industrial production • automobile industry (CZ: Škoda, Hyundai, TCPA, SK: Volkswagen, Peugeot, Kia), steel and aluminum processing, electronics (Sony, Samsung), chemical industry, machinery, textiles

11. Sport • Football – most popular sport • (2415 registered football clubs in SK) • Successful sports teams: • Ice hockey – World Championships • Tennis • Swimming • Canoeing – canoe slalom, wild water slalom • Javelin throwing • Winter sports are very common • skiing, snowboarding

12. EVERYDAY LIFE

13. Family • Close family life, families in Slovakia have close connections to their grandparents and visit them quite often • Parents often give advice to their children • Slovaks (especially Slovak mums) like everything tidy and in its place • Don’t forget to take off your shoes when you enter a house or an apartment (wear slippers) • Children help with the housework (vacuuming, washing dishes etc.) • Family trips

14. Housing • Many families live in blocks of apartments, most of them were built in 1950-1990, these apartments are often small in size • Siblings usually share room • Bathroom – usually only a bathtub (not a separate shower) • Toilet – flush the toilet paper (not like in hot countries) • Slovaks don’t like to waste water (shower) and electricity (lights off)

15. Foods & Drinks • Foods: • Lunch is the main meal of a day • usually includes soup and main meal • during school days offered in the school cafeteria • use knife and fork at the same time to eat your meal • Less fast food, many families cook at home, especially at the weekends • Drinks: • Alcohol is very popular, legal age to drink is 18, the law is not always strictly followed, but the situation is changing nowadays and it is more enforced • Beer – very popular drink, many beer brands are produced in Slovakia • We use ice in smaller quantities, ice machines are rare

16. Transport • Respect the Rotary rules for travelling • People often walk (it’s safe) and ride bikes • Many people travel by public transport: • Between cities: trains, buses • City transport: trams, buses, cabs • Reduced prices for students • Driving • From the age of 18 – students in high schools don’t usually drive cars

17. School • School system: • Elementary education: 9 years • High school: 4 years, several types of schools • gymnázium, obchodná akadémia, odborná škola • Mostly fixed schedule • Teachers are rather reserved with students, students are more respectful and don’t talk back • in a discussion accept the fact that the teacher is always right • Students often cheat in exams • Sports teams, art and music education are not organized by school

18. Free time • High school students do not usually work during school year (only in the summer) • Sports organized by different sport clubs in towns • Hanging out with friends (it is essential to have a cell phone to communicate with friends) • Hiking in the mountains • Skiing/snowboarding in winter

19. People • Not open to strangers, but once you get to know them, you will find them friendly • Friendships are more profound • Caring and hospitable (especially mothers and grandmothers) • Multiple offering (meal, drink) • Different attitude to nudity

20. Being an exchange student • Learning the language • Living in the host family • Making new friends • Culture shock • Inbound syndrome