Czechs

Czechs
	Comenius, Jan Hus, Frantisek Palacky, Jan Evangelista Purkinje, Charles IV, Alfons Mucha, Vratislav II, Bedrich Smetana Comenius • Jan Hus • František Palacký • Jan Evangelista Purkyně ; Charles IV • Alfons Mucha • Vratislaus II of Bohemia • Bedřich Smetana
Regions with significant populations
	Czech Republic: 10,235,455 (July 2006 est.); United States: 1,258,450; Brazil: 518,000; Canada: 79,915 (2001); Germany: 20,000-50,000; Slovakia: 46,000; Argentina: 38,000; Australia: 21,196; Austria: 20,000; Switzerland: 20,000; Ukraine: 11,000; France: 10,731 (1990); Croatia: 10,510 (2001); Ireland: 5,278; Israel: 8,000; Sweden: 7,175 (2001); Bulgaria: 436; United Kingdom: 6,000; Spain: 5,622 (2006) ; Russia: 5,000~6,000; Netherlands: 3,500; Romania: 3,339 (2002); Poland: 3,000; South Africa: 2,300; Serbia: 2,211 (2002); Mexico: 2,000; Bosnia and Herzegovina: 600~1,000 in the Czech Republic include; Moravians: 380,474 (2001); Silesians: 10,878 (2001);
Languages
	Czech
Religion
	Non-religious 59%, Roman Catholic 26.8%, Protestant 2.1%, other 3.3%, unspecified 8.8%
Related ethnic groups
	other West Slavs

Czechs Czech: Čechové) are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs live also in Slovakia, Austria, U.S., Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries. They speak the Czech language, which is closely related to the Slovak language.

Among the ancestors of the Czechs are ancient Slavic tribes who inhabited the regions of Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia from the 6th century onwards.

The most successful and influential of all Czech kings was by far Charles IV (Karel IV.), who also became the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. The Luxembourg dynasty represents the heights of Czech (Bohemian) statehood territorial and influence as well as advancement in many areas of human endeavors.

Many people, most notably the religious reformist Jan Hus from the 1400s or the teacher of nations Jan Amos Komenský, are considered national heroes and many national stories concern their lives.

There are also ancient folk stories about the Czech people, such as the Forefather Čech, who according to legend brought the tribe of Czechs into its land or Přemysl, the Ploughman, who started the dynasty that ruled for 400 years until 1306.

The Czech people also take much pride in saints who benefited the Czech culture, most notably St. Wenceslaus (Václav) patron of the Czech nation, St. Vitus (Vít) (whom has a cathedral named after him in Prague: see St. Vitus Cathedral), St. John of Nepomuk (Jan Nepomucký), St. Prokop, St. Adalbert (Vojtěch), St. Ludmila, St. Agnes of Bohemia (Anežka Česká) and most recently the last Austrian Emperor and King of Bohemia Charles I, who was beatificated by the Pope John Paul II in 2004.

References

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[1] ttp://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/c2kbr-35.pdf

[2] ttp://epoca.globo.com/edic/214/soci1a.htm

[3] ttp://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au

[4] ttp://www.cso.ie/statistics/placebirthagegroup.htm

[5] ttp://www.bosna.unas.cz/bosnacesko.html

[6] 1-19 Population by denomination and sex: as measured by 1921, 1930, 1950, 1991 and 2001 censuses (PDF), Czech Demographic Handbook 2006, Czech Statistical Office.

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Czechs

See also

Further reading

References