"Where are you from"? people usually ask when they meet a new person. If you ask me, I will answer "From the Czech Republic". Will you know then? From my own experience in the USA I can say people usually have no idea. So, let me give you some information.

My name is Silvie Stetkova. As I said, I come from the Czech Republic, which is one of the smallest countries in Eastern Europe. The country’s population is about 10 million. The Czech Republic’s neighbors are Austria to the south, Germany to the west and north, Poland to the north and Slovakia to the east. Because of its position, the Czech Republic is also called "The Heart of Europe".

The Czech Republic was established on January 1,1993. It used to be Czechoslovakia from 1918 until 1993 when the two nations split into the Czech Republic and the Slovac Republic. I would like to add that it was a peaceful process. The communist regime had power in Czechoslovakia for 40 years. In 1989 the Communists were brought down by students and by opponents of the regime.

I live in Prague, which is the capital of the Czech Republic. I love Prague. It is a very nice, historical city, which quickly took its place among Europe’s the most favorite places after the 1989 revolution. There are about 12 million visitors a year. Lots of foreigners do not know where the Czech Republic is, but they do know Prague. If you visit Prague you can get the feeling like history lesson come to life. Let me give you some examples:

Charles Bridge

If you do nothing else in Prague, you must visit Charles Bridge, one of the most beautiful bridges in Europe. Charles Bridge is lined with thirty statues of saints, which make a powerful impression. The foundation stone was laid in 1357. On warm summer nights, most people depart before midnight when the metro stops and tram become scarce. Then the bridge blushes with romance and you can listen to people playing to guitars and singing.

St. Vitus’ Cathedral

St. Vitus’Cathedral is considered to be a pioneering Gothic masterpiece. Its foundation stone was laid in 1344.

Astronomical Clock

The astronomical clock that hangs onto the sides of Old Town Hall Tower is one of Prague’s biggest crowd-pleasures. Tourists can watch a short parade of statuette Apostles at the top of each hour. While each of the twelve saints has his turn, eight politically incorrect allegorical figures perform a kind of medieval morality play. The statues on either side of the clock’s upper dial represent the four evils according to ancient society: death, vanity, corruption and greed, which are represented by a skeleton, a mirror, a Turk and a Jew. On either side of the lower dial are statues representing the Gothic city’s four messiahs: reading, writing, arithmetic and religion.

The clock’s statuette showmen get most of the attention, but it is the quiet timepiece itself that is the real phenomenon. It was created in the early 15^th century by the king’s clockmaker and astronomers. The result is one of the earliest portraits of the heavens in motion.

This is not a city you can appreciate from a car. Many of the best routes are too narrow for cars. The walks take you through some of the most magnificent streets in the world. The best time to see Prague is around sunrise or sunset, when buildings and monuments appear absolutely gorgeous.

By the way, did you know that there are more theaters in Prague than in any major city in the world, per capita ? And on the other hand, I must admit, the Czech Republic is the world’s biggest beer-drinking nation, per capita…

The Czechs are enthusiastic tennis players. The Czech republic has produced many international tennis champions, including Ivan Lendl, Martina Navratilova, Hana Mandlikova, Jana Novotna. Hockey and soccer are also very popular sport. World wellknown hockey players are Dominik Hasek and Jaromir Jagr.

Well, this is a brief introduction of my country, especially Prague (Praha in Czech language). What to say at the end? Maybe, don’t expect there are the nicest people in the world. Things were tough under Communists. Also a generation of foreign control have shaped people inclined towards pragmatism and passivity.