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The Czech Republic is situated approximately in the geographical centre of Europe and has an area of 78 866 sq. km. It is a landlocked country 326 km from the Baltic and 322 km from the Adriatic. It shares borders with Germany (810 km), Poland (762 km), Austria (466 km) and Slovakia (265 km). The highest point of elevation is the peak of Mt. Snezka (1 602 m above sea level) and the lowest point of elevation is near Hrensko where the River Labe leaves Czech territory (117 m above sea level).

Prague is one of important European towns as a traditional metropolis connected with magical importance. Its importance is strongly influenced by the location of the Prague Basin, where the long-distance and trade paths crossed each other since times long gone. The oldest reports of human presence in the area of Prague come from the oldest Palaeozoic times. The denser and more consistent settlement of the basin began during the early Stone Age. Since then the area has been continually inhabited to the day. During the period of great migration, the first Slavic inhabitants came. During the 9th century an important stronghold is built here as the cultural and princely centre of the Premyslid state at the Prague Castle. At the beginning of the 10th century probably the stronghold on Vysehrad was built. The Jewish community appeared during the same period. According to Ibrahim ibn Yaqub, Prague was a city made of bricks (concerning probably the Castle buildings), with the largest market in Slavic countries. The wide spread agglomeration with churches and trade villages continually grew in the Prague Basin between the Castle and Vysehrad.

According to "Act no. 131/2000 of the Collection of Laws from April 13th, 2000 about the capital city of Prague", Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic, in the meaning of both the settlement and the region. In the shift of competence the area of the capital is the borough. The capital Prague is divided into town districts, whose status and competences are stated by the quoted act, special law and Status, approved by the Prague's Municipal Council.
Based on the status of Prague as the capital, approved by the Municipal Council decision No. 25/18, 21st December 2000, Prague is divided to 57 town districts, administered by town district councils, their boards and town district authorities. At the same time, this status transferred some competences to the 22 districts, which are responsible as boroughs for the transferred responsibilities of the remaining town districts.

The Czech Republic is one of the most stable and prosperous of the post-Communist states of Central and Eastern Europe. Growth in 2000-04 was supported by exports to the EU, primarily to Germany, and a strong recovery of foreign and domestic investment. Domestic demand is playing an ever more important role in underpinning growth as interest rates drop and the availability of credit cards and mortgages increases. Current account deficits of around 5% of GDP are beginning to decline as demand for Czech products in the European Union increases. Inflation is under control. Recent accession to the EU gives further impetus and direction to structural reform. In early 2004 the government passed increases in the Value Added Tax (VAT) and tightened eligibility for social benefits with the intention to bring the public finance gap down to 4% of GDP by 2006, but more difficult pension and healthcare reforms will have to wait until after the next elections. Privatization of the state-owned telecommunications firm Cesky Telecom is scheduled to take place in 2005. Intensified restructuring among large enterprises, improvements in the financial sector, and effective use of available EU funds should strengthen output growth.