Ostrava

Ostrava {{Audio|Cs-Ostrava.ogg|listen}} (German: Ostrau, Polish: Ostrawa) is the third largest city in the Czech Republic and the administrative center of the Moravian-Silesian Region. It is located at the junction of the Ostravice, Oder and Opava rivers. Its history and growth were largely affected by exploitation and further usage of the high quality black coal deposits discovered in the locality, giving the town a look of an industrial city and a nickname of the ?steel heart of the republic? during the communist era of Czechoslovakia. Many of the heavy industry companies are being closed down or transformed nowadays.

People and demographics

As of 2003, the officially estimated population of Ostrava is 315,442 inhabitants, who are living in a total of 23 districts formed by joining together 34 original small towns and villages. Ostrava covers 212 km² of area. The density of population is 1505 people per km².

Related Topics:
2003 - Km²

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Historically, among the most influencing ethnic groups besides Czechoslovakians in Ostrava were Polish people, Germans and Jews. However, during and after the WWII years the situation changed completely, as most Ostravian Jews have been killed or transported to concentration camps (on October 17th, 1939 the first transport of Jews to a lager in Nisko, General Government was held in Ostrava - first of its kind in Europe). After World War II, Germans were expelled from Ostrava according to the Benes decrees. Thus, the population of the city, has become a mixture of Czechs, Slovaks and Poles.

Related Topics:
Polish - Germans - Jews - WWII - Concentration camps - 1939 - Nisko - General Government - Expelled - Benes decrees

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People around Ostrava are known to speak a specific "dialect" (though probably not linguistically qualified) which can be noticed as shortening all vowels and putting stress on the last but one syllable, that makes the dialect similar to Polish. Other than that Ostravians are often considered the purest Czech speakers.

Related Topics:
Dialect - Linguistically - Vowels - Syllable - Polish - Czech

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Due to the recent and ongoing massive restructuring of the heavy industry in the area, the unemployment went well above the country average - 18.4% (as of 2004), equalling nearly 30,000 people.

Related Topics:
Unemployment - 2004

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