Regions of the Czech Republic
Also known as: Kraje České republiky (Czech)
Category	Unitary state
Location	Czech Republic
Number	13 regions + Prague
Populations	283,210 (Karlovy Vary Region) – 1,386,824 (Central Bohemian Region)
Areas	3,163 km2 (1,221 sq mi) (Liberec Region) – 10,929 km2 (4,220 sq mi) (Central Bohemian Region)
Government	Region government, National government
Subdivisions	District

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Recent elections Legislative: 2006 2010 2013 2017 2021 Senate: 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 European: 2009 2014 2019 2024 Presidential: 2003 2008 2013 2018
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Regions of the Czech Republic (Czech: kraj, plural: kraje) are higher-level territorial self-governing units of the Czech Republic. Every region is governed by a regional council, headed by a governor (hejtman). Elections to regional councils take place every four years.

According to the Act no. 129/2000 Coll. ("Law on Regions"), which implements Chapter VII of the Czech Constitution, the Czech Republic is divided into thirteen regions and one capital city with regional status as of 1 January 2000.^[1]

History

The first kraje were created in the Kingdom of Bohemia during the reign of Charles IV in the 14th century and they lasted till 1862/68. Kraje were reintroduced in 1949 in Czechoslovakia and still exist today (except for the early 1990s) in its successor states despite many rearrangements.

Competences

Historical lands and current administrative regions

Rights and obligations of the regions include:^[1]

• Establishment of secondary schools;
• Responsibility for hospitals and social facilities;
• Construction and repair of second and third class roads;
• Organization of integrated transport systems;
• Ordering of public intermunicipal transport;
• Protection of the nature;
• Cooperation in the distribution of EU funds within the NUTS-2 regions;
• Tasks within the integrated rescue system;
• Right to propose laws to the Chamber of Deputies and submit complaints to the Constitutional Court.

List of regions

Licence plate	Region	Capital	Population (2022)[2]	Area (km2)	Pop. density (/km2)	GDP (million CZK, 2020)[3]	GDP per capita
A	Prague		1,275,406	496	2,571	1,572,000	1,190,611
S	Central Bohemian	Prague	1,386,824	10,929	127	662,000	484,475
C	South Bohemian	České Budějovice	637,047	10,058	63	289,000	438,114
P	Plzeň	Plzeň	578,707	7,649	76	285,000	474,310
K	Karlovy Vary	Karlovy Vary	283,210	3,310	86	97,000	341,512
U	Ústí nad Labem	Ústí nad Labem	798,898	5,339	150	313,000	386,363
L	Liberec	Liberec	437,570	3,163	138	189,000	411,399
H	Hradec Králové	Hradec Králové	542,583	4,759	114	275,000	479,318
E	Pardubice	Pardubice	514,518	4,519	114	213,000	422,684
J	Vysočina	Jihlava	504,025	6,796	74	228,000	434,018
B	South Moravian	Brno	1,184,568	7,188	165	598,000	505,896
M	Olomouc	Olomouc	622,930	5,272	118	268,000	418,525
Z	Zlín	Zlín	572,432	3,963	144	276,000	457,361
T	Moravian-Silesian	Ostrava	1,177,989	5,427	217	510,000	430,005
CZ	Czech Republic	Prague	10,516,707	78,871	136	5,775,000	538,816

Coats of arms