NORTHERN MORAVIACzechInvest Information Series No. 18
Serial No.: REG/02/94-18
Date of Issue: February 10, 1994
NORTHERN MORAVIAArea: 11,067 square kilometres
Population: 1,975,654*
Population Density: 179 inhabitants per square kilometre
Economically Active Population: 978,361, or 49.9% of the population (457,954 were women)*
Ethnic Diversity: 74.2% Czech; 15.3% Moravian; 4.4% Slovak; 2.1% Silesian; 4% Other (in descending order: Polish, Romany, German, Ukrainian, Russian, Hungarian, and Ruthenian)*
Largest City: Ostrava (population=331,504*)
*From the 1991 Census
Northern Moravia is the Czech Republic's leading region in terms of gross industrial production. Its main industries are mining, fuel and energy, and metallurgy. Other important sectors are the chemical, rubber, pharmaceutical, engineering, and electrical industries, as well as glass and paper production and the brewing industry.
Agriculturally, the region produces grains, potatoes, hops, and sugar-beet. Live-stock production focuses on cattle, pig, poultry, and sheep breeding.
The region's main industrial centres are Ostrava and Olomouc. In Olomouc, 50 industrial plants focus on iron and wood processing, as well as the metal and food industries. Opava, the centre of Northern Moravia's agricultural production, also services the engineering, food, pharmaceutical, and consumer industries. Prerov is a transportation hub and another industrial centre.
Northern Moravia can be divided into three socio-economic areas:
1. The area of Ostrava and its largest city, also called Ostrava, produces the majority of the country's black coal, pig iron, and steel. Other industrial centres in the area are located at Karvina and Frydek-Mistek (known for its textile industry).
2. Less important economically, the Upper Pomoravi area extends into neighboring districts of Southern Moravia, Kromeriz and Prostejov.
3. The Jeseniky area, located in the region's mountainous west, is noted mainly for its scenic attractions.
Northern Moravia's road network connects all of the region's towns, with Ostrava, Opava, Prerov, and Olomouc as the main transportation junctions. International routes connect Olomouc to Poland via Novy Jicin and Frydek Mistek.
The region's dense railroad network connects all of its main industrial areas.
Northern Moravia contains 54 castles, fortified settlements, and medieval ruins; among the most touristed of these are Bouzov, a medieval fortress outside Olomouc, and the Hukvaldy and Helfstyn castles. Also well-visited are the Olomouc district's three-story karst caves, located near Mladec. The Czech Republic's deepest chasm can be found in Hurka u Hranice, a state nature reserve in the Prerov area. Tourists can also visit volcanoes in the Brontal district, and vast spruce forests in the Jeseniky and Beskydy Mountains. Northern Moravia is also known throughout the Republic for its spas, such as Velke Losiny and Jesenik.
NOTE: This information is current as of February 1994. Although we have made every effort to ensure the reliability of our sources, CzechInvest does not assume responsibility for its accuracy.