| CHARACTERISTICS OF THE REGION | Back
The Olomoucký Region is located in the north of Central Moravia. Its northern border is at the same time the state border. The border with Poland is 104 km long. In the east, the Olomoucký Region borders with the Moravskoslezský Region, in the south with the Zlínský and Jihomoravský Regions and in the west with the Pardubický Region. The Olomoucký Region consists of the Jeseník, Olomouc, Prostějov, Přerov and Šumperk Districts. By its total area of 5,139.5 sq km it ranks eighth among the 14 regions of the Czech Republic. It makes up only 6.5% of the total territory of the CR. The agricultural land makes up 53.9% out of the Region’s total territory, stake of arable land is 41.1% (arable land makes 76.2% of agricultural land). An important part of the Region’s territory is forest land (34.4%), namely in the north of the Region in the Jeseník and Šumperk Districts. As for the number and importance of natural and cultural values, the Olomoucký Region belongs to the richest in the Czech Republic. Thus, it is an important area from the point of view of tourism. You can visit there many castles, chateaux, cathedrals, churches, museums, galleries and spas. The Region is known especially for its historical town of Olomouc – many Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque monuments fountains, the Přemysl Palace, Archbishop’s Palace, St Moritz Cathedral with the biggest organ in the Central Europe, the biggest monastic complex Klášterní Hradisko, town hall with an astronomical clock, the Column of the Holy Trinity which joined the UNESCO World Heritage List in the year 2000, etc.). As for natural landmarks, the most important are Litovel in Morava basin that is rich in the beauties of nature, Javoříčko Caves (Javoříčské jeskyně) and Mladeč Caves (Mladečské jeskyně), natural park Sovinecko and Velký Kosíř. Important are Odra Hills (Oderské vrchy) and Nízký Jeseník Hills full of dense forests with many meandering streams and little rivers. The Olomoucký Region has rather a dense network of regional and local cycle tracks. Also two long-distance cycle tracks go through the Region: the Moravian and Jantar cycle tracks (Moravská and Jantarová cyklotrasa) that cross Moravia from the North-west to South-east and from the North-east to South-west and they meet in the town of Olomouc. Out of total number of 394 independent municipalities in the Olomoucký Region 26 have a status of town. Population density is 124.2 persons per square km and it is only a bit lower than the average density in the Czech Republic (129.4 persons per sq km). Much under the average is the Jeseník District (59.0 persons per sq km), the highest density within the Region is in the Olomouc District (154.8 persons per sq km). The Olomoucký Region is mostly of industrial character. The biggest employment (41.3%) is reported namely in industrial sectors. Dominant position in the Region’s economy belongs to enterprises of processing industry in branches of general engineering, metalworking industry and in the branch of electrical and optical apparatuses. The second biggest employment is in education (9.9%). In the agricultural sector employment is constantly decreasing (in 2001 only 6.8%). Demographic development of the Region can be for the last ten years (1991-2001) characterised by a continuing decrease of the number of persons in pre-productive age of 0-14 years and increasing number of after-productive part of population over 60. In 1994, number of deaths prevailed over the number of births for the first time and the negative balance continued also in the following years. In 1991, the Olomoucký Region had 642,796 persons while in 2001 it was 638,374. The network of elementary and secondary schools is stabilised in the Region. The town of Olomouc is the centre of education. One of ten universities of the CR is located there – it is the ancient Palacký University (Univerzita Palackého) that was founded already in 1573. Now, with its seven faculties and almost fourteen thousand students it is the biggest educational institution in the area of Central Moravia. The gross national product per capita in 2000 amounted to 148,455 CZK, i.e. 4.9% out of the total GDP of the CR. In 2000, the Olomoucký Region reached only 48% of the purchase power of the EU, however, in comparison to the candidate countries of the Central Europe the purchase power of the Region was by 20% higher. The average monthly wage per natural persons in the Olomoucký Region (12,800 CZK) is constantly under the average of the Czech Republic (14,633 CZK) which is, however, influenced by a higher average wage in the City of Prague (20,800 CZK). Registered unemployment rate in the Region amounted to 11.78% as of 31 December 2001 (in the CR 8.90%). In the breakdown by district, the highest unemployment rate is in the Jeseník District (14.78%), the lowest in the Prostějov District (10.05%).
The highest point | Praděd | 1,490 above sea level | Hrubý Jeseník
The lowest point | water level of the Morava river | 190 above sea level | the Přerov District
The smallest district | the Jeseník District | 719 sq km |
The deepest chasm in the CR | Hranická propast | -244.5 m | the Přerov District
The biggest municipality | Olomouc | 102,619 persons | the Olomouc District
The smallest municipality | Šléglov | 24 persons | the Šumperk District
The ”youngest” municipality 1) | Město Libavá | 27.1 % *) | the Olomouc District
The ”eldest” municipality 2) | Radkova Lhota | 61.4 % *) | the Přerov District
The biggest proportion of believers | Malhotice | 87.1 % *) | the Přerov District
The biggest proportion of persons with tertiary education | Šléglov | 17.4 % *) | the Šumperk District
1) Municipality with the highest proportion of children under 14 2) Municipality with the highest proportion of persons over 60 *) The Population and Housing Census on 1 March 2001
© Český statistický úřad, 2002