Statistická ročenka Olomouckého kraje

As for geography, the Region is divided to the northern mountainous part (the Jeseníky mountains with the highest point Praděd 1 492 m above sea level), while the southern part of the Region consists of the Haná lowland. The Morava River flows through the Region's territory; on its water level near to Kojetín in the Přerov District the lowest point of the Region lies (190 m above sea level). The Olomoucký Region offers a great variety of natural points of interest. Many tourists visit the Protected landscape area of the Jeseníky mountains with the largest Moravian peatbog Rejvíz and High Waterfall (Vysoký vodopád), which is 45 m high, water reservoir and the Dlouhé Stráně power plant on the top of a hill and other scenic places. Interesting are also floodplain forests in the Protected landscape area Litovelské Pomoraví with many endangered kinds of plants and animals. There are also many caves in the Olomoucký Region: Javoříčko Caves (Javoříčské jeskyně), Mladeč Caves (Mladečské jeskyně) and Zbrašov aragonite caves (Zbrašovské jeskyně).

As at 31 December 2008, the total area of the Region amounted to 5,266.84 sq km (i.e. 6.7% of the entire area of the Czech Republic). The share of arable land is decreasing every year (39.6%) and that of non-agricultural land is increasing (46.7%).

Population of the Olomoucký Region lives in 398 municipalities of which 30 have a status of town. In these towns, 57.3% of population live. The statutory town is the Olomouc regional city, which had as at 31 December 2008 100,373 inhabitants. Most of the Region’s population is supplied with water from water supply systems for public needs (88.4%) and lives in houses connected to the public sewerage system (76.5% of population). Values of specific emissions do not reach the average values of the CR, so the environment can be marked as the less damaged. Mountain areas and foothills have excellent air quality and are important sources of drinking water.

Population of the Olomoucký Region totalled 642,137 inhabitants as at 31 December 2008. With the number of inhabitants per square kilometre (121.9) the Region is close to the national average (132.7 persons per sq km). There are, of course, differences within the Region: the lowest population density is in the Jeseník District (57.6 persons per sq km) and Šumperk District (94.8 persons per sq km). In 2008 more children were born than persons died in the Region (7,118 live born children and 6,433 deaths), in spite of this the share of children aged 0-14 is decreasing (14.1% of the total population as at 31 December 2008), while share of population aged 65+ is increasing (15.1%); thus, the average age of population is increasing (40.5 years as at 31 December 2008). The share of children born out of marriage keeps also increasing (36.7% in 2008), at the same time the number of interruptions is decreasing (1,244 in 2008). The number of marriages decreased (3,098 in 2008), the number of divorces increased (1,888 in 2008) and the most often cause of death remain diseases of circulatory system (51.1% of deaths).

The Czech Statistical Office has been carrying out labour force sample surveys already for many years in the households of respondents. According to this survey the Olomoucký Region had in 2008 the total of 314.5 thousand economically active population aged 15+, of which 296.0 thousand were employed and 18.5 thousand unemployed. Namely due to the different survey methodology, the general unemployment rate (ILO) was 5.89%. It was lower than the registered unemployment rate as at 31 December 2008, which reached 6.87% according to the register of labour offices. In the end of 2008 there were 23,470 applicants seeking a job registered in the labour offices.

Total value of social benefits paid in the Region in 2008 reached 2,613 million CZK (6.2% of total amount drawn from accounts of state social benefit for the entire CR). 170,429 people were receiving pensions in December 2008; the average pension was 9,228 CZK. In the Olomoucký Region 224,091 persons were the sickness insured in 2008 and 1,679.6 million CZK was paid at sickness insurance benefits. Number of new cases of incapacity for work was 108,924. In 2008 in the Olomoucký Region patients were taken care about in 9 hospitals, 13 specialized therapeutic institutions and other health establishments by 2,673 physicians and 6,363 paramedical workers. Care of patients of the top quality level is provided mostly in the teaching hospital in Olomouc, which is equipped with the most modern medical technology and has a large scientific and training background. Health care is provided also in many spa establishments that are placed all over the region, well known are, for example, spas in Jeseník, Velké Losiny, Teplice nad Bečvou, Slatinice, Skalka, etc.

The network of school establishments consists of 362 nursery schools, 306 basic schools, 20 grammar schools, 81 programmes vocational training, 8 higher schools. The second oldest university in the Czech Republic - the Palacký University (Univerzita Palackého) is the centre of education. Almost 20,000 students study at its faculties of natural sciences, pedagogy, medicine, philosophy, law, theology, physical culture and health sciences.

As for economy, the Olomoucký Region is an industrial area with developed services. Economy of the districts of Haná is more stable and diverse enough, however, the Jeseník District and northern part of the Šumperk District due to their position, transport accessibility and disturbance of social and economic life after the Second World War (displacement of German population) belongs to economically weaker regions. The gross domestic product of the Olomoucký Region amounted to 4.7% of the total GDP of the CR in 2008, which is only 76.2% per capita of the national average. The average monthly wage of employees in businesses that have their seat of business in the Olomoucký Region and have more than 20 employees reached 20,000 CZK per natural person in 2008.

Southern and central parts of the region belong to areas with the most fertile land. Crop yields - barley, wheat, rape and industrial sugar beet - reach the highest amounts of the entire CR.

Many traditional industrial enterprises are doing their business in the Olomoucký Region. Agricultural production is followed by many food enterprises; developed are textile and clothing industry, manufacture of machinery, optics and optical equipment and many others. In 2008, 167 industrial enterprises with 100+ employees had their seat in the Olomoucký Region. These enterprises employed 54,438 employees with the average wage of CZK 20,507 and their sales from the sale of own goods and services incidental to industry reached 114,297 million CZK.

In 2008, 138 construction enterprises with 20+ employees had their seat in the Olomoucký Region; they employed 6,675 employees with an average monthly wage of CZK 22,231. Performance value of these enterprises from construction activity performed according to supply contracts reached CZK 13,115 million. In 2008, construction of 2,280 new dwellings was started and construction of 1,839 dwellings was completed. The planning and building control authorities recorded in 2008 the total of 5,722 building permits granted and building notices filed.

The statistical Business register had over 135 thousand businesses, organisations and entrepreneurs in the end of 2008. Most of them were private entrepreneurs registered according to the trade law (73.0%) and business companies (7.7%).

Transport accessibility of the Region is provided by 600 km of railways and 3,573 km of roads, of which only 12.3% are first class roads. Important rail junctions are in Olomouc and Přerov; dense railway network is spread equally all over the Region´s territory. Road network is denser in the southern flat part of the Region. Near to the city of Olomouc there is an airport for small airliners, which obtained status of an international airport.

In the Region, 14,883 crimes were committed, of which 6,796 were solved. In 2008, 8,386 road accidents took place, in which 59 people died and 1,663 were injured; 8 people died and 43 were injured in 1,087 fires.

The Olomoucký Region belongs to regions with the smallest number of accommodation establishments. As at 31 December 2008 accommodation services were provided in 357 collective accommodation establishments, which are placed primarily in the Jeseník District and the Šumperk District that are most visited by tourists. The Region offers many establishments to entertain tourists. In addition to many natural beauties there is also a lot of historical monuments such as castles (Bouzov, Helfštýn, Šternberk) and chateaux (Úsov, Tovačov, Velké Losiny, Jánský vrch, Náměšť na Hané), tens of museums and galleries. Most visited is mainly the regional city of Olomouc with the second largest urban conservation area, which preserves a large set of buildings that are important for their historical, architectonic or artistic value and are located on a preserved medieval pattern of the town. The most important monument in Olomouc is a baroque Column of the Holy Trinity on the central square, which joined the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000. Olomouc has also many churches and in the parks flower and plants exhibitions take place (Flora Olomouc - International Flower Exhibition). Near to Olomouc there is a well-known Pilgrimage Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary (Basilica Minor) on Svatý Kopeček (The Holy Hill) and a zoological garden. Tens of ethnographical and dance groups take care of preservation of folkways at Haná; folklore shows and festivals are organised in Náměšť, Prostějov, Kojetín and other places of the Region. In the Olomoucký Region there are also many opportunities to go in for sports. Already 1,500 km of cycle tracks were marked; for water sports many modern swimming pools and natural open-air pools can be used. In the towns of Prostějov and Přerov one can find well-known tennis centres. Many visitors are attracted to see special quality hill-climb racers at Ecce Homo in Šternberk. Football and ice hockey matches can be seen at well-equipped playgrounds and winter stadiums that visitors can find all over the Region. For winter sports many downhill courses and pistes are prepared in the Jeseníky mountains in the following well-known areas: Červenohorské sedlo, Petříkov, Ostružná, Ramzová and many others.

The Olomoucký Region is a region with rich history, varied and colourful nature, many cultural, sports and recreational opportunities. The Region's economy focuses on traditional agriculture, processing industry and services. Conditions for further development of the Region are its suitable position, transport accessibility, developed infrastructure, enough qualified labour force and entry of foreign investors. Many long-term strategic plans being realised, the economic situation of the Olomoucký Region gradually improves and the growing tendency is to continue also in the following years.