Statistická ročenka kraje Vysočina

Characteristics of the Vysočina Region

The Vysočina Region has an inland location and its borders do not touch the state borders of the CR. However, the southern part of the Region stretches to the zone that is close to the borders with Austria and thus the Jihlava and Třebíč Districts were included in the Phare cross-border cooperation programme. The surface of the territory consists of hills of the Czech-Moravian Highlands (Českomoravská vrchovina). The region is attractive for its rather low air pollution, relatively healthy forests and clean water resources and expanses of water that are important for water supply and distribution.

With its area of 6,796 sq km (as of 1 January 2005) the Region ranks among regions of above-average size; only 4 regions of the CR have a larger area. The highest point of the Region is Javořice in Javořická vrchovina (the Peak Javořice in the Javořice Highlands, 837 m above sea level), while the lowest point (about 239 m above sea level) is the surface of the Jihlava River in the place where is leaving the Region, which is to be found in the southwest of the Třebíč District. There are two protected landscape areas in the Region: Žďárské vrchy (the Žďár Hills) and Železné hory (the Iron Mountains). The Melechov Hill on the territory of the Havlíčkův Brod District is called in some sources a geographical centre of Europe.

As for administrative breakdown, the territory of the Vysočina Region comprises 5 districts, 15 administrative districts of municipalities with extended powers and 26 administrative districts of municipalities with authorized municipal office. The basic self-governing unit is a municipality; there are 704 of them in the Region (as of 1 January 2005). The average population per municipality amounts to 732; it is the lowest of all the regions of the Czech Republic. The highest number of municipalities comprises those of population under 500. There are 34 municipalities with the status of town in the Region, and the number, in relation to the Region’s area, falls slightly below the national average.

As at 1 January 2009, the Region’s population was 515,411; it is the fourth smallest among all the regions of the Czech Republic. Of that, women make 50.4%. In 2008, the number of children born slightly increased; increased the number of divorces. Most couples divorced after 15 years or longer. Childless marriages were divorcing most. Majority of mothers reached the age of 25-29 years when delivering their first child. Share of children born out of marriage is lower than in other regions of the CR except Zlínský Region, but it has also a growing tendency and in 2008 it reached 29,0%. Related to that is also an increase of the number of single mothers.

The Business Register of the Region, which contains all identification numbers issued to organisations, comprised more than 101,000 businesses as at the end of 2008. This number placed the Region last but one in the CR, just ahead of the Karlovarský Region. It means that there are not much business activities. The biggest number of businesses was reported for the Žďár nad Sázavou District (23,383) and the lowest for the Pelhřimov District (15,426).

Economic performance of the Region in comparison with other regions of the CR is below the average. Share of the Region at GDP of the CR was during the last years about 4.1%, which ranks the region eleventh among all the regions. When calculating GDP per capita the Region ranks seventh position. In 2008 this indicator was 295,785 CZK, i.e. 83.6% of the national average.

The 2008 average monthly gross wage in the Vysočina Region was 20,587 CZK. Average wages in the Region continue to be under the average of the CR. Big differences are also in average gross wages paid in individual branches of the Region’s economy. The highest wages were paid in the branch of financial intermediation, while the lowest wages were in hotels and restaurants.

The registered rate of unemployment amounted to 6.27% at the end of 2008, being the eighth lowest in the entire CR. The highest rate was reported for the Třebíč District (8.38%) while the lowest for the Pelhřimov District (4,35%). A year-on-year increase in unemployment was observed in almost all districts. The number of job applicants decreased against the year 2007 by 15.9%. There were 7.8 job applicants per vacancy. The offer for qualified labour force is not high.

The Vysočina Region continues with its tradition of agricultural production. Although the Region’s natural conditions are below average (because the altitude and slope of the territory decrease production ability of lands) for some agricultural commodities and activities the territory of the Vysočina Region is optimal (production of potatoes, oil plants, pastoral farming). However, what is missing is economic and technical base for agricultural producers.

After a difficult transformation period the agriculture in the Region still has a large-scale way of farming. Most agricultural enterprises focus on a combination of crop production and animal production; smaller production units of natural persons are more specialised.

Total area of cereals in 2008 was 149,500 ha. Total harvest was 729,618 t; the average yield of cereals was 4,82 t per hectare. The biggest harvest area of cereals was in the Třebíč District. Total harvest of potatoes in the Region was 274,813 t, which is just about a third of the national production of potatoes. In comparison with 2007, production of potatoes decreased due to the decrease of planted areas. The average yield of potatoes from 1 ha was 26,8 t.

In 2008, cattle farming intensity per 100 ha of agricultural land was in the amount of 57,2 heads (of which 22,5 were cows); it was the highest of all the regions of the CR. Average annual yield of milk of 1 cow was 6,951 litres. With its meat production in the amount of 52,203 t (without poultry production) the Region ranked third in the Czech Republic.

Industrial enterprises got almost 117 billion CZK for their own goods and services in 2008, which was by 7.0% less than in 2007. The data apply to 151 enterprises with 100 or more employees. Industrial output in the Region includes engineering, metalworking, textile, wood- and food-processing industry. Industrial centres are former district towns and other centres; in the Havlíčkův Brod District they are: Chotěboř, Světlá nad Sázavou, Ledeč nad Sázavou, in the Jihlava District they are: Polná, Třešť and Kostelec, in the Pelhřimov District they are Humpolec and Pacov, in the Třebíč District they are Dukovany and Moravské Budějovice and in the Žďár nad Sázavou District they are Velké Meziříčí, Nové Město na Moravě, Velká Bíteš and Dolní Rožínka.

In 2008, 7,221 building permits were granted in the Vysočina Region for all types of buildings, which is a increase by 16,7% when compared to 2007. The rough value of construction projects, for which the authorities granted building permits last year, increased by 3,5%.

Housing construction of newly started dwellings decreased in 2008 by 4,8%. The districts of the Region, Jihlava and Třebíč shared the decrease. The increase was reported in the other three Regions. As for the dwellings started, the Region ranks twelfth among the 14 regions of the CR. Completed were 1,729 dwellings, which is a year-on-year increase by 2,9%. Modernised were 396 dwellings.

The road and railway network in the Region is strategic from the national as well as European point of view. The territory is a part of Central-European urbanised axis (Berlin-Prague-Vienna/Bratislava-Budapest). D1 highway (in the network of European roads called E 50 and E 65) thus fulfils its function in national and European transport. However, quality linkage of the current district towns and a fast highway for the north-south direction are missing.

The Region has a rather stabilised network of basic schools and a sufficient capacity of secondary schools. However, insufficient technical equipment of schools and ensuring of commute of children from small municipalities are problems. Also health care has to cope with lack of means to ensure nursing care for outpatients as well as care in the field.

An indisputable advantage of the Region is its relatively low crime rate and a low share of groups of inhabitants that are dangerous from social point of view.

The Region hosts several interesting cultural events – some of national or even international character. A meeting of choruses from all over the world is held in the town of Jihlava every year, accompanied by the international competition of mixed-voice chamber choruses called Mezinárodní festival sborového umění. An important organiser of cultural activities is the town of Telč. Besides the festival Prázdniny v Telči (Holidays in Telč), it also hosts other events such as Evropské setkání folklorních souborů (the European Meeting of Folklore Ensembles). Also Mezinárodní festival dokumentárního filmu (the International Documentary Festival) gained popularity; it takes place in Jihlava and prize for the best documentary of the year is awarded there.

The Vysočina Region is also attractive for its tourism opportunities available all-year-round. It is not only summer or winter stays to enjoy but also many cultural and historic buildings and monuments to see. The best snow conditions are at Žďárské vrchy – there you can ski at 700-820 m above sea level. Also Svratecká hornatina offers hills over 700 m above sea level. The biggest expanse of water in the Region is Velké Dářko Reservoir with 206 ha.The Dalešice Reservoir on the Jihlava River is the highest dam (100 m) in the Czech Republic. Sykovec is a pond with sand bed situated highest in the Českomoravská vrchovina Highlands (720 m above sea level).

Three historic buildings and monuments of the CR that are a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site are to be found in the Region: the Urban Conservation Area of Telč, the Church of St John of Nepomuk by the architect Giovanni Santini on a hill called Zelená Hora near the town Žďár nad Sázavou and the former Jewish ghetto with a cemetery and St. Procopius Basilica in Třebíč. The future of tourism and travelling as such in the Vysočina Region is certain to focus on urban tourism and forms of calm and environment-friendly dwelling-based tourism. The latter is enabled with a dense net of marked path (approximately 2 900 km), building cycle tracks and gradually developed farms with accommodation.