Statistická ročenka Královéhradeckého kraje
Characteristics of the Královéhradecký Region
CHARACTERISTIC OF THE KRÁLOVÉHRADECKÝ R EGION The Královéhradecký Region stretches over the northeastern parts of Bohemia. The international border with Poland (about 208 km) accounts for more than one third of the total borderline length of the Region. Together with the neighbouring Liberecký and Pardubický Regions it makes up a part of the territorial unit Northeast, which is one of the biggest areas of the Czech Republic both as for area and population. The last neighbour is the Středočeský Region. Hradec Králové is urban centre of the Královéhradecký Region; it is 112 km far from the Capital City of Prague. In the north and northeast there are Krkonoše (the Giant Mountains) and Orlické hory (the Eagle Mountains), which pass to fertile Polabská nížina (the Elbe lowland). Both mountain ranges are separated by Broumovský výběžek, which is varied as for geology and orography - it used to be a flat basin between two mountain ranges and the nature created there large rock towns; they are: the Teplice Rocks and the Adršpach Rocks, Broumov Hills, Křížový vrch (Cross Hill) and Ostaš. This area belongs to the most abundant water reservoirs of best quality in the Czech Republic. An important part of the territory comprises of the foothills of Krkonoše and Orlické hory. Main watercourses are Labe (the Elbe) with its tributaries Orlice and Metuje. Almost the entire Region’s territory falls under the basin of the River Labe, only a marginal part of the Broumovský výběžek area falls under the basin of the River Odra. The highest point of both the Region and the Czech Republic is Sněžka (Mount Sněžka – 1602m above sea level) in Krkonoše. The lowest point is the surface of the River Labe where it leaves the territory of the Hradec Králové District (202m above sea level). After the state administration reform took place (1 January 2000) the territory of the Region comprises of five districts: Hradec Králové, Jičín, Náchod, Rychnov nad Kněžnou, and Trutnov. As at 1 January 2007 borders of districts Hradec Králové and Rychnov nad Kněžnou were changed and three following municipalities: Jílovice, Ledce and Vysoký Újezd were transferred from the district Rychnov nad Kněžnou to the Hradec Králové district and the borders of administrative districts of municipalites with extended powers were put in line with bordes of district territories. As at 1 January 2003, 15 administrative districts of municipalities with extended powers and 35 administrative districts of municipalities with authorized municipal office were established in the Královéhradecký Region. Municipalities with authorized municipal office administer municipalities on the territory, which make up districts and administrative districts of municipalities with extended powers. The area 4 759 km2 ranks the Region ninth among the CR´s Regions. The Region takes 6.0% of the total CR´s area. Its agricultural land and forest lands rank it fifth among the Regions of the CR. As at 31 December 2008, agricultural land covered 58.6% of the total Region´s territory and the share of arable land was 40.4% while forests covered 31.0% of the territory. As for area, the biggest district is Trutnov, which takes almost one fourth of the entire Region´s territory followed by the Rychnov nad Kněžnou District with 20.6% and as for the three remaining districts each has about 18.0%. As at the end of 2008, the Královéhradecký Region had 554,520 inhabitants, which is 5.3% of the total CR´s population. The most populated is the Hradec Králové District with more than 162,000 inhabitants. On the other hand, the smallest as for population is the Rychnov nad Kněžnou District with 79,198 inhabitants. With its 116 inhabitants per square kilometre the Region is under the national average (133 inhabitants per sq km). Population density differs also one district from another being the highest in the Hradec Králové District (182 inhabitants per sq km) and the lowest in the Rychnov nad Kněžnou District (81 inhabitants per sq km). There is the total of 448 independent municipalities in the Region, with 48 of them enjoying the status of town and 10 the status of market - town. The share of urban population reached 68.1%. The Region’s main centre is the statutory town Hradec Králové with 94,498 inhabitants followed by the second largest town Trutnov with 31,039 inhabitants. The least urbanized is the Jičín District, in which most inhabitants live in municipalities of less than 500 inhabitants (one fifth). Within the Region, this share formed one eighth of inhabitants. The average area of a municipality is 1,062 hectares and average population is 1,238 inhabitants per municipality. Of all the regions of the CR, in the Královéhradecký Region is the highest share of inhabitants aged 15-64 and ranks second (right after the Capital City of Pragu, 15.8%) as for the share of population aged 65+ (15.7%). Average age of males and females is also above the national average. The same applies to the comparison with the regional average in the Hradec Králové District and the Jičín District. The highest share of population up to 14 years of age is in the Rychnov nad Kněžnou District and the Náchod District and the highest share of inhabitants aged 15-64 was in the Trutnov District and in the aged 65+ in Hradec Králové District. In terms of economic activities, the Region can be described as agricultural-industrial with well-developed tourism. The industry is concentrated in big towns, intensive agriculture in the Elbe lowland (Polabí). The biggest concentration of tourism in the Czech Republic is in Krkonoše. Two thirds of the area of the Krkonoše National Park (Krkonošský národní park) lie in the Region’s territory and the most valuable localities of the Park can be found namely on the Region’s territory. The following belong to the protected landscape areas: Broumovsko (the Broumov area), Orlické hory and Český ráj (the Bohemian or Czech Paradise). The Region’s gross domestic product accounts for only 4.4% of the CR’s GDP in 2008, when converted to GDP per inhabitant it amounts to 83.1% of national average and ranks nineth in the Czech Republic. According to labour force sample surveys in 2008 there is a total about 265,100 employees in Region, 36.1% for manufacturing, 11.8% for trade and repair of personal and household goods, 7.0% on health and social work, 7.9% on construction, and 3.9% for agriculture. Regarding agriculture, crop production focuses on cereals (weat and barley), rape and maize, with industrial sugar beet production playing a major role, too. Animal production focuses on raising cattle and pigs. Manufacturing (mainly manufacture of textiles and textile products, electrical and optical equipment) prevails over the other industries. However, the Region does not rank among key industrial areas – its 2008 share in sales of industrial enterprises accounted for 3.4% of the CR’s total. In 2008, the 941 statistically monitored collective accommodation establishments reported 903,000 guests, including about 290,000 foreingners comming especialy from Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. The average length of stays per guest was incomplete 5 days. There are 70% of collective accommodation establishments in Trutnov District (there are Krkonoše - the Giant Mountains). During the last few years, many forms of cross-border co-operation have been developed. One of them is the Euroregion Glacensis that had been established in 1995 as one of the Euroregions covering the Czech-Polish border areas. Many activities by voluntary unions of municipalities have been taken, when municipalities care together about their development. In the end, here are several items, in which the Královéhradecký Region is the best (when compared to other regions) in 2008: the second highest percentage of population by age 65+ after the Capital City of Prague; the third lowest percentage of wastewater treated; |