Czech Republic comprises of three regions which include Bohemia, Moravia, and Czech Silesia. Bohemia is the largest with 52,065 km2 and 6.5 million inhabitants. Moravia is the second to largest with 22,000 km2 with 3 million inhabitants. Czech Silesia is the smallest with 4,500 km2 with 1 million inhabitants. The three regions form what is historically known as the Czech lands, which stands for the territory established by Emperor Charles IV in the 14th century.
Great Moravia was the first major state that was predominantly West Slavic to emerge in the area of Central Europe during the 9th century, and Bohemia rose as a duchy within. After the ruling of Svatopluk I (A.D. 870-894), Great Moravia weakened by years of internal conflict and warfare, ultimately collapsing at A.D.907. Meantime, a native monarchy, the Premyslid dynasty, arose from Bohemia to take the throne and ruled the Czech lands for the next several hundred years.
The House of Luxemburg accepted the invitation to the Bohemian throne with the marriage to the Premyslid heiress, Elizabeth and the crowning subsequent of John I of Bohemia in 1310. After the crown was passed to the Luxemburg, nearly all Silesian dukes pledged allegiance to King John. Charles IV, the son of John I, became King of Bohemia in 1346. He was elected the Holy Roman Emperor and brought Bohemia to its peak.
Coats of arms for Bohemia, Moravia, Czech Silesia, and the one for the current Czech Republic.
