Prague

Prague, or Praha (pop. 1,214,200), capital and largest city of the Czech Republic, on the Vlatava River. One of Europe's great historic cities, it became prominent under Emperor Charles IV, who founded the university in central Europe (1348). The Hapsburgs ruled Prague for nearly 300 years, beginning in 1526, until Czechoslovakia's independence after World War I. Prague was invaded by the Nazis in 1939 and by Warsaw Pact countries in 1968. The city has great cultural, commercial, and industrial importance and is the center of the country's manufacturing industries.

See also: Czech Republic.