Jihočeský

▪ region, Czech Republic

also called  Jižní Čechy , English  Southern Bohemia 

      kraj (region), southern Czech Republic. It is bordered on the north by Středočeský and Východočesky kraje, on the east by Jihomoravský kraj, on the south by Austria, on the southwest by Germany, and on the west by Západočeský kraj. The Šumava Mountains dominate the southern part of the region, while the remainder consists of the Středočeská Pahorkatina, a broad, hilly plateau cut by the valleys of the northward-flowing Vltava (Moldau) River and its tributaries.

      Agriculture and forestry each account for slightly more than one-third of land use. The main crops raised are corn (maize) for animal fodder, hay, potatoes, flax, oats, barley, wheat, clover, and rye; apples, plums, cherries, pears, and walnuts are also grown. Pigs, cattle, and poultry are the primary livestock reared. Dairying accounts for about two-fifths of the cattle and is concentrated around České Budějovice, the capital, as well as around Strakonice, Protivín, and Český Krumlov.

      About four percent of Jihočeský kraj's area is water, and fish-farming is an important industry. Most of the lakes, some natural, some man-made, are found in the southern highlands along the Lužnice and Vltava rivers. The fishing industry is centred at Třeboň on the Lužnice River and dates back to the Middle Ages. The Rožmberk fishpond (built 1584–90 and covering 1,790 acres [724 hectares]) is known for carp and is still impounded behind its original oaken dam, which measures 8,530 feet (2,600 m) long, 262 feet (80 m) wide, and 39 feet (12 m) high. Modern dams with their reservoirs have enlarged the industry; the Lipno Dam on the Vltava, in the Šumava Mountains, impounds a 12,350-acre (5,000-hectare) reservoir, provides hydroelectric energy, and helps regulate water levels on the Vltava for navigation and in the fishponds as well. The reservoir of the Orlík Dam in Středočeský kraj covers 80,640 acres (32,635 hectares), mostly in Jihočeský kraj. There are additional dams on the Blanice River at Husinec and on the Malše River at Římov.

      Forests consist mainly of fir, spruce, pine, oak, beech, and some maple and ash; they occur mainly in the southern mountain and lake district and in the valleys of the Vltava and the Lužnice rivers. The main lumbering and paper-milling centres are: České Budějovice, Větřní, Loučovice, Pízek, Tábor, Soběslav, Pelhřimov, Lišov, and Suchdol nad Lužnicí.

      The kraj's relatively few mineral resources include graphite, mined at Vyšný-Lazec, Domoradice, Koloděje, and Bližná; peat, extracted at Lenora, Třebon, Příbraz, and along the Lužnice River; limestone, quarried at Český Krumlov and Chýnov; asbestos at Borovany; feldspar at Pisek and Halamky; and brick and fire-retardant clays, extracted along the riverbanks.

      České Budějovice is the kraj's chief industrial centre; it has steelworks and electronics, transport-equipment, furniture, pencil, and food-processing plants, as well as several breweries. After Plzeň it is the Czech Republic's second-best-known beer centre; České Budějovice is where Budvar-style beer (German: Budweiser) originated. In the industrial area of Tábor-Sezimovo Ústí-Planá and Lužnicí are chemical, metalworking, transport-vehicle, electronics, paper, clothing, and food-processing plants. Other larger centres are Písek, which manufactures machinery, textiles, and musical instruments; Strakonice, producing motorcyles, machinery, and clothing; and Vimperk, with glassworks, lumber, and textile plants.

      Tourism is concentrated on water sports, particularly on the reservoir lakes behind the Lipno and Orlík dams, and the Svět fishpond; on boat tours along the Vltava and Lužnice rivers; and on tours of numerous towns and memorials of the Hussite religious reform movement, which arose in this region. Husinec, 4 miles (6 km) north of Prachatice, is Jan Hus's birthplace (July 6, 1369), and parts of his house serve as a memorial museum. Tábor, the seat of the Hussite movement (1420), is the site of the Museum of the Hussite Revolutionary Movement; another museum in Kotnov Castle is devoted to Tábor's history. Trocnov, 19 miles (31 km) southeast of České Budějovice, is the birthplace of Jan Žižka, the charismatic military leader of the Hussite army. Chelčice is the birthplace of Petr Chelčický, the founder of the Bohemian Brotherhood in the 15th century; nearby Vodňany is the site of the School of Fishery.

       České Budějovice is the region's cultural centre. It contains the Museum of South Bohemia, the State Scientific Library, and a teacher-training college; it is also a city under National Trust, with many buildings of the Hussite period. Hluboká nad Vltavou, 6 miles (10 km) northwest of České Budějovice, is the site of the Aleš South Bohemian Gallery, exhibiting Gothic and Baroque art. Bechyně is the location of the School of Ceramics and is noted for its spa with mud baths. Písek also is a health resort and contains a local municipal museum.

      The districts south and west of České Budějovice contain between 2 and 3 percent Slovak population and a small minority of Germans. Area 4,380 square miles (11,345 square km). Pop. (1991 prelim.) 697,334.

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