Prague, Czech Republic
Prague is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its larger urban zone is estimated to have a population of 2.2 million.
Prague has been a political, cultural and economic centre of central Europe complete with a rich history.
Prague's economy accounts for 25% of the Czech GDP. The city is the site of the European headquarters of many international companies.
Since 1990, the city's economic structure has shifted from industrial to service-oriented. Industry is present in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, printing, food processing, manufacture of transport equipment, computer technology and electrical engineering. The modern economy of Prague is largely service and export-based and, in a 2010 survey, the city was named the best city in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) for business.
Services account for around 80 percent of employment. In the service sector, financial and commercial services, trade, restaurants, hospitality and public administration are the most significant.
Almost one-half of the national income from tourism is spent in Prague. Nicknamed “the City of a Hundred Spires,” it's known for its Old Town Square, the heart of its historic core, with colorful baroque buildings, Gothic churches and the medieval Astronomical Clock, which gives an animated hourly show. Completed in 1402, pedestrian Charles Bridge is lined with statues of Catholic saints.
Sources: