Havířov

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Havířov
Part of town square
Part of town square
Flag of Havířov
Flag
Coat of arms of Havířov
Coat of arms
Location of Havířov in the Czech Republic
Location of Havířov in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 49°46′59″N 18°25′22″E / 49.78306, 18.42278
Country Czech Republic
Region Moravian-Silesian
District Karviná
Founded 1955
City parts
Government
 - Mayor František Chobot (ČSSD)
Area
 - Total 32.07 km² (12.4 sq mi)
Elevation 260 m (853 ft)
Population (31 December, 2007)
 - Total 82,768
 - Density 2,580.9/km² (6,684.4/sq mi)
Postal code 736 01
Website: http://www.havirov-city.cz/

Havířov (pronounced [ˈɦaviːr̝of] ; Polish: Hawierzów , Cieszyn Silesian: Hawiyrzów ) is a city in the Karviná District, Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has 82,768 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the region. It is the largest town in the country without a university. Havířov lies in the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia.

Havířov was founded after World War II (thus being the youngest city in today's Czech Republic) as a coal mining town. Havířov officially became a town in 1955. It was built on top of several villages with significant Polish populations. The local people were given apartments in the newly built city, and most of their old houses were demolished to make room for new urban buildings. The majority of the population of Havířov immigrated from other parts of Czechoslovakia, many of them from Slovakia, thus substantially altering the ethnic structure of the area. Today, the original villages are administratively part of the city and mostly lie on the outskirts of urban Havířov.

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