Svitavy District

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Svitavy District
Okres Svitavy
District
Saint George's church, Pomezí, Svitavy District
District location in the Pardubice Region within the Czech Republic
Country  Czech Republic
Region Pardubice Region
Capital Svitavy
Area
  Total 532.26 sq mi (1,378.56 km2)
Population (2007)
  Total 104,557
  Density 200/sq mi (76/km2)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
  Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)

Svitavy District (Czech: Okres Svitavy) is a district (Czech: okres) within Pardubice Region (Czech: Pardubický kraj) of the Czech Republic. Its capital is town Svitavy. As a part of Pardubice Region the district has borders with Ústí nad Orlicí District to the north and Chrudim District to the west. The district was administratively formed in 1960, when former districts of Litomyšl, Moravská Třebová, Polička a Svitavy were merged.

Svitavy District incorporates parts of historical regions of Bohemia and Moravia. From total of 116 municipalities, 44 municipalities (including the district's capital) are situated in Moravia. As of 1 January 2007 48,864 inhabitants lived in the Moravian part of the district. The Bohemian part counted 67 municipalities with 50,885 inhabitants. Five municipalities (BrněnecBřezová nad SvitavouKamenná HorkaKarle and Radiměř altogether having 4,837 inhabitants) lie in Bohemia as well as Moravia.

Geography

With the total area of 1,379 km² it is the largest district of Pardubice Region. From the total area of the district, agricultural land occupies 835.1 km² (arable land 628,8 km², permanent pastures 171.3 km² and water bodies 10.8 km²). Forests take 31.3% of district's area.

The district is divided into drainage basins of Elbe (Czech: Labe) and Danube (Czech: Dunaj). The main rivers in the district are Svitava (central part of the district), Svratka (south-eastern part), Třebůvka (eastern part), Třebovka and Loučná (both in the north-western part). The former three rivers make part of Danube basin while the latter two of the Elbe baisin. The largest water body in Svitavy District is the pond Hvězda with the area of 82ha.[1]

Demography

As of 31 December 2012, the district had 104,971 inhabitants from which 53,120 were women and 51,851 were men. The average age was 40.9 years. 15.3% of inhabitants were 14 years or younger, while 16.5% were 65 years or older. The district's workforce counted 53,955 people.[2]

Climate

The district has a continental climate which is characterized by important variations in temperature in the course of the year. There are slight variations between the climate in various parts of the district. The northwestern and southeastern part of the district has an average tempretaure of 7 °C and precipitation up to 600 mm in a year. The central part of the district is slightly cooler and more humid with an average temperature of 6 °C and precipitation of 700 mm.Even cooler and more humid is the southeastern part of the district.[3]

Economy

The economy of the district is oriented on agriculture and manufacturing. The share of agriculture on the district's employment has been steadily decreasing but it is still higher than in other districts of Pardubice region. The agriculture mainly produces cereals and rapeseed.

The structure of manufacturing in Svitavy district is relatively varied. The main volume of production is realized by food and textile manufacturing. However, the importance of textile manufacturing is decreasing in the long term. Glass fiber production, metalworking and mechanical engineering are other important branches.

The district has been suffering from the highest unemployment rate in the Pardubice region, reaching 8.6% in the end of 2012.

Places of interest

  • Hřebeč mining paths and museums
  • Litomyšl with its chateau complex which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Renaissance historical core of Moravská Třebová
  • Polička with its town walls
  • Svojanov castle
  • Toulovcovy Maštale, nature reserve with a labyrinth of sandstone rocks
  • Protected Landscape Area Žďárské vrchy

Photo Gallery

References

  1. Časová řada vybraných ukazatelů za okres Svitavy (2000 - 2012), available online at http://www.czso.cz/xe/redakce.nsf/i/okres_svitavy
  2. Časová řada vybraných ukazatelů za okres Svitavy (2000 - 2012), available online at http://www.czso.cz/xe/redakce.nsf/i/okres_svitavy
  3. Časová řada vybraných ukazatelů za okres Svitavy (2000 - 2012), available online at http://www.czso.cz/xe/redakce.nsf/i/okres_svitavy

External links

Coordinates: 49°45′21″N 16°28′10″E / 49.75583°N 16.46944°E / 49.75583; 16.46944

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