Czechia or Czech Republic? Key Facts, Name and Pronunciation

Czechia is the official short name of the Czech Republic, a country in Central Europe. Its capital is Prague, it had 10.904 million inhabitants on 30 June 2026 and covers 78,871 km². Czechia has been in NATO since 12 March 1999 and in the EU since 1 May 2004, pays in Czech koruna (CZK) rather than euros, and borders Germany, Poland, Austria and Slovakia. The government approved the short name in 2016; "Czech Republic" remains the formal name, and both are correct. Around Prague checked the figures and dates against the Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ), the Czech Foreign Ministry, the EU, NATO and UN name databases on 30 October 2026.

Czechia at a glance

Fact	Czechia
Formal name	the Czech Republic (Česká republika)
Short name	Czechia (Česko)
Independent since	1 January 1993, after the split of Czechoslovakia
Capital	Prague, 1,409,528 inhabitants (30 June 2026)
Population	10.904 million (30 June 2026, preliminary ČSÚ data)
Area	78,871 km²
Historical lands	Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia
Official language	Czech
Currency	Czech koruna (CZK)
EU / Schengen / NATO	since 1 May 2004 / 21 December 2007 / 12 March 1999
Neighbours	Germany, Poland, Austria, Slovakia
Country codes	CZ, CZE

Czechia or Czech Republic: what is the difference?

There is no difference in meaning: both name the same state. "The Czech Republic" is the formal name, like "the French Republic" for France; "Czechia" is the short geographical name, like "France". The Czech short form Česko was standardised together with its translations, including Czechia, by the Czech Office for Surveying, Mapping and Cadastre back in 1993. For more than twenty years, however, the foreign-language forms were missing from international name databases.

Mid-April 2016: the country's top constitutional officials back Czechia as the English short name.
2 May 2016: the government approves resolution No. 403 to enter Czechia and other language versions in UN databases.
1 July 2016: according to the UK naming committee PCGN, Czechia enters the UN terminology database UNTERM; it is also listed by UNGEGN, the UN experts on geographical names.
Afterwards: Czechia is added to EU, NATO, OSCE and OECD databases.

Why not simply "Bohemia"? Bohemia (Čechy) is only the western part of the country; Moravia and Czech Silesia lie to the east. According to PCGN, during the split of Czechoslovakia some also felt that Czechia sounded too close to "Cheka", the early Soviet secret police.

When to use Czechia and when the Czech Republic

The Czech Foreign Ministry's rule is simple: use Czechia wherever the formal name is not required.

Czech Republic: international treaties and official documents in which other states also use their formal names.
Czechia: lists of member states, maps, culture, science, tourism, business, trade fairs, the media and social media.
Sport: short names are the norm. Czech sports federations and the Czech Olympic Committee have adopted Czechia.
International bodies: NATO and the EU's official website call the country Czechia, and the UK's PCGN recommends Czechia as the country name.
When unsure: do what most EU countries do. If they use their short names, use Czechia.

Private companies may use the short name in their own promotional materials, and the ministry recommends it for trade fairs and destination marketing.

How to pronounce Czechia

Say CHEK-ee-uh, [tʃɛkiə] in phonetic notation. The "Cz" is pronounced like "ch" in "check", not like "ts" or "k". In Czech the letter č sounds the same, so Česko is pronounced CHES-ko. More in our guide to the Czech alphabet.

Czechia is not Chechnya

Chechnya is a republic of the Russian Federation in the North Caucasus. The two names sound similar in English, and the mix-up happens regularly. In April 2013, after the Boston Marathon bombing, social media users wrongly linked the suspects to the Czech Republic, and on 19 April 2013 the Czech ambassador in Washington, Petr Gandalovič, issued a statement stressing that the two are very different places. In 2016 the regional development minister Karla Šlechtová also argued against Czechia, citing the risk of confusion with Chechnya.

The name in other languages

Language	Short name	Formal name
Czech	Česko	Česká republika
English	Czechia	the Czech Republic
German	Tschechien	Tschechische Republik
Russian	Чехия	Чешская Республика
Ukrainian	Чехія	Чеська Республіка
French	Tchéquie	la République tchèque
Spanish	Chequia	la República Checa

In German, avoid the older word "Tschechei": the Czech Foreign Ministry notes it is seen as loaded because Nazi propaganda used it. "Tschechien" was recommended by a Czech state commission after 1993, with support from German and Austrian linguists.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Is Czechia the same as the Czech Republic?

Yes. Czechia is the short name and the Czech Republic the formal name of the same country, independent since 1 January 1993.

Where is Czechia?

In Central Europe, between Germany, Poland, Austria and Slovakia. The capital is Prague.

Is Czechia in the EU?

Yes, since 1 May 2004. It joined the Schengen area on 21 December 2007 and NATO on 12 March 1999.

What currency does Czechia use?

The Czech koruna (CZK), not the euro. Tips on rates are in our guide to currency exchange in Czechia.

How do you pronounce Czechia?

CHEK-ee-uh, with "Cz" sounding like "ch" in "check".

Is Czechia part of Russia or the same as Chechnya?

No. Czechia is an EU and NATO member in Central Europe; Chechnya is a republic of the Russian Federation in the North Caucasus.

Sources: ČSÚ: population in H1 2026, ČSÚ: Prague, Czech Foreign Ministry: Czechia, Czechia vs. Czech Republic, European Union: Czechia, NATO, UNGEGN country names, PCGN information paper, Radio Prague International, 2016, Czech Embassy in Washington, 2013, Czech Embassy in Bern on "Tschechien", basic facts (Czech Foreign Ministry). Checked on 30 October 2026.

Photo: Charles Bridge and Prague Castle. Moyan Brenn, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.

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