Mesto Hranice
Czech Republic
City of Hranice
Hranice is situated in the central part of Moravia on the territory of the Olomoucký Region. Together with the Zlínský Region it forms the area of Central Moravia – NUTS 2. The Olomoucký Region consists of five districts (one of these districts is Prerov). Hranice intervene in this part of the Olomoucký Region.
Central Moravia consists of two NUTS 3 regions: Olomouc and Zlín. With its area of 9,123 km˛ it is one of the smaller regions but the population here (1,230 thousand) is the third highest in CR The GDP per capita in this NUTS II region is 80% (year 2001) of the national average which makes it the second less developed region. This low score is especially caused by Olomouc which is on the last place among all NUTS 3 regions.
Hranice covers an area of more than 52 km2, including area of integrated villages (the local districts of Velká, Drahotuše, Rybáre, Valšovice, Slavíc, Stredolesí, Lhotka, and Uhrínov). According to the statistic data from 31.12. 2006, 19 482 inhabitants live in Hranice.
The town of Hranice lies in the Moravian Gate Valley mainly on the right bank of the river Becva, about 260 m above sea level. This part of Moravian Gate, which Hranice lies in, is called „Becavská brána“ (Becva Gate). It is wedged between Odra hills and Podbeskydy hills (Maleník). Becva Gate is a flat, hilly country with the elevation from 205 m to 366 m above sea level. Hranice belongs to the towns with a very interesting environment. The town was founded in the raised field country between the streams Ludina and Velicka. This is also the fact, why the town dominates in all surroundings. Geological characteristic resulted in the fact, that as a raw-material base there are important deposits of high-quality limestones here. Nature reservation Húrka, Velká Kobylanka, Malá Kobylanka, Nad Kostelíckem can be found in the south part of the town. Hranice is an important communicative point of junction. There is a main network of motorways and railways going from Prerov to Ostrava with an important branchline to Valašské Mezirící, Beskydy, Vsetín and to Slovakia. The neighbourhood of Teplice nad Becvou Spa is very important for public position of the town.
Hranice is a modern town in which residents work in modern industrial plants and in developing services and can spend their free time pleasantly.
Hranice has a long tradition of industrial production and the manufacturing of pumps and building materials. The town has 5 secondary schools and one university, which has studies in the field of forestry. The secondary schools include a medical care school, forestry school, industrial trade school, and a private trade school.
The Olomoucký Region
The Olomoucký Region is located in the central part of Moravia and extends also to its northern part. As for the territory administration it forms together with the Zlínský Region the area of Central Moravia (NUTS 2). It consists of five districts (Jeseník, Olomouc, Prostejov, Prerov and Šumperk). On the territory of the Olomoucký Region the following were established: 13 administrative districts of municipalities with extended competence and 19 administrative districts of municipalities with commissioned local authority. The Olomoucký Region borders in the north with Poland (the border is 104 km long), in the east it borders with the Moravskoslezský Region, in the south with the Zlínský Region and Jihomoravský Region and in the west with the Pardubický Region.
As at 31 December 2004, the total area of the Region amounted to 5,158.92 sq km (i.e. 6.5% of the entire area of the Czech Republic). The share of arable land is decreasing every year (40.4%) and that of non-agricultural land is increasing (46.5%).
Population of the Olomoucký Region lives in 394 municipalities of which 26 have a status of town. In these towns, 57.6% of population live. The statutory town is the Olomouc regional city, which had as at 31 December 2004 100,752 inhabitants. Most municipalities (90.0%) are connected to the public water supply, one third of the municipalities (40.6%) have a sewerage connected to the sewerage plant. Gas is supplied to 87.6% of municipalities. What still remains unsolved is the anti-floods protection so that the situation from 1997 cannot repeat (in that year Moravia suffered from devastating floods). Values of specific emissions do not reach the average values of the CR, so the environment can be marked as the less damaged. Mountain areas and foothills have excellent air quality and are important sources of drinking water.
Since 1994 the population of the Olomoucký Region has been decreasing due to a low number of births (5,913 in 2004) and higher number of deaths (6,357 in 2004) and also by more people moving out (5,030 in 2004)than in (4,287 in 2004). As at 31 December 2004, the population of the Region totalled 635,126 inhabitants, i.e. 6.2% of the Czech Republic's population. With the number of inhabitants per square kilometre (123.1) the Region is close to the national average (129.6 persons per sq km). There are, of course, differences within the Region: the lowest population density is in the Jeseník District (58.4 persons per sq km) and Šumperk District (95.2 persons per sq km). The same as in the entire CR also in the Olomoucký Region the following tendencies can be observed: during the past few years the number of children aged 0-14 was decreasing (15.1% from the total number of population as at 31 December 2004), while number of population aged 65+ is increasing (14.0% from total population as at 31 December 2004); thus, the average age of population is increasing (39.6 years as at 31 December 2004). Also average age of grooms is increasing (28.7 years in 2002) as well as of brides (26.2 years in 2004) at first marriage and number of marriages is decreasing (2,936 in 2004), while number of divorces is increasing (1,969 in 2004). Increasing is also number of children born out of marriage (30.1% in 2004) and more than a half of deaths (51.4% in 2004) are caused by diseases of circulatory system.
The Czech Statistical Office has been carrying out labour force sample surveys already for many years in the households of respondents. According to this survey, which complies with definitions and recommendations of the International Labour Organisation, the Olomoucký Region had in 2004 in total 312.6 thousand economically active population aged 15+, of which 275.0 thousand were employed and 37.6 thousand unemployed. Namely due to the different survey methodology, the general unemployment rate (ILO) was 12.0%. It was higher than the registered unemployment rate as at 31 December 2004, which reached 11.7% according to the register of labour offices. However, these unemployment rates place the Olomoucký Region together with Ústecký Region and Moravskoslezský Region among regions with the highest unemployment rate in the Czech Republic.
The average monthly wage of employees in businesses that have their seat in the Olomoucký Region and more than 20 employees reached 15,448 CZK per natural person in 2004, while in the Jeseník District the average monthly wage (13,860 CZK per natural person) was the lowest of all districts. Total value of social benefits paid in the Region in 2004 reached 2,472 million CZK (6.7% of total amount drawn from accounts of state social benefit for the entire CR). 163,584 people were receiving pensions in December 2004; the average pension was 6,980 CZK. In the Olomoucký Region 222,843 persons were the sickness insured in 2004 and 1,642.5 million CZK was paid at sickness insurance benefits. Number of new cases of incapacity for work was 145,182; every year the average time of lasting of an individual case of incapacity for work is increasing (35.9 days in 2004). In 2004 in the Olomoucký Region patients were taken care about in 10 hospitals, 13 specialized therapeutic institutions and other health establishments by 2,541 physicians and 6,412 paramedical workers. Care of patients of the top quality level is provided most of all in the teaching hospital in Olomouc, which is equipped with the most modern medical technology and has a large scientific and training background. Health care is provided also in many spa establishments that are placed all over the region, well known are, for example, spas in Jeseník, Velké Losiny, Teplice nad Becvou, Slatinice, Skalka, etc. The network of school establishments consists of 353 nursery schools, 279 basic schools, 20 grammar schools, 48 secondary technical schools, 41 secondary vocational schools, 7 higher schools. The second oldest university in the Czech Republic - the Palacký University (Univerzita Palackého) is the centre of education. Over 16,000 students study at its faculties of natural sciences, pedagogy, medicine, philosophy, law, theology and sports.
As for economy, the Olomoucký Region is an industrial area with developed services. Economy of the districts of Haná is more stable and diverse enough, however, the Jeseník District and northern part of the Šumperk District due to their position, transport accessibility and disturbance of social and economic life after the Second World War (displacement of German population) belongs to economically weaker regions. The gross domestic product of the Olomoucký Region amounted to 4.9% of the total GDP of the CR in 2004, which is only 78.0% per capita of the national average, i.e. the worst position among all the regions.
Southern and central parts of the region belong to areas with the most fertile land. Crop yields - barley, wheat, rape and industrial sugar beet - reach the highest amounts of the entire CR. Unfavourable weather during the last years as well as unsuitable economic conditions for entities dealing with agriculture cause an every year decrease of the number of employees in agriculture and their average wages also belong to the lowest among individual branches. In 2004, agricultural and forestry businesses with 20+ employees had 9,441 employees and their average wage was 12,964 CZK.
Many traditional industrial enterprises are doing their business in the Olomoucký Region. Agricultural production is followed by many food enterprises; developed are textile and clothing industry, manufacture of machinery, optics and optic equipment and many others. In 2004, 156 industrial enterprises with 100 and more employees had their seat in the Olomoucký Region. These enterprises employed 52,406 employees with the average wage of 15,793 CZK and their sales of own goods and services incidental to industry reached 89,612 million CZK.
In 2004, 122 construction enterprises with 20+ employees had their seat in the Olomoucký Region; they employed 8,894 employees with an average monthly wage of 18,192 CZK. Performance value of these enterprises from construction activity made according to supply contracts reached 14,597 million CZK. In 2004, construction of 1,811 new flats started; people rather modernise the current dwelling stock (in 2004 modernisation was completed in 2,793 flats). Related to that is also a decrease of the number of issued construction permits (8,488 in 2004).
The statistical Business register had over 129 thousand businesses, organisations and entrepreneurs in the end of 2004. Most of them were private entrepreneurs registered according to the trade law (74.9%) and business companies (6.5%).
Transport accessibility of the Region is provided by 750 km of railways and 3,556 km of roads, of which only 12.0% are firsts class roads. Important rail junctions are in Olomouc and Prerov; dense railway network is spread equally all over the Region´s territory. Road network is, of course, denser in the southern flat part of the Region. Near to the city of Olomouc there is an airport for small airliners, which obtained status of an international airport.
In the Region, 15,352 crimes were committed, of which 7,795 were solved. In 2004, 9,949 road accidents took place, in which 84 people died and 1,826 were injured; 6 people died and 45 were injured in 1,114 fires.
The Olomoucký Region belongs to regions with the smallest number of accommodation establishments. As at 31 December 2004 accommodation services were provided in 344 collective accommodation establishments, which are placed primarily in the Jeseník District and the Šumperk District that are most visited by tourists. The Region offers many establishments to entertain tourists. In addition to many natural beauties there is also a lot of historical monuments such as castles (Bouzov, Helfštýn, Šternberk) and chateaux (Úsov, Tovacov, Velké Losiny, Jánský vrch, Námešt in the Haná area), tens of museums and galleries. Most visited is mainly the regional city of Olomouc with the second largest urban conservation area, which preserves a large set of buildings that are important for their historical, architectonic or artistic value and are located on a preserved medieval pattern of the town. The most important monument in Olomouc is a baroque Column of the Holy Trinity on the central square, which joined the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000. Olomouc has also many churches and in the parks flower and plants exhibitions take place (Flora Olomouc - International Flower Exhibition). Near to Olomouc there is a well-known Pilgrimage Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary (Basilica Minor) on Svatý Kopecek (The Holy Hill) and a zoological garden, which participates within the European salvage programme in salvage of many endangered species of animals. One of the most picturesque ethnographic areas in the CR is Haná with its characteristic costumes, dialects, dances and songs. Tens of ethnographical and dance groups take care of preservation of folkways at Haná; folklore shows and festivals are organised in Námešt, Prostejov, Kojetín and other places of the Region. In the Olomoucký Region there are also many opportunities to go in for sports. Already 1,500 km of cycle tracks were marked; they are connected to two international long-distance cycle tracks - the Jantarová (Amber) cycle track (which connects Vienna, Brno, Ostrava and Krakov) and the Moravian cycle track (connecting Bratislava, Uherské Hradište, Jeseník and Wroclav). For water sports many modern swimming pools, natural open-air pools and a dam in Plumlov can be used. In the towns of Prostejov and Prerov one can find well-known tennis centres. Fitness, aerobic and riding centres are placed all over the Region; many places for bowling and squash are emerging. Many visitors are attracted to see special quality hill-climb racers at Ecce Homo in Šternberk. Football and ice hockey matches can be seen at well-equipped playgrounds and winter stadiums that visitors can find all over the Region. For winter sports many downhill courses and pistes are prepared in the Jeseníky mountains in the following well-known areas: Cervenohorské sedlo, Petríkov, Ostružná, Ramzová and many others. Many tourists visit Jeseníky for its beautiful nature also in other seasons.
The Olomoucký Region is a region with rich history, varied and colourful nature, many cultural, sports and recreational opportunities. The Region's economy focuses on traditional agriculture, processing industry and services. Conditions for further development of the Region are its suitable position, transport accessibility, developed infrastructure, enough qualified labour force and entry of foreign investors. Many long-term strategic plans being realised, the economic situation of the Olomoucký Region gradually improves and the growing tendency is to continue also in the following years.
Partner contact details
Olga Trckova
euromanažer, koncepcní analytik
+420 581 828 208
olga.trckova@mesto-hranice.cz
Lucie Humplíková
humpla.l@seznam.cz
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