Prague: The Undisputed Primate City of the Czech Republic

Nestled in the heart of Central Europe, the Czech Republic is a landlocked nation bordered by Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Poland. With a population of 10.5 million and an area of 78,866 square kilometers, it boasts a single, overwhelmingly dominant urban center: Prague. As the capital and largest city, Prague is the country's primate city—a term geographers use when the leading city is at least twice as large as the next biggest and dominates culturally, economically, and politically.

Prague's 1.3 million residents dwarf Brno (380,000) and Ostrava (280,000). The city generates roughly 25% of national GDP, hosts the top universities, and serves as the seat of government. Its historic core, a UNESCO World Heritage site, draws millions of tourists annually. This concentration mirrors the country's history: since the 9th century, Prague has been the political and cultural nucleus of Bohemian, Habsburg, Czechoslovak, and now Czech statehood.