Moravia-Silesia Region - Moravskoslezský kraj
Ostrava with about one quarter of population of the whole region is the administrative centre of Moravia-Silesia (www.kraj-moravskoslezsky.cz). This region has the largest population of all region on the CR. The density of population in the region is rather unbalanced; on one hand there are places with large concentrations of inhabitants (Ostrava, Karviná) but on the other hand, other places are almost deserted (Bruntál). Moravia-Silesia Region lies in the northeast of the Czech Republic and shares most of its borders with Poland, further with the Slovak Republic, Olomouc and Zlín Regions. The region is composed of 6 districts - Bruntál, Frýdek-Místek, Karviná, Nový Jičín, Opava and Ostrava.
The landscape in Moravia-Silesia Region is mainly mountainous with Hrubý and Nízký Jeseník, and Moravskoslezské Beskydy mountains. In its central part, Ostrava Basin is located.
The region is rich especially in good-quality bituminous coal, the deposits of which reach out even to Beskydy foothills. Good quality limestone and gypsum are also available, together with smaller natural gas wells.
Industry has a dominant position in regional economy. The shares of coal mining, power and metallurgical industries are still significant although they are in decline and have been restructured. Chemical, pharmaceutical and foodstuff industries are also important.
Agriculture does well only in lower altitudes where cereals are grown. Pasturage is important.
With a view to the environment, the region is among the most polluted. There are problems with soil contamination and environmental liabilities caused by extraction and the related subsidence of land. Although the quality of the air has improved, the area of bituminous coal fields is still rather polluted. Contrary to that, the Beskydy and Jeseníky mountainous areas are, thanks to their low population density, visited by large numbers of tourist.
In the Moravia-Silesia region, there is the Poodří protected landscape area and a major part of the Beskydy protected landscape area. The region avails of numerous architectural monuments including castles, chateaus and urban conservation areas. The open-air museum in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm is a frequently visited tourist attraction. In the area of Jeseníky there are also spas such as Karlova Studánka and Darkov.
With a view to tourism, the whole area of Moravia-Silesia Region belongs to the North Moravia and Silesia tourist marketing region.
Thanks to the location of Moravia-Silesia region, many municipalities are involved in cross-border cooperation through Euroregions. They include Praděd Euroregion (Bruntál district), Silesia Euroregion (Opava district), Těšínské Slezsko Euroregion (Karviná and Frýdek-Místek districts) and Beskydy Euroregion (Frýdek-Místek district).
