Difference Between Czech and Slovak

Czech and Slovak
The Czechs and Slovaks were one nation between 1918 and 1992 and went by the name of Czechoslovakia. During the Nazi occupation between 1939 and 1945 the region was partitioned and partly incorporated into Germany. In this period there existed a Czech government in exile, while the Slovak part existed separately.

Though there are a lot of similarities between their languages, the Czechs and the Slovaks speak different tongues, namely Czech and Slovak respectively. The lay of the Czech land is mostly gentle hills with a few flat interludes in the hills along the border. Slovakia on the other hand is flat to the south, and has sheer mountains of the Alpine variety on the north.

Despite many similarities between the two nations, that include many cross community marriages, there are many cultural differences. The Czechs like their beer, while Slovaks go for their slivovice (plum brandy), wine and borovička (gin). Czechs are quite easy going when it comes to religion, being mostly agnostic while most Slovaks are ardent Catholics with a few of them being followers of the orthodox denomination.

The Czechs, were ever so conscious of lost opportunities during their communist past, took to western ways, and did not care much for their eastern neighbor. Slovakia on the other hand under Prime Minister Vladimir Mecair suffered economically, as his regime was not particularly like by Western European powers that banned the entry of Slovakia into the European Union.

Prague one of the great cities of Europe is the capital of the Czech Republic whereas the Slovaks have Bratislava though not as grand a city as the former but very strategically located near that great European river the Danube. Of the two countries the Czechs have very little time for their former compatriots and look solely to the west for inspiration whereas the Slovaks are a little relaxed in their approach and still take an interest in the affairs of their western neighbor.

The important thing to note here is that unlike the turbulent histories of their other European neighbors the Czechs and the Slovaks to their credit tried and to a large extent successfully to exist as a single nation for seventy years, and when the time came to bid each other good bye, they did so in a very orderly, and civilized fashion, with almost no rancor. Today both nations look forward to carving their separate destinies in a way that best satisfies the aspirations of their respective peoples.

Read more about Czech and Slovak culture.

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