Geographical Position, Territorial Division, Population

From the geographical point of view, the Region has a relatively advantageous position. This ensues from its location on the historical junction between the south and the north of Europe. Within the European Union, its neighbours are Austria and Slovakia. The South Moravian Region, together with the Vysočina Region, forms a territorial unit known as NUTS 2 - South-East.

With its surface of 7 196 km2 and a population of 1 140 534 it ranks fourth in size among the Czech Republic’s regions.

The South Moravian Region is defined by the districts (according to the EU single hierarchical classification by local administrative units LAU 1) of Blansko, Brno-City, Brno-Country, Břeclav, Hodonín, Vyškov and Znojmo and is divided into 21 administrative districts with enlarged competence comprising 673 communities, 49 of which are towns. Brno, the Region’s capital, is Moravia’s largest city and the second largest city in the Czech Republic. One-third of the Region’s population lives in Brno, which unequivocally surpasses all other cities of the Region in terms of its economic importance, and its significance goes far beyond the Region’s boundaries. (www.brno.cz).

Economic Characteristics

Altogether 275 industrial enterprises with over 100 employees were based in the South Moravian Region in 2007. This figure places the South Moravian Region at the top of all the country’s regions. Nearly 95% of the enterprises operated in the manufacturing industry. In 2007, the revenues of industrial enterprises derived from the sale of their own products and services exceeded the EUR 7.5 billion margin, which is 25.8% more than in the previous year.

Among the sectors, the highest increase in revenues was shown by enterprises concerned with the manufacture of electrical and optical devices, whose revenues grew by 80.7%, followed by enterprises making other non-metallic mineral products, where revenues were up by 69.0%.

The highest share (53.6%) of the Region’s total exports in 2007 was accounted for by the export of machines and transport equipment, followed by the export of semi-finished products and materials (21.1%). In 2007, the South Moravian Region had a 7% share of the Czech Republic’s total exports and ranked 5th among the country’s 14 regions.

The Manufacturing Industry Dominates

For many years, the structure of industry in the Region was characterised by the dominance of mechanical and electrical engineering and electronics, with centres in Brno and Blansko. Currently, the dominant position in the Region’s economy is held by the manufacturing industry, which accounted for 24.1% of the Region’s gross added value, with agriculture and other traditional sectors, especially in the Region’s southern areas, accounting for a mere 3%. Construction, a developing sector in the Region, had a 7.8-per cent share and trade, the repair of consumer goods a share of 14.3%, with commercial services accounting for 15.3%.

Of the total number of 269 366 registered economically active entities, 13.8% operated in industry, 11.5% in construction, while 25.7% were involved in trading and the repair of motor vehicles and 21% in the real estate business. Only 6.3% of economic entities operated in agriculture and forestry. In spite of this, farming in the Region is a highly productive economic activity.

Agriculture

Very favourable conditions for intensive farming exist in the southern parts of the Region. Farmland accounts for more than 60% of the Region’s total area, 83% of which is arable land. The highest proportions of arable land are to be found in the districts of Znojmo and Brno-Country. The main crops in the Region are cereals, rape and sugar beet. The extremely good natural conditions make it possible for farmers to carry on the long tradition of specialised farming production linked to the Region’s specific features, mainly winegrowing and fruit and vegetable growing. 90% of the country’s vineyards are to be found in the Region. Winegrowing is especially flourishing in the Břeclav district, which accounts for 48% of the winegrowing surface in the Czech Republic, followed by the districts of Hodonín, Znojmo and partly also Brno-Country. In animal production, the South Moravian Region holds a leading position in pig rearing and poultry production.

Micro-Regions

To meet the requirements and interests of the Region’s communities, co-operation is continuing in the micro-regions, voluntary groupings of districts, which help realise the Region’s development programmes.

In recent years, cross-border co-operation has been developing in the framework of the Pomoraví Euroregion, which associates the regions of Weinviertel (Lower Austria), South Moravia and West Slovakia (www.euregio-weinviertel.org).

The intensifying linkage of those regions creates prerequisites for the establishment of regional manufacturing networks. Good co-operation exists mainly in the area of metalworking and woodworking, supplies for the car industry and environmental facilities. Increasingly noteworthy is the co-operation in farming with the associated agro-industry and food industry sectors.

Transport

As regards transport, the South Moravian Region plays an important transit role. The skeleton of the transport system is formed by the D-1 and D-2 motorways and the R-43 and R-52 fast highways. The city of Brno is an important transport junction for road, motorway and railway transport and the South Moravian Integrated Transport System. The Brno-Tuřany civilian airport can receive all types of aircraft all the year round (www.airport-brno.cz). Two main railway corridors connecting EU states pass through the region, and Brno is a member of the Association of European Cities interested in the construction of a fast railway.

Education

The South Moravian Region has extremely good conditions for the development of science and research thanks to the large number of university students and the very good rating of its universities. This fact has been confirmed by companies (e.g. Bio Vendor, Honeywell, FEI, IMI Norgren, MMM Group, Pliva, Tescan, Grisoft, NESS Technologies, Siemens) which have set up their Research and Development centres in Brno.

A favourable feature is the Region’s adequate network of pre-school facilities and schools. The aim of the secondary-level and apprentice training school system is to link the supply of secondary-school graduates with the demand of the labour market. Institutions of higher learning add to the high standard of education in the Region. 11.7% of university students in the Czech Republic study at the Region’s universities. An important institute is the Military Academy with departments in Brno and Vyškov, which have the use of large training grounds and a modern infrastructure (www.unob.cz).

Culture

Brno is an important cultural centre of the entire South Moravian Region, with 14 theatres, 6 cinemas, 17 museums and 41 art galleries. Besides the Museum of the City of Brno, which is housed in Špilberk Castle, there is the Moravian Land Museum, the Technical Museum, the Museum of Romani Culture, the Arts and Crafts Museum and other museums. The centre of the Region’s musical life is Besední dům, the seat of the Brno State Philharmonic Orchestra, with the most beautiful neo-Renaissance hall in Brno. Brno’s new Musical Theatre, part of the Brno City Theatre, attracts audiences from far and wide, not only from the Region itself.

Tourism

From the international tourism point of view, the Region boasts exquisite landscape and historical areas, such as the Lednice-Valtice complex, one of the Czech Republic’s monuments entered in the UNESCO world heritage list (www.zamky-hrady.cz), the Moravian Karst and the Austerlitz battlefield (www.slapanice.cz). Brno, with its cultural monuments, holds a similar position. A natural attraction is the Dyje Valley National Park (www.nppodyji.cz). Visitors have the opportunity of attending various cultural events, which fact is very important for the development of tourism. From this point of view, an attraction of the Region is wine tourism highlighted by the Region’s folk culture and its folklore traditions. Visitors to South Moravia can explore the countryside by bike, using the cycle trails in the Region, even in the international context (Moravian-Silesian long-distance cycle trail, Greenways, the Amber Trail, the Brno-Vienna cycle trail).

Krajský úřad Jihomoravského kraje

(Regional Office of the South Moravian Region)

Žerotínovo nám. 3/5

601 82 Brno - CZ

Phone: +420 541 651 111

Fax: +420 541 651 209

E-mail: podatelna@kr-jihomoravsky.cz

www.kr-jihomoravsky.cz