Jiri Błażek

Abstract

The article identifies the main factors and trends to regional development in the Czech Republic during the pre-accession period. The scale of regional disparities within the Czech Re-public is compared with those of other EU countries. The paper starts with a brief elaboration of the basic trends to regional development since the collapse of communism, then proceeds to an identification of the main factors underpinning regional development, an analysis of basic trends to regional disparities, an examination of regional disparities in the European context and an outlining of likely trends to future regional development.

Keywords: regional disparities, factors of regional development, unemployment, wages, foreign investments, location of headquarters of largest firms

Jiri Błażek, Department of Social Geography and Regional Development, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Albertov 6, 128 43 PRAHA 2, Czech Republic,