The Region lies in the north-east of the Czech Republic being one of its most marginal parts. In the north and in the east it borders with Polish voivodeships (the Silesian and Opole voivodeships), in the south-east with the Žilina Region of Slovakia. Within the regional arrangement of the CR it is lined by the Olomoucký Region and in the south it touches the Zlínský Region. Since the Region creates the state borders, it can effectively co-operate in the area of output, development of infrastructure, protection of the environment, cultural and education activity and, most of all, in tourism. For this purpose, already 4 euro-regions arose on the territory of the Region: Beskydy, Praděd, Silesia and Těšínské Slezsko.

The Moravskoslezský Region comprises 6 districts: the Bruntál, Frýdek-Místek, Karviná, Nový Jičín, Opava and Ostrava-město Districts. With its area of 5 535sq km it occupies 7 % of the territory of the Czech Republic and thus it ranks sixth among all the regions. More than a half of the Region’s territory is agricultural land; over 35 % are forest lands (especially in the mountain areas of Jeseníky and Beskydy). Besides the beauties of nature, there are also rich mineral resources in the Region: primarily decisive domestic black coal deposits, also natural gas reserves, a rich deposit of calcite, granite, marble, slate, gypsum, gravel sand, sand and brick-clays.

Surface water of the Moravskoslezský Region mostly drains into the Baltic Sea; only that of part of the Nízký Jeseník (Rýmařov area) and small territories of the Nový Jičín District belongs to the Morava river basin and drains into the Black Sea. The most important is the Odra River that springs in the Odra Hills. On the territory of the town of Ostrava the Odra River receives its biggest supplies – the Opava River that drains water from the Jeseníky Mountains and the area of the town of Opava and the Ostravice River that drains water from the Moravskoslezské Beskydy. In the north of Bohumín, the Olše River flows into the Odra River – it creates the border with Poland and drains water from the area of the town of Těšín. At the place where the Odra and Olše Rivers meet, the territory of the Region reaches its minimum (195 m). The main sources of drinking water are the Šance dam and Morávka dam in the Moravskoslezské Beskydy and the Kružberk dam in the Nízký Jeseník.

From the 19^th century the Region ranks among the most important industrial areas of Central Europe. However, the Region’s structure of economy is currently causing many problems that relate to its restructuring as well as social issues arisen from the increase in unemployment triggered off by a slow-down in coal mining and heavy industry. In spite of that, the Moravskoslezský Region accounts for 10.4 % of the national gross domestic product in 2001, which is the second highest regional share in the CR, after the Capital City of Prague with about 25 % of the national GDP. Since 1996 it is continually decreasing, which is more distinctive at calculation of the GDP per capita: it fell from 98.2 % of the nation-wide average in 1996 (ranked third among regions) to 83.6 % in 2001 (ninth).

Since 1990, a substantial environmental improvement has been observed as a result of the reduction of manufacturing, utilisation of more environmental-friendly technologies and significant investments into environmental measures (in 1998 - 2001 more than 11.1 billion CZK). Despite the mentioned improvements, the Region still belongs to the areas with the biggest environmental burden in the Czech Republic, because in the past all components of the environment have been polluted. Currently, the most problematic issues are contamination of soil and subterranean waters due to industrial activity, the sinking land caused by the coal-mining activity and pollution of surface waters.

The character of the nature and different economic development cause differences in the quality of the environment in individual parts of the Region. The most serious impacts on the environment concentrate in central and north-eastern part of the Region (the area of Ostrava, Karviná and Třinec towns). On the other hand, there are also places with important and valuable beauties of nature that are protected within 3 protected landscape areas – Beskydy (with the size of 1 160 sq km including the Zlín part of the biggest protected landscape area in the CR), Jeseníky and Poodří (an area around the Odra River) – and 131 small protected areas.

The Moravskoslezský Region is the most populated Region in the CR (1 262 660 inhabitants), but the number of municipalities (302) places the Region among those with fewest settlements. This fact corresponds to the density of population 228.1 inhabitants per square km, while the national figure is 129.4 inhabitants per sq km (31 December 2002). The average cadastre area of municipality is 18.3 sq km, being thus the second largest in the CR and by 50 % larger than the cadastral area of the average municipality in the CR (12,6 sq km). Only 1.8 % of the Region’s population live in municipalities of 499 inhabitants and under; 23.3 % live in municipalities of 500 - 4 999 inhabitants, and 12.9 % live in municipalities of 5 000 - 19 999 inhabitants. Most of the population (62.0 %) live in towns of 20 000 inhabi-tants and over – such percentage is an exception in the CR. As at 31 December 2002, there were 314 102 inhabitants living in the Region’s capital Ostrava, i.e. about a quarter of the Region’s population. Other big cities are Havířov (85 271 inhabitants), Karviná (61 146), Opava (60 731) and Frýdek-Místek (60 603).

Regarding population, the basic characteristic of the current situation not only in the Moravskoslezský Region, but also in the whole CR is a very low birth rate (9.1 live births per 1 000 inhabitants in 2002 in the Region as well as in the CR). Thus, the population is gradually ageing and – which is alarming – also gradually dying off: natural decrease in 2002 was 1 647 inhabitants. However, the Moravskoslezský Region is experiencing a decrease in population also through emigration (1 605 people in 2002). In spite of this unfavourable trend, the index of seniority (the ratio of number 65 + population to number of children under 15) is still favourable, amounting to 76.8 and ranking the Region third among the regions of the CR (after the Karlovarský and Ústecký Regions).

During the times of Austria-Hungary, the larger part of the Moravskoslezský Region became one of the most important industrial areas. The core of this area is the Ostrava-Karviná industrial and mining basin that was industrialised in close relation with the exploitation of its raw materials, particularly quality bituminous coking coal, and subsequent development of heavy industry and metallurgy. The Region is the nation-wide centre of metallurgy, producing 100 %, 92 % and 98 % of the CR’s total crude iron, steel and coke outputs, respectively. Moreover, almost the entire output of bituminous coal comes from this area, although the volume of coal brought out on the surface is diminishing. Besides these traditional branches, also generation and distribution of electricity, gas and water, production of transport vehicles and food and tobacco industries are putting through in the Region. Thus, the proportion of the Region in sales of industrial enterprises in the CR was 12.9 % in 2002.

Despite the current slow-down of heavy industry and raw materials mining, the above mentioned branches of industry employ more than one third of the total number of 536 500 persons, another 12.5 % work at trade and repairs of goods, according to sample surveys. The 2002 average gross wage in the Moravskoslezský Region was by nearly 1 000 CZK under the national average, amounting to third highest average in the CR (after the Capital City of Prague and the Středočeský Region). It was almost 15 000 CZK per employee. The distribution of wages among industries is similar to that in the other Regions of the CR, the highest wages being paid in financial intermediation, while the lowest in hotels and restaurants, agriculture and forestry, manufacture of textiles, and manufacture of leather and fur.

The industrial structure of the Region is currently causing many problems that relate to the restructuring of the Region and social issues arisen from the increase in unemployment due to the reduction of activities in coal mining and heavy industry. A relatively favourable unemployment rate is reported for the Opava District (11.66 %) followed by the Nový Jičín District with cca two percentage points more; the Frýdek-Místek District goes after (almost 14.5 %). Highest unemployment rates within both the Ostrava Region and the CR are reported for the following Districts: Bruntál (16.70 %) Ostrava (17.20 %), and Karviná (19.58 %) ranking last but one among all the Districts in the CR (according to labour offices data as at 31 December 2002). The total number of the unemployed in the Moravskoslezský Region was 101 214 persons as of that date (the unemployment rate 15.89 %), of which 12 656 were persons with reduced capacity to work and 13 513 were graduates. Very serious problem is the stake of long-term unemployed (longer than 12 months) in the total number of unemployed (46.6 %), which is distinctively higher in the Region than the national average. Thus, there were nearly 44 job applicants per vacancy in the Region, with 107 job applicants per vacancy in the Karviná District.

When Czechoslovakia divided into two independent countries, the Moravskoslezský Region found itself on the periphery of the CR’s northeast border with Poland and the Slovak Republic, far away from direct contacts with the Capital City of Prague and with the economic development of the EU advanced countries. Regarding transport infrastructure, it is a great disadvantage that there is no highway network in the Region. In May 2002, D 47 highway construction started; it will become a part of VI multi-mode European transport corridor. The highway between Lipník nad Bečvou and Polish border near Bohumín 80,2 km long should solve transport issues and economic revival. The fundamental routes of the current road network are the following: the international road I/11 (E 75) leading from Opava via Ostrava, Český Těšín to Mosty u Jablunkova, and the international road I/48 (E 462) leading from Nový Jičín via Frýdek-Místek to Český Těšín. Both roads go through the eastern part of the Region. They undergo modernisation now, namely at I/48 road that is being transformed to a fast highway R 48. The Moravskoslezský Region has two railway lines of European importance: electrified lines No. 270 and No. 320. The line No. 270 is an important part of the main railway route of the CR leading from Prague to Bohumín; it goes through modernisation now, which will be completed in 2005. The air transport is ensured by the international airport in Mošnov, which is the second busiest airport in the CR. Its landing runway is 3 600 m long, which enables landing of aeroplanes of all categories without limitation.

A schooling system of good quality can be found in the Moravskoslezský Region. At its 458 elementary schools, 131 200 pupils are fulfilling their compulsory education. There are 36 grammar schools, 85 secondary technical schools, 56 secondary vocational schools and 10 higher professional schools along with four universities – VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava, the University of Ostrava, the Silesian University in Opava and the Business School Ostrava. The universities comprise 14 faculties and provide study programmes for more than 25 000 students.

There are 284 inhabitants per physician in the Region, with the number varying within the range of 204 (Ostrava District) to 369 (Nový Jičín District). The Region has nearly 7 900 beds available in 20 hospitals and other 3 149 beds in establishments for long-term patients and specialised therapeutic institutions. Establishments of social care dispose of more than 10 000 beds, especially for the elderly.

Traditional cultural centres of the Region are Ostrava, Opava and for the territory with important Polish minority Český Těšín. The Region has 19 theatres, 63 museums, 99 galleries and 63 cinemas. In Ostrava there is also the Janáček Philharmonic (Janáčkova filharmonie). Lovers of literature can visit 429 libraries. Towns and municipalities offer wide range of sports via 113 stadiums, 26 winter stadiums and hundreds of playgrounds, gymnasiums, open air pools and swimming pools. Besides cultural and sports activities in towns and municipalities, the diverse and eye-pleasing scenery of northern Moravia and Silesia offers also many possibilities for recreation, tourism, sightseeing and therapeutic programmes. In summer period, the Region offers thanks to its network of cycle and tourism paths conditions for hiking and cycling; in winter, mountain ranges of the Hrubý Jeseník and Beskydy are centres of cross-country and downhill skiing. The Moravskoslezský Region has many cultural monuments. On its territory are several urban conservation areas (centres of Příbor, Nový Jičín and Štramberk). Beautiful chateaux (mansions) are in Hradec nad Moravicí, Raduň, Kravaře near the town of Opava and at Fulnek. Most important castles are Sovinec near Rýmařov, Starý Jičín and Hukvaldy near Beskydy. What is specific to the Region is a rich background for industrial tourism (e.g. the Automobile Technical Museum in Kopřivnice, the Railway Coach Museum in Studénka, the Museum of Mining in Ostrava-Petřkovice, the area of Dolní Vítkovice ironworks, the Michal Mine, etc.). Water sports fans like to go down the Moravice River and the Odra River; those, who prefer recreation at expanses of water, visit the Žermanice and Těrlicko dams and fewer of them also the Slezská Harta. The balneological industry is based on the curative effect of iodine-bromine water springs in Spa Darkov with the Institute of Physiotherapy located there too. Since the 1990´s there has been a new spa sanatorium in operation in Klimkovice situated in architectonically interesting buildings.