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CZECHIA Since 1993, the Czech Ministry Of Foreign Affairs has promoted "Czechia" as the short form of the country's name. The Czech government increasingly uses the term in English publications. But while similar names, such as the Spanish and Portuguese ''Chequia'', the Italian ''Cechia'', the Polish ''Czechy'' and the Danish ''Tjekkiet'', have caught on, few English speakers use the word "Czechia." As "Czechia" remains uncommon, and the long form "Czech Republic" is often considered too unwieldy for marketing purposes, people often resort to the Adjective "Czech." The Czech National Ice Hockey Team brands itself as "Czech Team" rather than "Team Czechia" or "Team Czech Republic." English speakers (and Czechs speaking English) sometimes refer to the country simply as "Czech," using the adjective as a Noun . ''ČESKO'' The Czech counterpart to "Czechia" is "Česko." Unlike the English word, the word "Česko" has achieved some popularity. While the promotion of the word "Czechia" is primarily a marketing concern, the word "Česko" touches on important issues of national identity in the Czech Republic. The country consists of three historic lands — Bohemia (in Czech, ''Čechy''), Moravia (''Morava'') and Czech Silesia (''Slezsko''). Of the three historical areas, Bohemia is the largest and the traditional seat of power. The same word — ''český'' — means both "Czech" and "Bohemian." Many people use the word "Čechy" to refer to the entire Czech Republic; for example, "v Čechách", literally "in Bohemia", will be used by Prague speakers to mean, "in the Czech Republic". This is similar to using the word " England " to refer to all of Great Britain or referring to the old Soviet Union as " Russia ." Just as Scots and Ukrainians may be offended in those cases, Moravians and Silesians may not appreciate the use of "Čechy" to refer to their country. The Czech government adopted "Česko" as the country's official Czech-language short-form name in 1993. (The name had existed for centuries but was rarely used until 1993). The word combines the adjective "český" with the ''-sko'' Suffix traditionally used for territories in the language. For some Czechs, the word sounds strange and harsh. The use of the word "Česko" by the Czech media and public has increased in recent years. PROMOTION OF THE OFFICIAL NAMES Some Czech politicians and public figures have expressed concern at the disuse of "Czechia" and "Česko." In 1997, an organization to promote the names was established. The following year, a conference of professionals aimed at encouraging the use of the names was held at Charles University in Prague. The Czech Senate held a session on the issue in 2004. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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