History of and popular attitudes towards names for the Czech-speaking territory

Abstract

This article deals with the issue of establishing and officially using the short (geographic) names Česko (in Czech) and Czechia (in English), which are one-word equivalents of the political names Česká republika and the Czech Republic. The history of naming the territory inhabited by the Czech speaking population focuses on the period of Czechoslovakia (1918-1992) and the independent Czech state since 1993. The debate about using the short names Česko and Czechia is analyzed. The article explains (1) reasons for the usefulness and practicality of using short country names in appropriate contexts; (2) correct and incorrect short names for the Czech Republic; (3) inapplicability of the long political name Česká republika / (the) Czech Republic in historical context; (4) the ongoing and present state of the dispute between the supporters and opponents of the term Czechia.