We are FCC Nº23

České Budějovice is a statutory city and the administra - tive and cultural capital of the South Bohemia region. It was founded by the Czech king Premysl Otakar II in 1265. The new royal city was meant to be a new centre of royal power in South Bohemia and in 1980 the picturesque his - torical centre was declared an urban historical zone. České Budějovice lies on the confluence of the Malše and the Vltava rivers, in the south eastern part of the České Budějovice basin. The basin stretches to the north and north west of the city and has many ponds, the largest of the ponds on the territory of the city being the Starohaklo - vský, Černiš and Novohaklovský - each with an area in ex - cess of 40 hectares. The other natural wonders of the city and surrounding areas are associated with water too. For example, the natural monument Kaliště in the east of the city, the Vrbenská Pool in the north, or the u Špačků Pools on the southern edge of the city on the banks of the Malše. With almost 100,000 inhabitants, České Budějovice is the largest city in the South Bohemia Region and is its eco - nomic, administrative and cultural hub. It is home to the South Bohemia Philharmonic Orchestra and the city has many theatres, museums and galleries. It is also home to several universities, institutes of Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic and other important public institutions and government offices. In addition, České Budějovice is home to some world famous firms with a long tradition, such as; Koh-i-noor Hardtmuth, Budějovický Budvar, the largest South Bohemia Engineering firm Robert Bosch and the important food-processing firm Madeta. C O M M U N I T I E S C O M M U N I T I E S 53