Central Bohemian Region

Central Bohemia operates as Prague's extended phenotype—the metabolic support tissue that surrounds and sustains the capital's intensive activity. Since the 1990s, suburban rings have expanded outward like growth zones around a developing embryo, absorbing young families priced out of the city center. This suburbanization creates classic edge effects: the region has the lowest average age in Czechia (41.5 years) because it captures the reproductive demographic that Prague attracts but cannot house. Industrial estates cluster along transport arteries like nutrient channels, with 14 of the EU's 100 largest R&D investors operating here. The region's GDP per capita reaches 82% of the EU average—prosperity derived from proximity rather than independence. Central Bohemia exemplifies commensal economics: it benefits from the host city's metabolism without directly competing, specializing in warehousing, manufacturing, and residential functions that complement rather than duplicate Prague's services.