# Sokolov District

Sokolov District (Czech: okres Sokolov) is a district in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Sokolov.

## Administrative division

Sokolov District is divided into two administrative districts of municipalities with extended competence: Sokolov and Kraslice.

### List of municipalities

Towns are marked in bold:
Březová - Bublava - Bukovany - Chlum Svaté Maří - Chodov - Citice - Dasnice - Dolní Nivy - Dolní Rychnov - Habartov - Horní Slavkov - Jindřichovice - Josefov - Kaceřov - Krajková - Královské Poříčí - Kraslice - Krásno - Kynšperk nad Ohří - Libavské Údolí - Loket - Lomnice - Nová Ves - Nové Sedlo - Oloví - Přebuz - Rotava - Rovná - Šabina - Šindelová - Sokolov - Staré Sedlo - Stříbrná - Svatava - Tatrovice - Těšovice - Vintířov - Vřesová

## Geography

Sokolov District borders Germany in the north. The terrain is characterized by two mountain ranges with a forested landscape, between which there is an unforested depression. The territory extends into five geomorphological mesoregions: Ore Mountains (north), Sokolov Basin (centre), Slavkov Forest (south), Cheb Basin (small part in the west) and Fichtel Mountains (very small part in the northwest). The highest point of the district is the mountain Špičák in Stříbrná with an elevation of 995 m (3,264 ft). The lowest point is the river bed of the Ohře in Loket at 374 m (1,227 ft).
From the total district area of 753.7 km$^2$ (291.0 sq mi), agricultural land occupies 209.0 km$^2$ (80.7 sq mi), forests occupy 390.1 km$^2$ (150.6 sq mi), and water area occupies 17.4 km$^2$ (6.7 sq mi). Forests cover 51.8% of the district's area.
The most important river is the Ohře, which flows across the district from west to east and drains the entire territory. Its longest tributary in the district is the Svatava. The Teplá River forms part of the southeastern district border. There are several water reservoirs and artificial lakes created by reclamation after coal mining. The largest body of water is Medard Lake.
In the district is one protected landscape area, located in the south of the district: Slavkovský les.

## Demographics

| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1869 | 89,483 | — |
| 1880 | 97,483 | +8.9% |
| 1890 | 108,134 | +10.9% |
| 1900 | 127,488 | +17.9% |
| 1910 | 141,448 | +11.0% |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1921 | 136,452 | −3.5% |
| 1930 | 145,847 | +6.9% |
| 1950 | 66,695 | −54.3% |
| 1961 | 79,210 | +18.8% |
| 1970 | 90,289 | +14.0% |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1980 | 95,444 | +5.7% |
| 1991 | 92,623 | −3.0% |
| 2001 | 93,607 | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 89,961 | −3.9% |
| 2021 | 83,987 | −6.6% |
Source: Censuses :

### Most populated municipalities

| Name | Population | Area (km$^2$) |
| Sokolov | 22,155 | 23 |
| Chodov | 12,649 | 14 |
| Kraslice | 6,573 | 81 |
| Horní Slavkov | 5,438 | 37 |
| Habartov | 4,717 | 21 |
| Kynšperk nad Ohří | 4,496 | 23 |
| Loket | 3,071 | 27 |
| Rotava | 2,798 | 12 |
| Březová | 2,604 | 60 |
| Nové Sedlo | 2,557 | 17 |

## Economy

The largest employers with headquarters in Sokolov District and at least 500 employees are:
| Economic entity | Location | Number of employees | Main activity |
| Sokolovská uhelná | Sokolov | 1,000–1,499 | Coal mining |
| SKF Lubrication Systems CZ | Chodov | 500–999 | Manufacture of lubrication systems |

## Transport

The D6 motorway from Karlovy Vary to Cheb (part of the European routes E48 and E49) passes through the district.

## Sights

The most important monuments in the district, protected as national cultural monuments, are:
* Jeroným Mine in Podstrání
* Artificial water channel Dlouhá stoka (partly)
* Pilgrimage area Chlum Svaté Maří with the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and Saint Mary Magdalene
The best-preserved settlements, protected as monument reservations and monument zones, are:
* Loket (monument reservation)
* Horní Slavkov
* Dolní Rychnov
* Královské Poříčí
The most visited tourist destination is the Loket Castle.