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Background:
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Following
the First World War, the closely related Czechs and
Slovaks of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire merged to
form Czechoslovakia. During the interwar years, the new
country's leaders were frequently preoccupied with
meeting the demands of other ethnic minorities within
the republic, most notably the Sudeten Germans and the
Ruthenians (Ukrainians). After World War II, a truncated
Czechoslovakia fell within the Soviet sphere of
influence. In 1968, an invasion by Warsaw Pact troops
ended the efforts of the country's leaders to liberalize
Communist party rule and create "socialism with a human
face." Anti-Soviet demonstrations the following year
ushered in a period of harsh repression. With the
collapse of Soviet authority in 1989, Czechoslovakia
regained its freedom through a peaceful "Velvet
Revolution." On 1 January 1993, the country underwent a
"velvet divorce" into its two national components, the
Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech Republic joined
NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004. |
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Location:
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Central
Europe, southeast of Germany |
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Geographic coordinates:
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49 45 N,
15 30 E |
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Map references:
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Europe
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Area:
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total:
78,866 sq km
land: 77,276 sq km
water: 1,590 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
smaller than South Carolina |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
1,881 km
border countries: Austria 362 km, Germany 646 km,
Poland 658 km, Slovakia 215 km |
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Coastline:
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0 km
(landlocked) |
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Maritime claims:
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none
(landlocked) |
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Climate:
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temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters
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Terrain:
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Bohemia
in the west consists of rolling plains, hills, and
plateaus surrounded by low mountains; Moravia in the
east consists of very hilly country |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Elbe River 115 m
highest point: Snezka 1,602 m |
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Natural resources:
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hard
coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite, timber |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 39.8%
permanent crops: 3.05%
other: 57.15% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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240 sq km
(1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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flooding
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Environment - current issues:
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air and
water pollution in areas of northwest Bohemia and in
northern Moravia around Ostrava present health risks;
acid rain damaging forests; efforts to bring industry up
to EU code should improve domestic pollution |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party
to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides,
Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air
Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
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Geography - note:
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landlocked; strategically located astride some of oldest
and most significant land routes in Europe; Moravian
Gate is a traditional military corridor between the
North European Plain and the Danube in central Europe
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Population:
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10,241,138 (July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 14.7% (male 773,028/female 731,833)
15-64 years: 71.1% (male 3,651,018/female
3,627,006)
65 years and over: 14.2% (male 565,374/female
892,879) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
38.97 years
male: 37.2 years
female: 40.82 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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-0.05%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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9.07
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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10.54
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0.97
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
3.93 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.28 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 76.02 years
male: 72.74 years
female: 79.49 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.2
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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less than
0.1% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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2,500
(2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than
10 (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Czech(s)
adjective: Czech |
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Ethnic groups:
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Czech
90.4%, Moravian 3.7%, Slovak 1.9%, other 4% (2001
census) |
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Religions:
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Roman
Catholic 26.8%, Protestant 2.1%, other 3.3%, unspecified
8.8%, unaffiliated 59% (2001 census) |
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Languages:
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Czech
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Literacy:
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definition: NA
total population: 99.9% (1999 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA% |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Czech Republic
conventional short form: Czech Republic
local long form: Ceska Republika
local short form: Ceska Republika |
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Government type:
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parliamentary democracy |
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Capital:
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Prague
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Administrative divisions:
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13
regions (kraje, singular - kraj) and 1 capital city* (hlavni
mesto); Jihocesky Kraj, Jihomoravsky Kraj, Karlovarsky
Kraj, Kralovehradecky Kraj, Liberecky Kraj,
Moravskoslezsky Kraj, Olomoucky Kraj, Pardubicky Kraj,
Plzensky Kraj, Praha (Prague)*, Stredocesky Kraj,
Ustecky Kraj, Vysocina, Zlinsky Kraj |
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Independence:
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1 January
1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and
Slovakia) |
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National holiday:
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Czech
Founding Day, 28 October (1918) |
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Constitution:
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ratified
16 December 1992, effective 1 January 1993 |
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Legal system:
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civil law
system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to
bring it in line with Organization on Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) obligations and to expunge
Marxist-Leninist legal theory |
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Suffrage:
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18 years
of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief
of state: President Vaclav KLAUS (since 7 March
2003)
note: the Czech Republic's first president Vaclav
HAVEL stepped down from office on 2 February 2003 having
served exactly 10 years; parliament finally elected a
successor on 28 February 2003 after two inconclusive
elections in January 2003
head of government: Prime Minister Jiri PAROUBEK
(since 25 April 2005), Deputy Prime Ministers Zdenek
SKROMACH (since 4 August 2004), Martin JAHN (since 4
August 2004), Pavel NEMEC (since 4 August 2004), Milan
SIMONOVSKY (since 4 August 2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on
the recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president elected by Parliament for a
five-year term; last successful election held 28
February 2003 (after earlier elections held 15 and 24
January 2003 were inconclusive; next election to be held
January 2008); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Vaclav KLAUS elected president
on 28 February 2003; Vaclav KLAUS 142 votes, Jan SOKOL
124 votes (third round; combined votes of both chambers
of parliament) |
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral
Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat
(81 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
six-year terms; one-third elected every two years) and
the Chamber of Deputies or Poslanecka Snemovna (200
seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held in two rounds 5-6
November and 12-13 November 2004 (next to be held
November 2006); Chamber of Deputies - last held 14-15
June 2002 (next to be held by June 2006)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - ODS 37, KDU-CSL 14, Open
Democracy 13, CSSD 7, Caucus Open Democracy 7,
independents 3; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by
party - CSSD 30.2%, ODS 24.5%, KSCM 18.5%, KDU-CSL & US-DEU
coalition 14.3%, other minor 12.5%; seats by party -
CSSD 70, ODS 57, KSCM 41, KDU-CSL 21, US-DEU 10,
independent 1 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme
Court; Constitutional Court; chairman and deputy
chairmen are appointed by the president for a 10-year
term |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Caucus
SNK [Josef ZOSER]; Christian and Democratic
Union-Czechoslovak People's Party or KDU-CSL [Miroslav
KALOUSEK, chairman]; Civic Democratic Alliance or ODA [Jirina
NOVAKOVA, chairman]; Civic Democratic Party or ODS [Mirek
TOPOLANEK, chairman]; Communist Party of Bohemia and
Moravia or KSCM [Miroslav GREBENICEK, chairman];
Communist Party of Czechoslovakia or KSC [Miroslav
STEPAN, chairman]; Czech National Social Party of CSNS [Jaroslav
ROVNY, chairman]; Czech Social Democratic Party or CSSD
[Stanislav GROSS, acting chairman]; European Democrats
[Jan KASL]; Freedom Union-Democratic Union or US-DEU [Hana
Marvanova, chairwoman]; Open Democracy [Sona PAUKRTOVA,
chairwoman] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Bohemian
and Moravian Trade Union Confederation [Milan STECH]
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International organization participation:
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ACCT
(observer), Australia Group, BIS, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC,
EBRD, EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC,
NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA,
UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK,
UNMIL, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (member affiliate),
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Martin PALOUS
chancery: 3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 274-9100
FAX: [1] (202) 966-8540
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador William J. CABANISS
embassy: Trziste 15, 11801 Prague 1
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [420] (2) 5753-0663
FAX: [420] (2) 5753-0583 |
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Flag description:
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two equal
horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue
isosceles triangle based on the hoist side (identical to
the flag of the former Czechoslovakia) |
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Economy - overview:
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The Czech
Republic is one of the most stable and prosperous of the
post-Communist states of Central and Eastern Europe.
Growth in 2000-04 was supported by exports to the EU,
primarily to Germany, and a strong recovery of foreign
and domestic investment. Domestic demand is playing an
ever more important role in underpinning growth as
interest rates drop and the availability of credit cards
and mortgages increases. Current account deficits of
around 5% of GDP are beginning to decline as demand for
Czech products in the European Union increases.
Inflation is under control. Recent accession to the EU
gives further impetus and direction to structural
reform. In early 2004 the government passed increases in
the Value Added Tax (VAT) and tightened eligibility for
social benefits with the intention to bring the public
finance gap down to 4% of GDP by 2006, but more
difficult pension and healthcare reforms will have to
wait until after the next elections. Privatization of
the state-owned telecommunications firm Cesky Telecom is
scheduled to take place in 2005. Intensified
restructuring among large enterprises, improvements in
the financial sector, and effective use of available EU
funds should strengthen output growth. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$172.2
billion (2004 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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3.7%
(2004 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $16,800 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 3.4%
industry: 39.3%
services: 57.3% (2004 est.) |
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Labor force:
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5.25
million (2004 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 4%, industry 38%, services 58% (2002 est.)
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Unemployment rate:
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10.6%
(2004 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: 4.3%
highest 10%: 22.4% (1996) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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25.4
(1996) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.2%
(2004 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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29% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $39.31 billion
expenditures: $45.8 billion, including capital
expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
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Public debt:
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33.5% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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wheat,
potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, poultry |
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Industries:
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metallurgy, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles,
glass, armaments |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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4.7%
(2004 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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71.75
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 76.1%
hydro: 2.9%
nuclear: 20%
other: 1% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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55.33
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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20.9
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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9.5
billion kWh (2002) |
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Oil - production:
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7,419
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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175,700
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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26,670
bbl/day (2001) |
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Oil - imports:
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192,300
bbl/day (2001) |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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17.25
million bbl (1 January 2002) |
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Natural gas - production:
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160
million cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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9.892
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports:
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1 million
cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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9.521
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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3.057
billion cu m (1 January 2002) |
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Current account balance:
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$-5.73
billion (2004 est.) |
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Exports:
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$66.51
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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machinery
and transport equipment 52%, chemicals 5%, raw materials
and fuel 9% (2003) |
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Exports - partners:
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Germany
36.1%, Slovakia 8.4%, Austria 6%, Poland 5.3%, UK 4.7%,
France 4.7%, Italy 4.3%, Netherlands 4.3% (2004) |
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Imports:
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$68.19
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery
and transport equipment 46%, raw materials and fuels
15%, chemicals 10% (2003) |
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Imports - partners:
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Germany
31.7%, Slovakia 5.4%, Italy 5.3%, China 5.2%, Poland
4.8%, France 4.8%, Russia 4.1% (2004) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$32.78
billion (2004 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$36.28
billion (2004 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$2.4
billion in available EU structural adjustment and
cohesion funds (2004-06) |
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Currency (code):
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Czech
koruna (CZK) |
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Currency code:
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CZK |
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Exchange rates:
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koruny
per US dollar - 25.7 (2004), 28.209 (2003), 32.739
(2002), 38.035 (2001), 38.598 (2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar
year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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3.626
million (2003) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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9,708,700
(2003) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: privatization and modernization
of the Czech telecommunication system got a late start
but is advancing steadily; growth in the use of mobile
cellular telephones is particularly vigorous
domestic: 86% of exchanges now digital; existing
copper subscriber systems now being enhanced with
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) equipment to
accommodate Internet and other digital signals; trunk
systems include fiber-optic cable and microwave radio
relay
international: country code - 420; satellite
earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Atlantic and Indian
Ocean regions), 1 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 1
Globalstar |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 31, FM
304, shortwave 17 (2000) |
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Radios:
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3,159,134
(December 2000) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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150 (plus
1,434 repeaters) (2000) |
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Televisions:
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3,405,834
(December 2000) |
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Internet country code:
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.cz |
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Internet hosts:
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295,677
(2004) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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more than
300 (2000) |
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Internet users:
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2.7
million (2003) |
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Railways:
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total:
9,543 km
standard gauge: 9,421 km 1.435-m gauge (2,893 km
electrified)
narrow gauge: 122 km 0.760-m gauge (23 km
electrified) (2004) |
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Highways:
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total:
127,204 km
paved: 127,204 km (including 518 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (2002) |
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Waterways:
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664 km
(on Elbe, Vltava, and Oder rivers) (2004) |
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Pipelines:
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gas 7,020
km; oil 547 km; refined products 94 km (2004) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Decin,
Prague, Usti nad Labem |
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Merchant marine:
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registered in other countries: 3 |
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Airports:
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120 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
44
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 17 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
76
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 27
under 914 m: 48 (2004 est.) |
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Heliports:
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2 (2004
est.) |
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Military branches:
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Army of
the Czech Republic (ACR): Joint Forces Command, Support
and Training Forces Command (2005) |
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Military service age and obligation:
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18-50
years of age for voluntary military service; military
service transformed into a fully professional,
all-volunteer force no longer dependent on conscription
beginning in January 2004 (2005) |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 2,414,728 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 1,996,631 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower reaching military service age annually:
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males:
66,583 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$2.17
billion (2004) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
2.02%
(2004) |
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Disputes - international:
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in
February 2005, the ICJ refused to rule on the
restitution of Liechtenstein's land and property assets
in the Czech Republic confiscated in 1945 as German
property; individual Sudeten Germans seek restitution
for property confiscated in connection with their
expulsion after World War II |
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Illicit drugs:
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transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and minor
transit point for Latin American cocaine to Western
Europe; producer of synthetic drugs for local and
regional markets; susceptible to money laundering
related to drug trafficking, organized crime |
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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