| Background: |
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. |
| Location: |
Central Europe, southeast of Germany |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
49 45 N, 15 30 E |
| Map
references: |
Europe
|
| Area: |
total: 78,866 sq km
land: 77,276
sq km
water: 1,590 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly smaller than South Carolina |
| Land
boundaries: |
total: 2,290.2 km
border countries:
Austria 466.3 km, Germany 810.3 km, Poland 761.8 km,
Slovakia 251.8 km |
| Coastline: |
0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime
claims: |
none (landlocked) |
| Climate: |
temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters
|
| Terrain: |
Bohemia in the west consists of rolling plains, hills,
and plateaus surrounded by low mountains; Moravia in
the east consists of very hilly country |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point: Elbe River 115 m
highest
point: Snezka 1,602 m |
| Natural
resources: |
hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite, timber
|
| Land
use: |
arable land: 38.82%
permanent crops:
3%
other: 58.18% (2005) |
| Irrigated
land: |
240 sq km (2003) |
| Natural
hazards: |
flooding |
| Environment
- current issues: |
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
|
| Environment
- international agreements: |
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, Whaling
signed, but
not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography
- note: |
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
|
| Population: |
10,235,455 (July 2006 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: 14.4% (male 755,098/female 714,703)
15-64 years: 71.2% (male 3,656,021/female
3,629,036)
65 years and over: 14.5% (male
576,264/female 904,333) (2006 est.) |
| Median
age: |
total: 39.3 years
male: 37.5
years
female: 41.1 years (2006 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
-0.06% (2006 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
9.02 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
10.59 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
0.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
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: 0.64
male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female
(2006 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
total: 3.89 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.24 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
3.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population: 76.22 years
male:
72.94 years
female: 79.69 years (2006 est.)
|
| Total
fertility rate: |
1.21 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
less than 0.1% (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
2,500 (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
less than 10 (2001 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun: Czech(s)
adjective: Czech
|
| Ethnic
groups: |
Czech 90.4%, Moravian 3.7%, Slovak 1.9%, other 4% (2001
census) |
| Religions: |
Roman Catholic 26.8%, Protestant 2.1%, other 3.3%, unspecified
8.8%, unaffiliated 59% (2001 census) |
| Languages: |
Czech |
| Literacy: |
definition: NA
total population:
99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003
est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional long form: Czech Republic
conventional short form: Czech Republic
local long form: Ceska Republika
local
short form: Cesko |
| Government
type: |
parliamentary democracy |
| Capital: |
name: Prague
geographic coordinates:
40 55 N, 21 00 E
time difference: UTC+1
(6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last
Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
| Administrative
divisions: |
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 |
| Independence: |
1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech
Republic and Slovakia) |
| National
holiday: |
Czech Founding Day, 28 October (1918) |
| Constitution: |
ratified 16 December 1992, effective 1 January 1993
|
| Legal
system: |
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 |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of state: President Vaclav KLAUS (since
7 March 2003)
head of government: Prime
Minister Mirek TOPOLANEK (since 9 January 2007), Deputy
Prime Minister Petr NECAS (since 9 January 2007), Deputy
Prime Minister Jiri CUNEK (since 9 January 2007), Deputy
Prime Minister Martin BURSIK (since 9 January 2007),
and Deputy Prime Minister Alexandr VONDRA (since 9 January
2007)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the
president on the recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president elected by Parliament
for a five-year term (eligible for a second 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) |
| Legislative
branch: |
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 20-21 and 27-28 October 2006 (next
to be held October 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last
held 2-3 June 2006 (next to be held by June 2010)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party - ODS 41, CSSD 12, KDU-CSL
10, others 15, independents 2; Chamber of Deputies -
percent of vote by party - ODS 35.4%, CSSD 32.3%, KSCM
12.8%, KDU-CSL 7.2%, Greens 6.3%, other 6%; seats by
party - ODS 81, CSSD 74, KSCM 26, KDU-CSL 13, Greens
6 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; chairman and deputy
chairmen are appointed by the president for a 10-year
term |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Association of Independent Candidates-European Democrats
or SNK-ED [Jana Hybaskova, chairman]; Christian Democratic
Union-Czechoslovak People's Party or KDU-CSL [Jiri CUNEK,
chairman]; Civic Democratic Alliance or ODA [Jirina
NOVAKOVA, chairwoman]; Civic Democratic Party or ODS
[Mirek TOPOLANEK, chairman]; Communist Party of Bohemia
and Moravia or KSCM [Vojtech FILIP, chairman]; Czech
Social Democratic Party or CSSD [Jiri PAROUBEK, chairman];
Freedom Union-Democratic Union or US-DEU [Jan HADRAVA,
chairman]; Green Party [Martin BURSIK, chairman]; Independent
Democrats (NEZDEM) [Vladimir ZELEZNY, chairman]; Party
of Open Society (SOS) [Pavel NOVACEK, chairman]; Path
of Change [Jiri LOBKOWITZ, chairman] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions or CMKOS
[Milan STECH] |
| International
organization participation: |
ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer),
CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA (cooperating state),
EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM,
IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest),
NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer),
OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR,
UNMEE, UNMIL, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate),
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador Petr KOLAR
chancery: 3900 Spring of Freedom Street
NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1]
(202) 274-9100
FAX: [1] (202) 966-8540
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New
York |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador Richard W.
GRABER
embassy: Trziste 15, 11801 Prague
1
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [420] 257 022 000
FAX:
[420] 257 022 809 |
| Flag
description: |
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) |
| Economy
- overview: |
The Czech Republic is one of the most stable and prosperous
of the post-Communist states of Central and Eastern
Europe. Growth in 2000-05 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. The current account
deficit has declined to around 3% of GDP as demand for
Czech products in the European Union has increased.
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
took place in 2005. Intensified restructuring among
large enterprises, improvements in the financial sector,
and effective use of available EU funds should strengthen
output growth. |
| GDP
(purchasing power parity): |
$221.4 billion (2006 est.) |
| GDP
(official exchange rate): |
$118.9 billion (2006 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
6.2% (2006 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita (PPP): |
$21,600 (2006 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: 2.8%
industry:
37.8%
services: 59.4% (2006 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
5.31 million (2006 est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture: 4.1%
industry:
37.6%
services: 58.3% (2003) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
8.4% (2006 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: 4.3%
highest 10%:
22.4% (1996) |
| Distribution
of family income - Gini index: |
27.3 (2003) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
2.7% (2006 est.) |
| Investment
(gross fixed): |
26.2% of GDP (2006 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $57.88 billion
expenditures:
$62.53 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2006 est.) |
| Public
debt: |
29.1% of GDP (2006 est.) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, poultry
|
| Industries: |
metallurgy, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles,
glass, armaments |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
9.5% (2006 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
79.14 billion kWh (2004) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
58.8 billion kWh (2004) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
24.6 billion kWh (2004) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
9.8 billion kWh (2004) |
| Oil
- production: |
15,240 bbl/day (2005) |
| Oil
- consumption: |
203,100 bbl/day (2004 est.) |
| Oil
- exports: |
26,670 bbl/day (2001) |
| Oil
- imports: |
182,000 bbl/day (2004) |
| Oil
- proved reserves: |
17.25 million bbl (1 January 2002) |
| Natural
gas - production: |
216 million cu m (2004 est.) |
| Natural
gas - consumption: |
9.6 billion cu m (2004 est.) |
| Natural
gas - exports: |
88 million cu m (2004 est.) |
| Natural
gas - imports: |
8.815 billion cu m (2004 est.) |
| Natural
gas - proved reserves: |
3.964 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.) |
| Current
account balance: |
$-4.352 billion (2006 est.) |
| Exports: |
$89.34 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
machinery and transport equipment 52%, chemicals 5%,
raw materials and fuel 9% (2003) |
| Exports
- partners: |
Germany 33.5%, Slovakia 8.7%, Austria 5.5%, Poland 5.5%,
France 5.3%, UK 4.6%, Italy 4.3% (2005) |
| Imports: |
$87.7 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and transport equipment 46%, raw materials
and fuels 15%, chemicals 10% (2003) |
| Imports
- partners: |
Germany 30%, Russia 5.7%, Slovakia 5.4%, China 5.1%,
Poland 5%, Italy 4.8%, France 4.5%, Netherlands 4% (2005)
|
| Reserves
of foreign exchange and gold: |
$30.99 billion (2006 est.) |
| Debt
- external: |
$50.2 billion (30 June 2006 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$2.4 billion in available EU structural adjustment and
cohesion funds (2004-06) |
| Currency
(code): |
Czech koruna (CZK) |
| Exchange
rates: |
koruny per US dollar - 22.3072 (2006), 23.957 (2005),
25.7 (2004), 28.209 (2003), 32.739 (2002) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
3,217,300 (2005) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
11.776 million (2005) |
| Telephone
system: |
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 |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 31, FM 304, shortwave 17 (2000) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
150 (plus 1,434 repeaters) (2000) |
| Internet
country code: |
.cz |
| Internet
hosts: |
1,267,265 (2006) |
| Internet
users: |
5.1 million (2005) |
| Airports: |
121 (2006) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 46
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m:
13
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m:
19 (2006) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total: 75
1,524 to 2,437 m:
1
914 to 1,523 m: 25
under 914 m:
49 (2006) |
| Heliports: |
2 (2006) |
| Pipelines: |
gas 7,010 km; oil 547 km; refined products 94 km (2006)
|
| Railways: |
total: 9,572 km
standard gauge:
9,473 km 1.435-m gauge (2,951 km electrified)
narrow
gauge: 99 km 0.760-m gauge (2005) |
| Roadways: |
total: 127,747 km
paved: 127,747
km (including 518 km of expressways) (2003) |
| Waterways: |
664 km (principally on Elbe as well as Vltava and Oder
rivers) (2005) |
| Merchant
marine: |
registered in other countries: 1 (Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2006) |
| Ports
and terminals: |
Decin, Prague, Usti nad Labem |
| Military
branches: |
Army of the Czech Republic (ACR): Joint Forces Command
(includes air forces), Support and Training Forces Command
(2006) |
| Military
service age and obligation: |
18-50 years of age for voluntary military service; on-going
transformation of military service into a fully professional,
all-volunteer force no longer dependent on conscription
began in January 2004 and is scheduled to be completed
by 2007 (2005) |
| Manpower
available for military service: |
males age 18-49: 2,414,728
females
age 18-49: 2,329,412 (2005 est.) |
| Manpower
fit for military service: |
males age 18-49: 1,996,631
females
age 18-49: 1,923,508 (2005 est.) |
| Manpower
reaching military service age annually: |
males age 18-49: 66,583
females
age 18-49: 63,363 (2005 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1.81% FY05 |
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___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Prague Central Realty
Davidkova 27
Liben ~ Prague 101-00
Czech Republic
European Tel. +38 096 947
5700
San Francisco, CA Office:
(415) 992-9156
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
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