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| Background: |
After World War II, 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 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. Now a member of NATO, the Czech Republic has
moved toward integration in world markets, a development
that poses both opportunities and risks. |
| Location: |
Central Europe, southeast of Germany |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
49 45 N, 15 30 E |
| 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: 1,881 km
border countries: Austria 362 km, Germany 646
km, Poland 658 km, Slovakia 215 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: 41%
permanent crops: 2%
permanent pastures: 11%
forests and woodland: 34%
other: 12% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
240 sq km (1993 est.) |
| 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 |
| Environment -
international agreements: |
party to: Air Pollution, Air
Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic
Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol |
| 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: |
10,264,212 (July 2001 est.) |
| Age structure: |
0-14 years: 16.09% (male
847,219; female 804,731)
15-64 years: 69.99% (male 3,592,984; female
3,590,802)
65 years and over: 13.92% (male 549,538;
female 878,938) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
-0.07% (2001 est.) |
| Birth rate: |
9.11 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death rate: |
10.81 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Net migration
rate: |
0.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001
est.) |
| Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
5.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population: 74.73 years
male: 71.23 years
female: 78.43 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
1.18 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS -
adult prevalence rate: |
0.04% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS -
people living with HIV/AIDS: |
2,200 (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS -
deaths: |
less than 100 (1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun: Czech(s)
adjective: Czech |
| Ethnic groups: |
Czech 81.2%, Moravian 13.2%, Slovak 3.1%,
Polish 0.6%, German 0.5%, Silesian 0.4%, Roma 0.3%,
Hungarian 0.2%, other 0.5% (1991) |
| Religions: |
atheist 39.8%, Roman Catholic 39.2%,
Protestant 4.6%, Orthodox 3%, other 13.4% |
| Literacy: |
definition: NA
total population: 99.9% (1999 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA% |
| Country name: |
conventional long form: Czech
Republic
conventional short form: Czech Republic
local long form: Ceska Republika
local short form: Ceska Republika |
| Government
type: |
parliamentary democracy |
| Administrative
divisions: |
13 regions (kraje, singular - kraj) and 1
capital city* (hlavni mesto); Brnensky, Budejovicky,
Jihlavsky, Karlovarsky, Kralovehradecky, Liberecky,
Olomoucky, Ostravsky, Pardubicky, Plzensky, Praha*,
Stredocesky, Ustecky, Zlinsky |
| 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 HAVEL (since 2 February 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Milos
ZEMAN (since 17 July 1998); Deputy Prime Ministers
Vladimir SPIDLA (since 22 July 1998), Pavel RYCHETSKY
(since 22 July 1998), Jan KAVAN (since 8 December 1999)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
on the recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president elected by Parliament
for a five-year term; election last held 20 January 1998
(next to be held NA January 2003); prime minister
appointed by the president
election results: Vaclav HAVEL reelected
president; Vaclav HAVEL received 47 of 81 votes in the
Senate and 99 out of 200 votes in the Chamber of Deputies
(second round of voting) |
| 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 12 and 19
November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2002); Chamber
of Deputies - last held 19-20 June 1998 (next to be held
by NA June 2002)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - KDU-CSL 28, ODS 22, CSSD 15,
ODA 7, US 4, KSCM 3, independents 2; Chamber of Deputies -
percent of vote by party - CSSD 32.3%, ODS 27.7%, KSCM
11%, KDU-CSL 9.0%, US 8.6%; seats by party - CSSD 74, ODS
63, KSCM 24, KDU-CSL 20, US 18, CSNS 1 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court; Constitutional Court;
chairman and deputy chairmen are appointed by the
president for a 10-year term |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Christian and Democratic Union-Czechoslovak
People's Party or KDU-CSL [Cyril SVOBODA, chairman]; Civic
Democratic Alliance or ODA [Michael ZANTOVSKY, chairman];
Civic Democratic Party or ODS [Vaclav KLAUS, 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 [Jan SULA, chairman]; Czech Social
Democratic Party or CSSD [Milos ZEMAN, chairman];
Democratic Union or DEU [Ratibor MAJZLIK, chairman];
Freedom Union or US [Hana MARVANOVA, chairman]; Quad
Coalition [Karel KUHNL, chairman] (includes KDU-CSL, US,
ODA, DEU); Republicans of Miroslav SLADEK or RMS [Miroslav
SLADEK, chairman] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade
Unions [Richard FALBR] |
| International
organization participation: |
ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, CCC,
CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,
MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE,
PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK,
UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate), WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador
Alexsandr VONDRA
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 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador
(vacant); Charge d'Affaires Steven J. COFFEY
embassy: Trziste 15, 118 #01 Prague 1
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [420] (2) 5753-0663
FAX: [420] (2) 5753-0583 |
| 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: |
Basically one of the most stable and
prosperous of the post-Communist states, the Czech
Republic has been recovering from recession since
mid-1999. The economy grew about 2.5% in 2000 and should
achieve somewhat higher growth in 2001. Growth is led by
exports to the EU, especially Germany, and foreign
investment, while domestic demand is reviving.
Uncomfortably high fiscal and current account deficits
could be future problems. Unemployment is down to 8.7% as
job creation continues in the rebounding economy;
inflation is up to 3.8% but still moderate. The EU put the
Czech Republic just behind Poland and Hungary in
preparations for accession, which will give further
impetus and direction to structural reform. Moves to
complete banking, telecommunications and energy
privatization will add to foreign investment, while
intensified restructuring among large enterprises and
banks and improvements in the financial sector should
strengthen output growth. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $132.4 billion
(2000 est.) |
| GDP - real
growth rate: |
2.5% (2000 est.) |
| GDP - per
capita: |
purchasing power parity - $12,900 (2000
est.) |
| GDP -
composition by sector: |
agriculture: 3.7%
industry: 41.8%
services: 54.5% (1999) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: 4.3%
highest 10%: 22.4% (1996) |
| Inflation rate
(consumer prices): |
3.8% (2000 est.) |
| Labor force: |
5.203 million (1999 est.) |
| Labor force -
by occupation: |
agriculture 5%, industry 40%, services 55%
(2000 est.) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
8.7% (2000 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $16.7 billion
expenditures: $18 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) |
| Industries: |
metallurgy, machinery and equipment, motor
vehicles, glass, armaments |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
7.6% (2000) |
| Electricity -
production: |
67.642 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity -
production by source: |
fossil fuel: 77.8%
hydro: 3.43%
nuclear: 18.77%
other: 0% (2000) |
| Electricity -
consumption: |
52.898 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity -
exports: |
18.744 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity -
imports: |
8.735 billion kWh (2000) |
| Agriculture -
products: |
wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit;
pigs, poultry |
| Exports: |
$28.3 billion (f.o.b., 2000) |
| Exports -
commodities: |
machinery and transport equipment 44%,
other manufactured goods 40%, chemicals 7%, raw materials
and fuel 7% (1999) |
| Exports -
partners: |
Germany 43%, Slovakia 8.4%, Austria 6.6%,
Poland 5.6%, France 4% (1999) |
| Imports: |
$31.4 billion (f.o.b., 2000) |
| Imports -
commodities: |
machinery and transport equipment 42%,
other manufactured goods 33%, chemicals 12%, raw materials
and fuels 10% (1999) |
| Imports -
partners: |
Germany 37.5%, Slovakia 6.7%, Austria 6.2%,
Italy 5.9%, France 5.4% (1999) |
| Debt -
external: |
$21.3 billion (2000) |
| Economic aid -
recipient: |
$NA |
| Currency: |
Czech koruna (CZK) |
| Exchange
rates: |
koruny per US dollar - 37.425 (January
2001), 38.598 (2000), 34.569 (1999), 32.281 (1998), 31.698
(1997), 27.145 (1996) |
| Fiscal year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones -
main lines in use: |
3.869 million (2000) |
| Telephones -
mobile cellular: |
4.346 million (2000) |
| 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: 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) |
| Radios: |
3,159,134 (December 2000) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
150 (plus 1,434 repeaters) (2000) |
| Televisions: |
3,405,834 (December 2000) |
| Internet
country code: |
.cz |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
more than 300 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
900,000 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total: 9,444 km
standard gauge: 9,350 km 1.435-m gauge (2,843
km electrified; 1,929 km double-track)
narrow gauge: 94 km 0.760-m gauge (2000) |
| Highways: |
total: 55,432 km
paved: 55,432 km (including 499 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (2000) |
| Waterways: |
303 km
note: (the Labe (Elbe) is the principal
river) (2000) |
| Pipelines: |
natural gas 3,550 km (2000) |
| Ports and
harbors: |
Decin, Prague, Usti nad Labem |
| Airports: |
114 (2000 est.) |
| Airports -
with paved runways: |
total: 43
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 16 (2000 est.) |
| Airports -
with unpaved runways: |
total: 71
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 28
under 914 m: 42 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Army, Air and Air Defense Forces,
Territorial Defense, Railroad Units |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
18 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age 15-49: 2,653,456
(2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 15-49: 2,024,070
(2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males: 69,393 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$1.2 billion (FY01) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
2.2% (FY01) |
| Disputes -
international: |
Liechtenstein's royal family claims
restitution for 1,600 sq km of land in the Czech Republic
confiscated in 1918; individual Sudeten German claims for
restitution of property confiscated in connection with
their expulsion after World War II; Austria has minor
dispute with Czech Republic over nuclear power plants and
post-World War II treatment of German-speaking minorities |
| Illicit drugs: |
major transshipment point for Southwest
Asian heroin and minor transit point for Latin American
cocaine to Western Europe; domestic consumption -
especially of locally produced synthetic drugs - on the
rise |
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