| 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 [Jan
KASAL, chairman]; Civic Democratic Alliance or ODA [Daniel
KROUPA, 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 [Karel KUEHNL, chairman]; Quad Coalition [Cyril
SVOBODA, 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, 11801 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 standard gauge
(2,843 km electrified; 1,929 km double track)
narrow gauge: 94 km 0.760-m narrow 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 |
|
