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Czech Republic
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 Map references: Europe Area:
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than South Carolina Land boundaries:
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:
Natural resources: hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite, timber Land use:
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:
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: 10,272,179 (July 2000 est.) Age structure:
Population growth rate: -0.08% (2000 est.) Birth rate: 9.1 births/1,000 population (2000 est.) Death rate: 10.87 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.) Net migration rate: 0.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.) Sex ratio:
Infant mortality rate: 5.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.) Life expectancy at birth:
Total fertility rate: 1.18 children born/woman (2000 est.) Nationality:
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% (March 1991) Religions: atheist 39.8%, Roman Catholic 39.2%, Protestant 4.6%, Orthodox 3%, other 13.4% Languages: Czech Literacy:
Country name:
Data code: EZ Government type: parliamentary democracy Capital: Prague Administrative divisions: 73 districts (okresi, singular - okres) and 4 municipalities* (mesta, singular - mesto); Benesov, Beroun, Blansko, Breclav, Brno*, Brno-Venkov, Bruntal, Ceske Budejovice, Ceska Lipa, Cesky Krumlov, Cheb, Chomutov, Chrudim, Decin, Domazlice, Frydek-Mistek, Havlickuv Brod, Hodonin, Hradec Kralove, Jablonec nad Nisou, Jesenik, Jicin, Jihlava, Jindrichuv Hradec, Karlovy Vary, Karvina, Kladno, Klatovy, Kolin, Kromeriz, Kutna Hora, Liberec, Litomerice, Louny, Melnik, Mlada Boleslav, Most, Nachod, Novy Jicin, Nymburk, Olomouc, Opava, Ostrava*, Pardubice, Pelhrimov, Pisek, Plzen*, Plzen-Jih, Plzen-Sever, Prachatice, Praha*, Praha-Vychod, Praha Zapad, Prerov, Pribram, Prostejov, Rakovnik, Rokycany, Rychnov nad Kneznou, Semily, Sokolov, Strakonice, Sumperk, Svitavy, Tabor, Tachov, Teplice, Trebic, Trutnov, Uherske Hradiste, Usti nad Labem, Usti nad Orlici, Vsetin, Vyskov, Zdar nad Sazavou, Zlin, Znojmo Independence: 1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech and Slovak Republics) National holiday: National Liberation Day, 8 May; Founding of the Republic, 28 October 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:
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat (81 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve staggered two-, four-, and six-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Poslanecka Snemovna (200 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chairman and deputy chairmen are appointed by the president for life; Constitutional Court, chairman and deputy chairmen are appointed by the president for life Political parties and leaders: Assembly for the Republic or SPR-RSC [Miroslav SLADEK, chairman]; Christian 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]; Czech Social Democrats or CSSD [Milos ZEMAN, chairman]; Democratic Union or DEU [Ratibor MAJZLIK, chairman]; Freedom Union or US [Karel KUEHUL, acting chairman]; Quad Coalition [Richard FALBR, chairman] (includes KDU-CSL, US, ODA, DEU) Political pressure groups and leaders: "Thanks, Now Go"; Impulse 99; Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions International organization participation: Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UPU, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC Diplomatic representation in the US:
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side (almost identical to the flag of the former Czechoslovakia)
Economy - overview: Political and financial crises in 1997 shattered the Czech Republic's image as one of the most stable and prosperous of post-Communist states. Delays in enterprise restructuring and failure to develop a well-functioning capital market played major roles in Czech economic troubles, which culminated in a currency crisis in May. The currency was forced out of its fluctuation band as investors worried that the current account deficit, which reached nearly 8% of GDP in 1996, would become unsustainable. After expending $3 billion in vain to support the currency, the central bank let it float. The growing current account imbalance reflected a surge in domestic demand and poor export performance, as wage increases outpaced productivity. The government was forced to introduce two austerity packages later in the spring which cut government spending by 2.5% of GDP. Growth dropped to 0.3% in 1997, -2.3% in 1998, and -0.5% in 1999. The basic transition problem continues to be too much direct and indirect government influence on the privatized economy. The government established a restructuring agency in 1999 and launched a revitalization program - to spur the sale of firms to foreign companies. Key priorities include accelerating legislative convergence with EU norms, restructuring enterprises, and privatizing banks and utilities. The economy, fueled by increased export growth and investment, is expected to recover in 2000. GDP: purchasing power parity - $120.8 billion (1999 est.) GDP - real growth rate: -0.5% (1999 est.) GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $11,700 (1999 est.) GDP - composition by sector:
Population below poverty line: NA% Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (1999 est.) Labor force: 5.203 million (1999 est.) Labor force - by occupation: industry 32%, agriculture 5.6%, construction 8.7%, transport and communications 6.9%, services 46.8% (1997 est.) Unemployment rate: 9% (1999 est.) Budget:
Industries: fuels, ferrous metallurgy, machinery and equipment, coal, motor vehicles, glass, armaments Industrial production growth rate: -4% (1999 est.) Electricity - production: 61.466 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - production by source:
Electricity - consumption: 54.733 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - exports: 10.8 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - imports: 8.37 billion kWh (1998) Agriculture - products: grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, cattle, poultry; forest products Exports: $26.9 billion (f.o.b., 1999) Exports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment 41%, other manufactured goods 40%, chemicals 8%, raw materials and fuel 7% (1998) Exports - partners: Germany 42%, Slovakia 8%, Austria 6%, Poland 6%, France 4% (1999) Imports: $29 billion (f.o.b., 1999) Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment 39%, other manufactured goods 21%, chemicals 12%, raw materials and fuels 10%, food 5% (1998) Imports - partners: Germany 34%, Slovakia 6%, Russia 6%, Austria 6%, France 5% (1999) Debt - external: $24.3 billion (1999 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $351.6 million (1995) Currency: 1 koruna (Kc) = 100 haleru Exchange rates: koruny (Kcs) per US$1 - 35.630 (December 1999), 34.569 (1999), 32.281 (1998), 31.698 (1997), 27.145 (1996), 26.541 (1995) Fiscal year: calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use: 3,741,492 (1998) Telephones - mobile cellular: 965,476 (1998) Telephone system:
Radio broadcast stations: AM 21, FM 199, shortwave 1 (1999) Radios: 3,173,856 (December 1999) Television broadcast stations: 102 (of which 35 are low power stations), plus about 500 repeaters (1988) Televisions: 3,428,817 (December 1999) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 35 (1999)
Railways:
Highways:
Waterways: 677 km; the Elbe (Labe) is the principal river Pipelines: natural gas 53,000 km (1998) Ports and harbors: Decin, Prague, Usti nad Labem Airports: 114 (1999 est.) Airports - with paved runways:
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Heliports: 1 (1999 est.)
Military branches: Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, Civil Defense, Railroad Units Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age Military manpower - availability:
Military manpower - fit for military service:
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1.2 billion (FY99) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.9% (FY99)
Disputes - international: Liechtenstein claims restitution for 1,600 sq km of land in the Czech Republic confiscated from its royal family in 1918; the Czech Republic insists that restitution does not go back before February 1948, when the communists seized power; individual Sudeten German claims for restitution of property confiscated in connection with their expulsion after World War II; agreement with Slovakia signed 24 November 1998 resolves issues of redistribution of former Czechoslovak federal land - approval by both parliaments is expected in 2000 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 Please click here for a guide to the country profiles Click here for all other countries
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