Statistical information Czech Republic 1998

Czech Republic in the World
top of pageBackground: Once part of the Holy Roman Empire and, later, the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, Czechoslovakia became an independent nation at the end of World War I. Independence ended with the German takeover in 1939. After World War II, Czechoslovakia fell within the Soviet sphere of influence, and in 1968 an invasion by Warsaw Pact troops snuffed out anti-communist demonstrations and riots. With the collapse of Soviet authority in 1991, Czechoslovakia regained its freedom. On 1 January 1993, the country peacefully split into its two ethnic components, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech Republic, largely by aspiring to become a NATO and EU member, has moved toward integration in world markets, a development that poses both opportunities and risks. But Prague has had a difficult time convincing the public that membership in NATO is crucial to Czech security. At the same time, support for eventual EU membership is waning. Coupled with the country's worsening economic situation, Prague's political scene, troubled for the past three years, will remain so for the foreseeable future.
top of pageLocation: Central Europe, southeast of Germany
Geographic coordinates: 49 45 N, 15 30 E
Map reference:
EuropeAreaTotal: 78,703 km²
Land: 78,645 km²
Water: 58 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than South Carolina
Land boundariesTotal: 1,881 km
Border countries: (4) Austria 362 km;
, Germany 646 km;
, Poland 658 km;
, Slovakia 215 kmCoastline: 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
ElevationExtremes lowest point: Elbe River 115 m
Extremes highest point: Snezka 1,602 m
Natural resources: hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite
Land useArable land: 41%
Permanent crops: 2%
Permanent pastures: 11%
Forests and woodland: 34%
Other: 12% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 240 km² (1993 est.)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazards: NA
GeographyNote: 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
top of pagePopulation: 10,286,470 (July 1998 est.)
Growth rate: -0.11% (1998 est.)
NationalityNoun: Czech(s)
Adjective: Czech
Note: 300,000 Slovaks declared themselves Czech citizens in 1994
Ethnic groups: Czech 94.4%, Slovak 3%, Polish 0.6%, German 0.5%, Gypsy 0.3%, Hungarian 0.2%, other 1%
Languages: Czech, Slovak
Religions: atheist 39.8%, Roman Catholic 39.2%, Protestant 4.6%, Orthodox 3%, other 13.4%
Demographic profileAge structure0-14 years: 17% (male 907,744; female 864,202)
15-64 years: 69% (male 3,555,822; female 3,548,548)
65 years and over: 14% (male 541,031; female 869,123) (July 1998 est.)
Dependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: -0.11% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 8.96 births/1000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 10.92 deaths/1000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.92 migrant(s)/1000 population (1998 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: air and water pollution in areas of northwest Bohemia and in northern Moravia around Ostrava present health risks; acid rain damaging forests
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, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol
Air pollutantsSex ratioAt birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Mothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 6.79 deaths/1000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 74.11 years
Male: 70.75 years
Female: 77.65 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.17 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracyDefinition: age NA and over can read and write
Total population: 99% (est.)
Male: NA%
Female: NA%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Czech Republic
Conventional short form: Czech Republic
Local long form: Ceska Republika
Local short form: Ceska Republika
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Prague
Administrative divisions: 8 regions (kraje, kraj_singular; Jihocesky, Jihomoravsky, Praha, Severocesky, Severomoravsky, Stredocesky, Vychodocesky, Zapadocesky
Dependent areasIndependence: 1 January 1993 (from Czechoslovakia)
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
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branchChief of state: President Vaclav HAVEL (since 2 February 1993): ead of
Government: Prime Minister Josef TOSOVSKY (since 16 December 1997); Deputy Prime Ministers Josef LUX (since NA June 1992), Jaroslav SEDIVY (since NA January 1998), Jiri SKALICKY (since NA June 1997)
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 elected president; percent of parliamentary vote_NA; 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 staggered two-, four-, and six-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Snemovna Poslancu (200 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: Senate_last held 15-16 and 22-23 November 1996 (next to be held NA November 1998_to replace/re-elect 20 senators serving two-year terms); Chamber of Deputies_last held 31 May-1 June 1996 (early elections to be held NA June 1998)
Election results: Senate_percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party_governing coalition (ODS 32, KDU-CSL 13, ODA 7), opposition (CSSD 25, KCSM 2, DEU 1, independent 1); Chamber of Deputies_percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party - governing coalition (ODS 68, KDU-CSL 18, ODA 13), opposition (CSSD 61, KCSM 22, SPR-RSC 18)
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 leadersInternational organization participation: Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE (guest), CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NSG, OECD, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMOP, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representationIn the us chief of mission: Ambassador Aleksandr VONDRA
In the us chancery: 3,900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 274-9,101, 9,102
In the us fax: [1] (202) 966-8,540
In the us consulates general: Los Angeles
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jenonne R. WALKER
From the us embassy: Trziste 15, 11,801 Prague 1
From the us mailing address: Unit 28,129, APO AE 9,114; State pouch:American Embassy Prague, Washington, DC 20,521-5,630
From the us telephone: [420] (2) 5,732-0663, 5,731-3,814
From the us fax: [420] (2) 5,732-0584
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)
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy 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 about 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. A tough 1998 budget continues the painful medicine. These problems were compounded in the summer of 1997 by unprecedented flooding which inundated much of the eastern part of the country. Czech difficulties in 1997 contrast with earlier achievements of strong GDP growth, a balanced budget, and inflation and unemployment that were among the lowest in the region. The Czech economy's transition problems continue to be too much direct and indirect government influence on the privatized economy, the sometimes ineffective management of privatized firms, and a shortage of experienced financial analysts for the banking system. Prague forecasts a balanced budget, 2.2% GDP growth, 5.2% unemployment, and 10% inflation for 1998.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: 0.7% (1997 est.)
Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $10,800 (1997 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture: 5%
Industry: 40.6%
Services: 54.4% (1996)
Agriculture products: grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, cattle, poultry; forest products
Industries: fuels, ferrous metallurgy, machinery and equipment, coal, motor vehicles, glass, armaments
Industrial production growth rate: 6.9% (1996)
Labor forceTotal: 5.124 million (1997)
By occupation industry: 33.1%
By occupation agriculture: 6.9%
By occupation construction: 9.1%
By occupation transport and communications: 7.2%
By occupation services: 43.7% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 5% (1997 est.)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudgetRevenues: $14.2 billion
Expenditures: $14.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $N/A (1997)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: total value:$21.7 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
Commodoties: machinery and equipment 32.7%, manufactured goods 28.8%, raw materials and fuel 9.2%, food 4.1% (1996)
Partners: EU 60.9%, CEFTA 21.4%, Slovakia 13.9%, EFTA 1.7% (1996)
Imports: total value:$27.7 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
Commodoties: machinery and equipment 38.2%, manufactured goods 19.3%, raw materials and fuels 12.4%, and food 5.6% (1996)
Partners: EU 61.1%, CEFTA 16.3%, Slovakia 11.8%, EFTA 2.2% (1996)
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $20.7 billion (1996)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: koruny (Kcs) per US$1_35.357 (January 1998), 31.698 (1997), 27.145 (1996), 26.541 (1995), 28.785 (1994), 29.153 (1993)
Note: values before 1993 reflect Czechoslovak exchange rates
top of pageElectricityCapacity: 13.85 million kW (1994)
Production: 53.285 billion kWh (1995)
Consumption per capita: 5,069 kWh (1995)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephones: 3,349,539 (1993 est.)
Telephone systemDomestic: NA
International: satellite earth stations_2 Intersputnik (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions)
Broadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: $1.22 billion (1996)
Percent of gdp: 2.2% (1996)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 66 (1997 est.)
With paved runways total: 33
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 7
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 10
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 13 (1997 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 33
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 17
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 16 (1997 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1997 est.)
Pipelines: natural gas 5,400 km
RailwaysTotal: 9,440 km
Standard gauge: 9,344 km 1.435-m standard gauge (2,688 km electrified at three voltages; 1,885 km double track)
Narrow gauge: 96 km 0.760-m narrow gauge (1996)
RoadwaysWaterways: NA km; the Elbe (Labe) is the principal river
Merchant marineTotal: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 110,233 GRT/192,998 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 3 under Maltese flag, cargo 2 under the Cypriot flag (1997 est.)
Ports and terminalstop of pageDisputes international: Liechtenstein claims restitution for 1,600 km² of territory 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; unresolved property issues with Slovakia over redistribution of former Czechoslovak federal property
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs: transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish and Latin American cocaine to Western Europe; domestic consumption_especially of locally produced synthetic drugs_on the rise