Map of Czech Republic | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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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.


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Location: Central Europe southeast of Germany

Geographic coordinates: 49 45 N 15 30 E

Map reference: Europe

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

Natural resources: hard coal soft coal kaolin clay graphite timber

Land use

Irrigated land: 240 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: flooding

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


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Population: 10,272,179 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: -0.08% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

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)

Languages: Czech

Religions: atheist 39.8% Roman Catholic 39.2% Protestant 4.6% Orthodox 3% other 13.4%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: -0.08% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 9.1 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 10.87 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.95 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 5.63 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 1.18 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

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

Dependent areas

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

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)

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

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 symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: -0.5% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $11,700 (1999 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

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: -4% (1999 est.)

Labor force: 5.203 million (1999 est.)
By occupation industry: 32%
By occupation agriculture: 5.6%
By occupation construction: 8.7%
By occupation transport and communications: 6.9%
By occupation services: 46.8% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate: 9% (1999 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.5% (1999 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $26.9 billion (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment 41% other manufactured goods 40% chemicals 8% raw materials and fuel 7% (1998)
Partners: Germany 42% Slovakia 8% Austria 6% Poland 6% France 4% (1999)

Imports: $29 billion (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment 39% other manufactured goods 21% chemicals 12% raw materials and fuels 10% food 5% (1998)
Partners: Germany 34% Slovakia 6% Russia 6% Austria 6% France 5% (1999)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $24.3 billion (1999 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

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)


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Electricity
Production: 61.466 billion kWh (1998)
Consumption: 54.733 billion kWh (1998)
Exports: 10.8 billion kWh (1998)
Imports: 8.37 billion kWh (1998)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 3,741,492 (1998)
Mobile cellular: 965,476 (1998)

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: 35 (1999)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $1.2 billion (FY99)
Percent of gdp: 1.9% (FY99)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 114 (1999 est.)

Heliports: 1 (1999 est.)

Pipelines: natural gas 53,000 km (1998)

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 677 km; the Elbe (Labe) is the principal river

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: Liechtenstein claims restitution for 1600 km² 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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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