Map of Czech Republic | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Following the First World War the closely related Czechs and Slovaks of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire merged to form Czechoslovakia. During the interwar years the new country's leaders were frequently preoccupied with meeting the demands of other ethnic minorities within the republic most notably the Sudeten Germans and the Ruthenians (Ukrainians). After World War II a truncated 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 Communist 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. The Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004.


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Location: Central Europe between Germany Poland Slovakia and Austria

Geographic coordinates: 49 45 N 15 30 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 78,867 km²
Rank: 115
Land: 77,247 km²
Water: 1620 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than South Carolina

Land boundaries
Total: 1989 km
Border countries: (4) Austria 362 km; Germany 815 km; Poland 615 km; Slovakia 197 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
Extremes highest point: Snezka 1602 m

Natural resources: hard coal soft coal kaolin clay graphite timber

Land use
Arable land: 38.82%
Permanent crops: 3%
Other: 58.18% (2005)

Irrigated land: 240 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 16 km³ (2005)

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: 10,201,707 (July 2010 est.)
Rank: 81
Growth rate: -0.106% (2010 est.)
Growth rate rank: 210
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Czech
Adjective: Czech

Ethnic groups: Czech 90.4% Moravian 3.7% Slovak 1.9% other 4% (2001 census)

Languages: Czech 94.9% Slovak 2% other 2.3% unidentified 0.8% (2001 census)

Religions: Roman Catholic 26.8% Protestant 2.1% other 3.3% unspecified 8.8% unaffiliated 59% (2001 census)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 13.6%
15-64 years: 71% (male 3,641,887/female 3,604,044)
65 years and over: 15.5% (male 623,882/female 956,389) (2010 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 40.4 years
Male: 38.9 years
Female: 42.2 years (2010 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.106% (2010 est.)
Rank: 210

Birth rate: 8.76 births/1000 population (2010 est.)
Rank: 214

Death rate: 10.79 deaths/1000 population (July 2010 est.)
Rank: 43

Net migration rate: 0.97 migrant(s)/1000 population (2010 est.)
Rank: 57

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 73% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 0% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

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; efforts to bring industry up to EU code should improve domestic pollution
International agreements party to: Air Pollution Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants Air Pollution-Sulfur 85 Air Pollution-Sulfur 94 Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds Antarctic-Environmental Protocol Antarctic Treaty Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Environmental Modification Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Ozone Layer Protection Ship Pollution Wetlands Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.059 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.76 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 208
Male: 4.1 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 3.4 deaths/1000 live births (2010 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.01 years
Rank: 62
Male: 73.74 years
Female: 80.48 years (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.25 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Rank: 216

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 162
People living with hivaids: 1500 (2007 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 139
Deaths: fewer than 10 (2001 est.)
Deaths rank: 155

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 4.6% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 88

Literacy
Definition: NA
Total population: 99%
Male: 99%
Female: 99% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 15 years
Male: 15 years
Female: 16 years (2008)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Czech Republic
Conventional short form: Czech Republic
Local long form: Ceska Republika
Local short form: Cesko

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital
Name: Prague
Geographic coordinates: 50 05 N 14 28 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions: 13 regions (kraje singular - kraj) and 1 capital city* (hlavni mesto); Jihocesky (South Bohemia) Jihomoravsky (South Moravia) Karlovarsky Kralovehradecky Liberecky Moravskoslezsky (Moravia-Silesia) Olomoucky Pardubicky Plzensky (Pilsen) Praha (Prague)* Stredocesky (Central Bohemia) Ustecky Vysocina Zlinsky

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia); note - although 1 January is the day the Czech Republic came into being the Czechs generally consider 28 October 1918 the day the former Czechoslovakia declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire as their independence day

National holiday: Czechoslovak Founding Day 28 October (1918)

Constitution: ratified on 16 December 1992 effective on 1 January 1993; amended in 1997 2000 2001 (twice) 2002

Legal system: civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; legal code modified to bring it in line with European Union obligations and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Vaclav KLAUS
Head of government: Prime Minister Petr NECAS (since 28 June 2010); First Deputy Prime Minister Karel SCHWARZENBERG (since 13 July 2010) Deputy Prime Minister Radek JOHN (since 13 July 2010)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
Elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); last successful election held on 15 February 2008 (after earlier elections held 8 and 9 February 2008 were inconclusive; next election to be held in 2013); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Vaclav KLAUS reelected president on 15 February 2008; Vaclav KLAUS 141 votes Jan SVEJNAR 111 votes (third round; combined votes of both chambers of parliament)

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat (81 seats; members 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 in two rounds on 15-16 and 22-23 October 2010 (next to be held by October 2012); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 28-29 May 2010 (next to be held by 2014)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CSSD 41 ODS 25 KDU-CSL 6 TOP 09 5 others 4; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - CSSD 22.1% ODS 20.2% TOP 09 16.7% KSCM 11.3% VV 10.9%; seats by party - CSSD 56 ODS 53 TOP 09 41 KSCM 26 VV 24

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; Supreme Administrative Court; chairman and deputy chairmen are appointed by the president for a 10-year term

Political parties and leaders: Association of Independent Candidates-European Democrats or SNK-ED [Zdenka MARKOVA]; Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party or KDU-CSL [Pavel BELOBRADEK]; Civic Democratic Party or ODS [Petr NECAS]; Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia or KSCM [Vojtech FILIP]; Czech Social Democratic Party or CSSD [Bohuslav SOBOTKA (acting)]; Green Party [Ondrej LISKA]; Public Affairs (VV) [Radek JOHN]; Tradice Odpovednost Prosperita 09 or TOP 09 [Karel SCHWARZENBERG]; Union of Freedom-Democratic Union or US-DEU [Jan CERNY]

International organization participation: Australia Group BIS BSEC (observer) CD CE CEI CERN EAPC EBRD EIB ESA EU FAO IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt ICRM IDA IEA IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC MIGA MONUSCO NATO NEA NSG OAS (observer) OECD OIF (observer) OPCW OSCE PCA Schengen Convention SECI (observer) UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador ; Charge d'Affaires Daniel KOSTOVAL
In the us chancery: 3,900 Spring of Freedom Street NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 274-9,100
In the us fax: [1] (202) 966-8,540
In the us consulate general: Chicago Los Angeles New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador ; Charge d'Affaires Joseph PENNINGTON
From the us embassy: Trziste 15 118 01 Prague 1
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us telephone: [420] 257 022 000
From the us fax: [420] 257 022 809

Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side
Note: is identical to the flag of the former Czechoslovakia; uses the Pan-Slav colors inspired by the 19th-century flag of Russia

National symbols

National anthem
Name: 'Kde domov muj?'
Lyricsmusic: Josef Kajetan TYL/Frantisek Jan SKROUP
Note: adopted 1993; the anthem is a verse from the former Czechoslovakian anthem originally written as part of the opera 'Fidlovacka'

National heritage


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Economy overview: The Czech Republic is one of the most stable and prosperous of the post-Communist states of Central and Eastern Europe. Maintaining an open investment climate has been a key element of the Czech Republic's transition from a communist centrally planned economy to a functioning market economy. As a member of the European Union with an advantageous location in the center of Europe a relatively low cost structure and a well-qualified labor force the Czech Republic is an attractive destination for foreign investment. Prior to its EU accession in 2004 the Czech government harmonized its laws and regulations with those of the European Union. The small open export-driven Czech economy grew by over 6% annually from 2005-2007 and by 2.5% in 2008. The conservative Czech financial system has remained relatively healthy throughout 2009. Nevertheless the real economy contracted by 4.1% in 2009 mainly due to a significant drop in external demand as the Czech Republic's main export markets fell into recession. GDP is expected to grow by 2.4% in 2010 driven largely by a rebound in external demand particularly from Gremany.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 45
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 154

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 53
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2.2%
Industry: 38.3%
Services: 59.5% (2010 est.)

Agriculture products: wheat potatoes sugar beets hops fruit; pigs poultry

Industries: motor vehicles metallurgy machinery and equipment glass armaments

Industrial production growth rate: 3% (2010 est.)
Rank: 113

Labor force: 5.37 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 71
By occupation agriculture: 3.6%
By occupation industry: 40.2%
By occupation services: 56.2% (2007)

Unemployment rate: 8.1% (2009 est.)
Rank: 102

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 4.3%
Highest 10: 22.4% (1996)

Distribution of family income gini index: 25.4 (1996)
Rank: 131

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt: 34% of GDP (2009 est.)
Rank: 72

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1% (2009 est.)
Rank: 44

Central bank discount rate: 2.25% (31 December 2008)
Rank: 131

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 6.25% (31 December 2008 est.)
Rank: 134

Stock of narrow money: $92.95 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Rank: 32

Stock of broad money: $139 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 46

Stock of domestic credit: $118.8 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 46

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 52

Current account balance: -$2.146 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 171

Exports: $112.6 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 33
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment raw materials and fuel chemicals
Partners: Germany 32.25% Slovakia 9.02% Poland 5.8% France 5.62% UK 4.93% Austria 4.71% Italy 4.38% (2009)

Imports: $103.1 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 31
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment raw materials and fuels chemicals
Partners: Germany 30.67% Poland 6.97% Slovakia 6.6% Netherlands 5.99% China 5.7% Austria 5.26% Russia 4.93% Italy 3.98% (2009)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $41.2 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 29

Debt external: $82.42 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 39

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $121.9 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 28

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $14.35 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 48

Exchange rates: koruny (CZK) per US dollar - 19.737 (2010) 19.063 (2009) 17.064 (2008) 20.53 (2007) 22.596 (2006)


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Electricity
Production: 82.72 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 35
Consumption: 61.65 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 41
Exports: 19.99 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 8.52 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 176 million m³ (2009 est.)
Production rank: 76
Consumption: 8.182 billion m³ (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 51
Exports: 1.111 billion m³ (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 34
Imports: 9.683 billion m³ (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 23
Proven reserves: 3.964 billion m³ (1 January 2010 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 92

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 2.092 million (2009)
Main lines in use rank: 53
Mobile cellular: 14.258 million (2009)
Mobile cellular rank: 51

Telephone system
General assessment: privatization and modernization of the Czech telecommunication system got a late start but is advancing steadily; virtually all exchanges now digital; existing copper subscriber systems enhanced with Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line equipment to accommodate Internet and other digital signals; trunk systems include fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay
Domestic: access to the fixed-line telephone network expanded throughout the 1990s but the number of fixed line connections has been dropping since then; mobile telephone usage increased sharply beginning in the mid-1990s and the number of cellular telephone subscriptions now greatly exceeds the population
International: country code - 420; satellite earth stations - 6 (2 Intersputnik - Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions 1 Intelsat 1 Eutelsat 1 Inmarsat 1 Globalstar) (2009)

Broadcast media: roughly 130 television broadcasters operating some 350 television channels with 4 publicly operated and the remainder in private hands; 13 television stations have national coverage with 4 being publicly operated; cable and satellite TV subscription services are available; about 70 radio broadcasters are registered operating roughly 85 radio stations with 15 stations publicly operated; 16 radio stations provide national coverage with the remainder local or regional (2008)

Internet
Country code: .cz
Hosts: 3.494 million (2010)
Hosts rank: 25
Users: 6.681 million (2009)
Users rank: 40

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 1.46% of GDP (2007 est.)
Rank: 104

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18-28 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription (2010)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 122 (2010)
Rank: 49
With paved runways total: 44
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 9
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 12
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With paved runways under 914 m: 18 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 78
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 27
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 50 (2010)

Heliports: 1 (2010)

Pipelines: gas 7,010 km; oil 547 km; refined products 94 km (2009)

Railways
Total: 9,620 km
Rank: 22
Standard gauge: 9,521 km 1.435-m gauge (3,013 km electrified)
Narrow gauge: 99 km 0.750-m gauge (2008)

Roadways
Total: 128,582 km
Rank: 37
Paved: 128,582 km (includes 691 km of expressways) (2008)

Waterways: 664 km (principally on Elbe Vltava Oder and other navigable rivers lakes and canals) (2010)
Rank: 77

Merchant marine
Registered in other countries: 1 (2010)
Rank: 162

Ports and terminals: Decin Prague Usti nad Labem


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Disputes international: while threats of international legal action never materialized in 2007 915,220 Austrians with the support of the popular Freedom Party signed a petition in January 2008 demanding that Austria block the Czech Republic's accession to the EU unless Prague closes its controversial Soviet-style nuclear plant in Temelin bordering Austria

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and minor transit point for Latin American cocaine to Western Europe; producer of synthetic drugs for local and regional markets; susceptible to money laundering related to drug trafficking organized crime; significant consumer of ecstasy (2008)