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.

Geographic coordinates: 49 45 N 15 30 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 78,866 km²
Land: 77,276 km²
Water: 1,590 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than South Carolina

Land boundaries
Total: 1,881 km
Border countries: (4) 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
Extremes highest point: Snezka 1,602 m

Natural resources: hard coal soft coal kaolin clay graphite timber

Land use
Arable land: 39.8%
Permanent crops: 3.05%
Other: 57.15% (2001)

Irrigated land: 240 km² (1998 est.)

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

Population: 10,241,138 (July 2005 est.)
Growth rate: -0.05% (2005 est.)
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

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

Age structure
0-14 years: 14.7% (male 773,028/female 731,833)
15-64 years: 71.1% (male 3,651,018/female 3,627,006)
65 years and over: 14.2% (male 565,374/female 892,879) (2005 est.)

Median age
Total: 38.97 years
Male: 37.2 years
Female: 40.82 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.05% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 9.07 births/1000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 10.54 deaths/1000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.97 migrant(s)/1000 population (2005 est.)

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 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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.06 male/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male/female
65 years and over: 0.63 male/female
Total population: 0.95 male/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.93 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 4.28 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 3.55 deaths/1000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.02 years
Male: 72.74 years
Female: 79.49 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.2 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 2,500 (2001 est.)
Deaths: less than 10 (2001 est.)

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

Capital: Prague

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

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 KLAUS (since 7 March 2003)
Note: the Czech Republic's first president Vaclav HAVEL stepped down from office on 2 February 2003 having served exactly 10 years; parliament finally elected a successor on 28 February 2003 after two inconclusive elections in January 2003
Head of government: Prime Minister Jiri PAROUBEK (since 25 April 2005), Deputy Prime Ministers Zdenek SKROMACH (since 4 August 2004), Martin JAHN (since 4 August 2004), Pavel NEMEC (since 4 August 2004), Milan SIMONOVSKY (since 4 August 2004)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
Elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term; last successful election held 28 February 2003 (after earlier elections held 15 and 24 January 2003 were inconclusive; next election to be held January 2008); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Vaclav KLAUS elected president on 28 February 2003; Vaclav KLAUS 142 votes, Jan SOKOL 124 votes (third round; combined votes of both chambers of parliament)

Legislative branch
Elections: Senate - last held in two rounds 5-6 November and 12-13 November 2004 (next to be held November 2006); Chamber of Deputies - last held 14-15 June 2002 (next to be held by June 2006)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - ODS 37, KDU-CSL 14, Open Democracy 13, CSSD 7, Caucus Open Democracy 7, independents 3; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - CSSD 30.2%, ODS 24.5%, KSCM 18.5%, KDU-CSL & US-DEU coalition 14.3%, other minor 12.5%; seats by party - CSSD 70, ODS 57, KSCM 41, KDU-CSL 21, US-DEU 10, independent 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: Caucus SNK [Josef ZOSER]; Christian and Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party or KDU-CSL [Miroslav KALOUSEK chairman]; Civic Democratic Alliance or ODA [Jirina NOVAKOVA chairman]; Civic Democratic Party or ODS [Mirek TOPOLANEK 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 [Jaroslav ROVNY chairman]; Czech Social Democratic Party or CSSD [Stanislav GROSS acting chairman]; European Democrats [Jan KASL]; Freedom Union-Democratic Union or US-DEU [Hana Marvanova chairwoman]; Open Democracy [Sona PAUKRTOVA chairwoman]

International organization participation: ACCT (observer) Australia Group BIS CE CEI CERN EAPC EBRD EIB EU (new member) FAO IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt (signatory) ICFTU ICRM IDA IEA IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM ISO ITU MIGA MONUC NATO NEA NSG OAS (observer) OECD OPCW OSCE PCA UN UNAMSIL UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNITAR UNMEE UNMIK UNMIL UNOMIG UPU WCL WCO WEU (member affiliate) WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Martin PALOUS
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 consulates general: Los Angeles and New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador William J. CABANISS
From the us embassy: Trziste 15, 11,801 Prague 1
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us telephone: [420] (2) 5,753-0663
From the us fax: [420] (2) 5,753-0583

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: The Czech Republic is one of the most stable and prosperous of the post-Communist states of Central and Eastern Europe. Growth in 2000-04 was supported by exports to the EU primarily to Germany and a strong recovery of foreign and domestic investment. Domestic demand is playing an ever more important role in underpinning growth as interest rates drop and the availability of credit cards and mortgages increases. Current account deficits of around 5% of GDP are beginning to decline as demand for Czech products in the European Union increases. Inflation is under control. Recent accession to the EU gives further impetus and direction to structural reform. In early 2004 the government passed increases in the Value Added Tax (VAT) and tightened eligibility for social benefits with the intention to bring the public finance gap down to 4% of GDP by 2006 but more difficult pension and healthcare reforms will have to wait until after the next elections. Privatization of the state-owned telecommunications firm Cesky Telecom is scheduled to take place in 2005. Intensified restructuring among large enterprises improvements in the financial sector and effective use of available EU funds should strengthen output growth.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $172.2 billion (2004 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 3.7% (2004 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $16,800 (2004 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 3.4%
Industry: 39.3%
Services: 57.3% (2004 est.)

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

Industries: metallurgy machinery and equipment motor vehicles glass armaments

Industrial production growth rate: 4.7% (2004 est.)

Labor force: 5.25 million (2004 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 4%
By occupation industry: 38%
By occupation services: 58% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate: 10.6% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA

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)

Budget
Revenues: $39.31 billion
Expenditures: $45.8 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)

Public debt: 33.5% of GDP (2004 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.2% (2004 est.)

Current account balance: $-5.73 billion (2004 est.)

Exports: $66.51 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment 52% chemicals 5% raw materials and fuel 9% (2003)
Partners: Germany 36.1% Slovakia 8.4% Austria 6% Poland 5.3% UK 4.7% France 4.7% Italy 4.3% Netherlands 4.3% (2004)

Imports: $68.19 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment 46% raw materials and fuels 15% chemicals 10% (2003)
Partners: Germany 31.7% Slovakia 5.4% Italy 5.3% China 5.2% Poland 4.8% France 4.8% Russia 4.1% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $32.78 billion (2004 est.)

Debt external: $36.28 billion (2004 est.)

Exchange rates: koruny per US dollar - 25.7 (2004) 28.209 (2003) 32.739 (2002) 38.035 (2001) 38.598 (2000)

Electricity
Production: 71.75 billion kWh (2002)
Consumption: 55.33 billion kWh (2002)
Exports: 20.9 billion kWh (2002)
Imports: 9.5 billion kWh (2002)

Natural gas
Production: 160 million m³ (2001 est.)
Consumption: 9.892 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Exports: 1 million m³ (2001 est.)
Imports: 9.521 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Proven reserves: 3.057 billion m³ (1 January 2002)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 3.626 million (2003)
Mobile cellular: 9,708,700 (2003)

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: country code - 420; satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions), 1 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 1 Globalstar

Internet
Country code: .cz
Hosts: 295,677 (2004)
Users: 2.7 million (2003)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $2.17 billion (2004)
Percent of gdp: 2.02% (2004)

Military service age and obligation: 18-50 years of age for voluntary military service; military service transformed into a fully professional all-volunteer force no longer dependent on conscription beginning in January 2004 (2005)

Airports: 120 (2004 est.)
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: 14
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With paved runways under 914 m: 17 (2004 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 76
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 27
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 48 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 2 (2004 est.)

Pipelines: gas 7,020 km; oil 547 km; refined products 94 km (2004)

Railways
Total: 9,543 km
Standard gauge: 9,421 km 1.435-m gauge (2,893 km electrified)
Narrow gauge: 122 km 0.760-m gauge (23 km electrified) (2004)

Waterways: 664 km (on Elbe Vltava and Oder rivers) (2004)

Merchant marine
Registered in other countries: 3

Disputes international: in February 2005 the ICJ refused to rule on the restitution of Liechtenstein's land and property assets in the Czech Republic confiscated in 1945 as German property; individual Sudeten Germans seek restitution for property confiscated in connection with their expulsion after World War II

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