Czechia

Czech RepublicCeska Republika

parliamentary democracyIndependence 1 January 1993 (from Czechoslovakia)

Czechia as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 90 fields, one of 33 editions from 1993 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalPrague

Position49 45 N, 15 30 E

Area78,703 sq km

LocationCentral Europe, southeast of Germany

Populationas each edition published it

10.32 million July 1996 est. · 10.39m in 1993

Population growth% a year

-0.03% 1996 est. · 0.16% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 38.4 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

73.76 years 1996 est. · 72.64 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.38 children per woman 1996 est. · 1.85 in 1993

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

8.4 deaths per 1,000 live births 1996 est. · 9.7 in 1993

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$10,200 1995 est. · $7,300 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

5% 1995 est. · -5% in 1993

Geography

Central Europe, southeast of Germany

15 fields

Area

78,703sq km

land area: 78,645 sq kmcomparative area: slightly smaller than South Carolina

Coastline

0km

(landlocked)Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Land boundaries

1,880km

border countries: Austria 362 km, Germany 646 km, Poland 658 km, Slovakia 214 km

International disputes

Liechtenstein claims restitution for 1,600 sq km of Czech territory confiscated from its royal family in 1918;
Sudeten German claims for restitution of property confiscated in connection with their expulsion after World War II versus the Czech Republic claims that restitution does not precede February 1948 when the Communists seized power;
unresolved property issues with Slovakia over redistribution of property of the former Czechoslovak federal government

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

lowest point:: Elbe River 115 m
highest point:: Snezka 1,602 m

Natural resources

hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite

Land use

arable land:: NA%
permanent crops:: NA%
meadows and pastures:: NA%
forest and woodland:: NA%
other:: NA%

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
natural hazards:: NA
international agreements:: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands;
signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea

Geographic 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

People

15 fields

Population

10,321,120

(July 1996 est.)growth rate: -0.03% (1996 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1996 est.)

Birth

10.39Death

10.89Net migration

0.24

Ethnic divisions

Czech 94.4%Slovak 3%Polish 0.6%German 0.5%Gypsy 0.3%Hungarian 0.2%other 1%

Religions

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

Literacy

99%

age NA and over can read and write (est.)male: NA%female: NA%

Age structure

0-14 years:: 18% (male 965,861; female 918,745)
15-64 years:: 68% (male 3,519,753; female 3,524,913)
65 years and over:: 14% (male 526,841; female 865,007) (July 1996 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.61 male(s)/female
all ages:: 0.94 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate

8.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:: 73.76 years
male:: 70.08 years
female:: 77.65 years (1996 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Czech(s)
adjective:: Czech

note: 300,000 Slovaks declared themselves Czech citizens in 1994

Government

Parliamentary democracy; President Vaclav HAVEL (since 26 January 1993) was elected for a five-year term by the Parliament; Prime Minister Vaclav KLAUS (since NA June 1992) was appointed by the president

23 fields

Name of country

conventional long form:: Czech Republic
conventional short form:: Czech Republic
local long form:: Ceska Republika
local short form:: Cechy

Data code

Type of government

parliamentary democracy

Capital

Prague

Administrative divisions

8 regions (kraje, kraj - singular); Jihocesky, Jihomoravsky, Praha, Severocesky, Severomoravsky, Stredocesky, Vychodocesky, Zapadocesky

Independence

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state:: President Vaclav HAVEL (since 26 January 1993) was elected for a five-year term by the Parliament;
election last held 26 January 1993 (next to be held NA January 1998);
results - Vaclav HAVEL was elected
head of government:: Prime Minister Vaclav KLAUS (since NA June 1992) was appointed by the president;
Deputy Prime Ministers Ivan KOCARNIK (since NA June 1992), Josef LUX (since NA June 1992), Jan KALVODA (since NA June 1992)
cabinet:: Cabinet was appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament (Parlament)

Senate (Senate)

elections to be held 15-16 November 1996 (next to be held NA); seats (81 total)

Chamber of Deputies (Snemovna Poslancu)

elections last held 5-6 June 1992 (next to be held 31 May-1 June 1996);
results - percent of vote by party NA given breakup and realignment of all parliamentary opposition parties since 1992;
seats - (200 total) governing coalition (ODS 65, KDS 10, ODA 16, KDU-CSL 15), opposition (CSSD 18, LB 25, KSCM 10, LSU 9, LSNS 5, CMUS 9, SPR-RSC 6, independents 12)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, chairman and deputy chairmen are appointed by the president; Constitutional Court, chairman and deputy chairmen are appointed by the president

Political parties and leaders

governing coalition:: Civic Democratic Party (ODS), Vaclav KLAUS, chairman;
Christian Democratic Party (KDS), Ivan PILIP, chairman;
Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA), Jan KALVODA, chairman;
Christian Democratic Union/Czech People's Party (KDU-CSL), Josef LUX, chairman;
note - KDS was to merge with ODS in March 1996
opposition:: Czech Social Democrats (CSSD - left opposition), Milos ZEMAN, chairman;
Left Bloc (LB - left opposition), Jaroslav ORTMAN, chairman;
Communist Party (KSCM - left opposition), Miroslav GREBENICEK, chairman;
Liberal Social Union (LSU - left opposition), Frantisek TRNKA, chairman, note - may not still be in existence;
Liberal National Social Party (LSNS - center party), Vavrinec BODENLOS, chairman;
Bohemian-Moravian Center Union (CMUS - center party), Jan JEGLA, chairman;
Assembly for the Republic (SPR-RSC - right radical), Miroslav SLADEK, chairman

Other political or pressure groups

Czech-Moravian Chamber of Trade Unions; Civic Movement

International organization participation

Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE (guest), CEI, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NACC, NSG, OECD, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UNOMIL, UNPROFOR, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Michael ZANTOVSKY
chancery:: 3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:: [1] (202) 363-6315, 6316

FAX

[1] (202) 966-8540

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Jenonne R. WALKER
embassy:: Trziste 15, 11801 Prague 1
mailing address:: Unit 1330, APO AE 09213-1330
telephone:: [42] (2) 2451-0847

FAX

[42] (2) 2451-1001

Flag

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

The Czech Republic, which separated from | Slovakia on 1 January 1993, emerged from recession with 2.6% growth | in 1994 and 5% growth in 1995.

21 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$10,200

(1995 est.)

Real growth rate

(1995 est.)industrial production growth: 12.9% (January-November 1995)

Inflation, consumer prices

9.1%

(1995 est.)

Unemployment rate

2.9%

(1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture 5.8%industry 40.7%services 53.5%

Budget

Revenues

$16.5 billionExpenditures

$16.2 billion (1995 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Electricity

Electricity production

56.3 billionElectricity consumption per capita

4,842 (1993)

Economic overview

The Czech Republic, which separated from Slovakia on 1 January 1993, emerged from recession with 2.6% growth in 1994 and 5% growth in 1995. Inflation in 1994-95 was cut in half; unemployment was kept at about 3%; the budget was balanced; and exports were reoriented to the EU. Prague's mass privatization program, including its innovative distribution of ownership shares to Czech citizens via "coupon vouchers," has made the most rapid progress in Eastern Europe.

About 80% of the economy is wholly or partially in private hands. Because of its progress on reform, the Czech Republic in 1995 became the first post-Communist member of the OECD. Its solid economic performance also led Standard and Poor's to upgrade the country's sovereign credit rating to "A" and attracted nearly $5.3 billion in direct foreign investment to Czech industry between 1990 and September 1995.

The Czech crown became convertible for current account transactions in October 1995. Czech companies increasingly are using the international capital market to fund capital investment, and foreign currency reserves totaled $13.9 billion at the end of 1995. Prague's biggest macroeconomic concern now is limiting the inflationary effect of these large capital inflows.

The Czech economy also still faces microeconomic problems. Prague has promised to strengthen its bankruptcy law and improve the transparency of stock market operations in 1996, but some changes probably will not take effect until some time after the parliamentary elections of mid-1996 and will depend largely on voluntary compliance. Prague forecasts a balanced budget, 5.5% GDP growth, 2.8% unemployment, and 8.1% inflation for 1996.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $106.2 billion (1995 est.)

Labor force

5.389 million; by occupation: industry 37.9%, agriculture 8.1%, construction 8.8%, communications and other 45.2% (1990)

Industries

fuels, ferrous metallurgy, machinery and equipment, coal, motor vehicles, glass, armaments

Agriculture

grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit;
pigs, cattle, poultry;
forest products

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and Latin American cocaine to Western Europe

Exports

$17.4 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)

commodities:: manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, fuels, minerals, metals, agricultural products
partners:: Germany 32.4%, Slovakia 16.1%, Austria 6.7%, Poland 5.3%, Italy 4%, Russia 3.3%, Netherlands 2.8%, France 2.6%, UK 2.2%, Hungary 2.1%, US 1.8%, Belgium 1.5% (January-September 1995)

Imports

$21.3 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)

commodities:: machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, chemicals, fuels and lubricants, raw materials, agricultural products
partners:: Germany 26%, Slovakia 13.2%, Russia 9.2%, Austria 7%, Italy 5.6%, France 4.1%, US 3.8%, Poland 3.1%, Netherlands 2.9%, UK 2.9%, Switzerland 2.1%, Belgium 2.0% (January-September 1995)

External debt

$14.9 billion (June 1995)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $27 million (1993)

Currency

1 koruna (Kc) = 100 haleru

Exchange rates

koruny (Kcs) per US$1 - 26.967 (January 1996), 26.541 (1995), 28.785 (1994), 29.153 (1993), 28.26 (1992), 29.53 (1991), 17.95 (1990) note: values before 1993 reflect Czechoslovak exchange rates

Fiscal year

calendar year

Transportation

7 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 116 in all

over 3 047 m

2 438 to 3 047 m

1 524 to 2 437 m

under 914 m

914 to 1 523 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

55,557 (1994 est.)Railways

9,413

Highways: paved: NA km · unpaved: NA km · Railways: standard gauge: 9,316 km 1.435-m standard gauge (2640 km electrified) · narrow gauge: 97 km several narrow gauges (1995)