Czechia

Czech RepublicCeska Republika

parliamentary democracy

Czechia as the 2007 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 131 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, UTC+1
Position49 45 N, 15 30 E
Area78,866 sq km
LocationCentral Europe, southeast of Germany
2007

Every edition of Czechia

Populationas each edition published it
10.23 million July 2007 est. · 10.39m in 1993
Population growth% a year
-0.071% 2007 est. · 0.16% in 1993
Median ageyears
39.5 years 2007 est. · 38.4 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
76.42 years 2007 est. · 72.64 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
1.22 children per woman 2007 est. · 1.85 in 1993
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
3.86 deaths per 1,000 live births 2007 est. · 9.7 in 1993
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$22,000 2006 est. · $7,300 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
6.4% 2006 est. · -5% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

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.

Geography

Central Europe, southeast of Germany

18 fields

Land useshare of 78,866 sq km

arable land 38.82%permanent crops 3%other 58.18% (2005)irrigated 240 sq km (2003)
Area
78,866sq km
land: 77,276 sq kmwater: 1,590 sq kmslightly smaller than South Carolina
Coastline
0km
(landlocked)Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Highest point
1,602m
Snezkalowest point: Elbe River 115 m
Land boundaries
2,290.2km
border countries: Austria 466.3 km, Germany 810.3 km, Poland 761.8 km, Slovakia 251.8 km

Location

Central Europe, southeast of Germany

Geographic coordinates

49 45 N, 15 30 E

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

Natural resources

hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite, timber

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

Environment - 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
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements

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

People

19 fields

Age structuremale left, female right · (2007 est.)

588,531
65 and over14.7%
917,453
3,657,877
15-6471.2%
3,627,493
738,391
0-1414.1%
698,999
MaleFemale
Population
10,228,744
(July 2007 est.)growth rate: -0.071% (2007 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2007 est.)

Birth
8.96Death
10.64Net migration
0.97

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2007 est.)76.42
73.14 · 79.88Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)3.86
4.21 · 3.49
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (2003 est.)99%
99% · 99%Median age years (2007 est.)39.5
37.9 · 41.3
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: NA

Ethnic groups(2001 census)

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

Religions(2001 census)

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

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.056 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.008 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.641 male(s)/female
total population:
0.951 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.22 children born/woman (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 10 (2001 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Czech(s)
adjective:
Czech

Languages

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

Government

Parliamentary democracy; President Vaclav KLAUS (since 7 March 2003); Prime Minister Mirek TOPOLANEK (since 9 January 2007)

18 fields

Senate, 200 seats, elected in two rounds 20-21 and 27-28 October 2006one dot, one seat

ODS 81CSSD 74KSCM 26KDU-CSL 13Greens 6

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 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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state:
President Vaclav KLAUS (since 7 March 2003)
head of government:
  • Prime Minister Mirek TOPOLANEK (since 9 January 2007);
  • Deputy Prime Ministers Petr NECAS (since 9 January 2007), Jiri CUNEK (since 9 January 2007), Martin BURSIK (since 9 January 2007), and Alexandr VONDRA (since 9 January 2007)
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 28 February 2003 (after earlier elections held 15 and 24 January 2003 were inconclusive; next election to be held in 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

bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat (81 seats; members are 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 20-21 and 27-28 October 2006 (next to be held in October 2008);
  • Chamber of Deputies - last held 2-3 June 2006 (next to be held by June 2010)
election results:
  • Senate - percent of vote by party - NA;
  • seats by party - ODS 41, CSSD 12, KDU-CSL 11, others 15, independents 2;
  • Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - ODS 35.4%, CSSD 32.3%, KSCM 12.8%, KDU-CSL 7.2%, Greens 6.3%, other 6%;
  • seats by party - ODS 81, CSSD 74, KSCM 26, KDU-CSL 13, Greens 6

Judicial branch

  • Supreme Court;
  • Constitutional 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 [Jana HYBASKOVA];
  • Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party or KDU-CSL [Jiri CUNEK];
  • Civic Democratic Alliance or ODA [Jirina NOVAKOVA];
  • Civic Democratic Party or ODS [Mirek TOPOLANEK];
  • Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia or KSCM [Vojtech FILIP];
  • Czech Social Democratic Party or CSSD [Jiri PAROUBEK];
  • Freedom Union-Democratic Union or US-DEU [Jan HADRAVA];
  • Green Party [Martin BURSIK];
  • Independent Democrats (NEZDEM) [Vladimir ZELEZNY];
  • Party of Open Society (SOS) [Pavel NOVACEK];
  • Path of Change [Jiri LOBKOWITZ]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions or CMKOS [Milan STECH]

International organization participation

ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA (cooperating state), EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Petr KOLAR
chancery:
3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 274-9100
FAX:
[1] (202) 966-8540
consulate(s) general:
Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Richard W. GRABER
embassy:
Trziste 15, 11801 Prague 1
mailing address:
use embassy street address
telephone:
[420] 257 022 000
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 (identical to the flag of the former Czechoslovakia)

Economy

The Czech Republic is one of the most stable and prosperous of the post-Communist states of Central and Eastern Europe.

49 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
$225.5billion
(2006 est.)official exchange rate: $119.1 billion (2006 est.)
GDP per capita, PPP
$22,000
(2006 est.)
Real growth rate
6.4%
(2006 est.)industrial production growth: 9.5% (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2006 est.)

agriculture 2.7%industry 39.1%services 58.2% (2006 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

31.9%
Germany
32%
8.5%
Slovakia
6.1%
Netherlands
6.5%
5.7%
Poland
6.1%
Russia
5.7%
5.6%
France
4.4%
5.1%
Austria
4.9%
4.8%
UK
4.6%
Italy
4.4%
Exports $95.12 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)Imports $92.14 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)(2006)

Budget

Revenues
$56.31 billionExpenditures
$62.57 billion (2006 est.)

Electricity

Electricity production
77.38 billion (2005)Electricity consumption
59.72 billion (2005)Electricity exports
24.99 billion (2005)Electricity imports
12.35 billion (2005)

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 2000-05 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.

The current account deficit has declined to around 3% of GDP as demand for Czech products in the European Union has increased. 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.

However, due to significant increases in social spending in the run-up to June 2006 elections, the government is not likely to meet this goal. Negotiations on pension and healthcare reforms are continuing without clear prospects for agreement and implementation. Privatization of the state-owned telecommunications firm Cesky Telecom took place in 2005.

Intensified restructuring among large enterprises, improvements in the financial sector, and effective use of available EU funds should strengthen output growth.

Labor force

5.334 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture:
4.1%
industry:
37.6%
services:
58.3% (2003)

Unemployment rate

8.4% (2006 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%:
4.3%
highest 10%:
22.4% (1996)

Investment (gross fixed)

25.2% of GDP (2006 est.)

Public debt

27.5% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, poultry

Industries

metallurgy, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, glass, armaments

Oil - production

15,240 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - consumption

203,100 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

20,930 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - imports

203,700 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - proved reserves

15 million bbl (1 January 2006)

Natural gas - production

165 million cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

9.076 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - exports

81.52 million cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - imports

8.976 billion cu m (2005)

Natural gas - proved reserves

3.802 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance

$-4.585 billion (2006 est.)

Exports

$95.12 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment 52%, chemicals 5%, raw materials and fuel 9% (2003)

Imports

$92.14 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment 46%, raw materials and fuels 15%, chemicals 10% (2003)

Economic aid - recipient

$278.7 million in available EU structural adjustment and cohesion funds (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$31.22 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$55.47 billion (2006 est.)

Currency (code)

Czech koruna (CZK)

Exchange rates

koruny per US dollar - 22.596 (2006), 23.957 (2005), 25.7 (2004), 28.209 (2003), 32.739 (2002)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields
Mobile cellular
12.15 million
(2006)
Internet users
1.668 million
(2007)
Fixed lines
3,217,300
(2005) · country code .cz

Telephone system

general assessment:
  • privatization and modernization of the Czech telecommunication system got a late start but is advancing steadily;
  • access to the fixed-line telephone network expanded throughout the 1990s;
  • mobile telephone usage increased sharply beginning in the mid-1990s and there are now about 120 mobile telephones per 100 persons
domestic:
  • 93% of exchanges now digital;
  • existing copper subscriber systems 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 (2007)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 31, FM 304, shortwave 17 (2000)

Television broadcast stations

150 (plus 1,434 repeaters) (2000)

Internet users

3.541 million (2006)

Transportation

10 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

2
over 3,047 m
10
2,438 to 3,047 m
13
1,524 to 2,437 m
1
2
914 to 1,523 m
26
18
under 914 m
50
Paved 45Unpaved 77

Networkskm

Roadways
127,865Railways
9,597Waterways
664 (2006)
Roadways: paved: 127,865 km (includes 633 km of expressways) (2006) · Railways: standard gauge: 9,597 km 1.435-m gauge (3,041 km electrified) (2006) · Waterways: (principally on Elbe, Vltava, Oder, and other navigable rivers, lakes, and canals)

Airports

122 (2007)

Heliports

1 (2007)

Pipelines

gas 7,010 km; oil 547 km; refined products 94 km (2006)

Railways

total:
9,597 km
standard gauge:
9,597 km 1.435-m gauge (3,041 km electrified) (2006)

Roadways

total:
127,865 km
paved:
127,865 km (includes 633 km of expressways) (2006)

Waterways

664 km (principally on Elbe, Vltava, Oder, and other navigable rivers, lakes, and canals) (2006)

Merchant marine

registered in other countries: 1 (St Vincent and The Grenadines 1) (2007)

Ports and terminals

Decin, Prague, Usti nad Labem

Military

Army of the Czech Republic (ACR): Joint Forces Command (includes Army and Air Forces), Support and Training Forces Command (2007)

6 fields

Military branches

Army of the Czech Republic (ACR): Joint Forces Command (includes Army and Air Forces), Support and Training Forces Command (2007)

Military service age and obligation

18-50 years of age for voluntary military service (2005)

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49:
2,414,728
females age 18-49:
2,329,412 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49:
1,996,631
females age 18-49:
1,923,508 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually

males age 18-49:
66,583
females age 18-49:
63,363 (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes - international

in 2006, Austrian public protests for the Czech Republic to close the Temelin nuclear power plant resulted in an Austrian parliamentary motion threatening international legal action

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

Central Intelligence Agency. “Czech Republic.” The World Factbook 2007. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/czechia/2007.

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