Czechia
Czech RepublicCeska republika
parliamentary republic
Czechia as the 2021 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 175 fields, one of 33 editions from 1993 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
At the close of World War I, the Czechs and Slovaks of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire merged to form Czechoslovakia, a parliamentarian democracy. During the interwar years, having rejected a federal system, the new country's predominantly Czech leaders were frequently preoccupied with meeting the increasingly strident demands of other ethnic minorities within the republic, most notably the Slovaks, the Sudeten Germans, and the Ruthenians (Ukrainians). On the eve of World War II, Nazi Germany occupied the territory that today comprises Czechia, and Slovakia became an independent state allied with Germany.
After the war, a reunited but truncated Czechoslovakia (less Ruthenia) fell within the Soviet sphere of influence when the pro-Soviet Communist party staged a coup in February 1948. In 1968, an invasion by fellow Warsaw Pact troops ended the efforts of the country's leaders to liberalize communist rule and create "socialism with a human face," ushering in a period of repression known as "normalization." The peaceful "Velvet Revolution" swept the Communist Party from power at the end of 1989 and inaugurated a return to democratic rule and a market economy.
On 1 January 1993, the country underwent a nonviolent "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. The country formally added the short-form name Czechia in 2016, while also continuing to use the full form name, the Czech Republic.
Geography
Central Europe, between Germany, Poland, Slovakia, and Austria
19 fieldsLand useshare of 78,867 sq km
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
Major rivers (by length in km)
- Danube (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 km;
- Elbe river source (shared with Germany [m]) - 1,252 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Population distribution
a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, but the northern and eastern regions tend to have larger urban concentrations
Geography - note
note 1: 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
note 2: the Hranice Abyss in Czechia is the world's deepest surveyed underwater cave at 404 m (1,325 ft); its survey is not complete and it could end up being some 800-1,200 m deep
People and Society
36 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2020 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2021 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2011 est.)
Religions(2011 est.)
Languages
Czech (official) 95.4%, Slovak 1.6%, other 3% (2011 est.); major-language sample(s): World Fackbook, nepostradatelný zdroj základních informací. (Czech); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Population distribution
a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, but the northern and eastern regions tend to have larger urban concentrations
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 15-24 years:
- 1.07 male(s)/female
- 25-54 years:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 55-64 years:
- 0.96 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.72 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.97 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Environment
13 fieldsLand use(2018 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;
- land pollution caused by industry, mining, and agriculture
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
Air pollutants
- particulate matter emissions:
- 15.15 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
- carbon dioxide emissions:
- 102.22 megatons (2016 est.)
- methane emissions:
- 13.11 megatons (2020 est.)
Urbanization
- urban population:
- 74.2% of total population (2021)
- rate of urbanization:
- 0.2% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
- municipal solid waste generated annually:
- 3.337 million tons (2015 est.)
- municipal solid waste recycled annually:
- 850,935 tons (2015 est.)
- percent of municipal solid waste recycled:
- 25.5% (2015 est.)
Major rivers (by length in km)
- Danube (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 km;
- Elbe river source (shared with Germany [m]) - 1,252 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Total water withdrawal
- municipal:
- 616.6 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
- industrial:
- 967.2 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
- agricultural:
- 46.6 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Government
Parliamentary republic; President Milos ZEMAN (since 8 March 2013); Prime Minister Petr FIALA (since 17 December 2021)
21 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Senate, 81 seats, elected in 2 rounds on 2-3 and 9-10 October 2020one dot, one seat
Chamber of Deputies, 200 seatsone dot, one seat
Percent of vote
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Czech Republic
- conventional short form:
- Czechia
- local long form:
- Ceska republika
- local short form:
- Cesko
- etymology:
- name derives from the Czechs, a West Slavic tribe who rose to prominence in the late 9th century A.D.;
- the country officially adopted the English short-form name of Czechia on 1 July 2016
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
- etymology:
- the name may derive from an old Slavic root "praga" or "prah", meaning "ford", and refer to the city's origin at a crossing point of the Vltava (Moldau) River
Administrative divisions
- 13 regions (kraje, singular - kraj) and 1 capital city* (hlavni mesto);
- Jihocesky (South Bohemia), Jihomoravsky (South Moravia), Karlovarsky (Karlovy Vary), Kralovehradecky (Hradec Kralove), Liberecky (Liberec), Moravskoslezsky (Moravia-Silesia), Olomoucky (Olomouc), Pardubicky (Pardubice), Plzensky (Pilsen), Praha (Prague)*, Stredocesky (Central Bohemia), Ustecky (Usti), Vysocina (Highlands), Zlinsky (Zlin)
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 commemorate 28 October 1918, the day the former Czechoslovakia declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, as their independence day
Constitution
- history:
- previous 1960; latest ratified 16 December 1992, effective 1 January 1993
- amendments:
- passage requires at least three-fifths concurrence of members present in both houses of Parliament; amended several times, last in 2021
Legal system
new civil code enacted in 2014, replacing civil code of 1964 - based on former Austro-Hungarian civil codes and socialist theory - and reintroducing former Czech legal terminology
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
- citizenship by birth:
- no
- citizenship by descent only:
- at least one parent must be a citizen of Czechia
- dual citizenship recognized:
- no
- residency requirement for naturalization:
- 5 years
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Milos ZEMAN (since 8 March 2013)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Petr FIALA (since 17 December 2021);
- First Deputy Prime Minister Vit RAKUSAN (since 17 December 2021), Deputy Prime Ministers Marian JURECKA, Ivan BARTOS, Vlastimil VALEK (all since 17 December 2021)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
- elections/appointments:
- president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (limited to 2 consecutive terms);
- elections last held on 12-13 January 2018 with a runoff on 26-27 January 2018 (next to be held in January 2023);
- prime minister appointed by the president for a 4-year term
- election results:
- 2018: Milos ZEMAN reelected president in the second round; percent of vote - Milos ZEMAN (SPO) 51.4%, Jiri DRAHOS (independent) 48.6%; 2013: Milos ZEMAN elected president; percent of vote - Milos ZEMAN (SPO) 54.8%, Karel SCHWARZENBERG (TOP 09) 45.2%
Legislative branch
- description:
- bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of:; Senate or Senat (81 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 6-year terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 2 years); Chamber of Deputies or Poslanecka Snemovna (200 seats; members directly elected in 14 multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote with a 5% threshold required to fill a seat; members serve 4-year terms)
- elections:
- Senate - last held in 2 rounds on 2-3 and 9-10 October 2020 (next to be held in October 2022); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 8-9 October 2021 (next to be held by October 2025)
- election results:
- ;
- Senate - percent of vote by party - NA;
- seats by party - STAN 19, ODS 18, KDU-CSL 12, ANO 5, TOP 09 5, CSSD 3, SEN 21 3, Pirates 2, SZ 1, minor parties with one seat each 9, independents 4;
- composition (as of October 2021) - men 69, women 12, percent of women 14.8%
- Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party – SPOLU 27.8%, Action of Dissatisfied Persons 27.1%, Pirates and Mayors 15.6%, Freedom and Direct Democracy 9.6%, other 19.9%;
- seats by party - Action of Dissatisfied Persons 72, SPOLU 71, Pirates and Mayors 37, Freedom and Direct Democracy 20;
- composition (as of October 2021) - men 154, women 46, percent of women 23%;
- note - total Parliament percent of women 26%
Judicial branch
- highest courts:
- Supreme Court (organized into Civil Law and Commercial Division, and Criminal Division each with a court chief justice, vice justice, and several judges);
- Constitutional Court (consists of 15 justices);
- Supreme Administrative Court (consists of 36 judges, including the court president and vice president, and organized into 6-, 7-, and 9-member chambers)
- judge selection and term of office:
- Supreme Court judges proposed by the Chamber of Deputies and appointed by the president;
- judges appointed for life;
- Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate;
- judges appointed for 10-year, renewable terms;
- Supreme Administrative Court judges selected by the president of the Court;
- unlimited terms
- subordinate courts:
- High Court; regional and district courts
Political parties and leaders
- Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party or KDU-CSL [Marian JURECKA]
- Civic Democratic Party or ODS [Petr FIALA]
- Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia or KSCM [Katerina KONECNA]
- Czech Social Democratic Party or CSSD [Michal SMARDA]
- Freedom and Direct Democracy or SPD [Tomio OKAMURA]
- Free Bloc or VB [Jana VOLFOVA]
- Mayors and Independents or STAN [Vit RAKUSAN]
- Movement of Dissatisfied Citizens or ANO [Andrej BABIS]
- Oath or Prisaha [Robert SLACHTA]
- Pirate Party or Pirates [Ivan BARTOS]
- Tradition Responsibility Prosperity 09 or TOP 09 [Marketa PEKAROVA ADAMOVA]
- Tricolor Freedomites Freeholders or TSS [Zuzana MAJEROVA ZAHRADNIKOVA]
International organization participation
Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Hynek KMONICEK (since 24 April 2017)
- chancery:
- 3900 Spring of Freedom Lane NW, Washington, DC 20008-3803
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 274-9100
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 966-8540
- email address and website:
- [email protected]; https://www.mzv.cz/washington/
- consulate(s) general:
- Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Jennifer BACHUS (since January 2020)
- embassy:
- Trziste 15, 118 01 Praha 1 - Mala Strana
- mailing address:
- 5630 Prague Place, Washington DC 20521-5630
- telephone:
- [420] 257-022-000
- FAX:
- [420] 257-022-809
- email address and website:
- [email protected]; https://cz.usembassy.gov/
Flag description
two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side note: combines the white and red colors of Bohemia with blue from the arms of Moravia; is identical to the flag of the former Czechoslovakia
National anthem
- name:
- "Kde domov muj?" (Where is My Home?)
- lyrics/music:
- Josef Kajetan TYL/Frantisek Jan SKROUP
note: adopted 1993; the anthem was originally written as incidental music to the play "Fidlovacka" (1834), it soon became very popular as an unofficial anthem of the Czech nation;
its first verse served as the official Czechoslovak anthem beginning in 1918, while the second verse (Slovak) was dropped after the split of Czechoslovakia in 1993
Economy
34 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2017 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP · (2017 est.)
Budget(2017 est.)
Economic overview
Czechia is a prosperous market economy that boasts one of the highest GDP growth rates and lowest unemployment levels in the EU, but its dependence on exports makes economic growth vulnerable to contractions in external demand. Czechia’s exports comprise some 80% of GDP and largely consist of automobiles, the country’s single largest industry.
Czechia acceded to the EU in 2004 but has yet to join the euro-zone. While the flexible koruna helps Czechia weather external shocks, it was one of the world’s strongest performing currencies in 2017, appreciating approximately 16% relative to the US dollar after the central bank (Czech National Bank - CNB) ended its cap on the currency’s value in early April 2017, which it had maintained since November 2013.
The CNB hiked rates in August and November 2017 - the first rate changes in nine years - to address rising inflationary pressures brought by strong economic growth and a tight labor market.
Since coming to power in 2014, the new government has undertaken some reforms to try to reduce corruption, attract investment, and improve social welfare programs, which could help increase the government’s revenues and improve living conditions for Czechs. The government introduced in December 2016 an online tax reporting system intended to reduce tax evasion and increase revenues.
The government also plans to remove labor market rigidities to improve the business climate, bring procurement procedures in line with EU best practices, and boost wages. The country's low unemployment rate has led to steady increases in salaries, and the government is facing pressure from businesses to allow greater migration of qualified workers, at least from Ukraine and neighboring Central European countries.
Long-term challenges include dealing with a rapidly aging population, a shortage of skilled workers, a lagging education system, funding an unsustainable pension and health care system, and diversifying away from manufacturing and toward a more high-tech, services-based, knowledge economy.
Agricultural products
wheat, sugar beet, milk, barley, rapeseed, potatoes, maize, pork, triticale, poultry
Exports
$174.92 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.) · $186.54 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.) · $191.69 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)
Exports - commodities
cars and vehicle parts, computers, broadcasting equipment, office machinery/parts, seating (2019)
Imports
$157.95 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.) · $171.43 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.) · $176.78 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)
Imports - commodities
broadcasting equipment, cars and vehicle parts, office machinery/parts, computers, packaged medicines (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$148 billion (31 December 2017 est.) · $85.73 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Exchange rates
koruny (CZK) per US dollar - 21.76636 (2020 est.) · 23.0629 (2019 est.) · 22.71439 (2018 est.) · 24.599 (2014 est.) · 20.758 (2013 est.)
Energy
23 fieldsElectrification% of population · (2020)
Installed generating capacity, 21.63 million kW(2016 est.)
Communications
7 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(2020–21 est.)
Telecommunication systems
- general assessment:
- Czechia has a sophisticated telecom market with a developed telephone and Internet service attracting European investment;
- mobile sector showing steady growth through regulatory support for competition;
- licensees expanding reach of 5G and LTE networks;
- mobile penetration among the highest in the EU;
- operators extended fiber to an additional 143 rural zones in 2020 and commit to extending fiber to one million premises by 2027;
- its top import is broadcasting equipment from China (2020)
- domestic:
- 14 per 100 fixed-line and mobile telephone usage increased to 124 per 100 mobile-cellular, the number of cellular telephone subscriptions now greatly exceeds the population (2019)
- international:
- country code - 420; satellite earth stations - 6 (2 Intersputnik - Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions, 1 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 1 Globalstar) (2019)
note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production;
many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes;
the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments
Broadcast media
- 22 TV stations operate nationally, with 17 of them in private hands;
- publicly operated Czech Television has 5 national channels;
- throughout the country, there are some 350 TV channels in operation, many through cable, satellite, and IPTV subscription services;
- 63 radio broadcasters are registered, operating over 80 radio stations, including 7 multiregional radio stations or networks;
- publicly operated broadcaster Czech Radio operates 4 national, 14 regional, and 4 Internet stations;
- both Czech Radio and Czech Television are partially financed through a license fee (2019)
Transportation
11 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
Networkskm
National air transport system
- number of registered air carriers:
- 4 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 48
- annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:
- 5,727,200 (2018)
- annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:
- 25.23 million mt-km (2018)
Railways
- total:
- 9,408 km (2017)
- standard gauge:
- 9,385 km 1.435-m gauge (3,218 km electrified) (2017)
- narrow gauge:
- 23 km 0.760-m gauge (2017)
Roadways
- total:
- 55,744 km (includes urban and category I, II, III roads) (2019)
- paved:
- 55,744 km (includes 1,252 km of expressways) (2019)
Waterways
664 km (principally on Elbe, Vltava, Oder, and other navigable rivers, lakes, and canals) (2010)
Military and Security
Czech Armed Forces: Land Forces; Air Forces; Cyber Forces; Special Forces Directorate (2021)
7 fieldsPersonnel strengthsone square, 100 people · (2021)
Military and security forces
- Czech Armed Forces:
- Land Forces;
- Air Forces;
- Cyber Forces;
- Special Forces Directorate (2021)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the Czech military has a mix of Soviet-era and more modern equipment, mostly of Western European origin;
- since 2010, the leading suppliers of military equipment to Czechia are Austria and Spain (2021)
Military deployments
the Czechia military has small numbers of troops deployed under EU, NATO, and UN command in several countries, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Central African Republic, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, and Mali (2021)
Military service age and obligation
18-28 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription abolished 2004 (2021)
Military - note
Czechia joined NATO in 1999; Czechia, Hungary, and Poland were invited to begin accession talks at NATO's Madrid Summit in 1997, and in March 1999 they became the first former members of the Warsaw Pact to join the Alliance
Transnational Issues
3 fieldsIllicit drugs
manufacture of methamphetamine continues to be mostly based on pseudoephedrine from Poland or Turkey.
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Czechia.” The World Factbook 2021. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/czechia/2021.