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| 1. WordNet® 3.0 (2006) | ||
Czech Republic
n 1: a landlocked republic in central Europe; separated from
Slovakia in 1993
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| 2. CIA World Factbook 2002 | ||
Czech Republic
Introduction Czech Republic
---------------------------
Background: After World War II, 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 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. Now
a member of NATO, the Czech Republic
has moved toward integration in
world markets, a development that
poses both opportunities and risks.
Geography Czech Republic
------------------------
Location: Central Europe, southeast of Germany
Geographic coordinates: 49 45 N, 15 30 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 78,866 sq km
water: 1,590 sq km
land: 77,276 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than South Carolina
Land boundaries: total: 1,881 km
border countries: 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
highest point: Snezka 1,602 m
Natural resources: hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay,
graphite, timber
Land use: arable land: 40%
permanent crops: 3.04%
other: 56.96% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 240 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: flooding
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
Environment - international party to: Air Pollution, Air
agreements: Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-
Sulphur 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,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental
Protocol
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 Czech Republic
---------------------
Population: 10,256,760 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 15.7% (male 828,273;
female 786,617)
15-64 years: 70.3% (male 3,605,766;
female 3,603,058)
65 years and over: 14% (male
551,852; female 881,194) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.07% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 9.08 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 10.76 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: 0.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 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: 0.63 male(s)/
female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.95 years
female: 78.65 years (2002 est.)
male: 71.46 years
Total fertility rate: 1.18 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.04% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 2,200 (1999 est.)
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Czech(s)
adjective: Czech
Ethnic groups: Czech 81.2%, Moravian 13.2%, Slovak
3.1%, Polish 0.6%, German 0.5%,
Silesian 0.4%, Roma 0.3%, Hungarian
0.2%, other 0.5% (1991)
Religions: atheist 39.8%, Roman Catholic 39.2%,
Protestant 4.6%, Orthodox 3%, other
13.4%
Languages: Czech
Literacy: definition: NA
total population: 99.9% (1999 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%
Government Czech Republic
-------------------------
Country name: conventional long form: Czech
Republic
conventional short form: Czech
Republic
local short form: Ceska Republika
local long 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*, 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
HAVEL (since 2 February 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister
Milos ZEMAN (since 17 July 1998);
Deputy Prime Ministers Vladimir
SPIDLA (since 22 July 1998), Pavel
RYCHETSKY (since 22 July 1998), Jan
KAVAN (since 8 December 1999)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the
president on the recommendation of
the prime minister
elections: president elected by
Parliament for a five-year term;
election last held 20 January 1998
(next to be held NA January 2003);
prime minister appointed by the
president
election results: Vaclav HAVEL
reelected president; Vaclav HAVEL
received 47 of 81 votes in the
Senate and 99 out of 200 votes in
the Chamber of Deputies (second
round of voting)
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 12 and
19 November 2000 (next to be held NA
November 2002); Chamber of Deputies
- last held 19-20 June 1998 (next to
be held by NA June 2002)
election results: Senate - percent
of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - KDU-CSL 28, ODS 22, CSSD 15,
ODA 7, US 4, KSCM 3, independents 2;
Chamber of Deputies - percent of
vote by party - CSSD 32.3%, ODS
27.7%, KSCM 11%, KDU-CSL 9.0%, US
8.6%; seats by party - CSSD 74, ODS
63, KSCM 24, KDU-CSL 20, US 18, CSNS
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: Christian and Democratic Union-
Czechoslovak People's Party or KDU-
CSL [Cyril SVOBODA, chairman]; Civic
Democratic Alliance or ODA [Michael
ZANTOVSKY, chairman]; Civic
Democratic Party or ODS [Vaclav
KLAUS, 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
[Jan SULA, chairman]; Czech Social
Democratic Party or CSSD [Milos
ZEMAN, chairman]; Democratic Union
or DEU [Ratibor MAJZLIK, chairman];
Freedom Union or US [Hana MARVANOVA,
chairman]; Quad Coalition [Karel
KUHNL, chairman] (includes KDU-CSL,
US, ODA, DEU); Republicans of
Miroslav SLADEK or RMS [Miroslav
SLADEK, chairman]
Political pressure groups and Czech-Moravian Confederation of
leaders: Trade Unions [Richard FALBR]
International organization ACCT (observer), Australia Group,
participation: BIS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD,
ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUC,
NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer),
OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN,
UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT,
UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate),
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Martin
PALOUS
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles
and New York
FAX: [1] (202) 966-8540
telephone: [1] (202) 363-6315
chancery: 3900 Spring of Freedom
Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador Craig
US: R. STAPLETON
embassy: Trziste 15, 118 #01 Prague
1
mailing address: use embassy street
address
telephone: [420] (2) 5753-0663
FAX: [420] (2) 5753-0583
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 Czech Republic
----------------------
Economy - overview: Basically one of the most stable and
prosperous of the post-Communist
states, the Czech Republic has been
recovering from recession since mid-
1999. Growth in 2000-01 was led by
exports to the EU, especially
Germany, and foreign investment,
while domestic demand is reviving.
Uncomfortably high fiscal and
current account deficits could be
future problems. Unemployment is
gradually declining as job creation
continues in the rebounding economy;
inflation is up to 4.7% but still
moderate. The EU put the Czech
Republic just behind Poland and
Hungary in preparations for
accession, which will give further
impetus and direction to structural
reform. Moves to complete banking,
telecommunications, and energy
privatization will add to foreign
investment, while intensified
restructuring among large
enterprises and banks and
improvements in the financial sector
should strengthen output growth.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $147.9
billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3.4% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $14,400
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 5%
industry: 41%
services: 54% (2000)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: 4.3%
percentage share: highest 10%: 22.4% (1996)
Distribution of family income - Gini 26 (1996)
index:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.7% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 5.203 million (1999 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 5%, industry 40%,
services 55% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate: 8.5% (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $16.7 billion
expenditures: $18 billion, including
capital expenditures of $NA (2001
est.)
Industries: metallurgy, machinery and equipment,
motor vehicles, glass, armaments
Industrial production growth rate: 7.2% (2001)
Electricity - production: 69.589 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 77.75%
hydro: 2.5%
other: 1.2% (2000)
nuclear: 18.55%
Electricity - consumption: 54.701 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 18.74 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 8.725 billion kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, hops,
fruit; pigs, poultry
Exports: $32.7 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment
44%, intermediate manufactures 25%,
chemicals 7%, raw materials and fuel
7% (2000)
Exports - partners: Germany 40.4%, Slovakia 7.7%,
Austria 6.0%, Poland 5.4%, UK 4.3%
(2000)
Imports: $37.4 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment
40%, intermediate manufactures 21%,
raw materials and fuels 13%,
chemicals 11% (2000)
Imports - partners: Germany 26.7%, Russia 6.4%, Slovakia
6.0%, Italy 5.2%, Austria 4.9%
(2000)
Debt - external: $24.6 billion (2001)
Economic aid - recipient: $NA
Currency: Czech koruna (CZK)
Currency code: CZK
Exchange rates: koruny per US dollar - 36.325
(January 2002), 38.035 (2001),
38.598 (2000), 34.569 (1999), 32.281
(1998), 31.698 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Czech Republic
-----------------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 3.869 million (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 4.346 million (2000)
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: satellite earth
stations - 2 Intersputnik (Atlantic
and Indian Ocean regions), 1
Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 1
Globalstar
Radio broadcast stations: AM 31, FM 304, shortwave 17 (2000)
Radios: 3,159,134 (December 2000)
Television broadcast stations: 150 (plus 1,434 repeaters) (2000)
Televisions: 3,405,834 (December 2000)
Internet country code: .cz
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): more than 300 (2000)
Internet users: 1.1 million (2001)
Transportation Czech Republic
-----------------------------
Railways: total: 9,444 km
standard gauge: 9,350 km 1.435-
m gauge (2,843 km electrified; 1,929
km double-track)
narrow gauge: 94 km 0.760-m gauge
(2000 est.)
Highways: total: 55,432 km
paved: 55,432 km (including 499 km
of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (2000)
Waterways: 303 km
note: (the Labe (Elbe) is the
principal river) (2000)
Pipelines: natural gas 3,550 km (2000)
Ports and harbors: Decin, Prague, Usti nad Labem
Airports: 121 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 44
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 17 (2001)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 77
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 28
under 914 m: 48 (2001)
Heliports: 1 (2001)
Military Czech Republic
-----------------------
Military branches: Army, Air and Air Defense Forces,
Territorial Defense Force
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 2,637,128 (2002
est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 2,012,779 (2002
service: est.)
Military manpower - reaching military males: 69,393 (2002 est.)
age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar $1,190.2 million (FY01)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 2.1% (FY01)
GDP:
Transnational Issues Czech Republic
-----------------------------------
Disputes - international: Liechtenstein's royal family claims
restitution for 1,600 sq km of land
in the Czech Republic confiscated in
1918; individual Sudeten German
claims for restitution of property
confiscated in connection with their
expulsion after World War II;
Austria has minor dispute with Czech
Republic over the Temelin nuclear
power plant and post-World War II
treatment of German-speaking
minorities
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
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