Czechia

Internet country code

.cz

Internet hosts

1,267,265 (2006)

Internet users

5.1 million (2005)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 31, FM 304, shortwave 17 (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: country code - 420; satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions), 1 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 1 Globalstar

Telephones - main lines in use

3,217,300 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

11.776 million (2005)

Television broadcast stations

150 (plus 1,434 repeaters) (2000)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $48.16 billion expenditures: $53.04 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)

Currency (code)

Czech koruna (CZK)

Current account balance

$-2.496 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external

$49.14 billion (2005 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

27.3 (2003)

Economic aid - recipient

$2.8 billion in committed EU structural adjustment and cohesion funds (2004-06)

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, 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 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.

Electricity - consumption

57.12 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports

25.49 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports

9.776 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production

84.33 billion kWh (2004)

Exchange rates

koruny per US dollar - 23.957 (2005), 25.7 (2004), 28.209 (2003), 32.739 (2002), 38.035 (2001)

Exports

$78.37 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

Germany 33.5%, Slovakia 8.7%, Austria 5.5%, Poland 5.5%, France 5.3%, UK 4.6%, Italy 4.3% (2005)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$109.4 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$204.4 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 3.4% industry: 39.3% services: 57.3% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$20,000 (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

6.1% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$76.59 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

Germany 30%, Russia 5.7%, Slovakia 5.4%, China 5.1%, Poland 5%, Italy 4.8%, France 4.5%, Netherlands 4% (2005)

Industrial production growth rate

5.7% (2005)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.9% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

26.4% of GDP (2005 est.)

Labor force

5.27 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

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

Natural gas - consumption

9.623 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports

1 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

9.8 billion cu m (2004)

Natural gas - production

133 million cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

3.964 billion cu m (1 January 2003)

Oil - consumption

202,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

26,670 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports

182,000 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - production

15,240 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves

15 million bbl (1 January 2006)

Population below poverty line

At risk of poverty after social transfers: 8%

Public debt

25.9% of GDP (2005 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$29.36 billion (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate

7.9% (2005)

Area

total: 78,866 sq km land: 77,276 sq km water: 1,590 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than South Carolina

Climate

temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes

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

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 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 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

49 45 N, 15 30 E

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

Irrigated land

240 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

total: 2,290.2 km border countries: Austria 466.3 km, Germany 810.3 km, Poland 761.8 km, Slovakia 251.8 km

Land use

arable land: 38.82% permanent crops: 3% other: 58.18% (2005)

Location

Central Europe, southeast of Germany

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

flooding

Natural resources

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

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

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

Capital

name: Prague geographic coordinates: 40 55 N, 21 00 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

Constitution

ratified 16 December 1992, effective 1 January 1993

Country name

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

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

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

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 Mirek TOPOLANEK (since 4 September 2006), Deputy Prime Minister Petr NECAS (since 4 September 2006) 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 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)

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)

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Independence

1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia)

International organization participation

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

Judicial branch

Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; chairman and deputy chairmen are appointed by the president for a 10-year term

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

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 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 10, 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

National holiday

Czech Founding Day, 28 October (1918)

Political parties and leaders

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

Political pressure groups and leaders

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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.

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.)

Military branches

Army of the Czech Republic (ACR): Joint Forces Command (includes air forces), Support and Training Forces Command (2006)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.81% FY05

Military service age and obligation

18-50 years of age for voluntary military service; on-going transformation of military service into a fully professional, all-volunteer force no longer dependent on conscription began in January 2004 and is scheduled to be completed by 2007 (2005)

Age structure

0-14 years: 14.4% (male 755,098/female 714,703) 15-64 years: 71.2% (male 3,656,021/female 3,629,036) 65 years and over: 14.5% (male 576,264/female 904,333) (2006 est.)

Birth rate

9.02 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate

10.59 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 10 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

2,500 (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 3.89 deaths/1,000 live births male: 4.24 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Languages

Czech

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 76.22 years male: 72.94 years female: 79.69 years (2006 est.)

Literacy

definition: NA total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.)

Median age

total: 39.3 years male: 37.5 years female: 41.1 years (2006 est.)

Nationality

noun: Czech(s) adjective: Czech

Net migration rate

0.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Population

10,235,455 (July 2006 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.06% (2006 est.)

Religions

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: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.21 children born/woman (2006 est.)

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 from Czechoslovakia after World War II; Austrian anti-nuclear activists have revived blockades of the Czech-Austrian border to protest operation of the Temelin nuclear power plant in the Czech Republic

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

Airports

121 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 46 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 19 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 75 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 25 under 914 m: 49 (2006)

Heliports

2 (2006)

Merchant marine

registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2006)

Pipelines

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

Ports and terminals

Decin, Prague, Usti nad Labem

Railways

total: 9,572 km standard gauge: 9,473 km 1.435-m gauge (2,951 km electrified) narrow gauge: 99 km 0.760-m gauge (2005)

Roadways

total: 127,747 km paved: 127,747 km (including 518 km of expressways) (2003)

Waterways

664 km (principally on Elbe as well as Vltava and Oder rivers) (2005)