| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Europe |
| Geographical Location |
49° 45' North Latitude
15° 30' East Longitude |
| Surface Area |
78,866 sq km |
| Climate |
Temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters |
| Natural Resources |
Hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite, timber |
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| Political Information |
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| Country Name |
Czech Republic |
| Capital City |
Prague |
| Government Type |
Parliamentary democracy |
| 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 Day |
1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
10,241,138 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Czech |
| Ethnic Groups |
Czech 90.4%, Moravian 3.7%, Slovak 1.9%, other 4% (2001 census) |
| Religion |
Roman Catholic 26.8%, Protestant 2.1%, other 3.3%, unidentified 8.8%, unaffiliated 59% (2001 census) |
| Languages |
Czech |
| Population Growth Rate |
-0.05% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Czech koruna (CZK) |
| Industries |
Metallurgy, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, glass, armaments |
| Labor Force |
5.25 million (2004 est.) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 4%, industry 38%, services 58% (2002 est.) |
| Agriculture Products |
Wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, poultry |
| Export Commodities |
Machinery and transport equipment 52%, chemicals 5%, raw materials and fuel 9% (2003) |
| Export Partners |
Germany 36.2%, Slovakia 9.1%, Austria 6.1%, Poland 5.5% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Machinery and transport equipment 46%, raw materials and fuels 15%, chemicals 10% (2003) |
| Import Partners |
Germany 36.2%, Austria 5.6%, Italy 5.4%, France 4.8%, Netherlands 4.7%, Slovakia 4.7% (2004) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
9,520 km |
| Highways |
127,204 km |
| Pipelines |
Gas 7,020 km; oil 547 km; refined products 94 km (2004) |
| Airports |
120 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Decin, Prague, Usti nad Labem |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+420 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.cz |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
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. |
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