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Country information - Czech Republic Archaeologists have found evidence of prehistoric human settlement in the area dating back to the Neolithic era. After the first World War, the closely related Czechs and Slovaks of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire merged to form Czechoslovakia. After World War II, a reconstituted 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.". 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. The Czech Republic is 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 Geography Czech Republic Location Central Europe, southeast of Germany Area total: 78,866 sq km Land 77,276 sq km Water 1,590 sq km Land boundaries total: 1,881 km border countries Austria 362 km, Germany 646 km, Poland 658 km, Slovakia 215 km Coastline 0 km (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 Natural hazards flooding People Czech Republic Population 10,241,138 Nationality noun: Czech(s) Adjective Czech Ethnic groups Czech 90.4%, Moravian 3.7%, Slovak 1.9%, other 4% Religions Roman Catholic 26.8%, Protestant 2.1%, other 3.3%, unspecified 8.8%, unaffiliated 59% Languages Czech Government Czech Republic Country name conventional long form: Czech Republic Conventional short form Czech Republic Local long form Ceska Republika Local short form Ceska Republika Government type parliamentary democracy Capital Prague Administrative divisions 13 regions (kraje, singular - kraj); Jihocesky Kraj, Jihomoravsky Kraj, Karlovarsky Kraj, Kralovehradecky Kraj, Liberecky Kraj, Moravskoslezsky Kraj, Olomoucky Kraj, Pardubicky Kraj, Plzensky Kraj, Stredocesky Kraj, Ustecky Kraj, Vysocina, Zlinsky Kraj and 1 capital city (hlavni mesto); Praha (Prague). 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 Klaus (since 7 March 2003) head of government Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek (since 25 April 2005), Deputy Prime Ministers Zdenek Skromach (since 4 August 2004), Martin JAHN (since 4 August 2004), Pavel Nemec (since 4 August 2004), Milan Simonovsky (since 4 August 2004) Cabinet Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister Elections president elected by Parliament for a five-year 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 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 5-6 November and 12-13 November 2004 (next to be held November 2006); Chamber of Deputies - last held 14-15 June 2002 (next to be held by June 2006) Judicial branch Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; chairman and deputy chairmen are appointed by the president for a 10-year term 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 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, especially 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. Current account deficits are beginning to decline as demand for Czech products in the European Union increases. Inflation is under control. 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. Intensified restructuring among large enterprises, improvements in the financial sector, and effective use of available EU funds should strengthen output growth. The Czech government has expressed a desire to adopt the euro currency in 2010, but the introduction of the currency is currently only in the early planning stages. Labor force 5.27 million Labor force - by occupation agriculture 4%, industry 38%, services 58% Unemployment rate 9.1% Population below poverty line NA Household income by percentage share lowest 10%: 4.3%, highest 10%: 22.4% Agriculture - products wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, poultry Industries metallurgy, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, glass, armaments Currency (code) Czech koruna (CZK) Transportation Czech Republic Airports 120 Airports - with paved runways total: 44 Airports - with unpaved runways total: 77 Heliports 2 Pipelines gas 7,020 km; oil 547 km; refined products 94 km Railways total: 9,543 km Roadways total: 127,672 km Paved 127,672 km (including 518 km of expressways) Waterways 664 km (on Elbe, Vltava, and Oder rivers) Ports and terminals Decin, Prague, Usti nad Labem

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