1982 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1982 (Wikisource)
Geography
Area
127,946 km2; 42% arable, 14% other agricultural, 35% forested, 9% other
Land boundaries
3,540 km
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
64.3% Czechs, 30.0% Slovaks, 4.0% Magyars, 0.6% Germans, 0.5% Poles, 0.4% Ukrainians, 0.2% others (Jews, Gypsies)
Labor force
7.6 million; 14% agriculture, 38.6% industry, 11% services, 36.4% construction, communications and others
Language
Czech, Slovak, Hungarian
Literacy
almost complete
Nationality
noun—Czechoslovak(s); adjective—Czechoslovak
Population
15,369,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 0.4%
Religion
77% Roman Catholic, 20% Protestant, 2% Orthodox, 1% other
Government
Capital
Prague
Communists
1.45 million party members and candidate members (January 1978)
Elections
governmental bodies and president every five years (last election, June 1981) Dominant political party and leader: Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSC), Gustáv Husák, General Secretary; Communist Party of Slovakia (KSS) has status of "provincial KSC organization" Voting strength (1976 election): 99.7% for Communist-sponsored single slate
Government leaders
President Gustáv HUSÁK (elected May 1975), Premier Lubomir ŠTROUGAL
Legal system
civil law system based on Austrian-Hungarian codes, modified by Communist legal theory; revised constitution adopted 1960, amended in 1968 and 1970; no judicial review of legislative acts; legal education at Charles University School of Law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Member of
CEMA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFC, ILO, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, IMCO, IPU, ISO, ITC, ITU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, Warsaw Pact, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
National holiday
Liberation Day, 9 May Branches: executive—President (elected by Federal Assembly), Cabinet (appointed by President); legislative—Federal Assembly (elected directly), Czech and Slovak National Councils (also elected directly) legislate on limited area of regional matters; judiciary—Supreme Court (elected by Federal Assembly); entire governmental structure dominated by Communist Party
Official name
Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (CSSR)
Other political groups
puppet parties—Czechoslovak Socialist Party, Czechoslovak People's Party, Slovak Freedom Party, Slovak Revival Party
Political subdivisions
2 ostensibly separate and nominally autonomous republics (Czech Socialist Republic and Slovak Socialist Republic); seven regions (kraj) in Czech lands, three regions in Slovakia; national capitals of Prague and Bratislava have regional status
Suffrage
universal over age 18
Type
Communist state
Economy
Agriculture
diversified agriculture; main crops—wheat, rye, potatoes, sugar beets; net food importer—meat, wheat, vegetable oils, fresh fruits and vegetables; caloric intake, 3,100 calories per day per capita (1967)
Crude steel
14.8 million metric tons produced (1979), 1,000 kg per capita
Electric power
18,292,000 kW capacity (1981); 78.9 billion kWh produced (1981), 5,196 kWh per capita
Exports
$13,890 million (f.o.b., 1979); 53% machinery, equipment; 26% fuels, raw materials; 4% foods, food products, and live animals; 17% consumer goods, excluding foods (1978)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GNP
$117.6 billion in 1980 (in 1980 dollars), $7,645 per capita; 1980 real growth rate 1.9%
Imports
$14,371 million (f.o.b., 1979); 40% machinery, equipment; 45% fuels, raw materials; 8% foods, food products, and live animals; 6% consumer goods, excluding foods (1978)
Major industries
machinery, food processing, metallurgy, textiles, chemicals
Major trade partners
USSR, GDR, Poland, Hungary, FRG, Romania, Bulgaria, Austria, UK; $28,261 million (1979); 71% with Communist countries, 29% with non-Communist countries
Monetary conversion rate
noncommercial 9.54 crowns=US$1, commercial 5.35 crowns=US$1
NOTE
foreign trade figures were converted at the rate of 5.35 crowns= US$1
Shortages
ores, crude oil
Communications
Freight carried
rail—286.2 million metric tons, 72.6 billion metric ton/km (1980); highway—1,235.3 million metric tons, 21.3 billion metric ton/km (1980); waterway—10.5 million metric tons, 3.6 billion metric ton/km (excluding international transit traffic) (1980)
Highways
73,793 km total; 60,300 km concrete, asphalt, stone block; 13,493 km gravel, crushed stone (1979) Inland waterways: 475 km (1980)
Pipelines
crude oil, 1,448 km; refined products, 861 km; natural gas, 6,000 km
Ports
no maritime ports; outlets are Gdynia, Gdańsk, and Szczecin in Poland; Rijeka and Koper in Yugoslavia; Hamburg, FRG; Rostock, GDR; principal river ports are Prague, Děčín, Komárno, Bratislava (1979)
Railroads
13,131 km total; 12,872 km standard gauge (1.435 m), 102 km broad gauge (1.524 m), 157 km narrow gauge (0.750 m and 0.760 m); 2,891 km double track; 3,034 km electrified; government owned (1980)
Military and Security
Military budget
announced for fiscal year ending 31 December 1980, 23 billion crowns, 7.8% of total budget
Military manpower
males 15-49, 3,737,000; 2,888,000 fit for military service; 112,000 reach military age annually