1996 Edition

Description

two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side (almost identical to the flag of the former Czechoslovakia)

Location

49 45 N, 15 30 E -- Central Europe, southeast of Germany Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly smaller than South Carolina

land area

78,645 sq km

total area

78,703 sq km

Climate

temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

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

international agreements

party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea

natural hazards

NA

Geographic coordinates

49 45 N, 15 30 E

Geographic 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

International disputes

Liechtenstein claims restitution for 1,600 sq km of Czech territory confiscated from its royal family in 1918; Sudeten German claims for restitution of property confiscated in connection with their expulsion after World War II versus the Czech Republic claims that restitution does not precede February 1948 when the Communists seized power; unresolved property issues with Slovakia over redistribution of property of the former Czechoslovak federal government

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

border countries

Austria 362 km, Germany 646 km, Poland 658 km, Slovakia 214 km

total

1,880 km

Land use

arable land

NA%

forest and woodland

NA%

meadows and pastures

NA%

other

NA%

permanent crops

NA%

Location

Central Europe, southeast of Germany

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural resources

hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite

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

highest point

Snezka 1,602 m

lowest point

Elbe River 115 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 18% (male 965,861; female 918,745) 15-64 years: 68% (male 3,519,753; female 3,524,913) 65 years and over: 14% (male 526,841; female 865,007) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

10.39 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

10.89 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Czech 94.4%, Slovak 3%, Polish 0.6%, German 0.5%, Gypsy 0.3%, Hungarian 0.2%, other 1%

Infant mortality rate

8.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Czech, Slovak

Life expectancy at birth

female

77.65 years (1996 est.)

male

70.08 years

total population

73.76 years

Literacy

age NA and over can read and write (est.)

female

NA%

male

NA%

total population

99%

Nationality

adjective

Czech

note

300,000 Slovaks declared themselves Czech citizens in 1994

noun

Czech(s)

Net migration rate

0.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

10,321,120 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.03% (1996 est.)

Religions

atheist 39.8%, Roman Catholic 39.2%, Protestant 4.6%, Orthodox 3%, other 13.4%

Sex ratio

all ages

0.94 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

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: 0.61 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

1.38 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

8 regions (kraje, kraj - singular); Jihocesky, Jihomoravsky, Praha, Severocesky, Severomoravsky, Stredocesky, Vychodocesky, Zapadocesky

Capital

Prague

Chamber of Deputies (Snemovna Poslancu)

elections last held 5-6 June 1992 (next to be held 31 May-1 June 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA given breakup and realignment of all parliamentary opposition parties since 1992; seats - (200 total) governing coalition (ODS 65, KDS 10, ODA 16, KDU-CSL 15), opposition (CSSD 18, LB 25, KSCM 10, LSU 9, LSNS 5, CMUS 9, SPR-RSC 6, independents 12)

Constitution

ratified 16 December 1992; effective 1 January 1993

Data code

EZ

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Michael ZANTOVSKY

telephone

[1] (202) 363-6315, 6316

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet was appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister

chief of state

President Vaclav HAVEL (since 26 January 1993) was elected for a five-year term by the Parliament; election last held 26 January 1993 (next to be held NA January 1998); results - Vaclav HAVEL was elected

head of government

Prime Minister Vaclav KLAUS (since NA June 1992) was appointed by the president; Deputy Prime Ministers Ivan KOCARNIK (since NA June 1992), Josef LUX (since NA June 1992), Jan KALVODA (since NA June 1992)

FAX

[1] (202) 966-8540

[42] (2) 2451-1001

Flag

two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side (almost identical to the flag of the former Czechoslovakia)

Independence

1 January 1993 (from Czechoslovakia)

International organization participation

Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE (guest), CEI, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NACC, NSG, OECD, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UNOMIL, UNPROFOR, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, chairman and deputy chairmen are appointed by the president; Constitutional Court, chairman and deputy chairmen are appointed by the president

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 (Parlament)

Name of country

conventional long form

Czech Republic

conventional short form

Czech Republic

local long form

Ceska Republika

local short form

Cechy

National holiday

National Liberation Day, 8 May; Founding of the Republic, 28 October

Other political or pressure groups

Czech-Moravian Chamber of Trade Unions; Civic Movement

Political parties and leaders

governing coalition

Civic Democratic Party (ODS), Vaclav KLAUS, chairman; Christian Democratic Party (KDS), Ivan PILIP, chairman; Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA), Jan KALVODA, chairman; Christian Democratic Union/Czech People's Party (KDU-CSL), Josef LUX, chairman; note - KDS was to merge with ODS in March 1996

opposition

Czech Social Democrats (CSSD - left opposition), Milos ZEMAN, chairman; Left Bloc (LB - left opposition), Jaroslav ORTMAN, chairman; Communist Party (KSCM - left opposition), Miroslav GREBENICEK, chairman; Liberal Social Union (LSU - left opposition), Frantisek TRNKA, chairman, note - may not still be in existence; Liberal National Social Party (LSNS - center party), Vavrinec BODENLOS, chairman; Bohemian-Moravian Center Union (CMUS - center party), Jan JEGLA, chairman; Assembly for the Republic (SPR-RSC - right radical), Miroslav SLADEK, chairman

Senate (Senate)

elections to be held 15-16 November 1996 (next to be held NA); seats (81 total)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

parliamentary democracy

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Ambassador Jenonne R. WALKER

embassy

Trziste 15, 11801 Prague 1

mailing address

Unit 1330, APO AE 09213-1330

telephone

[42] (2) 2451-0847

Agriculture

grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, cattle, poultry; forest products

Budget

expenditures

$16.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.)

revenues

$16.5 billion

Currency

1 koruna (Kc) = 100 haleru

Economic aid

recipient

ODA, $27 million (1993)

Economic overview

The Czech Republic, which separated from Slovakia on 1 January 1993, emerged from recession with 2.6% growth in 1994 and 5% growth in 1995. Inflation in 1994-95 was cut in half; unemployment was kept at about 3%; the budget was balanced; and exports were reoriented to the EU. Prague's mass privatization program, including its innovative distribution of ownership shares to Czech citizens via "coupon vouchers," has made the most rapid progress in Eastern Europe. About 80% of the economy is wholly or partially in private hands. Because of its progress on reform, the Czech Republic in 1995 became the first post-Communist member of the OECD. Its solid economic performance also led Standard and Poor's to upgrade the country's sovereign credit rating to "A" and attracted nearly $5.3 billion in direct foreign investment to Czech industry between 1990 and September 1995. The Czech crown became convertible for current account transactions in October 1995. Czech companies increasingly are using the international capital market to fund capital investment, and foreign currency reserves totaled $13.9 billion at the end of 1995. Prague's biggest macroeconomic concern now is limiting the inflationary effect of these large capital inflows. The Czech economy also still faces microeconomic problems. Prague has promised to strengthen its bankruptcy law and improve the transparency of stock market operations in 1996, but some changes probably will not take effect until some time after the parliamentary elections of mid-1996 and will depend largely on voluntary compliance. Prague forecasts a balanced budget, 5.5% GDP growth, 2.8% unemployment, and 8.1% inflation for 1996.

Electricity

capacity

14.470,000 kW

consumption per capita

4,842 kWh (1993)

production

56.3 billion kWh

Exchange rates

koruny (Kcs) per US$1 - 26.967 (January 1996), 26.541 (1995), 28.785 (1994), 29.153 (1993), 28.26 (1992), 29.53 (1991), 17.95 (1990)

note

values before 1993 reflect Czechoslovak exchange rates

Exports

$17.4 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)

commodities

manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, fuels, minerals, metals, agricultural products

partners

Germany 32.4%, Slovakia 16.1%, Austria 6.7%, Poland 5.3%, Italy 4%, Russia 3.3%, Netherlands 2.8%, France 2.6%, UK 2.2%, Hungary 2.1%, US 1.8%, Belgium 1.5% (January-September 1995)

External debt

$14.9 billion (June 1995)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $106.2 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

5.8%

industry

40.7%

services

53.5%

GDP per capita

$10,200 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

5% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and Latin American cocaine to Western Europe

Imports

$21.3 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)

commodities

machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, chemicals, fuels and lubricants, raw materials, agricultural products

partners

Germany 26%, Slovakia 13.2%, Russia 9.2%, Austria 7%, Italy 5.6%, France 4.1%, US 3.8%, Poland 3.1%, Netherlands 2.9%, UK 2.9%, Switzerland 2.1%, Belgium 2.0% (January-September 1995)

Industrial production growth rate

12.9% (January-November 1995)

Industries

fuels, ferrous metallurgy, machinery and equipment, coal, motor vehicles, glass, armaments

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

9.1% (1995 est.)

Labor force

5.389 million

by occupation

industry 37.9%, agriculture 8.1%, construction 8.8%, communications and other 45.2% (1990)

Unemployment rate

2.9% (1995 est.)

Branches

Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, Civil Defense, Railroad Units

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $931 million, 2.5% of GDP (1995)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

2,724,607

males fit for military service

2,074,331

males reach military age (18) annually

88,418 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA

Radios

NA

Telephone system

domestic

NA

international

satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Atlantic and Indian Ocean Regions)

Telephones

3,349,539 (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations

NA

Televisions

NA Defense

Airports

total

116

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

13

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

9

with paved runways over 3 047 m

2

with paved runways under 914 m

5

with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

10

with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

3

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

32

with unpaved runways over 3 047 m

1

with unpaved runways under 914 m

41 (1994 est.)

Highways

paved

NA km

total

55,557 km (1994 est.)

unpaved

NA km

Merchant marine

ships by type

bulk 5, cargo 5 (1995 est.)

total

10 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 155,946 GRT/251,624 DWT

Pipelines

natural gas 5,400 km

Ports

Decin, Prague, Usti nad Labem

Railways

narrow gauge

97 km several narrow gauges (1995)

standard gauge

9,316 km 1.435-m standard gauge (2640 km electrified)

total

9,413 km

Waterways

NA km; the Elbe (Labe) is the principal river