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CZECH REPUBLIC (C'eská republika)
KEY HISTORICAL EVENTS

The Czech tribe rose to dominance in Bohemia in the 8th century. In 1212 Otakar I received a hereditary kingship from the Holy Roman Emperor. Wenceslas II was elected king of Poland in 1300. Wenceslas was succeeded in 1310 by John of Luxemburg whose son, Cahrles (1346-78), became Holy Roman Emperor as Charles IV in 1355, Bohemia attained a high degree of prosperity and civilization at this time. In 1527 the diet elected the Hapsburg Ferdinand as king. The Hapsburgs gradually encroached upon Czech rights and religious freedom. The Czech nobility were replaced by German-speaking adventurers; the burgesses lost their rights; burdens were piled on to the peasantry; and Catholicism was enforced.
The increasingly political aspirations of Czech nationalists were not for the resuscita\tion of the old Bohemia but for the formation of a new Czechoslovakia, an idea fostered by Thomas Masaryk. Manhood suffrage was granted in 1906 but the chamber of deputies was constantly bzpassed by the emperor. The First World War brought a complete estrangement between Czech and German sectors of the population, the latter supporting the German war effort. Masaryk and other leaders went into exile. In 1918 he securfed the support of US president Woodrow Wilson for Czech and Slovak unity. Austria accepted President Wilson’s terms on 27 Oct. 1918 and the next day a republic was proclaimed with Masaryk as president and Edvard Benes' as foreign minister.; On 29 Oct. The Slovak leaders declared Slovakia part of the Czechoslovak nation. Czechoslovakia developed into a prosperous democracy but was hard hit by the economic depression of the 1930s. Nationalist agitation amongst the Sudeten Germans was fomented by Hitler. Czechoslovakia relied on France for her defence against German aggression but France sided with Britain in the Munich agreement of 29 Sept. 1938 which ceded to Germany. Benes' resigned the presidency and went into exile. On 14 March 1939 Slovakia declared itself independent under German hegemony, and the next day the German army occupied the rest of the country. Czechoslovaks who managed to escape joined Benes' to form a government in exile. Liberation by the Soviet Army and US Forces was completed by May 1945 and territories taken by Germans, Poles and Hungarians were restored to Czechoslovak sovereignty. Elections were held in May 1946, at which the Communist Party obtained about 38% of the votes. A coalition government was formed by Gottwald. In May elections resulted in an 89% majority for the government, and President Benes' resigned.

In 1968 pressure for liberalization culminated in the overthrow of the Stalinist leader, Antonín Novotny’. Under Alexander Dubc'ek’s leadership the ‘Prague Spring’ began to take shape, with an ‘Action Programme’ of far-reaching reforms. Soviet pressure to abandon this programme was exerted between May and Aug. 1968, when Warsaw Pact forces occupied Czechoslovakia.

Mass demonstrations demanding political reform began in Now. 1989. On 30 Now. The Federal Assembly abolished the Communist Party’s sole right to govern. On 10 Dec. Gustáv Husák resigned as President and was replaced by Václav Havel.
On 25 Now. 1992 the Federal Assembly voted the dissolution of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic. Economic property was divided in accordance with a federal law of 13 Now. 1992. Real estate became the property of the republic in which it was located. Other property was divided by specially constituted commissions in the proportion of 2 (Czech Republic) to 1 (Slovakia) on the basis of population size. Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia on 1 Jan. 1993.

PRAGUE, Czech Republic. The capital of the Czech Republic and one of the most beautiful cities of Europe, Prague was formerly a great center of European culture. It has an ancient university and was at one time the home of such famous composers as Mozart, Weber, and DvoRák and such writers as Kafka and Capek. In modern times it has become the leading industrial center of the country.
       
Physical Description:
Prague is situated on the banks of the Vltava River, a tributary of the Elbe River. The river flows from south to north and turns eastward near the center of the old city. The river contains several long, flat islands. The west bank consists of steep hills crowned by a castle and parks. The east bank is flatter and is the site of both the old and new centers of the city. The river is crossed by 13 bridges, including a railroad bridge. The modern city has spread eastward into hilly areas and in the north has expanded into the area surrounded by a great bend of the Vltava.

   The historic core of the city lies on both sides of the river. To the west a large complex of buildings on HradCany Hill overlooks the city. The major building is a 12th-century fortified palace known as the HradCany, or Hrad (Castle). It is now the residence of the president of the Czech Republic. Next to the castle is St. Vitus' Cathedral, begun in the 14th century but not completed until 1929. Adjacent to these buildings are another church and several palaces.

   Below the HradCany lies the Malá Strana (Little Quarter), with its narrow streets such as Zlatá UliCka (Gold Lane), where goldsmiths formerly lived. It also contains churches and palaces. The Malá Strana is connected to the Staré MEsto (Old Town) by the KarlUv Most (Charles Bridge), which dates from 1357. This bridge is lined with statues and has towers with gates at each end.

   At the center of the Staré MEsto is the Old Town Square, which contains the 14th-century Tn Church and a large clock that shows both the time and the seasons. In the center is a statue to the Protestant reformer Jan Hus, a Bohemian national hero and martyr.

   Southeast of the Staré MEsto is a broad street called Na PRíkopE (On the Moat). It marks the line of the old city moat and is now the main shopping street of Prague. At its northern end stands the old city gate, or PraSná Brána (Powder Tower). Na PRíkopE marks the division between the old and new parts of Prague. The center of modern Prague is Wenceslas Square, which is actually a long boulevard with the National Museum at one end. Once the city's horse market, it is now flanked by hotels, stores, and restaurants. South and east of Wenceslas Square there are several broad streets interspersed with parks and residential districts. South of the main center of the city is the old fortress of VySehrad, including a church and a cemetery. In the north of the city there are also some large parks, a stadium, and a sports hall.

   Prague has a population of about 1.2 million people. The majority of them are Czechs, but there are also small numbers of Slovaks, Hungarians, and Germans. The Czechs are predominantly Roman Catholics, though there is a significant Protestant minority. There is also a small Jewish community.

Culture, Education, and Recreation:
The city has many museums, art galleries, and monuments. In addition to the National Museum, there are an ethnographic museum, a museum of Czechoslovak literature, and a Jewish museum. Before the mass murder of Jews during World War II, Prague was a center of Jewish studies and produced notable Jewish scholars and writers such as Franz Kafka. In the city are an old Jewish town hall, a synagogue, and the oldest Jewish cemetery in Europe.

   The National Gallery contains both Czech and foreign art, while the art gallery of the castle contains a famous art collection. There are several symphony orchestras and more than 20 theaters that present drama, ballet, opera, and whimsical puppet shows. During the period of Communist control, Prague remained the center of Czech culture. In particular, the modern Prague theaters have been innovative.

   Over the centuries Prague has been the home of a number of famous composers, writers, and scholars. The martyr Jan Hus was rector and professor of the university. Tycho Brahe, the 16th-century Danish astronomer, is buried in the Tn Church. One of the city's most famous residents was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whose opera 'Don Giovanni' was first performed in the Tyl Theater. The German composer Christoph Willibald Gluck also worked in Prague, and Carl Maria von Weber was a conductor here for a time. The 19th-century Czech composers Antonín DvoRák and BedRich Smetana were also residents of the city. The most famous of Prague's writers were Kafka, Rainer Maria Rilke, Karel Capek, and Jaroslav HaSek. (See also DvoRák, Antonín; Gluck, Christoph Willibald; Hus, Jan; Kafka, Franz; Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus; Rilke, Rainer Maria; Weber, Carl Maria von.)

   Charles University is the oldest in Central Europe, founded in 1348. There are also a technical university, a school of economics, and academies for science, art, music, and dance.

   Apart from theaters, restaurants, and cafes, there are other forms of recreation and entertainment. Association football (soccer) and ice hockey are especially popular. Tennis is also a popular sport, and the government provides many facilities. International stars such as Martina Navratilova and Hana Mandlikova were trained in Prague sports clubs.

 
         
Economy
In addition to being the capital city Prague is also the major industrial city of the country. It has a number of industrial districts on its outskirts where a variety of engineering products are manufactured. They include transport equipment such as automobiles, buses, motorcycles, airplanes, and railroad equipment, electrical goods, and machinery for various industries. Food processing is also important. The Czech Republic is one of the most industrialized countries in Eastern Europe, and much of the industrial output of Prague is exported to the countries of Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

   Prague is a center of transportation routes both from west to east and from north to south. It lies on the main route from Berlin, Germany, to Vienna, Austria. It has three main railroad stations. Prague has waterway connections with the Baltic Sea via the Vltava and Elbe rivers. RuzynE, Prague's international airport, is the headquarters of Czechoslovak Airlines (CSA), the national airline.

 

DubCek, Alexander


Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Facts about          
History
The earliest recorded settlement at Prague dates from the 9th century. Two castles were built--one at HradCany and the other on the hill of VySehrad on the east bank south of the present city center. Settlements near these castles formed the first core areas of the city.

   Prague began to expand in the 14th century, when its population was about 50,000. Its location on trade routes helped its growth. The university was founded by Charles IV and attracted students from abroad. Charles was responsible for the planned development of Prague, and he started the development of the new town to the south and east of the old town. Several major buildings date from this period, when Prague was a major city of Europe.

   In the 15th century the city was controlled by German and Italian merchants who had settled here. Gradually the German culture and language became dominant in Prague. Unfortunately the century was a turbulent one for its citizens. In the Hussite Wars the city sided with the followers of the religious reformer Jan Hus. Further wars in the 17th century led to the decline of the city as a cultural and political center.

   In the 18th century there was a revival of culture. Foreign artists, architects, and musicians were invited by the nobles and merchants. Among them was the composer Mozart. The baroque churches, palaces, and parks of the city date from this period.

   Prague remained a fairly small city until the 19th century. The arrival of the railroad in the 1840s and the growth of industrialization caused a great expansion. In order to preserve the architecture of the old town, a long railroad tunnel was dug under the center of the city.

   In the 1840s the population was about 140,000. The old city walls were removed, and Wenceslas Square became the center of the modern city. New industrial districts arose around the city. Much of Prague's industry at this time was financed by foreign capital. Rapid industrial expansion was aided by the nearness of coal mines and ironworks at neighboring KrálUv DvUr and Kladno. A river port was developed in the district of HoleSovice in the north of the city.

   During the 19th century the Czech population began to achieve cultural and political dominance in the city. When Czechoslovakia gained its independence in 1918, Prague became the capital of the new republic. During the 1920s and 1930s new residential areas were developed to the west. These districts were planned as garden cities. Czech architects followed some of the most advanced ideas of Western Europe. Further industrialization took place, and by 1939 the population of Prague had reached nearly a million.

   In 1938 the German government signed a pact with Great Britain, France, and Italy that gave Germany the right to annex the areas of Czechoslovakia with German populations. In 1939 the Germans occupied Czechoslovakia and established a puppet government in Prague. The city suffered little during World War II and was spared the bombing that destroyed other European cities. In 1945, a few days before Soviet forces entered the city, an uprising against the Germans by citizen groups resulted in some fighting and the destruction of the Town Hall on Old Town Square.

   In 1945 the Czechoslovak republic was restored, and Prague once again became its capital. In 1948 the Communists took control of the country. In 1968 life in the city was disrupted when Soviet troops invaded Prague to stop political reforms introduced by the regime of Alexander DubCek. There was no fighting, however, and no damage to the city.

   The Communist regime gave priority to the development of industry, but the standard of living remained low. In 1989 economic and political turmoil produced demonstrations in favor of democratization. Media criticism and popular disfavor brought about the fall of the Communist party at the end of the year and the election of a new, multiparty government in 1990. The Czech Republic and Slovakia formed separate republics on Jan. 1, 1993. Population (1991 estimate), 1,212,000. (See also Czechoslovakia; Czech Republic.)

This article was contributed by Ian Matley, Professor of Geography, Michigan State University.


CZECH REPUBLIC. The nation of Czechoslovakia split peacefully into two countries on Jan. 1, 1993. The western provinces of Bohemia and Moravia became the Czech Republic, while the eastern section became Slovakia (see Slovakia). Of the two new countries, the Czech Republic was the larger, with a land area of 30,441 square miles (78,842 square kilometers), compared to Slovakia's 18,919 square miles (49,000 square kilometers). Its population was almost twice as large: 10,314,000 compared to Slovakia's 5,297,000. Economically, too, the Czech Republic was better off, with a much higher gross domestic product, less unemployment, and greater success in returning former state industries to private hands.

 

These buildings, in a Moravian village ...          
Land
The Czech Republic is bordered on the south by Austria, on the north by Poland, on the west by Germany, and on the east by Slovakia. The country's greatest length, west to east, is about 300 miles (480 kilometers); and its greatest width, north to south, is about 160 miles (260 kilometers). Most of the country consists of the Bohemian Massif, a large basin circled by low mountain ranges that occasionally exceed 3,000 feet (900 meters) above sea level. In the southwest is the large Bohemian Forest. The highest mountains are in the Sudeten Mountains, along the Polish border in the north.

   The country's main river is the Elbe, which flows into Germany and becomes a major waterway. The Oder and Vistula rivers flow north into Poland. Other significant rivers are the Berounka, Vltava, Sázava, Iser, Uhlava, and Morava. Of these, the Vltava (Moldau in German) is the longest within the country, flowing 270 miles (435 kilometers). There are no sizable lakes, but there are several man-made reservoirs, of which the Lipno in the far southwest is the largest.

 

Slavic festival participants wear traditional costumes ...          
People
Nearly 95 percent of the population consists of Bohemians--or Czechs--and Moravians. The other major ethnic groups are Hungarians, Slovaks, and Gypsies. The large German population that occupied the Sudetenland (the mountainous border regions of Bohemia and Moravia) before World War II was removed after the war. The Gypsy population may be the largest in Eastern Europe, but they have no legal standing as a recognized ethnic group. About 39 percent of the people are Roman Catholic, while a slightly larger percentage are atheists. Russian Orthodox and Protestant churches have much smaller followings.

   More than 75 percent of the people live in urban areas, though most of the cities are of modest size. Prague, the capital, exceeds 1 million in population (see Prague, Czech Republic). The second largest city, Brno, has a population of only about 390,000, however. Ostrava, in the northeast, and Pilsen, in the southwest, are the other major cities. The latter is one of the most famous beer-brewing centers in the world.

 
         
Economy
The Czech Republic is highly industrialized, compared to Slovakia. However, much of the industry was, in the early 1990s, obsolete--a leftover from Communist central planning. The country has some modern plants that were expected to become productive when economic reforms took root. The largest single industry is engineering, followed by food production, electronics, chemicals, rubber, asbestos, and iron and steel. During Communist rule the country was a leader in production of automobiles and diesel locomotives.

 

Havel, Václav


Moravia          
Government and History
The Czech Republic has a parliamentary, multiparty form of government. The head of state is the president. Václav Havel, who had resigned as president of Czechoslovakia in July 1992, was elected president of the Czech Republic in January 1993. The head of government is the prime minister, who governs with a cabinet. The one-house parliament has 200 deputies.

   From the early Middle Ages until 1918 Moravia and Bohemia were both Central European kingdoms. Moravia was settled in the 4th century by Germans and Celts and in the 6th and 7th century by Avars. The Slavs, ancestors of the present occupants, arrived in the late 8th century. The Slavs had settled in Bohemia by the 6th century. By the mid-9th century the Moravians had formed a kingdom, which eventually grew into Great Moravia and included part of Poland, all of Bohemia, and part of Hungary. This small empire was destroyed by Magyars in 906.

   The decline of Moravia led to the ascendancy of Bohemia. The kingdom of Bohemia, in the 10th century, included Moravia and part of Poland. The kingdom's greatest extent was in the 13th century, when it added sections of Hungary and Austria.

   After the 14th century the Moravians and Bohemians were caught between more powerful neighbors and torn by religious controversies. Both regions came under the control of the Hapsburg monarchy of Austria in 1526. A Czech revolt against Austria was harshly put down in 1620, and the two kingdoms became provinces within the empire of Austria-Hungary.

   Czech nationalism revived in the 19th century, inspired by such popular rebellions as the Revolution of 1848. The Czech language was put on the same footing as the more prevalent German. Bohemia, Moravia, and neighboring Slovakia drew closer together as they sought to throw off the yoke of Austria-Hungary. This goal was achieved in 1918, with the formation of Czechoslovakia and the end of Austria-Hungary. Bohemia and Moravia remained part of Czechoslovakia until Jan. 1, 1993, when Slovakia broke away to form an independent state.

   In 1992, prior to the split between the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Vaclav Klaus of the Civic Democratic party was elected prime minister. Klaus soon earned a reputation as one of the most successful implementers of economic and political reform in post-Communist Eastern Europe. During his first years in office, the Czech Republic emerged as one of the prime success stories from the region. Klaus played a decisive role in putting the Czech Republic on the path toward economic recovery by privatizing the vast Czech state-run economy. Initially, the reforms appeared to revitalize the Czech economy as economic production rose, inflation remained steady, and unemployment decreased. The Czech Republic's progress in liberalizing both the economy and the government was recognized by the members of Western Europe. In the summer of 1997 the members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) extended a membership invitation to the government in Prague, based on the Czech Republic's impressive post-Communist overhaul. European Union (EU) officials also acknowledged that the Czech Republic's post-Communist achievements made it a front-runner among Eastern European states for membership in the EU.

   An economic downturn, which began to be felt during 1996, increased dissatisfaction within the Czech Republic's population. In June 1996 elections that marked the first parliamentary vote since the 1993 split from Slovakia, Klaus's center-right ruling coalition lost its majority hold on the legislature. His three-party coalition won 99 seats in the 200-member parliament, down from 112 in the previous legislature. In a strong showing, the center-left Social Democrats increased their representation in parliament to 61 seats from 24. Following the elections Klaus managed to form a new minority government, making several concessions to the Social Democrats in order to win their support. The prime minister pledged to stop further privatization in the transport and energy areas of the economy and also modified his positions on health care, education, and pensions.

   In January 1997 Klaus and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl met in Prague to sign a joint declaration of apology for crimes committed by each nation against the other during World War II. The symbolic gesture came more than 50 years after the conclusion of the war, which witnessed both the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1938 and 1939, and the expulsion of nearly 3 million Germans from Czechoslovakia during the immediate post-war period. Opponents of the agreement argued that Czechoslovakia, which was unambiguously victimized by Nazi Germany from 1938 to 1945, should not have agreed to a declaration of mutual wrongdoing.

   The Czech Republic's economic problems were compounded in the spring of 1997, when speculators began to trade heavily in Czech crowns, leading to a currency crisis that again raised concerns of an impending economic slowdown. Critics charged that the government's policies of privatization had led directly to the Czech Republic's economic turmoil. Revelations of wanton corruption within the Civic Democratic party led to the collapse of the ruling coalition and Klaus's resignation from office in November 1997. In the following month President Havel appointed Josef Tosovsky, former head of the Czech central bank, to serve as caretaker prime minister of the country until elections that were scheduled for the next year. Despite widespread public support for Havel, the president barely won reelection to his fifth and final five-year term in office in January 1998. The narrow margin of victory was seen as a signal of the parliament's dissatisfaction with Havel's leadership and of the divisions in Czech politics that developed after the collapse of Klaus's administration. (See also Czechoslovakia.)

 
         
Facts About the Czech Republic
Official Name. Czech Republic.
Capital. Prague.
Area. 30,441 square miles (78,842 square kilometers).
Population (1996 estimate) 10,315,842; 338.9 persons per square mile (130.8 persons per square kilometer); 77.5 percent urban, 22.5 percent rural (1993 estimate).
Major Language. Czech (official).
Major Religion. Roman Catholicism.
Literacy. 100 percent.
Highest Peak. SnEZka. (5,256 feet; 1,602 meters).
Major Rivers. Elbe, Oder, Oslava, Morava, Vltava, Berounka.
Form of Government. Republic.
Head of State. President.
Head of Government. Prime Minister.
Legislature. Congress of two houses: Senate and Chamber of Deputies.
Voting Qualification. Universal.
Political Divisions. 7 regions.
Major Cities (1994 estimate). Prague (1,217,000), Brno (390,100), Ostrava (326,200), Plzen (172,300), Olomouc (105,900).
Chief Manufactured and Mined Products. Polymetallic ores, iron ores, machinery and transport equipment, metal products, textiles, chemical products, food products, coal, petroleum, natural gas. (+ woody toys, Czech cristal, semtex)
Chief Agricultural Products. Crops--wheat, barley, corn (maize), rye, sugar beets, potatoes. Livestock--pigs, cattle, poultry.
Monetary Unit. 1 koruna=100 haleru.

Background: After World War II, 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 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. Now a member of NATO, the Czech Republic has moved toward integration in world markets, a development that poses both opportunities and risks.


GEOGRAPHY

Location: Central Europe, southeast of Germany

Geographic coordinates: 49 45 N, 15 30 E

Map references: Europe

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

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than South Carolina

Land boundaries:
total: 1,881 km
border countries: Austria 362 km, Germany 646 km, Poland 658 km, Slovakia 215 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (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

Land use:
arable land: 41%
permanent crops: 2%
permanent pastures: 11%
forests and woodland: 34%
other: 12% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 240 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: flooding

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

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

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


PEOPLE

Population: 10,272,179 (July 2000 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 16% (male 866,754; female 823,795)
15-64 years: 70% (male 3,579,454; female 3,577,919)
65 years and over: 14% (male 547,462; female 876,795) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.08% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 9.1 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 10.87 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 5.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.51 years
male: 71.01 years
female: 78.22 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.18 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Czech(s)
adjective: Czech

Ethnic groups: Czech 81.2%, Moravian 13.2%, Slovak 3.1%, Polish 0.6%, German 0.5%, Silesian 0.4%, Roma 0.3%, Hungarian 0.2%, other 0.5% (March 1991)

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

Languages: Czech

Literacy:
definition: NA
total population: 99.9% (1999 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%


GOVERNMENT

Country name:
conventional long form: Czech Republic
conventional short form: Czech Republic
local long form: Ceska Republika
local short form: Ceska Republika

Data code: EZ

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Prague

Administrative divisions: 73 districts (okresi, singular - okres) and 4 municipalities* (mesta, singular - mesto); Benesov, Beroun, Blansko, Breclav, Brno*, Brno-Venkov, Bruntal, Ceske Budejovice, Ceska Lipa, Cesky Krumlov, Cheb, Chomutov, Chrudim, Decin, Domazlice, Frydek-Mistek, Havlickuv Brod, Hodonin, Hradec Kralove, Jablonec nad Nisou, Jesenik, Jicin, Jihlava, Jindrichuv Hradec, Karlovy Vary, Karvina, Kladno, Klatovy, Kolin, Kromeriz, Kutna Hora, Liberec, Litomerice, Louny, Melnik, Mlada Boleslav, Most, Nachod, Novy Jicin, Nymburk, Olomouc, Opava, Ostrava*, Pardubice, Pelhrimov, Pisek, Plzen*, Plzen-Jih, Plzen-Sever, Prachatice, Praha*, Praha-Vychod, Praha Zapad, Prerov, Pribram, Prostejov, Rakovnik, Rokycany, Rychnov nad Kneznou, Semily, Sokolov, Strakonice, Sumperk, Svitavy, Tabor, Tachov, Teplice, Trebic, Trutnov, Uherske Hradiste, Usti nad Labem, Usti nad Orlici, Vsetin, Vyskov, Zdar nad Sazavou, Zlin, Znojmo

Independence: 1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech and Slovak Republics)

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

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 HAVEL (since 2 February 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Milos ZEMAN (since 17 July 1998); Deputy Prime Ministers Vladimir SPIDLA (since 17 July 1998), Pavel RYCHETSKY (since 17 July 1998), Pavel MERTLIK (since 17 July 1998), Jan KAZAN (since 8 December 1999)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term; election last held 20 January 1998 (next to be held NA January 2003); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Vaclav HAVEL reelected president; Vaclav HAVEL received 47 of 81 votes in the Senate and 99 out of 200 votes in the Chamber of Deputies (second round of voting)

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat (81 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve staggered two-, four-, and six-year terms) 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 13-14 and 20-21 November 1998 (next to be held NA November 2000 - to replace/reelect 20 senators serving two-year terms); Chamber of Deputies - last held 19-20 June 1998 (next to be held by NA June 2002)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CSSD 23, ODS 25, KDU-CSL 16, KCSM 4, ODA 7, US 4, DEU 1, independent 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CSSD 74, ODS 63, KDU-CSL 20, US 19, KCSM 24

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chairman and deputy chairmen are appointed by the president for life; Constitutional Court, chairman and deputy chairmen are appointed by the president for life

Political parties and leaders: Assembly for the Republic or SPR-RSC [Miroslav SLADEK, chairman]; Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party or KDU-CSL [Jan KASAL, chairman]; Civic Democratic Alliance or ODA [Daniel KROUPA, chairman]; Civic Democratic Party or ODS [Vaclav KLAUS, chairman]; Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia or KSCM [Miroslav GREBENICEK, chairman]; Czech Social Democrats or CSSD [Milos ZEMAN, chairman]; Democratic Union or DEU [Ratibor MAJZLIK, chairman]; Freedom Union or US [Karel KUEHUL, acting chairman]; Quad Coalition [Richard FALBR, chairman] (includes KDU-CSL, US, ODA, DEU)

Political pressure groups and leaders: "Thanks, Now Go"; Impulse 99; Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions

International organization participation: Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UPU, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Alexsandr VONDRA
chancery: 3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 363-6315
FAX: [1] (202) 966-8540
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador John SHATTUCK
embassy: Trziste 15, 11801 Prague 1
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [420] (2) 5753-0663
FAX: [420] (2) 5753-0583

Flag 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)


ECONOMY

Economy - overview: Political and financial crises in 1997 shattered the Czech Republic's image as one of the most stable and prosperous of post-Communist states. Delays in enterprise restructuring and failure to develop a well-functioning capital market played major roles in Czech economic troubles, which culminated in a currency crisis in May. The currency was forced out of its fluctuation band as investors worried that the current account deficit, which reached nearly 8% of GDP in 1996, would become unsustainable. After expending $3 billion in vain to support the currency, the central bank let it float. The growing current account imbalance reflected a surge in domestic demand and poor export performance, as wage increases outpaced productivity. The government was forced to introduce two austerity packages later in the spring which cut government spending by 2.5% of GDP. Growth dropped to 0.3% in 1997, -2.3% in 1998, and -0.5% in 1999. The basic transition problem continues to be too much direct and indirect government influence on the privatized economy. The government established a restructuring agency in 1999 and launched a revitalization program - to spur the sale of firms to foreign companies. Key priorities include accelerating legislative convergence with EU norms, restructuring enterprises, and privatizing banks and utilities. The economy, fueled by increased export growth and investment, is expected to recover in 2000.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $120.8 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: -0.5% (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $11,700 (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 5%
industry: 42%
services: 53% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.6%
highest 10%: 23.5% (1993)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (1999 est.)

Labor force: 5.203 million (1999 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: industry 32%, agriculture 5.6%, construction 8.7%, transport and communications 6.9%, services 46.8% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate: 9% (1999 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $16.4 billion
expenditures: $17.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999)

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

Industrial production growth rate: -4% (1999 est.)

Electricity - production: 61.466 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 75.54%
hydro: 2.55%
nuclear: 20.37%
other: 1.54% (1998)

Electricity - consumption: 54.733 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports: 10.8 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports: 8.37 billion kWh (1998)

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

Exports: $26.9 billion (f.o.b., 1999)

Exports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment 41%, other manufactured goods 40%, chemicals 8%, raw materials and fuel 7% (1998)

Exports - partners: Germany 42%, Slovakia 8%, Austria 6%, Poland 6%, France 4% (1999)

Imports: $29 billion (f.o.b., 1999)

Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment 39%, other manufactured goods 21%, chemicals 12%, raw materials and fuels 10%, food 5% (1998)

Imports - partners: Germany 34%, Slovakia 6%, Russia 6%, Austria 6%, France 5% (1999)

Debt - external: $24.3 billion (1999 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $351.6 million (1995)

Currency: 1 koruna (Kc) = 100 haleru

Exchange rates: koruny (Kcs) per US$1 - 35.630 (December 1999), 34.569 (1999), 32.281 (1998), 31.698 (1997), 27.145 (1996), 26.541 (1995)

Fiscal year: calendar year


COMMUNICATIONS

Telephones - main lines in use: 3,741,492 (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 965,476 (1998)

Telephone system:
domestic: 70% 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: satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions), 1 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat

Radio broadcast stations: AM 21, FM 199, shortwave 1 (1999)

Radios: 3,173,856 (December 1999)

Television broadcast stations: 102 (of which 35 are low power stations), plus about 500 repeaters (1988)

Televisions: 3,428,817 (December 1999)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 35 (1999)


TRANSPORTATION

Railways:
total: 9,435 km
standard gauge: 9,341 km 1.435-m standard gauge (2,946 km electrified at three voltages; 1,868 km double track)
narrow gauge: 94 km 0.760-m narrow gauge (1998)

Highways:
total: 127,693 km
paved: 127,693 km (including 498 km of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (1998 est.)

Waterways: 677 km; the Elbe (Labe) is the principal river

Pipelines: natural gas 53,000 km (1998)

Ports and harbors: Decin, Prague, Usti nad Labem

Airports: 114 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 43
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 16 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 71
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 28
under 914 m: 42 (1999 est.)

Heliports: 1 (1999 est.)


MILITARY

Military branches: Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, Civil Defense, Railroad Units

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 2,669,505 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 2,035,194 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 70,674 (2000 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1.2 billion (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.9% (FY99)


TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES

Disputes - international: Liechtenstein claims restitution for 1,600 sq km of land in the Czech Republic confiscated from its royal family in 1918; the Czech Republic insists that restitution does not go back before February 1948, when the communists seized power; individual Sudeten German claims for restitution of property confiscated in connection with their expulsion after World War II; agreement with Slovakia signed 24 November 1998 resolves issues of redistribution of former Czechoslovak federal land - approval by both parliaments is expected in 2000

Illicit drugs: major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and minor transit point for Latin American cocaine to Western Europe; domestic consumption - especially of locally produced synthetic drugs - on the rise

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Official Name:
Czech Republic

PROFILE

Geography

Area: 78,864 sq. kilometers; about the size of Virginia.
Cities: Capital--Prague (pop. 1.2 million). Other cities--Brno (387,000), Ostrava (324,000), Plzen (175,000).
Terrain: Low mountains to the north and south, hills in the west. Climate: Temperate.

People

Nationality: Noun and adjective--Czech(s).
Population (est.): 10.5 million.
Annual growth rate: 0.1%.
Ethnic groups: Czech (95%), Germans, Roma, Poles, Silesians, Slovaks.
Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant.
Language: Czech.
Education: Literacy--99%.
Health: Life expectancy--males 68 yrs., females 75 yrs.
Work force (5.2 million): Industry, construction and commerce--47%. Government and other services--41%. Agriculture--11%.

Government

Type: Parliamentary republic.
Independence: The Czech Republic was established January 1, 1993 (former Czechoslovak state established 1918).
Constitution: Signed December 16, 1992.
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state), prime minister (head of government), cabinet. Legislative--Chamber of Deputies, Senate. Judicial--Supreme Court, Constitutional Court.
Political parties (June 1998 election): Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD), 74 seats; Civic Democratic Party (ODS), 63 seats; Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia [KSCM], 24 seats; Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak Peoples Party (KDU-CSL), 20 seats; Freedom Union (US), 19 seats. Suffrage: Universal at 18.
Administrative subdivisions: Two regions--Bohemia and Moravia; seven administrative districts and Prague.
Flag: Blue triangle on staff side; upper white band, lower red band.

Economy

GDP (1998 est.): $54.54 billion.
Per capita income (1998 est.): $5,454.
Natural resources: Coal, coke, timber, lignite, uranium, magnesite.
Agriculture: Products--wheat, rye, oats, corn, barley, hops, potatoes, sugarbeets, hogs, cattle, horses.
Industry: Types--iron, steel, machinery and equipment, cement, sheet glass, motor vehicles, armaments, chemicals, ceramics, wood, paper products, and footwear.
Trade (1997): Exports--$21.850 billion: machinery, iron, steel, chemicals, raw materials, consumer goods. Trading partners--Austria, Belgium, Commonwealth of Independent States, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland, United States.

PEOPLE

The majority of the 10.5 million inhabitants of the Czech Republic are ethnically and linguistically Czech (95%). Other ethnic groups include Germans, Roma, and Poles. After the 1993 division, some Slovaks remained in the Czech Republic and comprise roughly 3% of the current population. The border between the Czech Republic and Slovakia is open for former citizens of Czechoslovakia. Laws establishing religious freedom were passed shortly after the revolution of 1989, lifting oppressive regulations enacted by the former communist regime. Major denominations and their estimated percentage populations are Roman Catholic (39%) and Protestant (3%). A large percentage of the Czech population claim to be atheists (40%), and 16% describe themselves as uncertain. The Jewish community numbers a few thousand today; a synagogue in Prague memorializes the names of more than 80,000 Czechoslovak Jews who perished in World War II.

HISTORY

The Czech Republic was the western part of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic. Formed into a common state after World War I (October 18, 1918), the Czechs, Moravians, and Slovaks remained united for almost 75 years. On January 1, 1993, the two republics split to form two separate states.

The Czechs lost their national independence to the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1620 at the Battle of White Mountain and, for the next 300 years, were ruled by the Austrian Monarchy. With the collapse of the monarchy at the end of World War I, the independent country of Czechoslovakia was formed, encouraged by, among others, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson.

Despite cultural differences, the Slovaks shared with the Czechs similar aspirations for independence from the Hapsburg state and voluntarily united with the Czechs. The Slovaks were not at the same level of economic and technological development as the Czechs, but the freedom and opportunity found in Czechoslovakia enabled them to make strides toward overcoming these inequalities. However, the gap never was fully bridged, and the discrepancy played a continuing role throughout the 75 years of the union.

Although Czechoslovakia was the only east European country to remain a parliamentary democracy from 1918 to 1938, it was plagued with minority problems, the most important of which concerned the country's large German population. Constituting more than 22% of the interwar state's population and largely concentrated in the Bohemian and Moravian border regions (the Sudetenland), members of this minority, including some who were sympathetic to Nazi Germany, undermined the new Czechoslovak state. Internal and external pressures culminated in September 1938, when France and the United Kingdom yielded to Nazi pressures at Munich and agreed to force Czechoslovakia to cede the Sudetenland to Germany.

Fulfilling Hitler's aggressive designs on all of Czechoslovakia, Germany invaded what remained of Bohemia and Moravia in March 1939, establishing a German "protectorate." By this time, Slovakia had already declared independence and had become a puppet state of the Germans.

At the close of World War II, Soviet troops overran all of Slovakia, Moravia, and much of Bohemia, including Prague. In May 1945, U.S. forces liberated the city of Plzen and most of western Bohemia. A civilian uprising against the German garrison took place in Prague in May 1945. Following Germany's surrender, some 2.9 million ethnic Germans were expelled from Czechoslovakia with Allied approval under the Benes Decrees.

Reunited after the war, the Czechs and Slovaks set federal and national elections for the spring of 1946. The democratic elements, led by President Eduard Benes, hoped the Soviet Union would allow Czechoslovakia the freedom to choose its own form of government and aspired to a Czechoslovakia that would act as a bridge between East and West. The Czechoslovak Communist Party, which won 38% of the vote, held most of the key positions in the government and gradually managed to neutralize or silence the anti-communist forces. Although the communist-led government initially intended to participate in the Marshall Plan, it was forced by Moscow to back out. Under the cover of superficial legality, the Communist Party seized power in February 1948.

After extensive purges modeled on the Stalinist pattern in other east European states, the Communist Party tried 14 of its former leaders in November 1952 and sentenced 11 to death. For more than a decade thereafter, the Czechoslovak communist political structure was characterized by the orthodoxy of the leadership of party chief Antonin Novotny.

The 1968 Soviet Invasion

The communist leadership allowed token reforms in the early 1960s, but discontent arose within the ranks of the communist party central committee, stemming from dissatisfaction with the slow pace of the economic reforms, resistance to cultural liberalization, and the desire of the Slovaks within the leadership for greater autonomy for their republic. This discontent expressed itself with the removal of Novotny from party leadership in January 1968 and from the presidency in March. He was replaced as party leader by a Slovak, Alexander Dubcek.

After January 1968, the Dubcek leadership took practical steps toward political, social, and economic reforms. In addition, it called for politico-military changes in the Soviet-dominated Warsaw Pact and Council for Mutual Economic Assistance. The leadership affirmed its loyalty to socialism and the Warsaw Pact but also expressed the desire to improve relations with all countries of the world regardless of their social systems.

A program adopted in April 1968 set guidelines for a modern, humanistic socialist democracy that would guarantee, among other things, freedom of religion, press, assembly, speech, and travel; a program that, in Dubcek's words, would give socialism "a human face." After 20 years of little public participation, the population gradually started to take interest in the government, and Dubcek became a truly popular national figure.

The internal reforms and foreign policy statements of the Dubcek leadership created great concern among some other Warsaw Pact governments. On the night of August 20, 1968, Soviet, Hungarian, Bulgarian, East German, and Polish troops invaded and occupied Czechoslovakia. The Czechoslovak Government immediately declared that the troops had not been invited into the country and that their invasion was a violation of socialist principles, international law, and the UN Charter.

The principal Czechoslovak reformers were forcibly and secretly taken to the Soviet Union. Under obvious Soviet duress, they were compelled to sign a treaty that provided for the "temporary stationing" of an unspecified number of Soviet troops in Czechoslovakia. Dubcek was removed as party First Secretary on April 17, 1969, and replaced by another Slovak, Gustav Husak. Later, Dubcek and many of his allies within the party were stripped of their party positions in a purge that lasted until 1971 and reduced party membership by almost one-third.

The 1970s and 1980s became known as the period of "normalization," in which the apologists for the 1968 Soviet invasion prevented, as best they could, any opposition to their conservative regime. Political, social, and economic life stagnated. The population, cowed by the "normalization," was quiet.

At the time of the communist takeover, Czechoslovakia had a balanced economy and one of the higher levels of industrialization on the continent. In 1948, however, the government began to stress heavy industry over agricultural and consumer goods and services. Many basic industries and foreign trade, as well as domestic wholesale trade, had been nationalized before the communists took power. Nationalization of most of the retail trade was completed in 1950-51.

Heavy industry received major economic support during the 1950s, but central planning resulted in waste and inefficient use of industrial resources. Although the labor force was traditionally skilled and efficient, inadequate incentives for labor and management contributed to high labor turnover, low productivity, and poor product quality. Economic failures reached a critical stage in the 1960s, after which various reform measures were sought with no satisfactory results.

Hope for wide-ranging economic reform came with Alexander Dubcek's rise in January 1968. Despite renewed efforts, however, Czechoslovakia could not come to grips with inflationary forces, much less begin the immense task of correcting the economy's basic problems.

The economy saw growth during the 1970s but then stagnated between 1978-82. Attempts at revitalizing it in the 1980s with management and worker incentive programs were largely unsuccessful. The economy grew after 1982, achieving an annual average output growth of more than 3% between 1983-85. Imports from the West were curtailed, exports boosted, and hard currency debt reduced substantially. New investment was made in the electronic, chemical, and pharmaceutical sectors, which were industry leaders in eastern Europe in the mid-1980s.

The Velvet Revolution

The roots of the 1989 Civic Forum movement that came to power during the "Velvet Revolution" lie in human rights activism. On January 1, 1977, more than 250 human rights activists signed a manifesto called the Charter 77, which criticized the government for failing to implement human rights provisions of documents it had signed, including the state's own constitution; international covenants on political, civil, economic, social, and cultural rights; and the Final Act of the Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Although not organized in any real sense, the signatories of Charter 77 constituted a citizens' initiative aimed at inducing the Czechoslovak Government to observe formal obligations to respect the human rights of its citizens.

On November 17,1989, the communist police violently broke up a peaceful pro-democracy demonstration, brutally beating many student participants. In the days which followed, Charter 77 and other groups united to become the Civic Forum, an umbrella group championing bureaucratic reform and civil liberties. Its leader was the dissident playwright Vaclav Havel. Intentionally eschewing the label "party," a word given a negative connotation during the previous regime, Civic Forum quickly gained the support of millions of Czechs, as did its Slovak counterpart, Public Against Violence.

Faced with an overwhelming popular repudiation, the Communist Party all but collapsed. Its leaders, Husak and party chief Milos Jakes, resigned in December 1989, and Havel was elected President of Czechoslovakia on December 29. The astonishing quickness of these events was in part due to the unpopularity of the communist regime and changes in the policies of its Soviet guarantor as well as to the rapid, effective organization of these public initiatives into a viable opposition.

A coalition government, in which the Communist Party had a minority of ministerial positions, was formed in December 1989. The first free elections in Czechoslovakia since 1946 took place in June 1990 without incident and with more than 95% of the population voting. As anticipated, Civic Forum and Public Against Violence won landslide victories in their respective republics and gained a comfortable majority in the federal parliament. The parliament undertook substantial steps toward securing the democratic evolution of Czechoslovakia. It successfully moved toward fair local elections in November 1990, ensuring fundamental change at the county and town level.

Civic Forum found, however, that although it had successfully completed its primary objective--the overthrow of the communist regime--it was ineffectual as a governing party. The demise of Civic Forum was viewed by most as necessary and inevitable.

By the end of 1990, unofficial parliamentary "clubs" had evolved with distinct political agendas. Most influential was the Civic Democratic Party, headed by former Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus. Other notable parties that came into being after the split were the Czech Social Democratic Party, Civic Movement, and Civic Democratic Alliance.

By 1992, Slovak calls for greater autonomy effectively blocked the daily functioning of the federal government. In the election of June 1992, Klaus's Civic Democratic Party won handily in the Czech lands on a platform of economic reform. Vladimir Meciar's Movement for a Democratic Slovakia emerged as the leading party in Slovakia, basing its appeal on fairness to Slovak demands for autonomy. Federalists, like Havel, were unable to contain the trend toward the split. In July 1992, President Havel resigned. In the latter half of 1992, Klaus and Meciar hammered out an agreement that the two republics would go their separate ways by the end of the year.

Members of the federal parliament, divided along national lines, barely cooperated enough to pass the law officially separating the two nations. The law was passed on December 27, 1992. On January 1, 1993, the Czech Republic and the Republic of Slovakia were simultaneously and peacefully founded.

Relationships between the two states, despite occasional disputes about the division of federal property and governing of the border have been peaceful, Both states attained immediate recognition from the U.S. and their European neighbors.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS

The Czech political scene supports a broad spectrum of parties ranging from the semi-reformed Communist Party on the far left to the nationalistic Republican Party on the extreme right. Czech voters returned a split verdict in the June 1998 parliamentary elections, giving the left-of-center Social Democrats (CSSD) a plurality but the right-of-center parties a majority. The results produced a CSSD minority government tolerated by the largest right-of-center party in parliament, former Prime Minister Klaus' Civic Democrats (ODS). Prime Minister Milos Zeman is the head of government and wields considerable powers, including the right to set the agenda for most foreign and domestic policy, mobilize the parliamentary majority, and choose governmental ministers.

Vaclav Havel, now President of the Czech Republic, is not affiliated with any party but remains one of the country's most popular politicians. As formal head of state, he is granted specific powers such as the right to nominate Constitutional Court judges, dissolve parliament under certain conditions, and enact a veto on legislation.

The legislature is bicameral, with a Chamber of Deputies and a Senate. With the split of the former Czechoslovakia, the powers and responsibilities of the now defunct federal parliament were transferred to the Czech National Council, which renamed itself the Chamber of Deputies. Chamber delegates are elected from seven districts and the capital, Prague, for 4-year terms, on the basis of proportional representation. The Czech Senate is patterned after the U.S. Senate and was first elected in 1996; its members serve for 6-year terms with one-third being elected every 2 years.

The country's highest court of appeals is the Supreme Court. The Constitutional Court, which rules on constitutional issues, is appointed by the president, and its members serve 10-year terms.

National Security Issues

The Czech Republic became a member of NATO on March 12, 1999. A major overhaul of the Czechoslovak defense forces began in 1990 and continues in the Czech Republic. Czech forces are being downsized from 200,000 to 55,000 and at the same time reoriented toward a more defensive posture. The Czechs have made good progress in reforming the military personnel structure, and a strong commitment to English language training is paying off. Public support for NATO membership remains around 50%-60%. The Czech Government committed itself in 1996 to increase defense spending by 0.1% of GDP annually until the year 2000, when military spending will reach or exceed 2% of GDP. This will put Czech defense spending on a level proportionately comparable with other NATO allies.

The Czech Republic has friendly relations with all of its neighbors, and none of its borders are in question. The Czech Republic is a member of the UN and OSCE and has contributed to numerous peacekeeping operations, including IFOR/SFOR in Bosnia as well as Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

Principal Government Officials

President--Vaclav Havel (Independent)
Prime Minister--Milos Zeman (CSSD)
Foreign Minister--Jan Kavan (CSSD)
Ambassador to the U.S.--Alexandr Vondra (Independent)

The Czech Republic maintains an embassy at 3900 Spring of Freedom Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008, (tel. 202-274-9101).

ECONOMY

Of the emerging democracies in central and eastern Europe, the Czech Republic has one of the most developed industrialized economies. Its strong industrial tradition dates to the 19th century, when Bohemia and Moravia were the economic heartland of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Today, this heritage is both an asset and a liability. The Czech Republic has a well-educated population and a well- developed infrastructure, but its industrial plants and much of its industrial equipment are obsolete.

According to the Stalinist development policy of planned interdependence, all the economies of the socialist countries were linked tightly with that of the Soviet Union. With the disintegration of the communist economic alliance in 1991, Czech manufacturers lost their traditional markets among former communist countries to the east, some of which still owe the former Czechoslovakia sizable debts.

The Czech Republic is reducing its dependence on highly polluting low-grade brown coal as a source of energy. Nuclear energy presently provides about 25% of total power needs, and its share is projected to increase to 40%. Norway (via pipelines through Germany) and Russia also supply the Czech Republic with liquid and natural gas.

The principal industries are heavy and general machine-building, iron and steel production, metalworking, chemicals, electronics, transportation equipment, textiles, glass, brewing, china, ceramics, and pharmaceuticals. Its main agricultural products are sugarbeets, fodder roots, potatoes, wheat, and hops.

The "Velvet Revolution" in 1989 offered a chance for profound and sustained economic reform. Signs of economic resurgence began to appear in the wake of the shock therapy that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) labeled the "big bang" of January 1991. Since then, astute economic management has led to the liberalization of 95% of all price controls, annual inflation in the 10% range, modest budgetary deficits, low unemployment, a positive balance-of-payments position, a stable exchange rate, a shift of exports from former communist economic bloc markets to Western Europe, and relatively low foreign debt.

Particularly impressive have been the Republic's strict fiscal policies. Following a series of currency devaluations, the crown has remained stable in relation to the U.S. dollar. The Czech crown became fully convertible for most business purposes in late 1995.

In addition, the government has revamped the legal and administrative structure governing investment in order to stimulate the economy and attract foreign partners. Shifting emphasis from the East to the West has necessitated restructuring existing facilities in banking and telecommunications as well as adjusting commercial laws and practices to fit Western standards. The republic has made progress toward creating a stable investment climate.

This success has enabled the Czech Republic to become the first post-communist country to receive an investment-grade credit rating by international credit institutions. Successive Czech governments have welcomed U.S. investment, in particular, as a counter-balance to the strong economic influence of Western Europe, especially of their powerful neighbor, Germany. Although foreign direct investment (FDI) runs in uneven cycles, with a 12.9% share of total FDI between 1990 and March 1998, the U.S. was the third-largest foreign investor in the Czech economy, behind Germany and the Netherlands.

The republic boasts a flourishing consumer production sector and has privatized most state-owned heavy industries through the voucher privatization system. Under the system, every citizen was given the opportunity to buy, for a moderate price, a book of vouchers that represents potential shares in any state-owned company. The voucher holders could then invest their vouchers, infusing the chosen company with valuable capital. State ownership of businesses was estimated to be about 97% under communism. In 1998, more than 80% of enterprises are in private hands. When the voucher privatization process is complete, Czechs will own shares of each of the Czech companies, making them one of the highest per capita share owners in the world. Privatization through restitution of real estate to the former owners was largely completed in 1992.

The republic's economic transformation is far from complete. A recession in 1998 revealed that the government still faces serious challenges in completing industrial restructuring, increasing transparency in capital market transactions, fully privatizing the banking sector, transforming the housing sector, privatizing the health care system, and solving serious environmental problems.

FOREIGN RELATIONS

Until 1989, the foreign policy of Czechoslovakia had followed that of the Soviet Union. Since independence, the Czechs have made integration into Western institutions their chief foreign policy objective.

Fundamental to this objective is Czech membership in the European Union. The government hopes to achieve full membership in the EU by 2003. Relations are currently governed under an association agreement which came into force in 1993. Although there have been disagreements over some economic issues, such as agricultural quotas and a recent amendment to the gaming law, relations are good, and negotiations toward full membership are proceeding smoothly.

The Czech Republic is a member of the United Nations and participates in its specialized agencies. It is a member of the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs. It maintains diplomatic relations with more than 85 countries, of which 63 have permanent representation in Prague. The Czech Republic became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, along with Poland and Hungary on March 12, 1999. This membership represents a milestone in the country's foreign policy and security orientation.

U.S.-CZECH RELATIONS

Millions of Americans have their roots in Bohemia and Moravia, and a large community in the United States has strong cultural and familial ties with the Czech Republic. President Woodrow Wilson and the United States played a major role in the establishment of the original Czechoslovak state on October 28, 1918. President Wilson's 14 Points, including the right of ethnic groups to form their own states, were the basis for the union of the Czechs and Slovaks. Tomas Masaryk, the father of the state and its first President, visited the United States during World War I and worked with U.S. officials in developing the basis of the new country. Masaryk used the U.S. Constitution as a model for the first Czechoslovak constitution.

After World War II, and the return of the Czechoslovak Government in exile, normal relations continued until 1948, when the communists seized power. Relations cooled rapidly. The Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in August 1968 further complicated U.S.-Czechoslovak relations. The United States referred the matter to the UN Security Council as a violation of the UN Charter, but no action was taken against the Soviets.

Since the "Velvet Revolution" of 1989, bilateral relations have improved immensely. Dissidents once sustained by U.S. encouragement and human rights policies reached high levels in the government. President Havel, in his first official visit as head of Czechoslovakia, addressed the U.S. Congress and was interrupted 21 times by standing ovations. In 1990, on the first anniversary of the revolution, President Bush, in front of an enthusiastic crowd on Prague's Wenceslas Square, pledged U.S. support in building a democratic Czechoslovakia. Toward this end, the U.S. Government has actively encouraged political and economic transformation.

The U.S. Government was originally opposed to the idea of Czechoslovakia forming two separate states, because of concerns that a split might aggravate existing regional political tensions. However, the U.S. recognized both the Czech Republic and Slovakia on January 1, 1993. Since then, U.S.-Czech relations have remained strong economically, politically, and culturally.

Relations between the U.S. and the Czech Republic are excellent and reflect the common approach both have to the many challenges facing the world at present. The U.S. looks to the Czech Republic as a partner in issues ranging from the Middle East to the Balkans, and seeks opportunities to continue to deepen this relationship.

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OFFICIAL NAME: Czech Republic
CAPITAL: Prague
SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT: Unitary Multiparty Republic
AREA: 78,863 Sq Km (30,449 Sq Mi)
ESTIMATED 2000 POPULATION 10,355,500



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LOCATION & GEOGRAPHY: The Czech Republic is a landlocked country located in the heart of Europe. It is bound by Poland to the north, Austria to the south, Germany to the west and Slovakia to the east. The country can be divided into three topographical regions. (1.) Bohemia which is the western region of the country with the Ore Mountains rising in the northwest from the Paleozoic rock hill ranges while the wooded hills of the Bohemian forest lie to the southwest. Towards the southeast the gentle uplands of the Moravian Hills separate Bohemia from the plains of Moravia. (2.) Moravia which is the eastern lowland area that lies southeast of Bohemia. The lowland plains of Moravia separate the Bohemian region from the Carpathian Mountains of Slovakia and have formed a narrow corridor between the plains of Poland and the Danube Valley. Moravia is drained by the Danube and Morava Rivers. Major Cities (pop. est.); Prague 1,217,000, Brno 390,100, Ostrava 326,200, Plzen 172,300, Olomouc 105,900 (1994). Land Use; forested 33%, pastures 11%, agricultural-cultivated 42%, other 14% (1993).



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CLIMATE: The Czech Republic has a typical continental climate with warm humid summers and cold dry winters. In the north the mountain winters are more severe and generally snow falls for 40 to 50 days in winter with fog persisting in the low lying areas. Average annual precipitation in Prague is about 510 mm (20 inches) while average temperature ranges are from -4 to 1 degrees Celsius (25 to 34 degrees Fahrenheit) in January to 14 to 23 degrees Celsius (57 to 73 degrees Fahrenheit) in July.



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PEOPLE: The principal ethnic majority are the Czech who account for 81% of the population while Moravians account for 13.2% and Slovaks for 3%. Other ethnic minorities include Magyars who account for .2%, Gypsies for .3%, Poles for .6%, Germans for .5% and others for .9% of the population.



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DEMOGRAPHIC/VITAL STATISTICS: Density; 131 persons per sq km (340 persons per sq mi) (1993). Urban-Rural; 75.7% urban, 24.3% rural (Czechoslovakia-1988). Sex Distribution; 48.6% male, 51.4% female (1991). Life Expectancy at Birth; 67.6 years male, 74.8 years female (1991). Age Breakdown; 21% under 15, 22% 15 to 29, 23% 30 to 44, 17% 45 to 59, 12% 60 to 74, 5% 75 and over (1991). Birth Rate; 11.8 per 1,000 (1992). Death Rate; 11.7 per 1,000 (1992). Increase Rate; 0.1 per 1,000 (1992). Infant Mortality Rate; 9.9 per 1,000 live births (1992).



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RELIGIONS: Mostly Christians with 39% of the population Roman Catholic while 4% are Evangelical Lutheran. Other religious minorities include Greek Orthodox Christians which account for .2% while 31% are atheist and 16% are unidentified.



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LANGUAGES: The official language is Czech, although German and Slovak are also widely spoken. Both Russian and English are taught in schools as second languages.



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EDUCATION: Adult and having attained: less than primary education 1.4%, primary and incomplete secondary 33.1%, secondary 58.3%, higher 7.2% (1992). Literacy; literate population aged 15 or over virtually 100% (1990).



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MODERN HISTORY - WWII TO 1993: In 1918 after the collapse of the Habsburg Empire the independent republic of Czechoslovakia was established. In Sept. 1938 Czechoslovakia was forced to cede the German areas of Czechoslovakia or Sudetenland to Nazi Germany. On Mar. 14, 1939 the Slovak state declared its independence and the following day the Nazi's annexed the Czech lands of Bohemia and Moravia. In Mar. 1945 Edward Benes who was elected President of Czechoslovakia in 1935, agreed to form a National Front government with Klement Gottwald, leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (CPCz). On May 10, 1945 the National Front returned to Prague after the liberation from Nazi occupation, by the Soviet Red Army. In 1946 Gottwald was elected Prime Minister and in 1948 the communists forced Pres. Benes to form a government made up entirely of communists. In June 1948 Pres. Benes resigned and was succeeded by Gottwald. Pres. Gottwald embarked on a nationalization program which took over all businesses, farms, schools, industries and churches. In Mar. 1953 Pres. Gottwald died and was succeeded by Prime Minister Antonin Zapotocky, who in turn was succeeded by Antonin Novotny after Pres. Zapotocky's death in 1957. In 1960 a new constitution was established which was modeled around that of the Soviet Union and the country's name was changed to the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. During the 1960's Czechoslovakia's intellectuals called for more freedom of expression and many Slovaks renewed their efforts to gain recognition for Slovak rights. In Jan. 1968 Alexander Dubcek replaced Novotny as First Secretary of the CPCz and introduced a program of liberal reforms called the "Prague Spring" which included freedom of the press as well as increased contact with noncommunist countries. Leaders of the Soviet Union and other East European nations feared Dubcek's program would weaken communist control in Czechoslovakia and under the Warsaw Pact troops from Soviet Union, Bulgaria, East Germany, Hungary as well as Poland invaded Czechoslovakia on Aug 2021, 1968. The Red Army remained while others withdrew by late 1968. In Jan. 1969 a federal system of autonomous Czech and Slovak governments was introduced as a result of the Prague Spring reforms. In Apr. 1969 Dubcek was replaced by Gustav Husak as First Secretary which resulted in further anti-Soviet protest. In May 1970 a new 20 year Treaty of Friendship was signed with the Soviet Union. During the 1980's economic stagnation developed and in Dec. 1987 Husak was replaced by Milos Jakes as head of the CPCz, although Husak remained President. In Aug. 1988 some 10,000 demonstrators took part in a protest which marked the 20th anniversary of the Warsaw Pact invasion of 1968. During 1989 many pro democracy demonstrations were held which began the Velvet Revolution and in Dec. 1989 a new coalition government was formed. Pres. Husak resigned and was replaced by the dissident playwright as well as leader of the Velvet Revolution, Vaclav Havel. On Jun. 8, 1990 the first free elections in more than four decades took place. The return to democracy also instigated an insurgence for Slovak independence during 1991. In Mar. and Sept. 1991 there were calls from Slovak politicians for a declaration of sovereignty from Czechoslovakia, that resulted in the Czech republic demanding a referendum on the issue. Also in 1991 the government continued with its complex and controversial privatization program. In June 1992 the federal and regional parliamentary elections brought the independence matter to a head and on Aug. 27, 1992 Slovak Prime Minister, Vladimir Mecair and his Czech counterpart, Vaclav Klaus announced after marathon talks in Brno that Czechoslovakia would no longer exist as a single state as of Jan. 1, 1993 opening the path for the independent Slovak and Czech republics. In Jan. 1993 Vaclav Havel was elected President of the Czech Republic while Klaus formed a four-party coalition that held an absolute parliamentary majority and supported his rapid movement towards a market economy through privatization and integration into Europe. However, this rapid marketization movement was delayed through a lack of willingness on the part of the government in implementing major structural reforms and the continuation of state subsidies for ailing industries throughout 1993.



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CURRENCY: The official currency is the Czech Koruna (plural; Koruny) (Kc) divided into 100 Halura.



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ECONOMY: Gross National Product; USD $28,182,000,000 (1993). Public Debt; USD $6,580,000,000 (1993). Imports; Kc 423,964,000,000 (1994). Exports; Kc 411,457,000,000 (1994). Tourism Receipts; N/A. Balance of Trade; Kc -12,507,000,000 (1994). Economically Active Population; 5,597,242 or 50.3% of total population (1993). Unemployed; 3.5% (1992).



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MAIN TRADING PARTNERS: Its main trading partners are Germany, Poland, Hungary, Russia, Switzerland, Bulgaria and other former USSR republics.

MAIN PRIMARY PRODUCTS: Antimony, Cereals, Coal, Iron Ore, Lignite, Livestock, Magnesium, Mercury, Potatoes, Sugar Beets, Timber, Uranium.

MAJOR INDUSTRIES: Cement, Ceramics, Chemicals, Fertilizers, Forestry, Iron and Steel, Machinery, Oil and Gas Refining, Ornaments, Paper Products, Sheet Glass, Textiles, Transport Equipment.

MAIN EXPORTS: Chemicals, Clothing, Coal, Food, Footwear, Iron and Steel, Machinery, Motor Vehicles, Railway Vehicles, Textile Yarns and Fabrics.



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TRANSPORT: Railroads; route length 9,453 km (5,874 mi) (1992), passenger-km N/A., cargo ton-km 30,622,000,000 (20,973,000,000 short ton-mi) (1991). Roads; length 55,892 km (34,730 mi) (1991). Vehicles; cars 2,435,645 (1991), trucks and buses 232,703 (1991). Merchant Marine; N/A. Air Transport; N/A.



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COMMUNICATIONS: Daily Newspapers; total of 55 with a total circulation of 6,000,000 (1992). Radio; receivers 2,732,000 (1993). Television; receivers 3,180,000 (1993). Telephones; units 1,961,100 (1993).



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MILITARY: 92,900 (1994) total active duty personnel with 73.1% army, 0.0% navy and 26.9% air force while military expenditure accounts for 2.8% (1993) of the Gross National Product (GNP).