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Czech Republic

Geography
Area: 78,864 sq. kilometers; about the size of Virginia.
Cities: Capital--Prague (pop. 1.16 million). Other cities--Brno (376,172), Ostrava (314,744), Plzen (165,529).
Terrain: Low mountains to the north and south, hills in the west.
Climate: Temperate.

People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Czech(s).
Population (est.): 10.2 million.
Annual growth rate: 0.1%.
Ethnic groups: Czech (90.4% or 9.25 million); Moravian (more than 380,000); Slovak (193,000); Roma (171,000); Silesian (11,000); Polish (52,000); German (39,000); Ukrainian (22,000); and Vietnamese (18,000).
Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant.
Language: Czech.
Education: Literacy—99.8%.
Health: Life expectancy--males 72.1 yrs., females 78.5 yrs.
Work force (5.13 million): Industry, construction, and commerce—54.3%; government and other services--41%; agriculture—4.7%.

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 2002 election): Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD), 70 seats; Civic Democratic Party (ODS), 58 seats; Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM), 41 seats; Christian and Democratic Union-Czechoslovak Peoples Party (KDU-CSL), 21 seats; Freedom Union (US), 10 seats.
Suffrage: Universal at 18.
Administrative subdivisions: Two regions--Bohemia and Moravia; 13 administrative districts and Prague.

Economy
GDP (2004 est.): $107.05 billion (at current prices and exchange rates).
Per capita income (2004): $10,479.
Natural resources: Coal, coke, timber, lignite, uranium, magnesite.
Agriculture: Products--wheat, rye, oats, corn, barley, hops, potatoes, sugarbeets, hogs, cattle, horses.
Industry: Types--motor vehicles, machinery and equipment, iron, steel, cement, sheet glass, armaments, chemicals, ceramics, wood, paper products, and footwear.
Trade (2003): Exports--$66.04 billion: motor vehicles, machinery, iron, steel, chemicals, raw materials, consumer goods. Imports--$66.9 billion. Trading partners--Germany (35%), Slovakia, Austria, Italy, U.K., France, Poland, Russia, United States.

Adapted from material published in the CIA World Factbook.
 
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