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.