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Background:
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Following the First World War, the closely related Czechs and Slovaks of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire merged to form Czechoslovakia. During the interwar years, the new country's leaders were frequently preoccupied with meeting the demands of other ethnic minorities within the republic, most notably the Sudeten Germans and the Ruthenians (Ukrainians). 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 Communist 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. In December 2002, the Czech Republic was invited to join the European Union (EU). It is expected that the Czech Republic will accede to the EU in 2004. |
Comments
water: 1,590 sq km
land: 77,276 sq km
border countries: Austria 362 km, Germany 646 km, Poland 658 km, Slovakia 215 km
highest point: Snezka 1,602 m
permanent crops: 3.04%
other: 56.96% (1998 est.)
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol
15-64 years: 70.3% (male 3,605,766; female 3,603,058)
65 years and over: 14% (male 551,852; female 881,194) (2002 est.)
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
female: 78.65 years (2002 est.)
male: 71.46 years
adjective: Czech
total population: 99.9% (1999 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%
conventional short form: Czech Republic
local short form: Ceska Republika
local long form: Ceska Republika
note: the Czech Republic's first president Vaclav HAVEL stepped down from office on 2 February 2003 having served exactly 10 years; parliament finally elected a successor after two inconclusive elections in January 2003 and three rounds of balloting on 28 February 2003
head of government: Prime Minister Vladimir SPIDLA (since 12 July 2002), Deputy Prime Ministers Pavel RYCHETSKY (since 22 July 1998), Cyril SVOBODA (since July 2002), Stanislav GROSS (since July 2002), Petr MARES (since July 2002)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
election results: Vaclav KLAUS elected president on 28 February 2003; Vaclav KLAUS 142 votes, Jan SOKOL 124 votes (third round; combined votes of both chambers of parliament)
elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term; last successful election held 28 February 2003 (after earlier elections held 15 and 24 January 2003 were inconclusive); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - ODS 26, KDU-CSL 14, CSSD 11, US 9, KSCM 3, independents 18; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - CSSD 30.2%, ODS 24.5%, KSCM 18.5%, KDU-CSL & US-DEU coalition 14.3%, other minor 12.5%; seats by party - CSSD 70, ODS 58, KSCM 41, KDU-CSL 21, US-DEU 10
elections: Senate - last held in two rounds 25-26 October and 1-2 November 2002 (next to be held NA November 2004); Chamber of Deputies - last held 14-15 June 2002 (next to be held by NA June 2006)
chancery: 3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
FAX: [1] (202) 966-8540
telephone: [1] (202) 363-6315
embassy: Trziste 15, 118 #01 Prague 1
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [420] (2) 5753-0663
FAX: [420] (2) 5753-0583
industry: 41%
services: 56% (2001)
highest 10%: 22% (1996)
expenditures: $18 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
hydro: 3%
other: 1% (2000)
nuclear: 19%
domestic: 86% 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, 1 Inmarsat, 1 Globalstar
standard gauge: 9,350 km 1.435-m gauge (2,843 km electrified; 1,929 km double-track)
narrow gauge: 94 km 0.760-m gauge (2000 est.)
paved: 55,432 km (including 499 km of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (2000)
note: (the Labe (Elbe) is the principal river) (2000)
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 17 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 27
under 914 m: 48 (2002)
This page was last updated on 19 March 2003