Czech Republic
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| Česká republika
Czech Republic
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| Motto: "Pravda vítězí" (Czech) "Truth prevails" |
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| Anthem: Kde domov můj |
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 Location of the Czech Republic (orange)
– on the European continent (camel & white) |
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| Capital (and largest city) |
Prague |
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| Official languages | Czech | |||||
| Demonym | Czech | |||||
| Government | Parliamentary republic | |||||
| - | President | Václav Klaus | ||||
| - | Prime Minister | Mirek Topolánek | ||||
| Independence | (formed 9th century) | |||||
| - | from Austria-Hungary | October 28, 1918 | ||||
| - | Czechoslovakia dissolved | January 1, 1993 | ||||
| EU accession | May 1, 2004 | |||||
| Area | ||||||
| - | Total | 78,866 km² (117th) 30,450 sq mi |
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| - | Water (%) | 2 | ||||
| Population | ||||||
| - | 20071 estimate | 10,381,130 (78th) | ||||
| - | 2001 census | 10,230,060 | ||||
| - | Density | 132/km² (77th) 341/sq mi |
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| GDP (PPP) | 2007 IMF estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $248.902 billion (39th²) | ||||
| - | Per capita | $24,236 (36th) | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | 2007 IMF estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $175.309 billion (39th) | ||||
| - | Per capita | $17,070 (36th) | ||||
| Gini (1996) | 25.4 (low) (5th) | |||||
| HDI (2005) | ▲ 0.891 (high) (32nd) | |||||
| Currency | Czech koruna (CZK) |
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| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |||||
| - | Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||||
| Internet TLD | .cz³ | |||||
| Calling code | +4204 | |||||
| 1 | December 31, 2007 (See Population changes - year 2007). | |||||
| 2 | Rank based on 2005 IMF data. | |||||
| 3 | Also .eu, shared with other European Union member states. | |||||
| 4 | Shared code 42 with Slovakia until 1997. | |||||
The Czech Republic (IPA: /ˈtʃɛk riˈpʌblɨk/) (Czech: Česká republika (help·info), short form in Czech: Česko, IPA: [ʧɛsko]), is a landlocked country in Central Europe and a member state of the European Union. The country has borders with Poland to the north, Germany to the northwest and southwest, Austria to the south, and Slovakia to the east. The capital and largest city is Prague (Czech: Praha), a major tourist destination. The country is composed of the historic regions of Bohemia and Moravia, as well as parts of Silesia.
The Czech lands were under Habsburg rule from 1526, later becoming part of the Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary. The independent republic of Czechoslovakia was created in 1918, following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian empire after World War I. After the Munich Agreement, German occupation of Czechoslovakia and the consequent disillusion with the Western response and liberation of major part of Czechoslovakia by the Red Army, the Communist party gained the majority in 1946 elections. Following a coup in 1948, Czechoslovakia became a Communist-ruled state. Prague Spring of 1968, an attempt at reformation of the Communist regime, ended by invasion of armies of Warsaw Pact countries which didn't leave until after the 1989 Velvet Revolution. On January 1, 1993 the country peacefully split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
The Czech Republic is a pluralist multi-party parliamentary representative democracy. President Václav Klaus is the current head of state. The Prime Minister is the head of government (currently Mirek Topolánek). The Parliament has two chambers — the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. The Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004. It is also a member of the OECD, the Council of Europe and the Visegrád Group.
The country is the first former member of the Comecon to achieve the status of a developed country (2006) according to the World Bank.[1] The Czech Republic also ranks best compared to the former Comecon countries in the Human Development Index.[2]
Contents |
[edit] Name
- See also: Names of the Czech Republic and Czech lands
After the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, the Czech portion found itself without a common single-word name in English. In 1993, The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs suggested the name Czechia as an official alternative in all situations other than formal official documents and the full names of government institutions, however this has not become widely used--though other languages have single-word names, e.g. Tschechien in German. The official website of the Czech Republic (www.czech.cz) run by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not use the name Czechia as of 2005. Its Czech equivalent is Česko.
[edit] History
Archaeologists have found evidence of prehistoric human settlement in the area dating back to the Neolithic era. In the classical era, from the 3rd century BC Celtic migrations, the Boii (see Bohemia) and later in the 1st century Germanic tribes of Marcomanni and Quadi settled there. During the Migration Period around the 5th century, many Germanic tribes moved westwards and southwards out of Central Europe. In an equally significant migration, Slavic people from the Black Sea and Carpathian regions settled in the area (a movement that was also stimulated by the onslaught of peoples from Siberia and Eastern Europe: Huns, Avars, Bulgars and Magyars). Following in the Germans' wake, they moved southwards into Bohemia, Moravia, and some of present day Austria. During the 7th century the Frankish merchant Samo, supporting the Slavs fighting their Avar rulers, became the ruler of the first known Slav state in Central Europe. The Moravian principality arose in the 8th century (see Great Moravia). The Bohemian or Czech state emerged in the late 9th century when it was unified by the Přemyslid dynasty. The kingdom of Bohemia was a significant regional power during the Middle Ages. It was part of the Holy Roman Empire during the entire existence of this confederation.
Religious conflicts such as the 15th century Hussite Wars and the 17th century Thirty Years' War had a devastating effect on the local population. From the 16th century, Bohemia came increasingly under Habsburg control as the Habsburgs became first the elected and then hereditary rulers of Bohemia. After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire, Bohemia became part of Austrian Empire and later of Austria-Hungary.
Following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I, the independent republic of Czechoslovakia was created in 1918. This new country incorporated regions of Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia, Slovakia and Carpathian Ruthenia (known as Subcarpathian Rus at the time) with significant German, Hungarian, Polish and Ruthenian speaking minorities.[3] Although Czechoslovakia was a unitary state, it provided what was at the time rather extensive rights to its minorities. However, it did not grant its minorities any territorial political autonomy, which resulted in discontent and strong support among some of the minorities to break away from Czechoslovakia. Adolf Hitler used the opportunity and, supported by Konrad Henlein's Sudeten German National Socialist Party, gained the largely German speaking Sudetenland through the 1938 Munich Agreement. Poland occupied Polish inhabited areas around Český Těšín. Hungary gained parts of Slovakia and Subcarpathian Rus as a result of the First Vienna Award in November 1938.
Slovakia and Subcarpathian Rus gained greater autonomy, with the state renamed to "Czecho-Slovakia" (The Second Republic; see Occupation of Czechoslovakia). Slovakia seceded in March 1939 and allied itself with Hitler's coalition. The remaining Czech territory was occupied by Germany, transformed it into the so-called Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. The Protectorate was proclaimed part of the Third Reich, and President and Prime Minister were subordinate to the Nazi Reichsprotektor ("imperial protector"). Subcarpathian Rus declared independence as the Republic of Carpatho-Ukraine on 15 March 1939 but was invaded by Hungary the same day and formally annexed on 16 March. Approximately 390,000 Czechoslovak citizens, including 83,000 Jews, were killed or executed, and hundreds of thousands of others were sent to prisons and concentration camps or as forced labour. A Nazi concentration camp existed at Terezin to the north of Prague. There was Czech resistance to Nazi occupation both home and abroad, most notably with the assassination of leading Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich in Prague suburbs on May 27, 1942. The Czechoslovak government-in-exile and its army fighting against the Germans were acknowledged by Allies (Czechoslovak troops fought in Great Britain, North Africa, Middle East and Soviet Union). The occupation ended on 9 May 1945 with the arrival of Soviet and American armies and the Prague uprising.
In 1945-46 almost the entire German minority of Czechoslovakia, about 2.7 million people, were expelled to Germany and Austria. During this time, thousands of Germans were held in prisons, detention camps, and used as forced labour. In the summer of 1945, there were several massacres. Only 250,000 Germans who had been active in the resistance against the Nazis or were necessary for the economy were not expelled, though many of them emigrated later. Following a Soviet-organised referendum, the Subcarpathian Rus has never returned under Czechoslovak rule and became part of the Ukrainian SSR, as the Zakarpattia Oblast in 1946.
Czechoslovakia uneasily tried to play the role of a "bridge" between the West and East. However, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia rapidly increased in popularity, particularly because of a general disappointment with the West (due to the pre-war Munich Agreement) and a favourable popular attitude towards the Soviet Union (due to the Soviets' role in liberating Czechoslovakia from German rule). In the 1946 elections, with 38% of the votes, the Communists became the largest party in the Czechoslovak parliament. They formed a coalition government with other parties of the National Front, and moved quickly to consolidate power. The decisive step took place in February 1948. During a series of events characterized by Communists as a "revolution" and by anti-Communists as a "takeover", the Communist People's Militias secured control of key locations in Prague, and a new, all-Communist government was formed.
For the next forty-one years, Czechoslovakia was a Communist state within the eastern bloc (see Czechoslovakia: 1948-1989). This period was marked by a variety of social developments. The Communist government completely nationalized the means of production and established a command economy. The economy grew rapidly during the 1950s and 1960s, but slowed down in the 1970s with increasing problems during the 1980s. The political climate was highly repressive during the 1950s (including numerous show trials), but became more open and tolerant in the 1960s, culminating in Alexander Dubček's leadership in the 1968 Prague Spring that tried to create "socialism with a human face" and perhaps even introduce political pluralism. This was forcibly ended by 21 August 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion. From then until 1989, the political establishment returned to censorship of opposition, though using more "carrot" than "whip" policy to ensure the populace's passivity.
In November 1989, Czechoslovakia returned to democracy through a peaceful "Velvet Revolution". However, Slovak national aspirations strengthened until on January 1, 1993, the country peacefully split into the independent Czech Republic and Slovakia. Both countries went through economic reforms and privatisations, with the intention of creating a market economy.
From 1991 the Czech Republic (originally as part of Czechoslovakia, and now in its own right) has been a member of the Visegrad Group and from 1995 of the OECD. The Czech Republic joined NATO on March 12, 1999 and the European Union on May 1, 2004.
[edit] Geography
- See also: Protected Areas of the Czech Republic
The Czech landscape is quite varied. Bohemia to the west consists of a basin, drained by the Elbe (Czech: Labe) and the Vltava rivers, and surrounded by mostly low mountains such as the Krkonoše range of the Sudetes. The highest point in the country, Sněžka, at 1,602 m (5,262 ft), is located here. Moravia, the eastern part of the country, is also quite hilly. It is drained mainly by the Morava River, but it also contains the source of the Oder (Czech: Odra) River. Water from the landlocked Czech Republic flows to three different seas: the North Sea, Baltic Sea and Black Sea. The Czech Republic also leases the Moldauhafen, a 30,000-square-metre (7.4-acre) lot in the middle of the Hamburg Docks, which was awarded to Czechoslovakia by Article 363 of the Treaty of Versailles to allow the landlocked country a place where goods transported downriver could be transferred to seagoing ships. The territory reverts to Germany in 2028.
[edit] Weather and climate
The Czech Republic has a temperate, continental climate with relatively hot summers and cold, cloudy winters, usually with snow. Most rains are during the summer. The temperature difference between summers and winters is relatively high due to its landlocked geographical position.
Even within the Czech Republic, temperatures vary greatly depending on the elevation. In general, at higher altitudes the temperatures decrease and precipitation increases. Another important factor is the distribution of the mountains. Therefore the climate is quite varied.
At the highest peak (Sněžka, 1,602 m/5,260 ft) the average temperature is only −0.4 °C (31 °F), whereas in the lowlands of South Moravia, the average temperature is as high as 10 °C (50 °F). This also applies for the country's capital Prague, but this is due to urban factors.
The coldest month is usually January followed by February and December. During these months there is usually snow in the mountains and sometimes in the major cities and lowlands. During March, April and May, the temperature usually increases rapidly and especially during April the temperature and weather tends to vary widely during the day. Spring is also characterized by high water levels in the rivers due to melting snow followed by floods at times.
The warmest month of the year is July, followed by August and June. On average, the summer temperatures are about 20 °C (68 °F) higher than during winter. Especially in the last decade,[citation needed] temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F) are not unusual. Summer is also characterized by rain and storms.
Autumn generally begins in September, which is still relatively warm, but much drier. During October, temperatures usually fall back under 15° or 10°C (59° or 50°F) and deciduous trees begin to shed their leaves. By the end of November, temperatures usually range around the freezing point.
[edit] Demographics
[edit] Population
| Year | Total | Change | Year | Total | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1857 | 7,016,531 | — | 1930 | 10,674,386 | 6.6% |
| 1869 | 7,617,230 | 8.6% | 1950 | 8,896,133 | -16.7% |
| 1880 | 8,222,013 | 7.9% | 1961 | 9,571,531 | 7.6% |
| 1890 | 8,665,421 | 5.4% | 1970 | 9,807,697 | 2.5% |
| 1900 | 9,372,214 | 8.2% | 1980 | 10,291,927 | 4.9% |
| 1910 | 10,078,637 | 7.5% | 1991 | 10,302,215 | 0.1% |
| 1921 | 10,009,587 | -0.7% | 2001 | 10,230,060 | -0.7% |
The vast majority of the inhabitants of the Czech Republic are Czechs (94.2%). Significant minorities include the Slovaks (1.9%), Poles (0.5%), Vietnamese (0.44%) Germans (0.4%), and Gypsies.[5]
According to the Interior Ministry of the Czech Republic, there were 392,087 foreigners legally residing in the country at the end of 2007, making up 3.2% of the population, with the largest groups being Ukrainians, Slovaks and Vietnamese.[6]
[edit] Religion
The Czech Republic, along with Estonia, has one of the least religious populations in all of Europe. According to the 2001 census, 59% of the country is agnostic, atheist, non-believer or no-organised believer, 26.8% Roman Catholic and 2.5% Protestant.[7]
According to the most recent Eurobarometer Poll 2005,[8] 19% of Czech citizens responded that "they believe there is a God", whereas 50% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 30% that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God, or life force", the lowest rate of EU countries after Estonia with 16%.[9]
[edit] Politics
[edit] Political system
The Czech Republic is a pluralist multi-party parliamentary representative democracy, where the Prime Minister is the head of government. The Parliament is bicameral, with the Chamber of Deputies (Czech: Poslanecká sněmovna) (200 members) and the Senate (81 members).
[edit] Armed forces
The Czech armed forces consist of the Army and Air Force and of specialized support units. In 2004, the Czech armed forces completely phased out conscription and transformed into a fully professional army and air force. The country has been a member of NATO since March 12, 1999. Defence spending is around 1.8% of GDP (2006).
[edit] Regions and districts
Since 2000, the Czech Republic is divided into thirteen regions (kraje, singular kraj) and the capital city of Prague. Each region has its own elected Regional Assembly (krajské zastupitelstvo) and hejtman (usually translated as hetman or "president"). In Prague, their powers are executed by the city council and the mayor.
The older seventy-six districts (okresy, singular okres) including three 'statutory cities' (without Prague, which had special status) were disbanded in 1999 in an administrative reform; they remain as territorial division and seats of various branches of state administration.[10]
| (Lic. plate) | Region | Capital | Population (2004 est.) | Population (2007 est.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Capital of Prague (Hlavní město Praha) | 1,170,571 | 1,212,097 | |
| S | Central Bohemian Region (Středočeský kraj) | offices located in Prague (Praha) | 1,144,071 | 1,201,827 |
| C | South Bohemian Region (Jihočeský kraj) | České Budějovice | 625,712 | 633,264 |
| P | Plzeň Region (Plzeňský kraj) | Pilsen (Plzeň) | 549,618 | 561,074 |
| K | Karlovy Vary Region (Karlovarský kraj) | Karlovy Vary | 304,588 | 307,449 |
| U | Ústí nad Labem Region (Ústecký kraj) | Ústí nad Labem | 822,133 | 831,180 |
| L | Liberec Region (Liberecký kraj) | Liberec | 427,563 | 433,948 |
| H | Hradec Králové Region (Královéhradecký kraj) | Hradec Králové | 547,296 | 552,212 |
| E | Pardubice Region (Pardubický kraj) | Pardubice | 505,285 | 511,400 |
| M | Olomouc Region (Olomoucký kraj) | Olomouc | 635,126 | 641,791 |
| T | Moravian-Silesian Region (Moravskoslezský kraj) | Ostrava | 1,257,554 | 1,249,897 |
| B | South Moravian Region (Jihomoravský kraj) | Brno | 1,123,201 | 1,140,534 |
| Z | Zlín Region (Zlínský kraj) | Zlín | 590,706 | 590,780 |
| J | Vysočina Region (Vysočina) | Jihlava | 517,153 | 513,677 |
[edit] Economy
The Czech Republic possesses a developed,[11] high-income[12] economy with a GDP per capita of 82% of the European Union average. One of the most stable and prosperous of the post-Communist states, the Czech Republic has seen a growth of over 6% annually in the last three years. Recent growth has been led by exports to the European Union, especially Germany, and foreign investment, while domestic demand is reviving. However, the rate of corruption remains one of the highest among OECD countries.
The public budgets remain in deficit despite strong growth of the economy in recent years. However, the 2007 deficit has been 1.58% GDP (according to EU accounting rules), far less than originally expected.
Most of the economy has been privatized, including banks and telecommunications. The current right-center government plans to continue with privatization, including the energy industry and the Prague airport. It has recently agreed to the sale of a 7% stake of the energy producer ČEZ, with the sale of the Budějovický Budvar brewery also mooted.
The country has fully implemented the Schengen Agreement and therefore has abolished border controls with all of its neighbours (Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovakia) on December 21, 2007.[13]
The last Czech government had expressed a desire to adopt the euro in 2010, but the current government has postponed it due to budget deficits. An exact date has not been set up, but the Finance Ministry described adoption by 2012 as realistic[14] if public finance reform passes. However, the most recent draft of the euro adoption plan omits giving any date.
[edit] Tourism
The Czech economy gets a substantial income from tourism: in 2001, the total earnings from tourism reached 118.13 billion CZK, making up 5.5% of GNP and 9.3% of overall export earnings. The industry employs more than 110,000 people - over 1% of the population.[15]
There are several centres of tourist activity: The historic city of Prague is the primary tourist attraction, and the city is also the most common point of entry for tourists visiting other parts of the country.[16] Most other cities in the country attract significant numbers of tourists, but the spa towns such as Karlovy Vary, Mariánské Lázně and Františkovy Lázně are particularly popular holiday destinations. Other popular tourist sites are the many castles and chateaux, such as those at Karlštejn, Konopiště and Český Krumlov. Away from the towns, areas as Český ráj, Šumava and the Krkonoše Mountains attract visitors seeking outdoor pursuits.
The country is also famous for its love of puppetry and marionettes. The Pilsner style beer originated in western Bohemian city of Plzeň.
[edit] Education
The Programme for International Student Assessment, coordinated by the OECD, currently ranks the Czech education as the 15th best in the world, being higher than the OECD average.[17]
[edit] Sport
- See also: Czech Republic national football team
[edit] International rankings
- Human Development Index 2007: Rank 32nd out of 178 countries
- Index of Economic Freedom 2007: Rank 31st out of 157 countries
- Reporters Without Borders world-wide press freedom index 2007: Rank 14th out of 169 countries
- Global Competitiveness Report 2006: Rank 29th out of 125 countries
- Democracy Index (January 2007): Ranks 18th of 167 countries (a functioning democracy along with only 27 others)
- It was also ranked as the highest alcohol-consuming nation by The Economist in 2006.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Velinger, Jan (2006-02-28). World Bank Marks Czech Republic's Graduation to 'Developed' Status. Radio Prague. Retrieved on 2007-01-22.
- ^ Statistics of the Human Development Report.
- ^ Tab. 3 Národnost československých státních příslušníků podle žup a zemí k 15.2.1921 (PDF) (Czech).
- ^ Czech Statistic Office
- ^ Zjišťování národnosti ve sčítání lidu, domů a bytů v období 1921 - 2001 (PDF) (Czech). Czech Statistical Office. Retrieved on 2007-05-24.
- ^ Largest number of children since 1993 born in CzechRep last year, Czech.cz, March 20, 2008
- ^ Obyvatelstvo hlásící se k jednotlivým církvím a náboženským společnostem (Czech). Czech Statistical Office. Retrieved on 2006-12-19.
- ^ Eurobarometer on Social Values, Science and technology 2005 - page 11. Retrieved on 2007-05-05.
- ^ Social values, Science and Technology (PDF) (English). Eurobarometer (June 2005). Retrieved on 2006-12-19.
- ^ The death of the districts, Radio Prague January 3, 2003.
- ^ Getting to know Czech Republic, from Czech.cz, the official site of the Czech Republic
- ^ World Bank 2007
- ^ Czech Republic to join Schengen. The Prague Post (13 December 2006). Retrieved on 2007-10-08.
- ^ Czech government adopts euro adoption plan. EUbusiness (11 April 2007). Retrieved on 2007-06-01.
- ^ Promotion Strategy of the Czech Republic in 2004 - 2010. Czech Tourism. Retrieved on 2006-12-19.
- ^ CZECH SIGHTS. Discover Czech. Retrieved on 2006-12-19.
- ^ OECD.org
- Some of the material comes from the CIA World Factbook 2000 and the 2003 U.S. Department of State website.
[edit] External links
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