Czech Republic
Webpages concerning "Czech Republic"
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Wikipedia-Article "Czech Republic"
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| Motto: Pravda vítězí (Czech for "Truth prevails") | |||||
| Anthem: Kde domov můj | |||||
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| Capital | Prague |
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| Largest city | Prague | ||||
| Official languages | Czech | ||||
| Government | Republic Václav Klaus Jiří Paroubek |
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| Formation Independence • Regained • Dismemberment |
9th century October 28, 1918 January 1, 1993 |
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| Area • Total • Water (%) |
78,866 km² (114st) 2.0% |
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| Population • 2005 est. • 2001 census • Density |
10,241,138 (79th) 10,230,060 130/km² (58th) |
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| GDP (PPP) • Total • Per capita |
2005 estimate $198,976 million (41st) $19,488 (39th) |
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| HDI (2003) | 0.874 (31st) – high | ||||
| Currency | Czech koruna (CZK) |
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| Time zone • Summer (DST) |
CET (UTC+1) CEST (UTC+2) |
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| Internet TLD | .cz | ||||
| Calling code | +4201 |
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| 1 Shared code 42 with Slovakia until 1997 | |||||
The Czech Republic (Czech: Česká republika listen ▶(?)) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country has borders with Poland to the north, Germany to the northwest and west, Austria to the south, and Slovakia to the east. Historic Prague (Czech: Praha), a major tourist attraction, is its capital and largest city. Other major cities include Brno, Ostrava, Zlín, Plzeň, Pardubice, Hradec Králové, České Budějovice, Liberec, Olomouc, and Ústí nad Labem.
The country is composed of two older regions, Bohemia and Moravia, and part of a third one, Silesia. As of May 1, 2004, it is a member state of the European Union.
The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1993 announced that the name Czechia (Czech: Česko) is to be used in all situations other than formal official documents and the full names of government institutions [1], [2], but this has not caught on in English usage. See also: Czech lands.
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History
Main article: History of the Czech lands
From prehistoric times, archaeologists have found evidence of human settlers in the area. 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 of ca. the 5th century, many Germanic tribes moved westward and southward out of Central Europe. In an equally signifcant migration, Slavic people from the Black Sea and Carpathian regions settled in the newly emptied lands (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 southward into Bohemia, Moravia, and much of present day Austria. This movement marked the Slavs' emergence from historical obscurity.
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 under Great Moravia).
The Czech state emerged in the late 9th century when it was unified by the Přemyslids. The kingdom of Bohemia was a significant local power, but religious conflicts such as the 15th century Hussite Wars and the 17th century Thirty Years War were devastating. It later came under the Habsburg influence and became part of Austria-Hungary.
Following the collapse of this empire after World War I, the Czechs and neighbouring Slovaks joined together and formed the independent republic of Czechoslovakia in 1918. This new country contained a large German minority, which would lead to the dissolution of Czechoslovakia when Germany successfully annexed the minority through the Munich Agreement in 1938, and Slovakia gained greater autonomy, with the state renamed "Czecho-Slovakia". Slovakia broke away further in 1939 and the remaining Czech state was occupied by the Germans who installed a puppet-regime explicitly styled Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, where the Czech President and Prime Minister were de facto subordinate to the nazi Reichsprotektor ('imperial protector').
After World War II, a reconstituted 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" during the Prague Spring. In 1989, Czechoslovakia regained its "freedom" through a peaceful "Velvet Revolution". On January 1, 1993, the country peacefully split in two, creating independent Czech and Slovak republics.
The Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004.
Politics
Main article: Politics of the Czech Republic
According to its constitution the Czech Republic is a parliamentary democracy, whose head of state is a president, indirectly elected every five years by the parliament. The president is also granted specific powers such as the right to nominate Constitutional Court judges, dissolve parliament under certain conditions, complete immunity, and enact a veto on legislation. He also appoints the prime minister, who sets the agenda for most foreign and domestic policy, as well the other members of the cabinet on a proposal by the prime minister.
The Czech parliament (Parlament) is bicameral, with a Chamber of Deputies (Poslanecká sněmovna) and a Senate (Senát). The 200 Chamber delegates are elected for 4-year terms, on the basis of proportional representation. The 81 members of the Czech Senate serve for 6-year terms with one-third being elected every 2 years on the basis of two-round majority voting.
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.
Regions
Main article: Regions of the Czech Republic; see also: Overview of regions in Czech Republic
The Czech Republic consists of 13 regions (kraje, singular - kraj) and one capital city (hlavní město), marked by a *:
| Region | Capital | |
|---|---|---|
| Prague* (Praha) | ||
| Central Bohemian Region (Středočeský kraj) | its offices are located in Prague (Praha) | |
| South Bohemian Region (Jihočeský kraj) | České Budějovice | |
| Plzeň Region (Plzeňský kraj) | Plzeň | |
| Carlsbad Region (Karlovarský kraj) | Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) | |
| Ústí nad Labem Region (Ústecký kraj) | Ústí nad Labem | |
| Liberec Region (Liberecký kraj) | Liberec | |
| Hradec Králové Region (Královéhradecký kraj) | Hradec Králové | |
| Pardubice Region (Pardubický kraj) | Pardubice | |
| Olomouc Region (Olomoucký kraj) | Olomouc | |
| Moravian-Silesian Region (Moravskoslezský kraj) | Ostrava | |
| South Moravian Region (Jihomoravský kraj) | Brno | |
| Zlín Region (Zlínský kraj) | Zlín | |
| Vysočina Region (Vysočina) | Jihlava |
Geography
Main article: Geography 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 Vltava rivers, surrounded by mostly low mountains such as the Sudeten with its part Krkonoše, where one also finds the highest point in the country, the Sněžka at 1,602 m. Moravia, the eastern part, is also quite hilly and is drained predominantly by the Morava river, but 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 local climate is temperate with warm summers and cold, cloudy, humid winters, typified by a mixture of maritime and continental influences.
Economy
Main article: Economy of the Czech Republic
One of the most stable and prosperous of the post-Communist states, the Czech Republic has been recovering from recession since mid-1999. Growth in 2000-2001 was led by exports to the EU, especially Germany, and foreign investment, while domestic demand is reviving. The rate of corruption remains one of the highest among OECD countries.
Uncomfortably high fiscal and current account deficits could be future problems.
Moves to complete banking, telecommunications, and energy privatisation will add to foreign investment, while intensified restructuring among large enterprises and banks and improvements in the financial sector should strengthen output growth.
The Czech government has expressed a desire to adopt the euro currency in 2010, but the introduction of the currency is currently only in the early planning stages.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of the Czech Republic
| Population of the Czech lands (CSU, Prague) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 majority of the inhabitants of the Czech Republic (95%) are ethnically Czech and speak Czech, a member of the Slavic languages. Other ethnic groups include Slovaks, Germans, Roma, Hungarians, Ukrainians and Poles. After the 1993 division, some Slovaks remained in the Czech Republic and comprise roughly 2% of the current population. The border between the Czechia and Slovakia is open for citizens of the former Czechoslovakia. Given the massive rise of tourism in Prague, English is becoming widely popular among business-owners and public servants.
Despite the very visible presence of cathedrals and church buildings all over the country, the majority of Czechs (59%) are agnostics or atheists. Significant religious groups include Roman Catholics (27%), Protestants (1.2%), and Czechoslovak Hussites (1%).
Culture
- Cinema of the Czech Republic
- Famous Czech People
- Literature of the Czech Republic
- Music of the Czech Republic
- National Theatre (Prague)
- Czech TV
- Czech cuisine
International rankings
- Human Development Index 2003: Rank 31st out of 177 countries.
- Index of Economic Freedom 2005: Rank 33rd out of 155 countries.
- Reporters Without Borders world-wide press freedom index 2005: Rank 9th out of 167 countries.
Miscellaneous topics
- Communications in the Czech Republic
- Foreign relations of the Czech Republic
- Junák
- List of cities in the Czech Republic
- List of postal codes in the Czech Republic
- List of Czech Republic-related topics
- Military of the Czech Republic
- Public holidays in the Czech Republic
- Tourism in the Czech Republic
- Transportation in the Czech Republic
- Spa towns in the Czech Republic
Reference
- Much of the material in these articles comes from the CIA World Factbook 2000 and the 2003 U.S. Department of State website.
External links
- Chamber of Deputies website, in English
- Czech Press Agency news in English
- CzechTourism - governmental agency aimed at promoting tourism in the Czech Republic
- Government website, in English
- Official Czech portal
- Portal of the Public Administration of Czech Republic
- Pictures of the Czech Republic - from slackertravel.com
- Prague Daily Monitor - Czech news in English
- Prague Post - English-language newsweekly
- Presidential website, click for a pop-up overview of English-language content
- Radio Prague - website of the English service of Czech Radio
- Senate website, in English
- Czech Forum, about all the different aspects of the Czech Republic
- Czech Republic at Wikitravel - share your tourist experience.
- Czech R. economy and business indicators Czech Republic key Data on Taxes and Income Tax.
| Countries in Europe |
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| Other territories: Akrotiri and Dhekelia | Faroe Islands | Gibraltar | Guernsey | Jan Mayen | Jersey | Isle of Man | Svalbard |
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European Union | |
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