Czech Republic
Formerly part of Czechoslovakia and landlocked in the middle of
Europe, the Czech Republic is about the size of the U.S. State of
New York.
Towards the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, the Czechs and
Slovaks came together to create Czechoslovakia. It gained total
independence in 1993 breaking an almost 75 year union from
Slovakia with each forming a separate country. After its break
with the Slovak Republic, the Czech nation rapidly privatized
state-owned businesses. State ownership of businesses was at about
97 percent under communism—today it is less than 20 percent.
Tourism is a major industry here, especially in the beautiful city
of Prague, with its art nouveau architecture, castle, historic
bridges, cobblestone streets, palaces, and spas.
The Czech Republic succeeded in becoming a NATO member in 1999 and a
European Union member in 2004.
The Czech Republic's central European landscape is dominated by the
Bohemian Massif, which rises to heights of 3,000 ft (900 m) above
sea level. This ring of mountains encircles a large elevated basin,
the Bohemian Plateau. The principal rivers are the Elbe and the
Vltava.
| Country: | Czech Republic ( Ceska Republika ) |
| Capital: | Prague |
| Government type: | Parliamentary democracy with president as the head of state and prime minister as the head of government |
| Population: | 10,235,455 |
| Languages: | Czech (official ) ; Romani ( minority language) |
| Official Currency: | Czech Koruna (CZK) abbreviated as Kč Current Exchange Rates |
| Climate: | Temperate. Cool to warm May - September (showers and thunderstorms common), mostly chilly October, March and April (rain or snow possible), cold, cloudy and wet with snow and freezing temperatures November - February; skiing in December - March; |
| National Holiday: | January 1, Liberation Day (1959); |
| Religion: | Atheist/Agnostic 59%, Roman Catholic 27%, Protestant 2%, Other 12% |
| Neighboring countries | Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Poland |
| Ethnicity: | Czech 90.4%, Moravian 3.7%, Slovak 1.9%, other 4% |
| Life expectancy | 72 years (men), 79 years (women) (source: UN) |
| Area: | total: 78,886 sq km |
| Country Phone Code: | 420 |
Europe (EU)