欧洲:
英国 United Kingdom 爱尔兰 Ireland 比利时 Belgium 荷兰 Netherlands 法国 France 西班牙 Spain 葡萄牙 Portugal 意大利 Italy 希腊 Greece 奥地利 Austria 匈牙利 Hungary 德国 Germany 瑞士 Switzerland 罗马尼亚 Romania 俄罗斯 Russia 波兰 Poland 克罗地亚 Croatia (Hrvatska) 捷克 Czech 芬兰 Finland 瑞典 Sweden 挪威 Norway 冰岛 Iceland 土耳其 Turkey 丹麦 Denmark 阿尔巴尼亚 Albania 爱沙尼亚 Republic of Estonia 安道尔 Andorra 白俄罗斯 Belarus 保加利亚 The Republic of Bulgaria 波斯尼亚和黑塞哥维那 Bosnia and Herzegovina 梵蒂冈 Vatican City State (Holy See) 黑山 The Republic of Montenegro 拉脱维亚 Latvia 立陶宛 Republic of Lithuania 列支敦士登 Liechtenstein 卢森堡 Luxembourg 马耳他 Republic of Malta 马其顿 The Republic of Macedonia 摩尔多瓦 The Republic of Moldova 摩纳哥 Monaco 塞尔维亚 the Republic of Serbia 斯洛伐克 The Slovak Republic 斯洛文尼亚 the Republic of Slovenia 圣马力诺 San Marino 乌克兰 Ukraine |
| 捷克 Czech 首都:布拉格 国家代码: cz |
 捷克国旗：呈长方形，长与宽之比为３∶２。由蓝、白、红三色组成。左侧为蓝色等腰三角形。右侧是两个相等的梯形，上白下红。蓝、白、红三色是斯拉夫民族喜欢的传统颜色。捷克人的故乡是古老的波希米亚王国，这个王国把红、白两色作为国色，其中白色代表神圣和纯洁，象征着人民对和平与光明的追求；红色象征勇敢和不畏困难的精神，象征人民为国家的独立解放和繁荣富强而奉献的鲜血与取得的胜利。蓝色来自原来的摩拉维亚和斯洛伐克省徽章的颜色。 国徽： 分大小两种。大国徽为方形盾徽，盾面分四部分：左上方和右下方为红地上白色的双尾狮，狮子头戴金冠，爪为金黄色，前爪腾起，代表波希米亚；右上方为蓝地上红白色相间的鹰，代表摩拉维亚；左下方为黄地上头戴金冠的黑鹰，爪为红色，胸前绘有白色月牙，十字形和三叶形饰物分别位于月牙中央和两端，代表西里西亚。捷克包括历史上的波西米亚、摩拉维亚和西里西亚地区，这枚盾徽形象地揭示了捷克的历史渊源。小国徽为盾形，盾面为红色，上有一头戴金冠、爪为金黄色、前爪腾起的双尾狮。 时差 比格林尼治时间早1小时；比北京时间晚7小时 国际电话码 420 货币 捷克克朗 语言 官方语言为捷克语和斯洛伐克语、匈牙利语保加利亚语 国庆日 10月28日 国家政要：总统瓦茨拉夫·克劳斯(Vaclav Klaus) ，２００３年２月当选捷克总统，同年３月宣誓就职，任期５年。总理托波拉内克，２００６年１１月任职，２００７年１月再次任职 。 自然地理 捷克共和国原属捷克和斯洛伐克联邦共和国，是欧洲中部的内陆国家。东连斯洛伐克，南接奥地利，北邻波兰，西与德国相邻，面积７８８６６平方公里，其中陆地面积：77276平方公里，水域面积：1590平方公里。由波希米亚、摩拉维亚和西里西亚３个部分组成。它处在三面隆起的四边形盆地，土地肥沃。北有克尔科诺谢山，南有舒玛瓦山，东部和东南部为平均海拔５００—６００米的捷克—摩拉维亚高原。盆地内大部分地区在海拔５００米以下，有拉贝河平原，比尔森盆地、厄尔士山麓盆地和南捷克湖沼地带。伏尔塔瓦河最长，流经布拉格。易北河发源于捷克的拉贝河，可以通航。东部摩拉瓦河—奥得河上游河谷地区是捷克盆地与斯洛伐克山地之间地带，称为摩拉瓦河—奥得河走廊，自古是北欧与南欧之间通商要道。全国丘陵起伏，森林密布，风景秀丽。国土分为两大地理区，一为位于西半部的波希米亚高地，另一为位于东半部的喀尔巴阡山地，它由一系列东西走向山脉组成。最高点是海拔为２６５５米的格尔拉霍夫斯基峰。 境内高地、丘陵和盆地相间。边境多山，苏台德山的斯涅日卡山（Snezka），海拔1602米。境内最低海拔Elbe河：115米。气候温和，年降水量平原450-600毫米，山区1200-1600毫米，坡地有混交林和针叶林。矿产有煤、铁，铅、锌、银、铀等。在伏尔塔瓦河上建有大型水电站。 人口 10241138人(2005年7月）。主要民族为捷克族，占原联邦共和国总人口的８１．３％，其他民族有摩拉维亚族（１３．２％）、斯洛伐克族、德意志族和少量的波兰族等。官方语言为捷克语，主要宗教是罗马天主教。 首都 布拉格（Prague），面积４９６平方公里，人口１１７万人（２００４年底）。最低点海拔１９０米，最高点３８０米。气候具有典型的中部大陆型特征，平均气温７月份为１９．５℃，１月份为－０．５℃。主要城市 主要城市还有比尔森、布尔诺、俄斯特拉发等。 历史 土著居民为凯尔特族博伊人。公元初被日耳曼马科曼尼人取代。5～6世纪，斯拉夫人西迁至捷克和斯洛伐克地区。623年斯拉夫(SLOVANE)部落联盟萨摩公国形成，成为历史上第一个斯拉夫王国。830年建立大摩拉维亚(VELKA MORAVIA)公国。9世纪末～10世纪上半叶帝国解体，普热美斯(PŘEMYSLOVCI)家族成立以布拉格为中心的捷克公国。 1086年，德意志国王神圣罗马帝国皇帝亨利四世授予捷克王公弗拉迪斯夫二世(vradislav 2)以波希米亚国王称号，此后捷克公国臣服于神圣罗马帝国。12世纪后半叶，公国改称捷克王国。1306年，神圣罗马帝国卢森堡王朝亨利七世之子约翰娶捷克王位继承人艾莉茜卡(ELIŽKA)为妻，约翰成为捷克国王，此后卢森堡家族取代普热美斯(PŘEMYSLOVCI)家族拥有捷克统治权。1346年查理一世(KAREL 1)登基，1355年以查理四世(KAREL 4)身份接管神圣罗马帝国，布拉格(PRAHA)成为帝国统治中心。15世纪初波希米亚(BOHEMIA)盛行以胡斯(JAN HUSA)领导的带有民族主义色彩的宗教改革运动。1415年胡斯被教会以异教徒罪名处以火刑而死后，引爆捷克反抗罗马教廷、德意志贵族和封建统治的胡斯革命运动。 罗马教皇联合欧洲封建势力，在1420～1431年期间组织了五次欧洲十字军(KŘIŽACI)对该运动进行征讨。1526年，身为天主教徒的奥地利哈布斯堡家族成员、奥皇斐迪南当选为中欧多民族国家国王，捷克民族和斯洛伐克民族沦为被压迫民族。1867年后处于奥匈帝国统治之下。 第一次世界大战后奥匈帝国解体，捷克与斯洛伐克联合，1918年10月28日成立捷克斯洛伐克社会主义共和国(Československá socialistická republika,ČSSR)。1938年9月，英、法同德、意签订《慕尼黑协定》，捷克斯洛伐克被迫将苏台德地区割让给德国。1939年3月，德国占领捷克斯洛伐克全境。捷克和摩拉维亚成为德国的保护国。1945年4月以共产党为主要领导者的捷克斯洛伐克民族阵线联合政府成立。5月9日，布拉格民众起义，在苏联红军帮助下解放捷克斯洛伐克全境。1948年5月9日成立捷克斯洛伐克人民民主共和国，哥特瓦尔当选为总统。1960年7月11日改国名为捷克斯洛伐克社会主义共和国，杜布切克(DUBČECH)出任捷共第一书记，并开始一系列改革。1968年8月21日，华沙公约组织成员苏、波、匈、保、民主德国5国出动50万大军侵入捷克斯洛伐克。1969年4月，胡萨克出任捷共第一书记，1975年任总统。1989年11月捷政局发生剧变。12月29日公民论坛取得政权，“天鹅绒革命”领导人、作家哈韦尔(HAVEL)当选临时总统，捷共失去执政党地位。1990年3月改国名为捷克斯洛伐克联邦共和国，4月改称捷克和斯洛伐克联邦共和国。 1992年6月举行首次自由选举，公民民主党和争取民主斯洛伐克运动分别在捷克、斯洛伐克执政。11月，两个共和国领导人经过谈判，同意捷克和斯洛伐克分离，联邦议会通过了联邦解体法。12月31日联邦解体。1993年1月1日，捷克共和国成为独立的主权国家。瓦茨拉夫·哈韦尔于1月20日当选为捷克共和国总统。 1996年6月，捷克举行独立后首次议会选举，克劳斯继任总理，社会民主党主席泽曼担任议会众议院主席。 政治 １９９２年１２月１６日捷克民族议会通过第一部宪法。宪法确立捷克共和国是一个主权、统一、民主与法制的国家。宪法规定，立法权归议会，议会由参议院和众议院组成。共和国总统为国家元首，由议会两院联席会议选举产生，必须获得一半以上多数票才能当选。总统须年满４０岁，任期５年，最多连任两届。政府为最高行政权力机构，对众议院负责，众议院有权对政府表示信任或不信任。独立法院代表共和国执行司法权。共和国设宪法法院，维护法制。宪法法院由１５名法官组成，法官任期１０年，由总统任命，并经参议院同意。 经济 捷克原为奥匈帝国的工业区，７０％的工业集中在此。它以机械制造、各种机床、动力设备、船舶、汽车、电力机车、轧钢设备、军工、轻纺为主，化学、玻璃工业也较发达。纺织、制鞋、啤酒酿造均闻名于世。工业基础雄厚，二战后，改变了原来的工业结构，重点发展钢铁、重型机械工业。工业在国民生产总值中的比重占４０％（１９９９年）。捷克是啤酒生产和消费大国，其出口的主要对象是斯洛伐克、波兰、德国、奥地利和美国。１９９６年啤酒总产量达１８．３亿升。１９９９年捷克人均啤酒消费量达到１６１．１升，比啤酒消费大国德国多３０升。以人均啤酒消费量计，捷克连续７年位居世界榜首。通讯业发展迅速，１９９８年底移动电话普及率接近１０％，移动电话用户达９３万，赶超了某些西方发达国家。 货币名称：捷克克朗 （Czech Koruna）。工农业 工业以燃料动力、冶金、化工机械制造、轻工、食品、纺织、啤酒酿造、制鞋、玻璃、陶瓷为主。农产品有麦类、甜菜、马铃薯、啤酒花、水果等。乳肉畜牧业和养禽业比较发达。交通以公路、铁路和航空运输为主。 公路：总长55432公里，其中高速公路499公里，客运量总计4.34亿人次，货运量总计4.39亿吨。 铁路：总长9444公里，其中复线1929公里，电气化铁路2843公里；客运量总计1.9亿人次，货运量总计9722万吨。水运：内河航道303公里，货运量总计159.4万吨。空运：2001年飞行总数57074次，国际航线飞行6312.1万公里，客运量总计394.6万人次，货运量总计16079吨。在布拉格和布尔诺市分别有一个机场，首都机场是国际机场。 军事 捷克和斯洛伐克于１９９３年１月１日独立后，原联邦国家军队和武器装备按２:１分配，总统是军队最高统帅。２００４年９月，捷克众议院通过了政府关于取消义务兵役制的提案 ，取而代之的是职业化军队。根据政府提案，从２００５年年初起，捷克军队实现全面职业化，最后一批义务兵将于２００４年１２月２２日离开部队。义务兵役制也将于２００４年１２月３１日结束。此后，只有在国家面临威胁或处于战争状态时，捷克民众才能被要求履行兵役义务。这项法案经捷克总统签字后即可生效。 外交 自１９９３年独立后继续奉行“返回欧洲”的对外政策，重点发展同美德等西方国家的关系，重视加强同波兰、奥地利、斯洛伐克等邻国的关系，并注意与本地区以外的国家发展经济关系。 与中国关系：１９９３年１月１日，中国承认捷克共和国为独立国家并与其建立大使级外交关系。 语言: 捷克语 捷克语使用人数近一千一百万人，属西斯拉夫语支的南分支。早期捷克境内通行教会斯拉夫语、拉丁语或德语，十三世纪下半叶时开始出现真正的捷克语文献。十五世纪初胡斯发起宗教改革运动的同时，也奠定了捷克语的拼音规则，对其他使用拉丁字母拼写的斯拉夫语都产生重大影响。捷克语曾是原捷克斯洛伐克的主要官方语言，与斯洛伐克语可互通。 现今捷克语使用四十二个字母，其中有十四个元音字母，二十七个辅音字母，及一个双字母，部份字母在拉丁字母上附加符号。方言则有三大方言：中捷方言、哈纳方言及莱赫方言，以及一个摩拉维亚过渡方言区；标准语以中捷方言为基础。音位有三十五个，包含十个元音与二十五个辅音，而辅音中有三个可充做元音的成节辅音：Ｍ，Ｌ，Ｒ。重音则固定落在第一音节。词法尚保有呼格。 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 made economic reforms such as massive privatization and flat tax. Annual gross domestic product growth has recently been around 6%. The country is the first former member of the Comecon to achieve the status of a developed country (2006) according to the World Bank. The Czech Republic also ranks best compared to the former Comecon countries in the Human Development Index. 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. 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, and Czechy in Polish. 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. 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. From Independence to World War 2 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. 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. Kutná HoraSlovakia 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. Communist era 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. Modern era 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. Geography 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. Phytogeographically, the Czech Republic belongs to the Central European province of the Circumboreal Region within the Boreal Kingdom. According to the WWF, the territory of the Czech Republic can be subdivided into four ecoregions: the Central European mixed forests, Pannonian mixed forests, Western European broadleaf forests and Carpathian montane conifer forests. 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. Demographics Population Population of the Czech lands 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 Romani. 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. Total fertility rate was low at 1.44 children born/woman. In 2007, immigration increased population by nearly 1%. 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. According to the most recent Eurobarometer Poll 2005, 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%. Politics 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). Foreign policy A key goal in foreign policy has been European integration. According to The Economist, the Czech Republic has earned a reputation for promoting human rights at every turn. Czech officials have pushed Europe's weight behind democrats everywhere from Myanmar to Belarus, Moldova and Cuba. Czech foreign ministry has an entire unit devoted to helping dissidents in other countries. Czech Republic is motivated by its experience of Nazi and communist oppression. Also, the country's first post-communist president Václav Havel is ex-dissident writer, who has set moral example and has attracted ex-dissidents to key government positions. For example, every March since 2003, when Fidel Castro locked up 75 political opponents, activists have set up a cage in Wenceslas Square representing a Cuban prison cell. Frequent prison uniform-wearing protesters have included names such as the foreign minister, the mayor of Prague and musical stars. Some EU officials have been irritated by Czech Republic's activism in human rights. Czech Republic and other countries stressing human rights have been in conflicts with EU countries who favor closer ties with dictatorships. 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). Regions and districts Since 2000, the Czech Republic is divided into thirteen regions (Czech: 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. Map of the Czech Republic with regions.(Lic. plate) Region Capital Population (2004 est.) Population (2008 est.) A Capital of Prague (Hlavní město Praha) 1,170,571 1,218,644 S Central Bohemian Region (Středočeský kraj) offices located in Prague (Praha) 1,144,071 1,208,145 C South Bohemian Region (Jihočeský kraj) České Budějovice 625,712 633,750 P Plzeň Region (Plzeňský kraj) Pilsen (Plzeň) 549,618 562,783 K Karlovy Vary Region (Karlovarský kraj) Karlovy Vary 304,588 307,975 U Ústí nad Labem Region (Ústecký kraj) Ústí nad Labem 822,133 833,218 L Liberec Region (Liberecký kraj) Liberec 427,563 434,751 H Hradec Králové Region (Královéhradecký kraj) Hradec Králové 547,296 552,850 E Pardubice Region (Pardubický kraj) Pardubice 505,285 512,380 M Olomouc Region (Olomoucký kraj) Olomouc 635,126 641,809 T Moravian-Silesian Region (Moravskoslezský kraj) Ostrava 1,257,554 1,249,844 B South Moravian Region (Jihomoravský kraj) Brno 1,123,201 1,142,013 Z Zlín Region (Zlínský kraj) Zlín 590,706 590,828 J Vysočina Region (Vysočina) Jihlava 517,153 514,146 Economy The Czech Republic possesses a developed, high-income 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. The Czech Republic is a member of the WTO. 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 if public finance reform passes. However, the most recent draft of the euro adoption plan omits giving any date. 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. Transport Prague Airport is the main international airport. Czech Republic has 46 airports, out of which two have over 3,047 meter runaways. Energy In 2005, according to the Czech Statistical Office, 65.4% of electricity was produced in steam, combined, and combustion power plants (mostly coal); 30% in nuclear plants; and 4.6% from renewable sources, including hydropower. Russia (via pipelines through Ukraine) and, to a lesser extent, Norway (via pipelines through Germany) supply the Czech Republic with liquid and natural gas. Communications The Czech Republic has the most Wi-Fi subscribers in the European Union. By the beginning of 2008 there was over 800 mostly local WISPs with about 350 000 subscribers in 2007. Mobile internet is quite popular. Plans based on either GPRS, EDGE, UMTS or CDMA2000 are being offered by all three mobile phone operators (T-Mobile, Vodafone, Telefonica O2) and by a data-only wireless operator U:fon. Government-owned Český Telecom slowed down broadband penetration. At the beginning of 2004, local loop unbundling began, and alternative operators started to offer ADSL (and also SDSL). This, and later privatisation of Cesky Telecom helped drive down prices. On July 1, 2006, Český Telecom was renamed to Telefónica O2 Czech Republic. As of January 2006, ADSL2+ is offered in many variants, both with data limit and without with speeds up to 10 Mbit/s. Cable internet is gaining popularity with its higher download speeds beginning at 2 Mbit/s up to 20 Mbit/s. The biggest ISP, UPC (which has bought another CATV internet provider Karneval in 2007) is providing its service in big cities (Prague, Brno, Ostrava) 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. 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. 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. Culture Cuisine Vepřo-knedlo-zelo (Roast pork with dumplings and cabbage)Czech cuisine is marked by a strong emphasis on meat dishes. Pork is quite common, and beef and chicken are also popular. Goose, duck, rabbit and wild game are served. Fish is rare, with the occasional exception of fresh trout, and carp, which is served at Christmas. Aside from Slivovitz, Czech beer and wine, Czechs also produce two uniquely Czech liquors, Fernet Stock and Becherovka. Kofola is a non-alcoholic Czech soft drink somewhat similar in look and taste to Coca-Cola. Sport Sport plays a significant part in the life of many Czechs who are generally loyal supporters of their favourite teams or individuals. The two leading sports in the Czech Republic are football and ice hockey, both drawing the largest attention of both the media and supporters. The many other sports with professional leagues and structures include basketball, volleyball, handball, athletics, floorball and others. Sport is a source of strong waves of patriotism, usually rising several days or weeks before an event and sinking several days after. The events considered the most important by Czech fans are: the Ice Hockey World Championship, Olympic Ice hockey tournament, the Euro, the football World Cup and qualification matches for such events. In general, any international match of the Czech ice hockey or football national team draws attention, especially when played against a traditional rival: Germany in football; Russia, Sweden and Canada in ice hockey; and Slovakia in both. Music Music in the Czech Republic has roots both in high-culture opera and symphony and in the traditional music of Bohemia and Moravia. Cross-pollination and diversity are important aspects of Czech music: Composers were often influenced by traditional music; jazz and bluegrass music have become popular; pop music often consisted of English language hits sung in Czech. Literature Czech literature is the literature of the historical regions of Bohemia, Moravia, and the Czech-speaking part of Silesia, (now part of the Czech Republic, formerly of Czechoslovakia). This most often means literature written by Czechs, in the Czech language, although Old Church Slavonic, Latin, and German were also used, mostly in the early periods. Modern authors from the Czech territory who wrote in other languages (e.g. German) are generally considered separately, and their writing usually existed in parallel with Czech-language literature and did not interact with it. Thus Franz Kafka, for example, who wrote in German (though he also knew Czech rather well), falls within Austrian literature, though he lived his entire life in Bohemia. Czech literature is divided into several main time periods: the Middle Ages; the Hussite period; the years of re-Catholicization and the baroque; the Enlightenment and Czech reawakening in the 19th century; the avantgarde of the interwar period; the years under Communism and the Prague Spring; and the literature of the post-Communist Czech Republic. Czech literature and culture played a major role on at least two occasions when Czech society lived under oppression and no political activity was possible. On both of these occasions, in the early 19th century and then again in the 1960s, the Czechs used their cultural and literary effort to create political freedom and to establish a confident, politically aware nation. 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. |
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