歐洲:
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 |
| 捷剋 Czech 首都:布拉格 國家代碼: cz |
 捷克國旗：呈長方形，長與寬之比為３∶２。由藍、白、紅三色組成。左側為藍色等腰三角形。右側是兩個相等的梯形，上白下紅。藍、白、紅三色是斯拉夫民族喜歡的傳統顔色。捷剋人的故鄉是古老的波希米亞王國，這個王國把紅、白兩色作為國色，其中白色代表神聖和純潔，象徵着人民對和平與光明的追求；紅色象徵勇敢和不畏睏難的精神，象徵人民為國傢的獨立解放和繁榮富強而奉獻的鮮血與取得的勝利。藍色來自原來的摩拉維亞和斯洛伐剋省徽章的顔色。 國徽： 分大小兩種。大國徽為方形盾徽，盾面分四部分：左上方和右下方為紅地上白色的雙尾獅，獅子頭戴金冠，爪為金黃色，前爪騰起，代表波希米亞；右上方為藍地上紅白色相間的鷹，代表摩拉維亞；左下方為黃地上頭戴金冠的黑鷹，爪為紅色，胸前繪有白色月牙，十字形和三葉形飾物分別位於月牙中央和兩端，代表西裏西亞。捷剋包括歷史上的波西米亞、摩拉維亞和西裏西亞地區，這枚盾徽形象地揭示了捷剋的歷史淵源。小國徽為盾形，盾面為紅色，上有一頭戴金冠、爪為金黃色、前爪騰起的雙尾獅。 時差 比格林尼治時間早1小時；比北京時間晚7小時 國際電話碼 420 貨幣 捷剋剋朗 語言 官方語言為捷剋語和斯洛伐剋語、匈牙利語保加利亞語 國慶日 10月28日 國傢政要：總統瓦茨拉夫·剋勞斯(Vaclav Klaus) ，２００３年２月當選捷剋總統，同年３月宣誓就職，任期５年。總理托波拉內剋，２００６年１１月任職，２００７年１月再次任職 。 自然地理 捷剋共和國原屬捷剋和斯洛伐剋聯邦共和國，是歐洲中部的內陸國傢。東連斯洛伐剋，南接奧地利，北鄰波蘭，西與德國相鄰，面積７８８６６平方公裏，其中陸地面積：77276平方公裏，水域面積：1590平方公裏。由波希米亞、摩拉維亞和西裏西亞３個部分組成。它處在三面隆起的四邊形盆地，土地肥沃。北有剋爾科諾謝山，南有舒瑪瓦山，東部和東南部為平均海拔５００—６００米的捷剋—摩拉維亞高原。盆地內大部分地區在海拔５００米以下，有拉貝河平原，比爾森盆地、厄爾士山麓盆地和南捷剋湖沼地帶。伏爾塔瓦河最長，流經布拉格。易北河發源於捷剋的拉貝河，可以通航。東部摩拉瓦河—奧得河上遊河𠔌地區是捷剋盆地與斯洛伐剋山地之間地帶，稱為摩拉瓦河—奧得河走廊，自古是北歐與南歐之間通商要道。全國丘陵起伏，森林密佈，風景秀麗。國土分為兩大地理區，一為位於西半部的波希米亞高地，另一為位於東半部的喀爾巴阡山地，它由一係列東西走嚮山脈組成。最高點是海拔為２６５５米的格爾拉霍夫斯基峰。 境內高地、丘陵和盆地相間。邊境多山，蘇臺德山的斯涅日卡山（Snezka），海拔1602米。境內最低海拔Elbe河：115米。氣候溫和，年降水量平原450-600毫米，山區1200-1600毫米，坡地有混交林和針葉林。礦産有煤、鐵，鉛、鋅、銀、鈾等。在伏爾塔瓦河上建有大型水電站。 人口 10241138人(2005年7月）。主要民族為捷剋族，占原聯邦共和國總人口的８１．３％，其他民族有摩拉維亞族（１３．２％）、斯洛伐剋族、德意志族和少量的波蘭族等。官方語言為捷剋語，主要宗教是羅馬天主教。 首都 布拉格（Prague），面積４９６平方公裏，人口１１７萬人（２００４年底）。最低點海拔１９０米，最高點３８０米。氣候具有典型的中部大陸型特徵，平均氣溫７月份為１９．５℃，１月份為－０．５℃。主要城市 主要城市還有比爾森、布爾諾、俄斯特拉發等。 歷史 土著居民為凱爾特族博伊人。公元初被日耳曼馬科曼尼人取代。5～6世紀，斯拉夫人西遷至捷剋和斯洛伐剋地區。623年斯拉夫(SLOVANE)部落聯盟薩摩公國形成，成為歷史上第一個斯拉夫王國。830年建立大摩拉維亞(VELKA MORAVIA)公國。9世紀末～10世紀上半葉帝國解體，普熱美斯(PŘEMYSLOVCI)傢族成立以布拉格為中心的捷剋公國。 1086年，德意志國王神聖羅馬帝國皇帝亨利四世授予捷剋王公弗拉迪斯夫二世(vradislav 2)以波希米亞國王稱號，此後捷剋公國臣服於神聖羅馬帝國。12世紀後半葉，公國改稱捷剋王國。1306年，神聖羅馬帝國盧森堡王朝亨利七世之子約翰娶捷剋王位繼承人艾莉茜卡(ELIŽKA)為妻，約翰成為捷剋國王，此後盧森堡傢族取代普熱美斯(PŘEMYSLOVCI)傢族擁有捷剋統治權。1346年查理一世(KAREL 1)登基，1355年以查理四世(KAREL 4)身份接管神聖羅馬帝國，布拉格(PRAHA)成為帝國統治中心。15世紀初波希米亞(BOHEMIA)盛行以鬍斯(JAN HUSA)領導的帶有民族主義色彩的宗教改革運動。1415年鬍斯被教會以異教徒罪名處以火刑而死後，引爆捷剋反抗羅馬教廷、德意志貴族和封建統治的鬍斯革命運動。 羅馬教皇聯合歐洲封建勢力，在1420～1431年期間組織了五次歐洲十字軍(KŘIŽACI)對該運動進行徵討。1526年，身為天主教徒的奧地利哈布斯堡傢族成員、奧皇斐迪南當選為中歐多民族國傢國王，捷剋民族和斯洛伐剋民族淪為被壓迫民族。1867年後處於奧匈帝國統治之下。 第一次世界大戰後奧匈帝國解體，捷剋與斯洛伐剋聯合，1918年10月28日成立捷剋斯洛伐剋社會主義共和國(Československá socialistická republika,ČSSR)。1938年9月，英、法同德、意簽訂《慕尼黑協定》，捷剋斯洛伐剋被迫將蘇臺德地區割讓給德國。1939年3月，德國占領捷剋斯洛伐剋全境。捷剋和摩拉維亞成為德國的保護國。1945年4月以共産黨為主要領導者的捷剋斯洛伐剋民族陣綫聯合政府成立。5月9日，布拉格民衆起義，在蘇聯紅軍幫助下解放捷剋斯洛伐剋全境。1948年5月9日成立捷剋斯洛伐剋人民民主共和國，哥特瓦爾當選為總統。1960年7月11日改國名為捷剋斯洛伐剋社會主義共和國，杜布切剋(DUBČECH)出任捷共第一書記，並開始一係列改革。1968年8月21日，華沙公約組織成員蘇、波、匈、保、民主德國5國出動50萬大軍侵入捷剋斯洛伐剋。1969年4月，鬍薩剋出任捷共第一書記，1975年任總統。1989年11月捷政局發生劇變。12月29日公民論壇取得政權，“天鵝絨革命”領導人、作傢哈韋爾(HAVEL)當選臨時總統，捷共失去執政黨地位。1990年3月改國名為捷剋斯洛伐剋聯邦共和國，4月改稱捷剋和斯洛伐剋聯邦共和國。 1992年6月舉行首次自由選舉，公民民主黨和爭取民主斯洛伐剋運動分別在捷剋、斯洛伐剋執政。11月，兩個共和國領導人經過談判，同意捷剋和斯洛伐剋分離，聯邦議會通過了聯邦解體法。12月31日聯邦解體。1993年1月1日，捷剋共和國成為獨立的主權國傢。瓦茨拉夫·哈韋爾於1月20日當選為捷剋共和國總統。 1996年6月，捷剋舉行獨立後首次議會選舉，剋勞斯繼任總理，社會民主黨主席澤曼擔任議會衆議院主席。 政治 １９９２年１２月１６日捷剋民族議會通過第一部憲法。憲法確立捷剋共和國是一個主權、統一、民主與法製的國傢。憲法規定，立法權歸議會，議會由參議院和衆議院組成。共和國總統為國傢元首，由議會兩院聯席會議選舉産生，必須獲得一半以上多數票才能當選。總統須年滿４０歲，任期５年，最多連任兩屆。政府為最高行政權力機構，對衆議院負責，衆議院有權對政府表示信任或不信任。獨立法院代表共和國執行司法權。共和國設憲法法院，維護法製。憲法法院由１５名法官組成，法官任期１０年，由總統任命，並經參議院同意。 經濟 捷剋原為奧匈帝國的工業區，７０％的工業集中在此。它以機械製造、各種機床、動力設備、船舶、汽車、電力機車、軋鋼設備、軍工、輕紡為主，化學、玻璃工業也較發達。紡織、製鞋、啤酒釀造均聞名於世。工業基礎雄厚，二戰後，改變了原來的工業結構，重點發展鋼鐵、重型機械工業。工業在國民生産總值中的比重占４０％（１９９９年）。捷剋是啤酒生産和消費大國，其出口的主要對象是斯洛伐剋、波蘭、德國、奧地利和美國。１９９６年啤酒總産量達１８．３億升。１９９９年捷剋人均啤酒消費量達到１６１．１升，比啤酒消費大國德國多３０升。以人均啤酒消費量計，捷剋連續７年位居世界榜首。通訊業發展迅速，１９９８年底移動電話普及率接近１０％，移動電話用戶達９３萬，趕超了某些西方發達國傢。 貨幣名稱：捷剋剋朗 （Czech Koruna）。工農業 工業以燃料動力、冶金、化工機械製造、輕工、食品、紡織、啤酒釀造、製鞋、玻璃、陶瓷為主。農産品有麥類、甜菜、馬鈴薯、啤酒花、水果等。乳肉畜牧業和養禽業比較發達。交通以公路、鐵路和航空運輸為主。 公路：總長55432公裏，其中高速公路499公裏，客運量總計4.34億人次，貨運量總計4.39億噸。 鐵路：總長9444公裏，其中復綫1929公裏，電氣化鐵路2843公裏；客運量總計1.9億人次，貨運量總計9722萬噸。水運：內河航道303公裏，貨運量總計159.4萬噸。空運：2001年飛行總數57074次，國際航綫飛行6312.1萬公裏，客運量總計394.6萬人次，貨運量總計16079噸。在布拉格和布爾諾市分別有一個機場，首都機場是國際機場。 軍事 捷剋和斯洛伐剋於１９９３年１月１日獨立後，原聯邦國傢軍隊和武器裝備按２:１分配，總統是軍隊最高統帥。２００４年９月，捷剋衆議院通過了政府關於取消義務兵役製的提案 ，取而代之的是職業化軍隊。根據政府提案，從２００５年年初起，捷剋軍隊實現全面職業化，最後一批義務兵將於２００４年１２月２２日離開部隊。義務兵役製也將於２００４年１２月３１日結束。此後，衹有在國傢面臨威脅或處於戰爭狀態時，捷剋民衆才能被要求履行兵役義務。這項法案經捷剋總統簽字後即可生效。 外交 自１９９３年獨立後繼續奉行“返回歐洲”的對外政策，重點發展同美德等西方國傢的關係，重視加強同波蘭、奧地利、斯洛伐剋等鄰國的關係，並註意與本地區以外的國傢發展經濟關係。 與中國關係：１９９３年１月１日，中國承認捷剋共和國為獨立國傢並與其建立大使級外交關係。 語言: 捷剋語 捷剋語使用人數近一千一百萬人，屬西斯拉夫語支的南分支。早期捷剋境內通行教會斯拉夫語、拉丁語或德語，十三世紀下半葉時開始出現真正的捷剋語文獻。十五世紀初鬍斯發起宗教改革運動的同時，也奠定了捷剋語的拼音規則，對其他使用拉丁字母拼寫的斯拉夫語都産生重大影響。捷剋語曾是原捷剋斯洛伐剋的主要官方語言，與斯洛伐剋語可互通。 現今捷剋語使用四十二個字母，其中有十四個元音字母，二十七個輔音字母，及一個雙字母，部份字母在拉丁字母上附加符號。方言則有三大方言：中捷方言、哈納方言及萊赫方言，以及一個摩拉維亞過渡方言區；標準語以中捷方言為基礎。音位有三十五個，包含十個元音與二十五個輔音，而輔音中有三個可充做元音的成節輔音：Ｍ，Ｌ，Ｒ。重音則固定落在第一音節。詞法尚保有呼格。 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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