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Czech Republic

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Countries; European
Countries

   SOS Children works in the Czech Republic. For more information see SOS
   Children in the Czech Republic
   Česká republika; Česko
   Czech Republic

   Flag of Czech Republic Coat of arms of Czech Republic
   Flag                   Coat of arms
   Motto: Pravda vítězí
   ( Czech: "Truth prevails")
   Anthem: Kde domov můj
   Location of Czech Republic
   Capital
   (and largest city) Prague
   50°05′N 14°28′E
   Official languages Czech
   Government Republic
    - President Václav Klaus
    - Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek
   Formation Ninth century
    - Independence
   from Austria-Hungary
   October 28, 1918
    - Dissolution of Czechoslovakia January 1, 1993
   Accession to EU May 1, 2004
   Area
    - Total 78,866 km² ( 117th)
   30,450 sq mi
    - Water (%) 2.0
   Population
    - 2006 estimate 10,265,231 ( 78th)
    - 2001 census 10,230,060
    - Density 130/km² ( 77th)
   337/sq mi
   GDP ( PPP) 2006 estimate
    - Total $198.93 billion ( 46th^2)
    - Per capita $19,478 ( 38th^2)
   GDP (nominal) 2005 estimate
    - Total $123,603 billion ( 40th)
    - Per capita $19,488 ( 42nd)
   HDI  (2004) 0.885 (high) ( 30th)
   Currency Czech koruna ( CZK)
   Time zone CET ( UTC+1)
    - Summer ( DST) CEST ( UTC+2)
   Internet TLD .cz ^3
   Calling code +420^1
   ^1 Shared code 42 with Slovakia until 1997
   ^2 Rank based on 2005 IMF data
   ^3 also .eu, shared with other European Union member states.

   The Czech Republic ( Czech: Česká republika) 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
   west, Austria to the south, and Slovakia to the east. The historic city
   of 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 entire historic regions, Bohemia and
   Moravia, parts of Silesia, and small sections of historic Lower
   Austria.

Name

   The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1993 suggested that the name
   Czechia to be an official alternative in all situations other than
   formal official documents and the full names of government
   institutions, but this has not caught on in English usage. 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 2006; its Czech
   equivalent Česko is disputed by many Czechs, but has been contained in
   a longer version of the Dictionary of the Czech language of the Czech
   Academy of Sciences since the 1970s.

History

   Prague Castle
   Enlarge
   Prague Castle

   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 of ca. the 5th century, many
   Germanic tribes moved westward and southward 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 southward 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 under Great Moravia).

   The Bohemian or Czech state emerged in the late 9th century when it was
   unified by the Přemyslids. The kingdom of Bohemia was a significant
   local 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 sixteenth 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 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 with majority German, Hungarian,
   Polish and Ruthenian speaking populations. Although Czechoslovakia was
   a centralist 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 Party, gained the majority German speaking Sudetenland
   through the Munich Agreement. Poland occupied areas with Polish
   minority around Český Těšín, while Slovakia gained greater autonomy,
   with the state being renamed to "Czecho-Slovakia". Eventually Slovakia
   broke away further in March 1939, allied to Hitler´s coalition and the
   remaining Czech territory was occupied by Hitler who installed the
   so-called Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, which was proclaimed
   part of the Reich and where the Protectorate President and Prime
   Minister were subordinate to the Nazi Reichsprotektor ('imperial
   protector'). Approximately 390,000 citizens, including 83,000 Jews,
   were killed, executed or killed in war, and hundreds of thousand of
   others were sent to prisons and concentration camps or forced labour.
   The Czechoslovak government-in-exile and its army fighting against the
   Germans were acknowledged by Allies (Czech troops in Great Britain,
   North Africa, Middle East and Soviet Union).
   Václav Klaus, last President of the Czech Republic
   Enlarge
   Václav Klaus, last President of the Czech Republic

   In 1945-6 almost the entire German minority of pre-War Czechoslovakia,
   about 3 million people, were expelled to Germany and Austria. During
   this time, hundreds of thousand of Germans were held in prisons,
   detention camps, and used in forced labour. In the summer of 1945,
   there were several massacres with at least 20,000 deaths. Only 250,000
   Germans who had been active in the resistance against the Nazis or were
   necessary for the economy were allowed to stay, though many of them
   emigrated later.

   Czechoslovakia uneasily tried to play "bridge" between the West and
   East; however the strengthening Communist Party of Czechoslovakia took
   over in February 1948, bringing the country within the Soviet sphere of
   influence. In August 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 November 1989, Czechoslovakia regained its political independence
   through a peaceful " Velvet Revolution". On January 1, 1993, the
   country peacefully split in two, creating the independent Czech and
   Slovak republics.

   The Czech Republic joined NATO on March 12, 1999 and the European Union
   on May 1, 2004. From 1991 the Czech Republic, then Czechoslovakia, has
   been a member of the Visegrad Group.

Geography

   Map of the Czech Republic
   Enlarge
   Map of the Czech Republic

   The Czech landscape is quite varied; Bohemia to the west consists of a
   basin, drained by the Labe (German: Elbe) and Vltava rivers, surrounded
   by mostly low mountains such as the Sudetes with its part Krkonoše,
   where one also finds the highest point in the country, the Sněžka at
   1,602 metres (5,256  ft). Moravia, the eastern part, is also quite
   hilly and is drained predominantly by the Morava river, but also
   contains the source of the Odra (German: Oder) 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.

Demographics

Population

      Population of the Czech lands (CZSO, 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 are Czechs
   (94.2%, this is include Moravians - 3.7% and Silesians - 0.1%; note
   that most Moravians and Silesians would denote themselves simply as
   Czechs in the census, regardless of their origins and dialects they
   speak) and speak Czech, a member of the Slavic languages. Among
   minorities are Slovaks (1.9%), Germans (0.4%), Poles (0.5%), Roma
   people, and several others.

Religion

   According to the 2001 census, 59% of the country is atheist,
   non-believer or no-organized believer, 26.8% Catholic and ca 2.5%
   Protestant . According to the 2005 Eurobarometer poll, 30% of Czech
   respondents don't believe in gods, spirits, or life forces, 50% believe
   in some sort of spirit or life force, and 19% believe in a god .

Politics

Political system

   Politics of the Czech Republic takes place in a framework of a
   parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime
   Minister is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party
   system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative
   power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of
   parliament, the Chamber of Deputies (Poslanecká sněmovna) and the
   Senate.

Military

   The Czech Armed Forces ( Czech: Armáda České republiky) consists of
   Land and Air Forces and of specialized support units. The country has
   been a member of NATO since March 12, 1999. Military spending is around
   1.8% of GDP (2006)

Administrative divisions

   The Czech Republic is divided into 13 regions (kraje, singular - kraj)
   and the capital city (hlavní město) Prague (Praha). It is further
   subdivided into 77 districts (okresy, sing. okres).
   Map of the Czech Republic with regions
   ( Lic. plate) Region Capital Population ( 2004 estimate)
   A Prague (Praha) — 1 170 571
   S Central Bohemian Region (Středočeský kraj) its offices are located in
   Prague (Praha) 1 144 071
   C South Bohemian Region (Jihočeský kraj) České Budějovice 625 712
   P Plzeň Region (Plzeňský kraj) Plzeň 549 618
   K Karlovy Vary Region (Karlovarský kraj) Karlovy Vary 304 588
   U Ústí nad Labem Region (Ústecký kraj) Ústí nad Labem 822 133
   L Liberec Region (Liberecký kraj) Liberec 427 563
   H Hradec Králové Region (Královéhradecký kraj) Hradec Králové 547 296
   E Pardubice Region (Pardubický kraj) Pardubice 505 285
   M Olomouc Region (Olomoucký kraj) Olomouc 635 126
   T Moravian-Silesian Region (Moravskoslezský kraj) Ostrava 1 257 554
   B South Moravian Region (Jihomoravský kraj) Brno 1 123 201
   Z Zlín Region (Zlínský kraj) Zlín 590 706
   J Vysočina Region (Vysočina) Jihlava 517 153

Economy

General situation

   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 European Union,
   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 its introduction is only in the early planning stages and
   there are growing doubts whether budget deficit will not force
   postponement.

Tourism

   Prague - Charles Bridge at night
   Enlarge
   Prague - Charles Bridge at night

   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 persons - 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 and Mariánské 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.

Culture

     * Cinema of the Czech Republic
     * List of famous Czechs
     * Czech literature
     * Music of the Czech Republic
     * National Theatre (Prague)
     * List of Czech language television channels
     * Czech cuisine

   The country is also famous for its love of puppetry and marionettes.
   The Pilsner style beer originated in the Czech areas. A smooth crisp
   beer that major American beers such as Budweiser are based on.

International rankings

     * Human Development Index 2003: Rank 31st out of 177 countries
     * Index of Economic Freedom 2006: Rank 21st out of 57 countries
     * Reporters Without Borders world-wide press freedom index 2006: Rank
       5th out of 168 countries
     * Global Competitiveness Report 2006: Rank 29th out of 125 countries

Neighbouring countries

   Flag of Germany  Germany Flag of Poland  Poland
   North
   West    Flag of Czech Republic  Czech Republic     East
   South
   Flag of Austria  Austria Flag of Slovakia  Slovakia
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czech_Republic"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
