PROFILE

OFFICIAL NAME:
Czech Republic

Geography
Area: 78,864 sq. kilometers; about the size of Virginia.
Cities: Capital--Prague (pop. 1.16 million). Other cities--Brno (376,172), Ostrava (314,744), Plzen (165,529).
Terrain: Low mountains to the north and south, hills in the west.
Climate: Temperate.

People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Czech(s).
Population (est.): 10.2 million.
Annual growth rate: 0.1%.
Ethnic groups: Czech (90.4% or 9.25 million); Moravian (more than 380,000); Slovak (193,000); Roma (171,000); Silesian (11,000); Polish (52,000); German (39,000); Ukrainian (22,000); and Vietnamese (18,000).
Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant.
Language: Czech.
Education: Literacy—99.8%.
Health: Life expectancy--males 72.3 yrs., females 78.5 yrs.
Work force (5.13 million): Industry, construction, and commerce—54.3%; government and other services--41%; agriculture—4.7%.

Government
Type: Parliamentary republic.
Independence: The Czech Republic was established January 1, 1993 (former Czechoslovak state established 1918).
Constitution: Signed December 16, 1992.
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state), prime minister (head of government), cabinet. Legislative--Chamber of Deputies, Senate. Judicial--Supreme Court, Constitutional Court.
Political parties (June 2006 election): Civic Democratic Party (ODS), 81 seats; Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD), 74 seats; Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM), 26 seats; Christian and Democratic Union-Czechoslovak Peoples Party (KDU-CSL), 13 seats; Green Party (SZ), 6 seats.
Suffrage: Universal at 18.
Administrative subdivisions: Two regions--Bohemia and Moravia; 13 administrative districts and Prague.

Economy
GDP (2005): $109.3 billion.
Per capital income: $10,710.
Natural resources: Coal, coke, timber, lignite, uranium, magnesite.
Agriculture: Products--wheat, rye, oats, corn, barley, hops, potatoes, sugar beets, hogs, cattle, horses.
Industry: Types--motor vehicles, machinery and equipment, iron, steel, cement, sheet glass, armaments, chemicals, ceramics, wood, paper products, and footwear.
Trade (2005): Exports--$79 billion (est.): motor vehicles, machinery, iron, steel, chemicals, raw materials, consumer goods. Imports--$78 billion (est.). Trading partners--Germany (32%), Slovakia, Poland, France, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, U.K., China, United States.