|
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central
Europe. The republic borders Poland to the north, Germany to the northwest and west, Austria to the south, and Slovakia to the east. Historic Prague, a major
tourist attraction, is its capital and largest city. It is made up of two older
regions, Bohemia and Moravia, and part of
the third one, Silesia. As of May 1, 2004, it is a member state of the European
Union.
The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1993 announced that the name
Czechia (Česko in Czech) is to be used
in all situations other than formal official documents and the full names of government institutions [1] , [2] , but this has not caught on in English
usage. See also: Czech lands.
History
Main article: History of the Czech
Republic
The Czech lands emerged in the late 9th century when it was unified by the
Premyslids. The kingdom of Bohemia was a significant local power, but
religious conflicts such as the 15th century Hussite Wars and the 17th century Thirty Years War were devastating. It later came under the Habsburg influence and became part of Austria-Hungary.
Following the collapse of this state after World War I, the Czechs and
neighbouring Slovaks joined together and formed the independent republic of
Czechoslovakia in 1918. This new
country contained a large German minority, which would lead to the
dissolution of Czechoslovakia when Germany successfully annexed the minority through
the Munich Agreement in 1938,
and Slovakia split off as well. The remaining Czech state was occupied by the Germans in 1939.
After World War II, Czechoslovakia fell within the Soviet sphere of influence. In 1968, an
invasion by Warsaw Pact troops ended the efforts of the country's leaders to
liberalise party rule and create "socialism with a human face" during the
Prague Spring. In 1989,
Czechoslovakia regained its freedom through a peaceful "Velvet
Revolution". On January 1, 1993, the
country peacefully split in two, creating independent Czech and Slovak republics.
The Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999 and the
European Union in 2004.
Politics
Main article: Politics of the Czech
Republic
According its constitution the Czech
Republic is a parliamentary democracy, whose head of state is a president, indirectly elected every five
years by the parliament. The president is also granted specific powers such as the right to nominate Constitutional Court judges,
dissolve parliament under certain conditions, and enact a veto on legislation. He also appoints the prime minister, who sets the agenda
for most foreign and domestic policy, as well the other members of the cabinet on a proposal by the prime minister.
The Czech parliament (Parlament) is bicameral, with a Chamber of
Deputies (Poslanecká sněmovna) and a Senate (Senát). The 200 Chamber delegates are elected for 4-year
terms, on the basis of proportional
representation. The 81 members of the Czech Senate serve for 6-year terms with one-third being elected every 2 years on the
basis of two-round majority voting.
The country's highest court of appeals is the Supreme Court. The Constitutional Court, which rules on constitutional issues,
is appointed by the president, and its members serve 10-year terms.
Regions
Main article: Regions of the Czech
Republic
The Czech Republic consists of 13 regions (kraje, singular - kraj) and one capital city (hlavní
město), marked by a *:
Geography
Main article: Geography of the
Czech Republic
Map of the Czech Republic
The Czech landscape is quite varied; Bohemia to the west consists of a basin,
drained by the Elbe (Labe) and Vltava
(Moldau) rivers, surrounded by mostly low mountains such as the Sudeten with
its part Krkonose, where one also finds the highest point in the country, the
Snezka at 1,602 m. Moravia, the eastern part, is also quite hilly and is drained predominantly by the Morava river, but also contains the source of the
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.
Economy
Main article: Economy of the Czech
Republic
Basically 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 EU, especially Germany, and
foreign investment, while domestic demand is reviving.
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.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics
of the Czech Republic
The majority of the inhabitants of the Czech Republic (95%) are ethnically Czech and
speak Czech, a member of the Slavic languages. Other ethnic groups include Germans, Roma, Hungarians, Ukrainians and Poles. After the 1993 division, some Slovaks remained in the Czech Republic and comprise roughly 2% of the current population. The border between the
Czech Republic and Slovakia is open for citizens of the former Czechoslovakia.
Major denominations and their estimated percentage populations are Roman
Catholic (27%), Protestant (1%), Czechoslovak Hussites (1%), as well as a small Jewish community. A large
percentage of the Czech population claim to be atheists (59%), and the remainder
describe themselves as uncertain.
Culture
Main article: Culture of the Czech Republic
Miscellaneous topics
- Communications in the Czech
Republic
- Transportation in the Czech
Republic
- Military of the Czech Republic
- Foreign relations of
the Czech Republic
- Tourism in the Czech Republic
- List of cities in the Czech
Republic
- Public holidays in the
Czech Republic
- List of Czech
Republic-related topics
Reference
- Much of the material in these articles comes from the CIA
World Factbook 2000 and the 2003 U.S. Department of State website.
External links
|