Country Details
| Land Area |
77,276 sq km |
Population |
10278098 |
| Capital City |
Prague |
People |
Czech 81.2%, Moravian 13.2%, Slovak 3.1%, Polish 0.6%, German 0.5%, Silesian 0.4%, Roma 0.3%, Hungarian 0.2%, other 0.5% (1991) |
| Language |
Czech (Some German & English Understood) |
Religion |
Catholic & Protestant |
| Government Type |
parliamentary democracy |
Life Expectancy |
74.73 years |
| HIV/AIDS Rate |
0.04% (1999 est.) |
GNP per Capita |
$12,900 |
| Currency |
Czech koruna (CZK) |
Major Exports |
machinery and transport equipment 44%, other manuf |
| National Holiday |
Czech Founding Day, 28 October (1918) |
Dialing Code |
420 |
| Electricity |
110/220V |
Malaria Risk |
|
| Water Quality |
|
Inoculations |
|
| Crime |
|
Driving License |
National Licence |
| Photography |
|
Entry Regs |
Passport |
| Time Zone |
GMT+1 |
|
|
Following the First World War, the closely related Czechs and Slovaks of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire merged to form Czechoslovakia. During the interwar years, the new country's leaders were frequently preoccupied with meeting the demands of other ethnic minorities within the republic, most notably the Sudeten Germans and the Ruthenians (Ukrainians). After World War II, a truncated 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 liberalize Communist party rule and create "socialism with a human face." Anti-Soviet demonstrations the following year ushered in a period of harsh repression. With the collapse of Soviet authority in 1989, Czechoslovakia regained its freedom through a peaceful "Velvet Revolution." On 1 January 1993, the country underwent a "velvet divorce" into its two national components, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004.
