Dialing code +420
ISO 2 code CZ
ISO 3 code CZE
Capital Prague
Main Language Czech
Currency Koruna (CZK)
GDP $266.3 billion 40th
Population 10,476,000 79th

Geography

Continent Europe
Location Central Europe between Germany Poland Slovikia and Austria
Land 78,866 km2 118th
Terrain Bohemia in the west consists of rolling plains hills and plateaus surrounded by low mountains; Moravia in the east consists of very hilly country
Climate Temperate; cool summers; cold cloudy humid winters
Natural Hazards Bohemia in the west consists of rolling plains hills and plateaus surrounded by low mountains; Moravia in the east consists of very hilly country
Note: Landlocked; strategically located astride some of oldest and most significant land routes in Europe; Moravian Gate is a traditional military corridor between the North European Plain and the Danube in central Europe

Neighbouring Countries

Austria Germany Poland Slovakia

History

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.
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Demographics

Life Expectancy 76.81 years 53rd
Median Age 40.1 years 26th
Birth Rate 8.83 births/1,000 population 200th
Death Rate 10.74 births/1,000 population 50th
Sex Ratio 0.65 male(s)/female 178th
Literacy 99.0% 37th
Population

10.5 million

Transportation

Roadways 128512 km 35th
Railways 9620 km 21st
Airports 122 47th
Waterways 664 km 75th
Heliports 1 68th
Airports paved 2 71st

Economy

Currency Koruna (CZK)
GDP $266.3 billion 40th
GDP per capita (PPP) $26100 44th