Political pressure groups and leaders:
Confederation of Cypriot Workers or SEK (pro-West); Confederation ofRevolutionary Labor Unions or Dev-Is; Federation of Turkish CypriotLabor Unions or Turk-Sen; Pan-Cyprian Labor Federation or PEO(Communist controlled)
International organization participation:
Australia Group, C, CE, EBRD, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,ICC, ICCt, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer),OIF (associate member), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Andreas KAKOURIS chancery: 2211 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 462-5772, 462-0873 FAX: [1] (202) 483-6710 consulate(s) general: New York note: representative of the Turkish Cypriot community in the US is Hilmi AKIL; office at 1667 K Street NW, Washington, DC; telephone [1] (202) 887-6198
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Frank C. URBANCIC, Jr. embassy: corner of Metochiou and Ploutarchou Streets, 2407 Engomi, Nicosia mailing address: P. O. Box 24536, 1385 Nicosia telephone: [357] (22) 393939 FAX: [357] (22) 780944
Flag description:
white with a copper-colored silhouette of the island (the name Cyprus is derived from the Greek word for copper) above two green crossed olive branches in the center of the flag; the branches symbolize the hope for peace and reconciliation between the Greek and Turkish communities note: the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" flag has a white field with narrow horizontal red stripes positioned a small distance from the top and bottom edges between which is centered a red crescent and a red five-pointed star
EconomyCyprus
Economy - overview:
The area of the Republic of Cyprus under government control has a market economy dominated by the service sector, which accounts for 78% of GDP. Tourism, financial services, and real estate are the most important sectors. Erratic growth rates over the past decade reflect the economy's reliance on tourism, which often fluctuates with political instability in the region and economic conditions in Western Europe. Nevertheless, the economy in the area under government control grew by an average of 3.6% per year during the period of 2000-06, well above the EU average. Cyprus joined the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM2) in May 2005 and adopted the euro as its national currency on 1 January 2008. An aggressive austerity program in the preceding years, aimed at paving the way for the euro, helped turn a soaring fiscal deficit (6.3% in 2003) into a surplus of 1.5% in 2007. As in the area administered by Turkish Cypriots, water shortages are a perennial problem; a few desalination plants are now on line. After 10 years of drought, the country received substantial rainfall from 2001-04 alleviating immediate concerns. Rainfall in 2005 and 2006, however, was well below average, making water rationing a necessity in 2007.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$21.4 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$21.3 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.4% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$27,100 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.7% industry: 19.2% services: 78% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
393,000 (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 8.5% industry: 20.5% services: 71% (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:
3.9% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
29 (2005)
Investment (gross fixed):
20.8% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues:: $9.996 billion expenditures:: $9.304 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Public debt:
59.6% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.4% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
6.74% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$4.094 billion note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the Euro Area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 15 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi money circulating within their own borders (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$43.93 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$52.09 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
citrus, vegetables, barley, grapes, olives, vegetables; poultry, pork, lamb; dairy, cheese
Industries:
tourism, food and beverage processing, cement and gypsum production, ship repair and refurbishment, textiles, light chemicals, metal products, wood, paper, stone, and clay products
Industrial production growth rate:
3.8% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
4.52 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
4.151 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Oil - consumption:
57,830 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
55,970 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006)
Current account balance:
-$2.144 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$1.495 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
citrus, potatoes, pharmaceuticals, cement, and clothing
Exports - partners:
Greece 21.1%, UK 14.3%, Germany 6.6% (2007)
Imports:
$7.84 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
consumer goods, petroleum and lubricants, intermediate goods, machinery, transport equipment
Imports - partners:
Greece 17.7%, Italy 10.2%, UK 9.6%, Germany 9.4%, Israel 6.5%,France 5.4%, China 5.3%, Netherlands 4.1% (2007)
Economic aid - donor:
$25.9 million (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
$15 million (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$6.507 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$26.97 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$13.36 billion (2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$5.419 billion (2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$48.2 billion (2005)
Currency (code):
Cypriot pound (CYP); euro (EUR) after 1 January 2008
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
Cypriot pounds (CYP) per US dollar -: 0.4286 (2007), 0.4586 (2006), 0.4641 (2005), 0.4686 (2004), 0.5174 (2003)
Economy of the area administered by Turkish Cypriots:
Economy - overview: The Turkish Cypriot economy has roughly 30% of the per capita GDP of the south, and economic growth tends to be volatile, given the north's relative isolation, bloated public sector, reliance on the Turkish lira, and small market size. Agriculture and services, together, employ more than half of the work force. The Turkish Cypriot economy grew around 10.6% in 2006, fueled by growth in the construction and education sectors, as well as increased employment of Turkish Cypriots in the area under government control. GDP declined about 2.0% in 2007. The Turkish Cypriots are heavily dependent on transfers from the Turkish Government. Ankara directly finances around one-third of the "TRNC's" budget. Aid from Turkey has exceeded $400 million annually in recent years. GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.865 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: -2% (2007 est.) GDP - per capita: $11,800 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 8.6%, industry: 22.5%, services: 69.1% (2006 est.) Labor force: 95,030 (2007 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 14.5%, industry: 29%, services: 56.5% (2004) Unemployment rate: 9.4% (2005 est.) Population below poverty line: %NA Inflation rate: 11.4% (2006) Budget: revenues: $2.5 billion, expenditures: $2.5 billion (2006) Agriculture - products: citrus fruit, dairy, potatoes, grapes, olives, poultry, lamb Industries: foodstuffs, textiles, clothing, ship repair, clay, gypsum, copper, furniture Industrial production growth rate: -0.3% (2007 est.) Electricity production: 998.9 million kWh (2005) Electricity consumption: 797.9 million kWh (2005) Exports: $68.1 million, f.o.b. (2007 est.) Export - commodities: citrus, dairy, potatoes, textiles Export - partners: Turkey 40%; direct trade between the area administered by Turkish Cypriots and the area under government control remains limited Imports: $1.2 billion, f.o.b. (2007 est.) Import - commodities: vehicles, fuel, cigarettes, food, minerals, chemicals, machinery Import - partners: Turkey 60%; direct trade between the area administered by Turkish Cypriots and the area under government control remains limited Economic aid - recipient: under a July 2006 agreement, Turkey plans to provide the area administered by Turkish Cypriots 1.875 billion YTL ($1.3 billion) over three years (600 million YTL in 2006, 625 million YTL in 2007 and 650 million YTL in 2008); Turkey has forgiven most past aid; additionally, the EU pledged financial assistance of Euro 259 million ($388 million) in 2004, which is yet to be disbursed. Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $NA Debt - external: $NA Currency (code): Turkish new lira (YTL) Exchange rates: Turkish new lira per US dollar: 1.319 (2007) 1.4286 (2006) 1.3436 (2005) 1.4255 (2004) 1.5009 (2003)
CommunicationsCyprus
Telephones - main lines in use:
area under government control: 376,000 (2007); area administered by Turkish Cypriots: 86,228 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
area under government control: 962,200 (2007); area administered by Turkish Cypriots: 147,522 (2002)
Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent in both area under government control and area administered by Turkish Cypriots domestic: open-wire, fiber-optic cable, and microwave radio relay international: country code - 357 (area administered by Turkish Cypriots uses the country code of Turkey - 90); a number of submarine cables, including the SEA-ME-WE-3, combine to provide connectivity to Western Europe, the Middle East, and Asia; tropospheric scatter; satellite earth stations - 8 (3 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean, 2 Eutelsat, 2 Intersputnik, and 1 Arabsat)
Radio broadcast stations:
area under government control: AM 5, FM 76, shortwave 0 area administered by Turkish Cypriots: AM 1, FM 20, shortwave 1 (2004)
Radios:
Greek Cypriot area: 310,000 (1997); Turkish Cypriot area: 56,450 (1994)
Television broadcast stations:
area under government control: 8 area administered by Turkish Cypriots: 2 (plus 4 relay) (2004)
Televisions:
Greek Cypriot area: 248,000 (1997); Turkish Cypriot area: 52,300 (1994)
Internet country code:
.cy
Internet hosts:
143,099 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
6 (2000)
Internet users:
380,000 (2007)
TransportationCyprus
Airports:
16 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 13 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Heliports:
10 (2007)
Roadways:
total: 14,630 km (area under government control: 12,280 km; area administered by Turkish Cypriots: 2,350 km) paved: area under government control: 7,979 km (includes 257 km of expressways); area administered by Turkish Cypriots: 1,370 km unpaved: area under government control: 4,301 km; area administered by Turkish Cypriots: 980 km (2006)
Merchant marine:
total: 858 by type: bulk carrier 295, cargo 182, chemical tanker 63, container 193, liquefied gas 10, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 24, petroleum tanker 58, refrigerated cargo 10, roll on/roll off 12, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 5 foreign-owned: 690 (Austria 1, Belgium 2, Canada 2, Chile 1, China 10, Cuba 1, Denmark 4, Estonia 5, Germany 189, Greece 259, Hong Kong 2, India 2, Iran 10, Ireland 3, Israel 4, Italy 7, Japan 21, South Korea 1, Latvia 1, Lebanon 1, Netherlands 22, Norway 18, Philippines 1, Poland 18, Portugal 1, Russia 50, Singapore 3, Slovenia 4, Spain 6, Sweden 2, Syria 2, Ukraine 4, UAE 9, UK 19, US 5) registered in other countries: 256 (Antigua and Barbuda 18, Bahamas 25, Belize 1, Burma 1, Cambodia 7, Comoros 1, Georgia 1, Germany 2, Gibraltar 1, Greece 7, Liberia 63, Malta 31, Marshall Islands 37, Netherlands 8, Netherlands Antilles 21, Panama 19, Poland 1, Russia 2, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Samoa 1, Singapore 1, Tonga 1, Turkey 2, UK 2, unknown 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
area under government control: Larnaca, Limassol, Vasilikos; area administered by Turkish Cypriots: Famagusta, Kyrenia
MilitaryCyprus
Military branches:
Republic of Cyprus: Greek Cypriot National Guard (Ethniki Forea, EF; includes air and naval elements); northern Cyprus: Turkish Cypriot Security Force (GKK) (2007)
Military service age and obligation:
Greek Cypriot National Guard (GCNG): 18-50 years of age for compulsory military service for all Greek Cypriot males; 17 years of age for voluntary service; females are not conscripted; age of military eligibility 17 to 50; length of normal service is 25 months with a minimum of 3 months (2006)
Manpower available for military service:
Greek Cypriot National Guard (GCNG): males age 16-49: 199,767 females age 16-49: 190,665 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
Greek Cypriot National Guard (GCNG): males age 16-49: 165,042 females age 16-49: 158,869 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 6,482 female: 6,208 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
3.8% of GDP (2005 est.)
Transnational IssuesCyprus
Disputes - international:
hostilities in 1974 divided the island into two de facto autonomous entities, the internationally recognized Cypriot Government and a Turkish-Cypriot community (north Cyprus); the 1,000-strong UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) has served in Cyprus since 1964 and maintains the buffer zone between north and south; on 1 May 2004, Cyprus entered the European Union still divided, with the EU's body of legislation and standards (acquis communitaire) suspended in the north; Turkey protests Cypriot Government creating hydrocarbon blocks and maritime boundary with Lebanon in March 2007
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 210,000 (both Turkish and Greek Cypriots; many displaced for over 30 years) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Cyprus is primarily a destination country for a large number of women trafficked from Eastern and Central Europe, the Philippines, and the Dominican Republic for the purpose of sexual exploitation; traffickers continued to fraudulently recruit victims for work as dancers in cabarets and nightclubs on short-term "artiste" visas, for work in pubs and bars on employment visas, or for illegal work on tourist or student visas tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Cyprus is on the Tier 2 Watch List for a third consecutive year for failure to show evidence of increasing efforts to combat human trafficking during 2007; although Cyprus passed a new trafficking law and opened a government trafficking shelter, these efforts are outweighed by its failure to show tangible and critically needed progress in the areas of law enforcement, victim protection, and the prevention of trafficking (2008)
Illicit drugs:
minor transit point for heroin and hashish via air routes and container traffic to Europe, especially from Lebanon and Turkey; some cocaine transits as well; despite a strengthening of anti-money-laundering legislation, remains vulnerable to money laundering; reporting of suspicious transactions in offshore sector remains weak
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Czech Republic
IntroductionCzech Republic
Background:
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.
GeographyCzech Republic
Location:
Central Europe, southeast of Germany
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 78,866 sq km land: 77,276 sq km water: 1,590 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than South Carolina
Land boundaries:
total: 1,989 km border countries: Austria 362 km, Germany 815 km, Poland 615 km, Slovakia 197 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters
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
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Elbe River 115 m highest point: Snezka 1,602 m
Natural resources:
hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite, timber
Land use:
arable land: 38.82% permanent crops: 3% other: 58.18% (2005)
Irrigated land:
240 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
16 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 1.91 cu km/yr (41%/57%/2%) per capita: 187 cu m/yr (2002)
Natural hazards:
flooding
Environment - current issues:
air and water pollution in areas of northwest Bohemia and in northern Moravia around Ostrava present health risks; acid rain damaging forests; efforts to bring industry up to EU code should improve domestic pollution
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, AirPollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands,Whalingsigned, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - 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
PeopleCzech Republic
Population:
10,220,911 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 13.8% (male 723,521/female 684,786) 15-64 years: 71.2% (male 3,653,679/female 3,619,872) 65 years and over: 15.1% (male 604,419/female 934,634) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 39.8 years male: 38.2 years female: 41.6 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.082% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
8.89 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
10.69 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
0.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 3.83 deaths/1,000 live births male: 4.17 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.62 years male: 73.34 years female: 80.08 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.23 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2,500 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 10 (2001 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Czech(s) adjective: Czech
Ethnic groups:
Czech 90.4%, Moravian 3.7%, Slovak 1.9%, other 4% (2001 census)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 26.8%, Protestant 2.1%, other 3.3%, unspecified 8.8%, unaffiliated 59% (2001 census)
Languages:
Czech 94.9%, Slovak 2%, other 2.3%, unidentified 0.8% (2001 census)
Literacy:
definition: NA total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years male: 15 years female: 15 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
4.4% of GDP (2004)
GovernmentCzech Republic
Country name:
conventional long form: Czech Republic conventional short form: Czech Republic local long form: Ceska Republika local short form: Cesko
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Prague geographic coordinates: 50 05 N, 14 28 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
13 regions (kraje, singular - kraj) and 1 capital city* (hlavni mesto); Jihocesky (South Bohemia), Jihomoravsky (South Moravia), Karlovarsky, Kralovehradecky, Liberecky, Moravskoslezsky (Moravia-Silesia), Olomoucky, Pardubicky, Plzensky (Pilsen), Praha (Prague)*, Stredocesky (Central Bohemia), Ustecky, Vysocina, Zlinsky
Independence:
1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia)
National holiday:
Czech Founding Day, 28 October (1918)
Constitution:
ratified 16 December 1992, effective 1 January 1993
Legal system:
civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to bring it in line with Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) obligations and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Vaclav KLAUS (since 7 March 2003) head of government: Prime Minister Mirek TOPOLANEK (since 9 January 2007); Deputy Prime Ministers Petr NECAS (since 9 January 2007), Martin BURSIK (since 9 January 2007), and Alexandr VONDRA (since 9 January 2007) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); last successful election held 15 February 2008 (after earlier elections held 8 and 9 February 2008 were inconclusive; next election to be held in February 2013); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Vaclav KLAUS reelected president on 15 February 2008; Vaclav KLAUS 141 votes, Jan SVEJNAR 111 votes (third round; combined votes of both chambers of parliament)
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat (81 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms; one-third elected every two years) and the Chamber of Deputies or Poslanecka Snemovna (200 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: Senate - last held in two rounds 17-18 and 24-25 October 2008 (next to be held in October 2010); Chamber of Deputies - last held 2-3 June 2006 (next to be held by June 2010) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ODS 35, CSSD 29, KDU-CSL 7, others 8, independents 2; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - ODS 35.4%, CSSD 32.3%, KSCM 12.8%, KDU-CSL 7.2%, Greens 6.3%, other 6%; seats by party - ODS 81, CSSD 74, KSCM 26, KDU-CSL 13, Greens 6; note - seats by party as of December 2007 - ODS 81, CSSD 72, KSCM 26, KDU-CSL 13, Greens 6, unaffiliated 2 (former CSSD members)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; chairman and deputy chairmen are appointed by the president for a 10-year term
Political parties and leaders:
Association of Independent Candidates-European Democrats or SNK-ED[Helmut DOHNALEK]; Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People'sParty or KDU-CSL [Jiri CUNEK]; Civic Democratic Party or ODS [MirekTOPOLANEK]; Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia or KSCM [VojtechFILIP]; Czech Social Democratic Party or CSSD [Jiri PAROUBEK]; Unionof Freedom-Democratic Union or US-DEU [Jan CERNY]; Green Party[Martin BURSIK]; Independent Democrats (NEZDEM) [Vladimir ZELEZNY];Party of Open Society (SOS) [Pavel NOVACEK]; Path of Change [JiriLOBKOWITZ]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions or CMKOS [Milan STECH]
International organization participation:
ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CE, CEI,CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA (cooperating state), EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD,ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA,MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF(observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD,UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate),WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Petr KOLAR chancery: 3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 274-9100 FAX: [1] (202) 966-8540 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Richard W. GRABER embassy: Trziste 15, 118 01 Prague 1 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [420] 257 022 000 FAX: [420] 257 022 809
Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side note: identical to the flag of the former Czechoslovakia
EconomyCzech Republic
Economy - overview:
The Czech Republic is one of the most stable and prosperous of the post-Communist states of Central and Eastern Europe. Growth in 2000-07 was supported by exports to the EU, primarily to Germany, and a strong recovery of foreign and domestic investment. Domestic demand is playing an ever more important role in underpinning growth as the availability of credit cards and mortgages increases. The current account deficit has declined to around 3.3% of GDP as demand for automotive and other products from the Czech Republic remains strong in the European Union. Rising inflation from higher food and energy prices are a risk to balanced economic growth. Significant increases in social spending in the run-up to June 2006 elections prevented, the government from meeting its goal of reducing its budget deficit to 3% of GDP in 2007. Negotiations on pension and additional healthcare reforms are continuing without clear prospects for agreement and implementation. Intensified restructuring among large enterprises, improvements in the financial sector, and effective use of available EU funds should strengthen output growth. The pro-business Civic Democratic Party-led government approved reforms in 2007 designed to cut spending on some social welfare benefits and reform the tax system with the aim of eventually reducing the budget deficit to 2.3% of GDP by 2010. Parliamentary approval for any additional reforms could prove difficult, however, because of the parliament's even split. The government withdrew a 2010 target date for euro adoption and instead aims to meet the eurozone criteria around 2012.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$251 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$175.3 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6.6% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$24,500 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.7% industry: 38.7% services: 58.6% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
5.36 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 4.1% industry: 37.6% services: 58.3% (2003)
Unemployment rate:
6.6% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.3% highest 10%: 22.4% (1996)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
26 (2005)
Investment (gross fixed):
24.1% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $72.1 billion expenditures: $74.98 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Public debt:
26% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.9% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
3.5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
5.79% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$84.43 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$58.77 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$103.9 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, poultry
Industries:
metallurgy, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, glass, armaments
Industrial production growth rate:
9.8% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
82.88 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
61.52 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
26.36 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
10.2 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 76.1% hydro: 2.9% nuclear: 20% other: 1% (2001)
Oil - production:
13,530 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
207,400 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - exports:
27,360 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
224,600 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
15 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)
Natural gas - production:
172 million cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
8.622 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
402 million cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
8.628 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
3.964 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
Current account balance:
-$4.534 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$122.3 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment 52%, raw materials and fuel 9%, chemicals 5% (2003)
Exports - partners:
Germany 30.7%, Slovakia 8.7%, Poland 5.9%, France 5.4%, UK 5.1%,Italy 4.9%, Austria 4.6% (2007)
Imports:
$116.6 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment 46%, raw materials and fuels 15%, chemicals 10% (2003)
Imports - partners:
Germany 31.8%, Netherlands 6.7%, Slovakia 6.4%, Poland 6.3%, Austria 5.1%, China 5.1%, Russia 4.5%, Italy 4.4%, France 4.1% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$278.7 million in available EU structural adjustment and cohesion funds (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$34.59 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$74.7 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$86.75 billion (2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$6.058 billion (2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$48.6 billion (2006)
Currency (code):
Czech koruna (CZK)
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
koruny (CZK) per US dollar - 20.53 (2007), 22.596 (2006), 23.957 (2005), 25.7 (2004), 28.209 (2003)
CommunicationsCzech Republic
Telephones - main lines in use:
2.888 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
13.075 million (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: privatization and modernization of the Czech telecommunication system got a late start but is advancing steadily; access to the fixed-line telephone network expanded throughout the 1990s but the number of fixed line connections has been dropping since then; mobile telephone usage increased sharply beginning in the mid-1990s and the number of cellular telephone subscriptions now greatly exceeds the population domestic: virtually all exchanges now digital; existing copper subscriber systems enhanced with Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) equipment to accommodate Internet and other digital signals; trunk systems include fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay international: country code - 420; satellite earth stations - 6 (2 Intersputnik - Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions, 1 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 1 Globalstar) (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 31, FM 304, shortwave 17 (2000)
Radios:
3,159,134 (December 2000)
Television broadcast stations:
150 (plus 1,434 repeaters) (2000)
Televisions:
3,405,834 (December 2000)
Internet country code:
.cz
Internet hosts:
2.434 million (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
more than 300 (2000)
Internet users:
4.4 million (2007)
TransportationCzech Republic
Airports:
122 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 45 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 18 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 77 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 26 under 914 m: 50 (2007)
Heliports:
1 (2007)
Pipelines:
gas 7,010 km; oil 547 km; refined products 94 km (2007)
Railways:
total: 9,597 km standard gauge: 9,597 km 1.435-m gauge (3,041 km electrified) (2006)
Roadways:
total: 128,512 km paved: 128,512 km (includes 657 km of expressways) (2007)
Waterways:
664 km (principally on Elbe, Vltava, Oder, and other navigable rivers, lakes, and canals) (2006)
Merchant marine:
registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Decin, Prague, Usti nad Labem
MilitaryCzech Republic
Military branches:
Army of the Czech Republic (ACR): Joint Forces Command (includesArmy and Air Forces), Support and Training Forces Command (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18-28 years of age for voluntary and 19-28 for compulsory military service (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,522,383 females age 16-49: 2,425,095 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,100,789 females age 16-49: 2,018,101 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 63,124 female: 59,786 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.46% of GDP (2007 est.)
Transnational IssuesCzech Republic
Disputes - international:
while threats of international legal action never materialized in 2007, 915,220 Austrians, with the support of the popular Freedom Party, signed a petition in January 2008, demanding that Austria block the Czech Republic's accession to the EU unless Prague closes its controversial Soviet-style nuclear plant in Temelin, bordering Austria
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and minor transit point for Latin American cocaine to Western Europe; producer of synthetic drugs for local and regional markets; susceptible to money laundering related to drug trafficking, organized crime; significant consumer of ecstasy
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Denmark
IntroductionDenmark
Background:
Once the seat of Viking raiders and later a major north European power, Denmark has evolved into a modern, prosperous nation that is participating in the general political and economic integration of Europe. It joined NATO in 1949 and the EEC (now the EU) in 1973. However, the country has opted out of certain elements of the European Union's Maastricht Treaty, including the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), European defense cooperation, and issues concerning certain justice and home affairs.
GeographyDenmark
Location:
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, on a peninsula north of Germany (Jutland); also includes two major islands (Sjaelland and Fyn)
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 43,094 sq km land: 42,394 sq km water: 700 sq km note: includes the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea and the rest of metropolitan Denmark (the Jutland Peninsula, and the major islands of Sjaelland and Fyn), but excludes the Faroe Islands and Greenland
Area - comparative:
slightly less than twice the size of Massachusetts
Land boundaries:
total: 68 km border countries: Germany 68 km
Coastline:
7,314 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers
Terrain:
low and flat to gently rolling plains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lammefjord -7 m highest point: Yding Skovhoej 173 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, fish, salt, limestone, chalk, stone, gravel and sand
Land use:
arable land: 52.59% permanent crops: 0.19% other: 47.22% (2005)
Irrigated land:
4,490 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
6.1 cu km (2003)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.67 cu km/yr (32%/26%/42%) per capita: 123 cu m/yr (2002)
Natural hazards:
flooding is a threat in some areas of the country (e.g., parts of Jutland, along the southern coast of the island of Lolland) that are protected from the sea by a system of dikes
Environment - current issues:
air pollution, principally from vehicle and power plant emissions; nitrogen and phosphorus pollution of the North Sea; drinking and surface water becoming polluted from animal wastes and pesticides
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, AirPollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-KyotoProtocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, EnvironmentalModification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whalingsigned, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
controls Danish Straits (Skagerrak and Kattegat) linking Baltic and North Seas; about one-quarter of the population lives in greater Copenhagen
PeopleDenmark
Population:
5,484,723 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 18.4% (male 516,735/female 490,532) 15-64 years: 65.9% (male 1,818,681/female 1,796,753) 65 years and over: 15.7% (male 374,388/female 487,634) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 40.3 years male: 39.4 years female: 41.2 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.295% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
10.71 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
10.25 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
2.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.4 deaths/1,000 live births male: 4.44 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.13 years male: 75.8 years female: 80.59 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.74 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
5,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Dane(s) adjective: Danish
Ethnic groups:
Scandinavian, Inuit, Faroese, German, Turkish, Iranian, Somali
Religions:
Evangelical Lutheran 95%, other Christian (includes Protestant andRoman Catholic) 3%, Muslim 2%
Languages:
Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect), German (small minority) note: English is the predominant second language
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 17 years male: 16 years female: 17 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
8.3% of GDP (2005)
GovernmentDenmark
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Denmark conventional short form: Denmark local long form: Kongeriget Danmark local short form: Danmark
Government type:
constitutional monarchy
Capital:
name: Copenhagen geographic coordinates: 55 40 N, 12 35 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October note: applies to continental Denmark only, not to the North Atlantic components