The Czech Republic: Basic Facts
| GEOGRAPHY | |
| Location: | Central Europe, southeast of Germany |
| Geographic coordinates: | 49 45 N, 15 30 E |
| Area: | total: 78,866 sq km |
| Area – comparative: | slightly smaller than South Carolina |
| Land boundaries: | border countries: Austria 466.3 km, Germany 810.3 km, Poland 761.8 km, Slovakia 251.8 km |
| Climate: | temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters 10 day weather forecast |
| Time Zone | Czech Republic is in the Central European Time Zone. Central European Standard Time (CET) is 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+1). time difference: 6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Elbe River 115 m highest point: Snezka 1,602 m |
| Area – comparative: | slightly smaller than South Carolina |
| Land boundaries: | border countries: Austria 466.3 km, Germany 810.3 km, Poland 761.8 km, Slovakia 251.8 km |
| PEOPLE | |
| Population: | 10,220,911 |
| 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). More about religion in the Czech Republic here. |
| Languages: | Czech 94.9%, Slovak 2%, other 2.3%, unidentified 0.8% (2001 census) |
| GOVERNMENT | |
| Government type: | parliamentary democracy |
| Capital: | name: Prague geographic coordinates: 50 05 N, 14 28 E |
| Independence: | 1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia) |
| National holiday: | Czech Founding Day, 28 October (1918) |
| Czech State Symbols: | Czech Flag: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side. Large and Small Coat of Arms  Flag of the Czech President
National Anthem: the state anthem is the first verse of the song “Where is my home” composed by František Škroup to the lyrics by Josef Kajetán Tyl. |
| 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 |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: President head of government: Prime Minister 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) |
| 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) |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; chairman and deputy chairmen are appointed by the president for a 10-year term |
| ECONOMY | |
| GDP – per capita (PPP): | $24,400 (2007 est.) |
| GDP – composition by sector: | agriculture: 2.4% industry: 39.7% services: 57.9% (2007 est.) |
| Unemployment rate: | 6.6% (2007 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 2.6% (2007 est.) |
| Currency (code): | Czech koruna – Kč (CZK) |
| Exchange rates: | www.exchange.cz |
