basic facts
location
Central Europe
neighbors
Austria, Germany, Poland and Slovakia
area
78,866 square kilometers (30,450 square miles) in area - about the size of Scotland or the US state of Maine
regions
Two main regions: Bohemia and Moravia
highest point
Sněžka, 1,602 meters above sea level
longest river
Vltava, 433 km
demography
population
10.5 million
capital
Prague, population 1.2 million people
language
Czech. The Czech language is a Slavic tongue, similar to Polish and closely related to Russian. Everyone in the film business speaks English.
politics
political system
Parliamentary democracy
head of state
President, elected by the parliament. Current president is Václav Klaus.
head of government
Prime Minister, exercising supreme executive power
NATO member
Since March 1999
EU member
Since May 2004
schengen member
Since December 2007
economy
currency
Koruna, or crown, abbreviated CZK or Kč
Euro adoption is planned for 2012.
VAT
20%
Certain good and services, including food and hotels, are taxed at a reduced rate of 10%.
GDP
$19,800 per capita
exports
Machinery and transport equipment, raw materials
work force
5.4 million people
useful info
dialing code
International dialing code is +420.
electricity
220 volts
system of measures
Metric
1 mile = 1.6 kilometers (km),
1 foot = 0,48 meter (m),
1 inch = 2.54 centimeters (cm),
1 pound = 454 grams (g),
1 gallon (US) = 3.79 liters (l),
1 gallon (UK) = 4.54 liters
time zone
GMT +2, April–October
GMT +1, November–March
temperature
Celsius (20°C is approx. 68 Fahrenheit)
key moments in czech history
9th century
The first Czech state is established. The Czech people have lived in the area of the current Czech Republic for at least 1,200 years now.
1355
Czech King Charles IV crowned Holy Roman Emperor.
1526
The Czech lands incorporated under Habsburg rule, becoming part of Austro-Hungary.
1918
Czechoslovakia declares its independence from Austro-Hungary.
1948
Communist government assumes control of Czechoslovakia.
1968
Alexander Dubček's short-lived Prague Spring reform gives citizens greater freedoms, but the liberalization is cut short when Warsaw Pact troops invade.
1989
Velvet Revolution sees the end of communism.
1993
On January 1, Czechoslovakia peacefully split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
2009
Presidency of the European Union, January–June 2009.
