The Czech
Republic is a landlocked country in central
Europe. With an area
of 78,900 sq km, it shares borders with
Germany and Poland to the north, Austria
to the south and Slovakia to the east.
It enjoys a temperate climate, with warm
summers and cold winters with significant
snowfall. The country is not mountainous,
with flat plains to the west and extremely
hilly terrain to the east. The highest
point is Mt. Snezka (5,250 feet (1,603
metres)). The country does have mountain
ranges at its borders (notably the Carpathian
Mountains to the south-east). Three major
rivers flow through the Czech Republic – the
Vltava (the longest river in the Czech
Republic), the Elbe and the Oder.
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Czech Republic History, Population, Language and
Culture
The lands that form the modern-day
Czech Republic (Bohemia and Moravia) have
been part of European culture for over 1,000
years, and date back to the first Slavic
settlements in central and eastern Europe.
Its modern history has been somewhat turbulent.
The state of Czechoslovakia was formed at
the end of World War I and remained united
until 1993, when the republic separated into
two independent states: the Czech Republic
and Slovakia.
In 1938, the so-called
Sudetenland (comprising the regions of
Czechoslovakia bordering Germany)
was annexed to Germany and during the following
years, Hitler invaded the remainder of the
country. Czechoslovakia was overrun by Soviet
forces as World War II neared its end. In
1968, the radical and reformist leadership
of Alexander Dubcek caused considerable Soviet
concern and the joint forces of a number
of Soviet-bloc countries invaded the country
to quell the regime. The “Velvet” revolution
of 1989 brought about the collapse of the
Communist Party in Czechoslovakia, which
coincided with the demise of the Soviet-bloc.
The population had risen to 10.5m at June
30, 2009 (an increase of 21,000 in the first
half of the year). The Czech capital of Prague
(population 1.22m) sits on the River Vltava
and is now a major tourist destination for
those seeking cultural city breaks. Other
major cities are Brno (population 367,000)
and Ostrava (population 336,000).
The principal language is Czech, a West
Slavic language, and this is spoken by 96%
of the population. The language is also spoken
in some parts of Austria and Poland and is
similar to the Slovak language. The Czech
Republic is not a particularly religious
country, with around 59% of its inhabitants
claiming to be agnostic or atheist in their
beliefs. Just over a quarter are Roman Catholics.
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Czech Republic Government
The Czech constitution divides
the state into three administrative divisions:
a two-tier legislative assembly, an Executive,
and the Judiciary.
The legislative assembly,
or parliament, is formed of the lower Chamber
of Deputies
and the upper Senate; members of both of
these chambers are elected by the public.
The Chamber of Deputies has 200 members elected
for a term of four years. The Senate has
81 members who are elected for a term of
six years. The main political parties are
the Civic Democratic Party, the Social Democratic
Party, and the Christian and Democratic Union
(or Czechoslovak People’s Party).
The Executive is composed of the Prime Minister
and his ministers and is the supreme political
entity in the country. The Prime Minister
is appointed by the President, who also appoints
ministers, and these ministers form the government
of the Czech Republic. The Judiciary is the
third and final tier of power and is administered
by independent courts.
Jan Fischer is the current Prime Minister
of the Czech Republic (elected May 2009)
and the President is Vaclav Klaus (since
March 2003 and re-elected in February 2008).
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Czech Republic
Economy and Currency
The official currency is the
Czech Koruna (crown). The country has one
of the strongest economies of the emerging
nations with a GDP per capita of USD26,100
in 2008. Public debt stood at 29.4% of GDP
in 2008. Inflation was 2.9% in 2009 and the
country has a labour force of over 5.3m,
many of whom are highly skilled. Unemployment
was 6% in 2008. Not surprisingly, neighbouring
Germany is its biggest import/export partner.
Principal industries include the automotive
industry, metallurgy, and machinery and equipment
manufacture. Service industries contribute
by far the most to GDP (59%), with industry
contributing 38% and agriculture 2.8%.
The Czech Republic joined the European Union
in 2004. There is political resistance to
adopting the Euro as its currency and it
seems unlikely that this will occur within
the next decade.
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Czech Republic Entry and
Residence
The
Czech Republic’s state boundaries
fall within the Schengen Area, and this
allows relatively free movement for those
travelling to other countries defined
as being within the Schengen Area. Necessary
ID is required when entering the Czech
Republic from international destinations
via main airports or other termini.
Long-term and short-term visas may be
issued for the purposes of employment or
tourism. Individuals can apply for a long-term
residence permit if they intend to remain
in the country for more than 90 days for
the same purpose they entered under either
a long-term or short-term visa.
For tax purposes, anyone who has a permanent
home in the Czech Republic or stays in
the country for more than 183 days in a
calendar year will be classified as a resident
and therefore will be liable to tax on
their income in the Czech Republic and
elsewhere in the world. A person who is
employed by a foreign company that does
not have a permanent business base in the
country, and who stays in the country for
less than 183 days in a calendar year,
will be exempt from tax.
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