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Communications

Airports [time series]

158 total, 158 usable; 40 with permanent-surface runways; 19 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 37 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

47 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

73,540 km total; including 517 km superhighway (1988)

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

475 km (1988); the Elbe (Labe) is the principal river

Merchant marine [time series]

22 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 290,185 GRT/437,291 DWT; includes 13 cargo, 9 bulk

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil 1,448 km; petroleum products 1,500 km; natural gas 8,100 km

Ports [time series]

maritime outlets are in Poland (Gdynia, Gdansk, Szczecin), Croatia (Rijeka), Slovenia (Koper), Germany (Hamburg, Rostock); principal river ports are Prague on the Vltava, Decin on the Elbe (Labe), Komarno on the Danube, Bratislava on the Danube

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

13,103 km total; 12,855 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 102 km 1.520-meter broad gauge, 146 km 0.750- and 0.760-meter narrow gauge; 2,861 km double track; 3,798 km electrified; government owned (1988)

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

inadequate circuit capacity; 4 million telephones; Radrel backbone of network; 25% of households have a telephone; broadcast stations - 32 AM, 15 FM, 41 TV (11 Soviet TV repeaters); 4.4 million TVs (1990); 1 satellite earth station using INTELSAT and Intersputnik

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, Civil Defense, Border Guard

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - 28 billion koruny, NA% of GNP (1991); note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate would produce misleading results

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 4,110,628; 3,142,457 fit for military service; 142,239 reach military age (18) annually

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 9% of GDP (includes forestry); largely self-sufficient in food production; diversified crop and livestock production, including grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit, hogs, cattle, and poultry; exporter of forest products

Budget [time series]

revenues $4.5 billion; expenditures $4.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $200 million (1992)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

koruna (plural - koruny); 1 koruna (Kc) = 100 haleru

Economic aid [time series]

donor - $4.2 billion in bilateral aid to non-Communist less developed countries (1954-89)

Electricity [time series]

23,000,000 kW capacity; 90,000 million kWh produced, 5,740 kWh per capita (1990)

Exchange rates [time series]

koruny (Kcs) per US$1 - 28.36 (January 1992), 29.53 (1991), 17.95 (1990), 15.05 (1989), 14.36 (1988), 13.69 (1987)

Exports [time series]

$12.0 billion (f.o.b., 1990) commodities: machinery and equipment 39.2%; fuels, minerals, and metals 8.1%; agricultural and forestry products 6.2%, other 46.5% partners: USSR, Germany, Poland, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Italy, France, US, UK

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$9.1 billion, hard currency indebtedness (December 1991)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

purchasing power equivalent - $108.9 billion, per capita $6,900; real growth rate -15% (1991 est.)

Illicit drugs [time series]

transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and emerging as a transshipment point for Latin American cocaine E

Imports [time series]

$13.3 billion (f.o.b., 1990) commodities: machinery and equipment 37.3%; fuels, minerals, and metals 22.6%; agricultural and forestry products 7.0%; other 33.1% partners: USSR, Germany, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, Hungary, Yugoslavia, UK, Italy

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate -22% (1991 est.); accounts for almost 60% of GNP

Industries [time series]

iron and steel, machinery and equipment, cement, sheet glass, motor vehicles, armaments, chemicals, ceramics, wood, paper products, footwear

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

52% (1991 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Czechoslovakia is highly industrialized by East European standards and has a well-educated and skilled labor force. GDP per capita has been the highest in Eastern Europe. Annual GDP growth slowed to less than 1 percent during the 1985-90 period. The country is deficient in energy and in many raw materials. Moreover, its aging capital plant lags well behind West European standards. In January 1991, Prague launched a sweeping program to convert its almost entirely state-owned and controlled economy to a market system. The koruna now enjoys almost full internal convertibility and over 90% of prices are set by the market. The government is planning to privatize all small businesses and roughly two-thirds of large enterprises by the end of 1993. New private-sector activity is also expanding. Agriculture - 95% socialized - is to be privatized by the end of 1992. Reform has taken its toll on the economy: inflation was roughly 50% in 1991, unemployment was nearly 70%, and GDP dropped an estimated 15%. In 1992 the government is anticipating inflation of 10-15%, unemployment of 11-12%, and a drop in GDP of up to 8%. As of mid-1992, the nation appears to be splitting in two - into the industrial Czech area and the more agarian Slovak area.

Unemployment rate [time series]

officially 6.7% (1991 est.)

Geography

Climate [time series]

temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters

Coastline [time series]

none - landlocked

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly larger than New York State

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

Gabcikovo Nagymaros Dam dispute with Hungary

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

infrequent earthquakes; acid rain; water pollution; air pollution

Area (Land area) [time series]

125,460 km2

Land boundaries [time series]

3,438 km; Austria 548 km, Germany 815 km, Hungary 676 km, Poland 1,309 km, Ukraine 90 km

Land use [time series]

arable land 37%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 13%; forest and woodland 36%; other 13%; includes irrigated 1%

Maritime claims [time series]

none - landlocked

Natural resources [time series]

hard coal, timber, lignite, uranium, magnesite, iron ore, copper, zinc

Note [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

mixture of hills and mountains separated by plains and basins

Area (Total area) [time series]

127,870 km2

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

2 republics (republiky, singular - republika); Czech Republic (Ceska Republika), Slovak Republic (Slovenska Republika); note - 11 regions (kraj, singular); Severocesky, Zapadocesky, Jihocesky, Vychodocesky, Praha, Severomoravsky, Jihomoravsky, Bratislava, Zapadoslovensky, Stredoslovensky, Vychodoslovensky

Capital [time series]

Prague

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

760,000 party members (September 1990); about 1,000,000 members lost since November 1989

Constitution [time series]

11 July 1960; amended in 1968 and 1970; new Czech, Slovak, and federal constitutions to be drafted in 1992

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Rita KLIMOVA; Chancery at 3900 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 363-6315 or 6316 US: Ambassador Shirley Temple BLACK; Embassy at Trziste 15, 125 48, Prague 1 (mailing address is Unit 25402; APO AE 09213-5630); telephone [42] (2) 536-641/6; FAX [42] (2) 532-457

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

Federal Assembly: last held 8-9 June 1990 (next to be held 5-6 June 1992); results - Civic Forum/Public Against Violence coalition 46%, KSC 13.6%; seats - (300 total) Civic Forum/Public Against Violence coalition 170, KSC 47, Christian and Democratic Union/Christian Democratic Movement 40, Czech, Slovak, Moravian, and Hungarian groups 43 President: last held 5 July 1990 (next to be held 3 July 1992); results - Vaclav HAVEL elected by the Federal Assembly

Executive branch [time series]

president, prime minister, Cabinet

Flag [time series]

two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side

Independence [time series]

28 October 1918 (from Austro-Hungarian Empire)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State: President Vaclav HAVEL; (interim president from 29 December 1989 and president since 5 July 1990) Head of Government: Prime Minister Marian CALFA (since 10 December 1989); Deputy Prime Minister Vaclav KLAUS (since 3 October 1991); Deputy Prime Minister Jiri DIENSTBIER (since 28 June 1990); Deputy Prime Minister Jozef MIKLOSKO (since 28 June 1990); Deputy Prime Minister Pavel RYCHETSKY (since 28 June 1990); Deputy Prime Minister Pavel HOFFMAN (since 3 October 1991); note - generally, "prime minister" is used at the federal level, "premier" at the republic level; Czech Premier - Petr PITHART; Slovak Premier - Jan CARNOGVRSKY

Legal system [time series]

civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes, modified by Communist legal theory; constitutional court currently being established; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code in process of modification to bring it in line with Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) obligations and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory

Legislative branch [time series]

bicameral Federal Assembly (Federalni Shromazdeni) consists of an upper house or Chamber of Nations (Snemovna Narodu) and a lower house or Chamber of the People (Snemovna Lidu)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Czech and Slovak Federal Republic

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

BIS, CCC, CE, CSCE, EC (associate) ECE, FAO, GATT, HG, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IFCTU, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NACC, NSG, PCA, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC

National holiday [time series]

National Liberation Day, 9 May (1945) and Founding of the Republic, 28 October (1918)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

Czechoslovak Socialist Party, Czechoslovak People's Party, Czechoslovak Social Democracy, Slovak Nationalist Party, Slovak Revival Party, Christian Democratic Party; over 80 registered political groups fielded candidates in the 8-9 June 1990 legislative election

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

note - there are very few federation-wide parties; party affiliation is indicted as Czech (C) or Slovak (S); Civic Democratic Party, Vaclav KLAUS, chairman, (C/S); Civic Movement, Jiri DIENSTBIER, chairman, (C); Civic Democratic Alliance, Jan KALVODA, chairman; Christian Democratic Union Public Against Violence, Martin PORUBJAK, chairman, (S); Christian Democratic Party, Vaclav BENDA, (C); Christian Democratic Movement, Jan CARNOGURSKY,(S); Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia, Juri SVOBODA, chairman; Movement for a Democratic Slovakia, Vladimir MECIAR, chairman - removed from power in November 1989 by massive antiregime demonstrations; Czechoslovak Social Democracy, Jiri HORAK, chairman, (C); Czechoslovak Socialist Party, Ladislav DVORAK, chairman, (C)(S); Movement for Self-Governing Democracy Society for Moravia and Silesia, Jan KRYCER, chairman, (C); Party of the Democratic Left, Peter WEISS, chairman (Slovakia's renamed Communists) (S); Slovak National Party, Jozef PROKES, chairman, (S); Democratic Party, Jan HOLCIK, chairman, (S); Coexistence, (C)(S)

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18

Government type (Type) [time series]

federal republic in transition

People

Birth rate [time series]

13 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate [time series]

11 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Czech 62.9%, Slovak 31.8%, Hungarian 3.8%, Polish 0.5%, German 0.3%, Ukrainian 0.3%, Russian 0.1%, other 0.3%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

11 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force [time series]

8,200,000 (1987); industry 36.9%, agriculture 12.3%, construction, communications, and other 50.8% (1982)

Languages [time series]

Czech and Slovak (official), Hungarian

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

68 years male, 76 years female (1992)

Literacy [time series]

99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1970 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun - Czechoslovak(s); adjective - Czechoslovak

Net migration rate [time series]

NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor [time series]

Czech and Slovak Confederation of Trade Unions (CSKOS); several new independent trade unions established

Population [time series]

15,725,680 (July 1992), growth rate 0.2% (1992)

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Orthodox 2%, other 28%

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.9 children born/woman (1992)