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.
Location:
Central Europe, southeast of Germany
Area:
78,866 sq km
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
Geography:
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
Population:
10,235,455
Nationality:
Czech(s)
Ethnic groups:
Czech 90.4%, Moravian 3.7%, Slovak 1.9%,
other 4%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 26.8%, Protestant 2.1%, other
3.3%, unspecified 8.8%, unaffiliated 59%
Languages:
Czech
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Prague
Time zone:
GMT/UTC +01:00
National holiday:
Czech Founding Day, 28 October (1918)
Currency:
Czech koruna (CZK)
Communications:
Telephones - main lines in use: 3,217,300,
Telephone system: privatization and modernization of the Czech
telecommunication system got a late start but is advancing
steadily; growth in the use of mobile cellular telephones is
particularly vigorous.
Transportation:
Airports: 121, Railways: 9,572 km, Roadways:
127,747 km, Waterways: 664 km