(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)
elections: Senate - last held in two rounds 5–6 November and 12–13
November 2004 (next to be held November 2006); Chamber of Deputies -
last held 14–15 June 2002 (next to be held by June 2006)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - ODS 37, KDU-CSL 14, Open Democracy 13, CSSD 7, Caucus Open
Democracy 7, independents 3; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote
by party - CSSD 30.2%, ODS 24.5%, KSCM 18.5%, KDU-CSL & US-DEU
coalition 14.3%, other minor 12.5%; seats by party - CSSD 70, ODS
57, KSCM 41, KDU-CSL 21, US-DEU 10, independent 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; chairman and deputy chairmen
are appointed by the president for a 10-year term
Political parties and leaders:
Caucus SNK [Josef ZOSER]; Christian and Democratic
Union-Czechoslovak People's Party or KDU-CSL [Miroslav KALOUSEK,
chairman]; Civic Democratic Alliance or ODA [Jirina NOVAKOVA,
chairman]; Civic Democratic Party or ODS [Mirek TOPOLANEK,
chairman]; Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia or KSCM [Miroslav
GREBENICEK, chairman]; Communist Party of Czechoslovakia or KSC
[Miroslav STEPAN, chairman]; Czech National Social Party of CSNS
[Jaroslav ROVNY, chairman]; Czech Social Democratic Party or CSSD
[Stanislav GROSS, acting chairman]; European Democrats [Jan KASL];
Freedom Union-Democratic Union or US-DEU [Hana Marvanova,
chairwoman]; Open Democracy [Sona PAUKRTOVA, chairwoman]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Bohemian and Moravian Trade Union Confederation [Milan STECH]
International organization participation:
ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD,
EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory),
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD,
OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE,
UNMIK, UNMIL, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (member affiliate), WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Martin PALOUS
chancery: 3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 274–9100
FAX: [1] (202) 966–8540
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador William J. CABANISS
embassy: Trziste 15, 11801 Prague 1
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [420] (2) 5753–0663
FAX: [420] (2) 5753–0583
Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue
isosceles triangle based on the hoist side (identical to the flag of
the former Czechoslovakia)
Economy Czech Republic
Economy - overview:
The Czech Republic is one of the most stable and prosperous of the
post-Communist states of Central and Eastern Europe. Growth in
2000–04 was supported by exports to the EU, primarily to Germany,
and a strong recovery of foreign and domestic investment. Domestic
demand is playing an ever more important role in underpinning growth
as interest rates drop and the availability of credit cards and
mortgages increases. Current account deficits of around 5% of GDP
are beginning to decline as demand for Czech products in the
European Union increases. Inflation is under control. Recent
accession to the EU gives further impetus and direction to
structural reform. In early 2004 the government passed increases in
the Value Added Tax (VAT) and tightened eligibility for social
benefits with the intention to bring the public finance gap down to
4% of GDP by 2006, but more difficult pension and healthcare reforms
will have to wait until after the next elections. Privatization of
the state-owned telecommunications firm Cesky Telecom is scheduled
to take place in 2005. Intensified restructuring among large
enterprises, improvements in the financial sector, and effective use
of available EU funds should strengthen output growth.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$172.2 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.7% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $16,800 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.4% industry: 39.3% services: 57.3% (2004 est.)
Labor force:
5.25 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 4%, industry 38%, services 58% (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate:
10.6% (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 4.3% highest 10%: 22.4% (1996)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
25.4 (1996)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.2% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
29% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $39.31 billion
expenditures: $45.8 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2004 est.)
Public debt:
33.5% of GDP (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products:
wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, poultry
Industries:
metallurgy, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, glass,
armaments
Industrial