SGA Ministries in the Czech Republic
| 
Click
the map to see an enlarged version
|
|
Background
 After
World War II, 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 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
and Slovakia Republics. Now a member of
NATO, the Czech Republic has moved towards
integration in world markets, a development
that poses both opportunities and risks
Location
Central Europe, southeast of Germany
Area
78,866 sq km
Land Boundaries
Austria, Germany, Poland, Slovakia
Natural Resources
Hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite,
timber
Land Use
Arable land: 41%, permanent crops: 2%,
permanent pastures: 11%, forests and woodland:
34%, other: 12% (1993 est.)
Population
10,272,179 (July 2000 est.)
Ethnic Groups
Czech 81.2%, Moravian 13.2%, Slovak 3.1%,
Polish 0.6%, German 0.5%, Silesian 0.4%,
Roma 0.3%, Hungarian 0.2%, other 0.5% (March
1991)
Religions
Atheist 39.8%, Roman Catholic 39.2%, Protestant
4.6%, Orthodox 3%, other 13.4%
Languages
Czech
Capital
Prague
Independence
1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into
the Czech and Slovak Republics)
Unemployment Rate
9% (1999 est.)
Agriculture
Grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit;
pigs, cattle, poultry; forest products
Industries
Fuels, ferrous metallurgy, machinery and
equipment, coal, motor vehicles, glass,
armaments
Currency
1 koruna (Kc) = 100 haleru
top
|
