Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

Query:
##ciekawa_strona##

Compare Ireland (2003) - Czech Republic (2003)

Compare Ireland (2003) z Czech Republic (2003)

 Ireland (2003)Czech Republic (2003)
 IrelandCzech Republic
Administrative divisions 26 counties; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow


note: Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan are part of Ulster Province
13 regions (kraje, singular - kraj) and 1 capital city* (hlavni mesto); Jihocesky Kraj, Jihomoravsky Kraj, Karlovarsky Kraj, Kralovehradecky Kraj, Liberecky Kraj, Moravskoslezsky Kraj, Olomoucky Kraj, Pardubicky Kraj, Plzensky Kraj, Praha*, Stredocesky Kraj, Ustecky Kraj, Vysocina, Zlinsky Kraj
Age structure 0-14 years: 21.2% (male 427,017; female 404,191)


15-64 years: 67.4% (male 1,322,982; female 1,322,429)


65 years and over: 11.4% (male 194,724; female 252,797) (2003 est.)
0-14 years: 15.4% (male 809,697; female 768,747)


15-64 years: 70.6% (male 3,617,214; female 3,614,060)


65 years and over: 14% (male 554,922; female 884,576) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; beef, dairy products wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, poultry
Airports 36 (2002) 144 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 16


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 6 (2002)
total: 44


2,438 to 3,047 m: 7


1,524 to 2,437 m: 16


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 19 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 20


914 to 1,523 m: 3


under 914 m: 17 (2002)
total: 100


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 36


under 914 m: 62 (2002)
Area total: 70,280 sq km


land: 68,890 sq km


water: 1,390 sq km
total: 78,866 sq km


land: 77,276 sq km


water: 1,590 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than West Virginia slightly smaller than South Carolina
Background Celtic tribes settled on the island in the 4th century B.C. Invasions by Norsemen that began in the late 8th century were finally ended when King Brian BORU defeated the Danes in 1014. English invasions began in the 12th century and set off more than seven centuries of Anglo-Irish struggle marked by fierce rebellions and harsh repressions. A failed 1916 Easter Monday Rebellion touched off several years of guerrilla warfare that in 1921 resulted in independence from the UK for 26 southern counties; six northern (Ulster) counties remained part of the United Kingdom. In 1948 Ireland withdrew from the British Commonwealth; it joined the European Community in 1973. Irish governments have sought the peaceful unification of Ireland and have cooperated with Britain against terrorist groups. A peace settlement for Northern Ireland, known as the Good Friday Agreement and approved in 1998, is currently being implemented. 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. Now a member of NATO, the Czech Republic has moved toward integration in world markets, a development that poses both opportunities and risks. In December 2002, the Czech Republic was invited to join the European Union (EU). It is expected that the Czech Republic will accede to the EU in 2004.
Birth rate 14.63 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 9.01 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $30.7 billion


expenditures: $30.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.5 billion (2002)
revenues: $16.7 billion


expenditures: $18 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Capital Dublin Prague
Climate temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters
Coastline 1,448 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution 29 December 1937; adopted 1 July 1937 by plebiscite ratified 16 December 1992; effective 1 January 1993
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Ireland
conventional long form: Czech Republic


conventional short form: Czech Republic


local long form: Ceska Republika


local short form: Ceska Republika
Currency euro (EUR)


note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries
Czech koruna (CZK)
Death rate 7.94 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 10.74 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $11 billion (1998) $23.8 billion (2002)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Richard J. EGAN


embassy: 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4


mailing address: use embassy street address


telephone: [353] (1) 668-8777


FAX: [353] (1) 668-9946
chief of mission: Ambassador Craig R. STAPLETON


embassy: Trziste 15, 11801 Prague 1


mailing address: use embassy street address


telephone: [420] (2) 5753-0663


FAX: [420] (2) 5753-0583
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Noel FAHEY; note - FAHEY has announced that he will leave


chancery: 2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 462-3939


FAX: [1] (202) 232-5993


consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco
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
Disputes - international disputes with Iceland, Denmark, and the UK over the Faroe Islands continental shelf boundary outside 200 NM Liechtenstein's royal family claims restitution for 1,600 sq km of land in the Czech Republic confiscated in 1918; individual Sudeten German claims for restitution of property confiscated in connection with their expulsion after World War II; Austria has minor dispute with Czech Republic over the Temelin nuclear power plant and post-World War II treatment of German-speaking minorities
Economic aid - donor ODA, $283 million (2001) -
Economic aid - recipient - $108 million; EU structural adjustment funds (2002)
Economy - overview Ireland is a small, modern, trade-dependent economy with growth averaging a robust 8% in 1995-2002. The global slowdown, especially in the information technology sector, pressed growth down to 2.7% in 2003. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry and services. Industry accounts for 46% of GDP and about 80% of exports and employs 28% of the labor force. Although exports remain the primary engine for Ireland's growth, the economy has also benefited from a rise in consumer spending, construction, and business investment. Per capita GDP is 10% above that of the four big European economies. Over the past decade, the Irish Government has implemented a series of national economic programs designed to curb inflation, reduce government spending, increase labor force skills, and promote foreign investment. Ireland joined in launching the euro currency system in January 1999 along with 10 other EU nations. One of the most stable and prosperous of the post-Communist states, the Czech Republic has been recovering from recession since mid-1999. Growth in 2000-03 was supported by exports to the EU, primarily to Germany, and a near doubling of foreign direct 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. High current account deficits - averaging around 5% of GDP in the last several years - could be a persistent problem. Inflation is under control. The EU put the Czech Republic just behind Poland and Hungary in preparations for accession, which will give further impetus and direction to structural reform. Moves to complete banking, telecommunications, and energy privatization will encourage additional foreign investment, while intensified restructuring among large enterprises and banks and improvements in the financial sector should strengthen output growth. But revival in the European economies remains essential to stepped-up growth.
Electricity - consumption 21.63 billion kWh (2001) 55.6 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 285 million kWh (2001) 18.92 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 38 million kWh (2001) 9.38 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 23.53 billion kWh (2001) 70.04 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 95.9%


hydro: 2.3%


nuclear: 0%


other: 1.7% (2001)
fossil fuel: 76.1%


hydro: 2.9%


nuclear: 20%


other: 1% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Carrauntoohil 1,041 m
lowest point: Elbe River 115 m


highest point: Snezka 1,602 m
Environment - current issues water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff air and water pollution in areas of northwest Bohemia and in northern Moravia around Ostrava present health risks; acid rain damaging forests; efforts to bring industry up to EU code should improve domestic pollution
Environment - international agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Endangered Species, Marine Life Conservation
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol
Ethnic groups Celtic, English 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% (1991)
Exchange rates euros per US dollar - 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000), 0.94 (1999), 0.7 (1998) koruny per US dollar - 32.74 (2002), 38.04 (2001), 38.6 (2000), 34.57 (1999), 32.28 (1998)
Executive branch chief of state: President Mary MCALEESE (since 11 November 1997)


head of government: Prime Minister Bertie AHERN (since 26 June 1997)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with previous nomination by the prime minister and approval of the House of Representatives


elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 31 October 1997 (next to be held NA November 2004); prime minister nominated by the House of Representatives and appointed by the president


election results: Mary MCALEESE elected president; percent of vote - Mary MCALEESE 44.8%, Mary BANOTTI 29.6%


note: government coalition - Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats
chief of state: President Vaclav KLAUS (since 7 March 2003)


note: the Czech Republic's first president Vaclav HAVEL stepped down from office on 2 February 2003 having served exactly 10 years; parliament finally elected a successor on 28 February 2003 after two inconclusive elections in January 2003


head of government: Prime Minister Vladimir SPIDLA (since 12 July 2002), Deputy Prime Ministers Bohuslav SOBOTKA (since 20 August 2003), Cyril SVOBODA (since July 2002), Stanislav GROSS (since July 2002), Petr MARES (since July 2002)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister


elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term; last successful election held 28 February 2003 (after earlier elections held 15 and 24 January 2003 were inconclusive); prime minister appointed by the president


election results: Vaclav KLAUS elected president on 28 February 2003; Vaclav KLAUS 142 votes, Jan SOKOL 124 votes (third round; combined votes of both chambers of parliament)
Exports 27,450 bbl/day (2001) 26,670 bbl/day (2001)
Exports - commodities machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; live animals, animal products (1999) machinery and transport equipment 44%, intermediate manufactures 25%, chemicals 7%, raw materials and fuel 7% (2000)
Exports - partners UK 23.3%, US 16.7%, Belgium 14.6%, Germany 7.3%, France 5% (2002) Germany 40.2%, Slovakia 7.1%, Austria 5.8%, UK 5.1%, Poland 5%, France 4% (2002)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange; similar to the flag of Cote d'Ivoire, which is shorter and has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green; also similar to the flag of Italy, which is shorter and has colors of green (hoist side), white, and red 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)
GDP purchasing power parity - $113.7 billion (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $157.1 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 5%


industry: 46%


services: 49% (2002 est.)
agriculture: 3.8%


industry: 41%


services: 55.2% (2001)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $29,300 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $15,300 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 6.9% (2002 est.) 2% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 53 00 N, 8 00 W 49 45 N, 15 30 E
Geography - note strategic location on major air and sea routes between North America and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resides within 97 km of Dublin 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
Heliports - 2 (2002)
Highways total: 92,500 km


paved: 87,043 km (including 115 km of expressways)


unpaved: 5,457 km (2000 est.)
total: 55,408 km


paved: 55,408 km (including 499 km of expressways)


unpaved: 0 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 2%


highest 10%: 27.3% (1997)
lowest 10%: 4.3%


highest 10%: 22.4% (1996)
Illicit drugs transshipment point for and consumer of hashish from North Africa to the UK and Netherlands and of European-produced synthetic drugs; minor transshipment point for heroin and cocaine destined for Western Europe transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and minor transit point for Latin American cocaine to Western Europe; producer of synthetic drugs for local and regional markets; susceptible to money laundering related to drug trafficking, organized crime
Imports 178,600 bbl/day (2001) 192,300 bbl/day (2001)
Imports - commodities data processing equipment, other machinery and equipment, chemicals; petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, clothing machinery and transport equipment 40%, intermediate manufactures 21%, raw materials and fuels 13%, chemicals 11% (2000)
Imports - partners UK 41.1%, US 15.3%, Germany 6.8% (2002) Germany 39.1%, Slovakia 6%, Austria 5.6%, Italy 5.4%, France 5.3%, Poland 4.1%, UK 4.1%, Russia 4% (2002)
Independence 6 December 1921 (from UK by treaty) 1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia)
Industrial production growth rate 6% (2002 est.) 3.5% (2002)
Industries food products, brewing, textiles, clothing; chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machinery, transportation equipment, glass and crystal; software metallurgy, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, glass, armaments
Infant mortality rate total: 5.34 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 5.95 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 4.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
total: 5.37 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 5.85 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 4.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 4.6% (2002 est.) 0.6% (2002 est.)
International organization participation Australia Group, BIS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMISET, UNMOP, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 22 (2000) more than 300 (2000)
Irrigated land NA sq km 240 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court (judges appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister and cabinet) Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; chairman and deputy chairmen are appointed by the president for a 10-year term
Labor force 1.8 million (2001) 5.203 million (1999 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 8%, industry 29%, services 64% (2002 est.) agriculture 5%, industry 35%, services 60% (2001 est.)
Land boundaries total: 360 km


border countries: UK 360 km
total: 1,881 km


border countries: Austria 362 km, Germany 646 km, Poland 658 km, Slovakia 215 km
Land use arable land: 19.49%


permanent crops: 0.04%


other: 80.47% (1998 est.)
arable land: 40%


permanent crops: 3.04%


other: 56.96% (1998 est.)
Languages English is the language generally used, Irish (Gaelic) spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard Czech
Legal system based on English common law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to bring it in line with Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) obligations and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory
Legislative branch bicameral Parliament or Oireachtas consists of the Senate or Seanad Eireann (60 seats - 49 elected by the universities and from candidates put forward by five vocational panels, 11 are nominated by the prime minister; members serve five-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Dail Eireann (166 seats; members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve five-year terms)


elections: Senate - last held 16 and 17 July 2002 (next to be held by July 2007); House of Representatives - last held 17 May 2002 (next to be held by May 2007)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Fianna Fail 30, Fine Gael 15, Labor Party 5, Progressive Democrats 4, independents and others 6; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - Fianna Fail 41.5%, Fine Gael 22.5%, Labor Party 10.8%, Sinn Fein 6.5%, Progressive Democrats 4.0%, Green Party 3.8%, others 10.9%; seats by party - Fianna Fail 81, Fine Gael 31, Labor Party 21, Progressive Democrats 8, Green Party 6, Sinn Fein 5, others 14
bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat (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 25-26 October and 1-2 November 2002 (next to be held NA November 2004); Chamber of Deputies - last held 14-15 June 2002 (next to be held by NA June 2006)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - ODS 26, KDU-CSL 14, CSSD 11, US 9, KSCM 3, independents 18; 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 58, KSCM 41, KDU-CSL 21, US-DEU 10
Life expectancy at birth total population: 77.35 years


male: 74.58 years


female: 80.31 years (2003 est.)
total population: 75.18 years


male: 71.69 years


female: 78.87 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 98% (1981 est.)


male: NA


female: NA
definition: NA


total population: 99.9% (1999 est.)


male: NA%


female: NA%
Location Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain Central Europe, southeast of Germany
Map references Europe Europe
Maritime claims exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
none (landlocked)
Merchant marine total: 26 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 110,913 GRT/128,017 DWT


ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 20, container 1, short-sea passenger 1


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Germany 2 (2002 est.)
-
Military branches Army (including Naval Service and Air Corps), National Police (Garda Siochana) Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, Territorial Defense Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure $700 million (FY00/01) $1,190.2 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 0.9% (FY00/01) 2.1% (FY01)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 1,020,182 (2003 est.) males age 15-49: 2,622,192 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 821,378 (2003 est.) males age 15-49: 2,002,202 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age 17 years of age (2003 est.) 18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 31,437 (2003 est.) males: 67,777 (2003 est.)
National holiday Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March Czech Founding Day, 28 October (1918)
Nationality noun: Irishman(men), Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective plural)


adjective: Irish
noun: Czech(s)


adjective: Czech
Natural hazards NA flooding
Natural resources zinc, lead, natural gas, barite, copper, gypsum, limestone, dolomite, peat, silver hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite, timber
Net migration rate 3.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) 0.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines gas 1,795 km (2003) gas 7,020 km; oil 547 km; refined products 94 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders Fianna Fail [Bertie AHERN]; Fine Gael [Enda KENNY]; Green Party [Trevor SARGENT]; Labor Party [Pat RABITTE]; Progressive Democrats [Mary HARNEY]; Sinn Fein [Gerry ADAMS]; Socialist Party [Joe HIGGINS]; The Workers' Party [Sean GARLAND] Christian and Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party or KDU-CSL [Miroslav KALOUSEK, chairman]; Civic Democratic Alliance or ODA [Michael ZANTOVSKY, 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 [Jan SULA, chairman]; Czech Social Democratic Party or CSSD [Vladimir SPIDLA, chairman]; Freedom Union-Democratic Union or US-DEU [Petr MARES, chairman]; Quad Coalition [Karel KUHNL, chairman] (includes KDU-CSL, US, ODA, DEU)
Political pressure groups and leaders NA Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions [Richard FALBR]
Population 3,924,140 (July 2003 est.) 10,249,216 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line 10% (1997 est.) NA%
Population growth rate 1.03% (2003 est.) -0.08% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Arklow, Cork, Drogheda, Dublin, Foynes, Galway, Limerick, New Ross, Waterford Decin, Prague, Usti nad Labem
Radio broadcast stations AM 9, FM 106, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 31, FM 304, shortwave 17 (2000)
Railways total: 3,312 km


broad gauge: 1,947 km 1.600-m gauge (46 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 1,365 km 0.914-m gauge (operated by the Irish Peat Board to transport peat to power stations and briquetting plants) (2002)
total: 9,462 km


standard gauge: 9,363 km 1.435-m gauge (1,745 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 99 km 0.760-m gauge (2002)
Religions Roman Catholic 91.6%, Church of Ireland 2.5%, other 5.9% (1998) Roman Catholic 39.2%, Protestant 4.6%, Orthodox 3%, other 13.4%, atheist 39.8%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female


total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female


total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: modern digital system using cable and microwave radio relay


domestic: microwave radio relay


international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
general assessment: 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


domestic: 86% of exchanges now digital; existing copper subscriber systems now being enhanced with Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) equipment to accommodate Internet and other digital signals; trunk systems include fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay


international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions), 1 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 1 Globalstar
Telephones - main lines in use 1.6 million (2002) 3.869 million (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular 3 million (2002) 4.346 million (2000)
Television broadcast stations 4 (many low-power repeaters) (2001) 150 (plus 1,434 repeaters) (2000)
Terrain mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast Bohemia in the west consists of rolling plains, hills, and plateaus surrounded by low mountains; Moravia in the east consists of very hilly country
Total fertility rate 1.89 children born/woman (2003 est.) 1.18 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 4.3% (2002 est.) 9.8% (2002)
Waterways 700 km (limited facilities for commercial traffic) (1998) 303 km


note: the Labe (Elbe) is the principal river (2000)
Sitemap: Compare countries listing (map site) | Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.