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Compare Paracel Islands (2003) - Czech Republic (2005)

Compare Paracel Islands (2003) z Czech Republic (2005)

 Paracel Islands (2003)Czech Republic (2005)
 Paracel IslandsCzech Republic
Administrative divisions - 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 (Prague)*, Stredocesky Kraj, Ustecky Kraj, Vysocina, Zlinsky Kraj
Age structure - 0-14 years: 14.7% (male 773,028/female 731,833)


15-64 years: 71.1% (male 3,651,018/female 3,627,006)


65 years and over: 14.2% (male 565,374/female 892,879) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products - wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, poultry
Airports 1 (2002) 120 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
total: 44


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 9


1,524 to 2,437 m: 14


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 17 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 76


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 27


under 914 m: 48 (2004 est.)
Area total: NA sq km


land: NA sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 78,866 sq km


land: 77,276 sq km


water: 1,590 sq km
Area - comparative NA slightly smaller than South Carolina
Background The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing grounds and by potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island; maintenance was continued by its successor, Vietnam. China has occupied the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. The islands are claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. 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.
Birth rate - 9.07 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget - revenues: $39.31 billion


expenditures: $45.8 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
Capital - Prague
Climate tropical temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters
Coastline 518 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution - ratified 16 December 1992, effective 1 January 1993
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Paracel Islands
conventional long form: Czech Republic


conventional short form: Czech Republic


local long form: Ceska Republika


local short form: Ceska Republika
Death rate - 10.54 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external - $36.28 billion (2004 est.)
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
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
Disputes - international occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam in February 2005, the ICJ refused to rule on the restitution of Liechtenstein's land and property assets in the Czech Republic confiscated in 1945 as German property; individual Sudeten Germans seek restitution for property confiscated in connection with their expulsion after World War II
Economic aid - recipient - $2.4 billion in available EU structural adjustment and cohesion funds (2004-06)
Economy - overview China announced plans in 1997 to open the islands for tourism. 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.
Electricity - consumption - 55.33 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports - 20.9 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports - 9.5 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - production - 71.75 billion kWh (2002)
Elevation extremes lowest point: South China Sea 0 m


highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m
lowest point: Elbe River 115 m


highest point: Snezka 1,602 m
Environment - current issues NA 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-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 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, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups - Czech 90.4%, Moravian 3.7%, Slovak 1.9%, other 4% (2001 census)
Exchange rates - koruny per US dollar - 25.7 (2004), 28.209 (2003), 32.739 (2002), 38.035 (2001), 38.598 (2000)
Executive branch - 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 Jiri PAROUBEK (since 25 April 2005), Deputy Prime Ministers Zdenek SKROMACH (since 4 August 2004), Martin JAHN (since 4 August 2004), Pavel NEMEC (since 4 August 2004), Milan SIMONOVSKY (since 4 August 2004)


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; next election to be held January 2008); 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 - 26,670 bbl/day (2001)
Exports - commodities - machinery and transport equipment 52%, chemicals 5%, raw materials and fuel 9% (2003)
Exports - partners - Germany 36.1%, Slovakia 8.4%, Austria 6%, Poland 5.3%, UK 4.7%, France 4.7%, Italy 4.3%, Netherlands 4.3% (2004)
Fiscal year - calendar year
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)
GDP - composition by sector - agriculture: 3.4%


industry: 39.3%


services: 57.3% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $16,800 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 3.7% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates 16 30 N, 112 00 E 49 45 N, 15 30 E
Geography - note composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group 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 (2004 est.)
Highways - total: 127,204 km


paved: 127,204 km (including 518 km of expressways)


unpaved: 0 km (2002)
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%: 4.3%


highest 10%: 22.4% (1996)
Illicit drugs - 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 - 192,300 bbl/day (2001)
Imports - commodities - machinery and transport equipment 46%, raw materials and fuels 15%, chemicals 10% (2003)
Imports - partners - Germany 31.7%, Slovakia 5.4%, Italy 5.3%, China 5.2%, Poland 4.8%, France 4.8%, Russia 4.1% (2004)
Independence - 1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia)
Industrial production growth rate - 4.7% (2004 est.)
Industries - metallurgy, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, glass, armaments
Infant mortality rate - total: 3.93 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 4.28 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 3.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 3.2% (2004 est.)
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
Irrigated land 0 sq km (1998 est.) 240 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch - Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; chairman and deputy chairmen are appointed by the president for a 10-year term
Labor force - 5.25 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation - agriculture 4%, industry 38%, services 58% (2002 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km total: 1,881 km


border countries: Austria 362 km, Germany 646 km, Poland 658 km, Slovakia 215 km
Land use arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (1998 est.)
arable land: 39.8%


permanent crops: 3.05%


other: 57.15% (2001)
Languages - Czech
Legal system - 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 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 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
Life expectancy at birth - total population: 76.02 years


male: 72.74 years


female: 79.49 years (2005 est.)
Literacy - definition: NA


total population: 99.9% (1999 est.)


male: NA%


female: NA%
Location Southeastern Asia, group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines Central Europe, southeast of Germany
Map references Southeast Asia Europe
Maritime claims NA none (landlocked)
Merchant marine - registered in other countries: 3
Military - note occupied by China -
Military branches - Army of the Czech Republic (ACR): Joint Forces Command, Support and Training Forces Command (2005)
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $2.17 billion (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 2.02% (2004)
National holiday - Czech Founding Day, 28 October (1918)
Nationality - noun: Czech(s)


adjective: Czech
Natural hazards typhoons flooding
Natural resources none hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite, timber
Net migration rate - 0.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Pipelines - gas 7,020 km; oil 547 km; refined products 94 km (2004)
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]
Population no indigenous inhabitants


note: there are scattered Chinese garrisons (July 2003 est.)
10,241,138 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line - NA
Population growth rate - -0.05% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island being expanded Decin, Prague, Usti nad Labem
Radio broadcast stations - AM 31, FM 304, shortwave 17 (2000)
Railways - total: 9,543 km


standard gauge: 9,421 km 1.435-m gauge (2,893 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 122 km 0.760-m gauge (23 km electrified) (2004)
Religions - Roman Catholic 26.8%, Protestant 2.1%, other 3.3%, unspecified 8.8%, unaffiliated 59% (2001 census)
Sex ratio - at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


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


total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage - 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system - 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: country code - 420; satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions), 1 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 1 Globalstar
Telephones - main lines in use - 3.626 million (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 9,708,700 (2003)
Television broadcast stations - 150 (plus 1,434 repeaters) (2000)
Terrain mostly low and flat 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 - 1.2 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate - 10.6% (2004 est.)
Waterways none 664 km (on Elbe, Vltava, and Oder rivers) (2004)
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