|
CZECH REPUBLIC |
| |
|
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The republic borders Poland to the north, Germany to the northwest and west to the south, and Slovakia to the east. Historic Prague, a major tourist attraction, is its capital and largest city. It is made up of two older regions, Bohemia and Moravia, and part of the third one, Silesia. As of May 1, 2004, it is a member state of the European Union.
The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1993 announced that the name Czechia (Cesko in Czech) is to be used in all situations other than formal official documents and the full names of government institutions, but this has not caught on in English usage. See also: Czech lands. |
|
Politics
According to its constitution the Czech Republic is a parliamentary
democracy, whose head of state is a president, indirectly elected every five
years by the parliament. The president is also granted specific powers such
as the right to nominate Constitutional Court judges, dissolve parliament
under certain conditions, and enact a veto on legislation. He also appoints
the prime minister, who sets the agenda for most foreign and domestic policy,
as well the other members of the cabinet on a proposal by the prime minister.
The Czech parliament (Parlament) is bicameral, with a Chamber of Deputies (Poslanecká
snemovna) and a Senate (Senát). The 200 Chamber delegates are elected for 4-year
terms, on the basis of proportional representation. The 81 members of the
Czech Senate serve for 6-year terms with one-third being elected every 2
years on the basis of two-round majority voting.
The country's highest court of appeals is the Supreme Court. The
Constitutional Court, which rules on constitutional issues, is appointed by
the president, and its members serve 10-year terms.
Regions
The Czech Republic consists of 13 regions.
Demographics
The majority of the inhabitants of the Czech Republic (95%) are ethnically
Czech and speak Czech, a member of the Slavic languages. Other ethnic groups
include Germans, Roma, Hungarians, Ukrainians and Poles. After the 1993
division, some Slovaks remained in the Czech Republic and comprise roughly
2% of the current population. The border between the Czech Republic and
Slovakia is open for citizens of the former Czechoslovakia.
Major denominations and their estimated percentage populations are Roman
Catholic (27%), Protestant (1%), Czechoslovak Hussites (1%), as well as a
small Jewish community. A large percentage of the Czech population claim to
be atheists (59%), and the remainder describe themselves as uncertain. |
|
