Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; chairman and deputy chairmen
are appointed by the president for a 10-year term
Political parties and leaders:
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:
Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions [Richard FALBR]
International organization participation:
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
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Martin PALOUS
chancery: 3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
FAX: [1] (202) 966-8540
telephone: [1] (202) 274-9100
Diplomatic representation from the US:
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
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:
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.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $157.1 billion (2002 est.)