Country profile: Czech Republic

Part of Czechoslovakia until the "velvet divorce" in January 1993, the Czech Republic has a rich cultural heritage.

With strong traditions in folk music and theatre, it was also the birthplace of classical composers such as Dvorak and writers such as Kafka and Jaroslav Hasek.

Overview

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Today, tourists flock to savour Czech architectural treasures which include some of the finest Baroque, Art Nouveau and Cubist buildings on the continent. The hot springs of Karlovy Vary and other spas are an attraction to many.

Historic Prague is the focus of a tourist boom

The country joined the EU in May 2004, a development almost impossible to imagine just 16 years before.

Communist rule had lasted since the late 1940s. The "Prague Spring" of 1968, when Prime Minister Alexander Dubcek tried to bring in liberal reforms, was crushed by Soviet tanks.

In 1989, as the curtain was coming down on communism in the Kremlin, the dissident playwright Vaclav Havel spearheaded the country's velvet revolution and became the first president of post-communist Czechoslovakia.

An era ended in February 2003 when his presidency finished. It had been interrupted for only a few months at the time of the separation of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Mr Havel saw the ghost of former Soviet military influence exorcised in 1999 when the republic was granted full membership of Nato. He left office having led it to the threshold of the EU. His old rival and successor as president, Vaclav Klaus, oversaw accession to the union.

Facts

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• Facts
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• Full name: Czech Republic
• Population: 10.2 million (UN, 2007)
• Capital: Prague
• Area: 78,866 sq km (30,450 sq miles)
• Major language: Czech
• Major religion: Christianity
• Life expectancy: 73 years (men), 80 years (women) (UN)
• Monetary unit: 1 koruna (Kc) = 100 halers
• Main exports: Manufactured goods, machinery, cars and transport equipment, beer
• GNI per capita: US $10,710 (World Bank, 2006)
• Internet domain: .cz
• International dialling code: +420

Leaders

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• Leaders
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President: Vaclav Klaus

Vaclav Klaus: Former premier and old Havel rival

Vaclav Klaus of the conservative Civic Democratic Party succeeded Vaclav Havel, with whom he had many clashes in previous years, in the largely ceremonial role of president in February 2003.

Parliament narrowly re-elected him in February 2008.

He was the architect of Czech post-communist economic reforms, serving as finance minister in the first post-communist government and prime minister between 1992 and 1997 before financial scandals contributed to the fall of his government.

Although he has a reputation as a eurosceptic, on taking office as president he said EU integration would be a top priority.

Prime minister: Mirek Topolanek

Mirek Topolanek's proposed three-party, centre-right coalition narrowly won a vote of confidence in parliament in January 2007. It was his second attempt at forming an administration.

PM Topolanek, thwarted in his first attempt to form a government

Parliament had been deadlocked since inconclusive elections in June 2006. Leftist and centre-right blocs in the lower house each control 100 seats. Because of this, the prime minister faced a tough task in cobbling together a government.

The coalition is made up of the prime minister's centre-right Civic Democrats, the centrist Christian Democrats and the Green Party.

Analysts say the government will have a tough time trying to pursue its ambitious reform programme, which includes tax cuts and a reduction in welfare spending. The prime minister has said early elections may be needed.

Mirek Topolanek, a 50-year-old engineer and former businessman, was appointed as prime minister in August 2006.

After weeks of negotiating with other parties in parliament, he ended up trying to go it alone with a minority government comprised solely of his Civic Democrat party. But his rightist government failed to win a confidence vote and resigned in October.

Media

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Private media in the Czech Republic mushroomed in the 1990s, and private radio and TV stations provide stiff competition for public broadcasters. Press freedom is protected by a charter of basic rights.

Public broadcaster Ceska Televize (CT) operates two TV networks and a 24-hour news channel. Public radio, Cesky Rozhlas (CRo), operates three national networks as well as local services.

Two major private TV channels broadcast nationally and there are scores of private radio stations.

The country is pressing ahead with the digitisation of TV broadcasting; there are plans to switch off analogue signals by 2012.

BBC World Service is available on FM in many cities and towns.

The press

• Lidove Noviny - Prague-based national daily, former dissident publication
• Mlada Fronta Dnes - Prague-based national daily
• Pravo - Prague-based national daily
• Blesk - Prague-based tabloid daily
• The Prague Post - English-language

Television

• Czech TV - public, operates mainstream channel CT1 and cultural channel CT2
• CT 24 - public TV news channel
• TV Nova - private
• Prima - private

Radio

• Czech Radio - public broadcaster; operates national and regional networks
• Radio Prague - Czech Radio's external service; programmes in a number of languages including English
• Frekvence 1 - private, national
• Radio Impuls - private, national
• Evropa 2 - private, national

News agency

• CTK - English-language pages