Czechia

Introduction

Background

At the close of World War I, the Czechs and Slovaks of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire merged to form Czechoslovakia. During the interwar years, having rejected a federal system, the new country's predominantly Czech leaders were frequently preoccupied with meeting the increasingly strident demands of other ethnic minorities within the republic, most notably the Slovaks, the Sudeten Germans, and the Ruthenians (Ukrainians). On the eve of World War II, Nazi Germany occupied the territory that today comprises Czechia, and Slovakia became an independent state allied with Germany. After the war, a reunited but truncated Czechoslovakia (less Ruthenia) 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 rule and create "socialism with a human face," ushering in a period of repression known as "normalization." The peaceful "Velvet Revolution" swept the Communist Party from power at the end of 1989 and inaugurated a return to democratic rule and a market economy. On 1 January 1993, the country underwent a nonviolent "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. The country added the short-form name Czechia in 2016, while continuing to use the full form name, Czech Republic.

Geography

Location

Central Europe, between Germany, Poland, Slovakia, and Austria

Geographic coordinates

49 45 N, 15 30 E

Map references

Europe

Area

total: 78,867 sq km
land: 77,247 sq km
water: 1,620 sq km
country comparison to the world: 117

Area - comparative

about two-thirds the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than South Carolina

Land boundaries

total: 2,143 km
border countries (4): Austria 402 km, Germany 704 km, Poland 796 km, Slovakia 241 km

Coastline

0 km(landlocked)

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Climate

temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters

Terrain

Bohemia in the west consists of rolling plains, hills, and plateaus surrounded by low mountains; Moravia in the east consists of very hilly country

Elevation

mean elevation: 433 m
lowest point: Labe (Elbe) River 115 m
highest point: Snezka 1,602 m

Natural resources

hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite, timber, arable land

Land use

agricultural land: 54.8% (2011 est.)
arable land: 41% (2011 est.)/permanent crops: 1% (2011 est.)/permanent pasture: 12.8% (2011 est.)
forest: 34.4% (2011 est.)
other: 10.8% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land

320 sq km (2012)

Population distribution

a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, but the northern and eastern regions tend to have larger urban concentrations

Natural hazards

flooding

Environment - current issues

air and water pollution in areas of northwest Bohemia and in northern Moravia around Ostrava present health risks; acid rain damaging forests; land pollution caused by industry, mining, and agriculture

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-Environmental Protocol, 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, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note

note 1: 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

note 2: the Hranice Abyss in Czechia is the world's deepest surveyed underwater cave at 404 m (1,325 ft); its survey is not complete and it could end up being some 800-1,200 m deep

People and Society

Population

10,686,269 (July 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85

Nationality

noun: Czech(s)
adjective: Czech

Ethnic groups

Czech 64.3%, Moravian 5%, Slovak 1.4%, other 1.8%, unspecified 27.5% (2011 est.)

Languages

Czech (official) 95.4%, Slovak 1.6%, other 3% (2011 census)

Religions

Roman Catholic 10.4%, Protestant (includes Czech Brethren and Hussite) 1.1%, other and unspecified 54%, none 34.5% (2011 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 15.21%(male 834,800 /female 790,128)
15-24 years: 9.34%(male 514,728 /female 483,546)
25-54 years: 43.79%(male 2,404,724 /female 2,275,309)
55-64 years: 12.24%(male 638,130 /female 669,959)
65 years and over: 19.42%(male 865,455 /female 1,209,490) (2018 est.)
population pyramid:

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 49.5 (2015 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 22.6 (2015 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 26.9 (2015 est.)
potential support ratio: 3.7 (2015 est.)

Median age

total: 42.5 years (2018 est.)
male: 41.2 years
female: 43.8 years
country comparison to the world: 29

Population growth rate

0.1% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186

Birth rate

9.2 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 203

Death rate

10.5 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27

Net migration rate

2.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 45

Population distribution

a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, but the northern and eastern regions tend to have larger urban concentrations

Urbanization

urban population: 73.9% of total population(2019)
rate of urbanization: 0.21% annual rate of change(2015-20 est.)

Major urban areas - population

1.299 million PRAGUE (capital) (2019)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

28.1 years (2014 est.)

Maternal mortality rate

3 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176

Infant mortality rate

total: 2.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
male: 2.8 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.5 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 214

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 78.9 years (2018 est.)
male: 76 years
female: 82.1 years
country comparison to the world: 57

Total fertility rate

1.46 children born/woman (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 203

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

Current Health Expenditure

7.1% (2016)

Physicians density

4.31 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Hospital bed density

6.5 beds/1,000 population (2015)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 99.1% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 99.2% of population (2015 est.)
total: 99.1% of population (2015 est.)
unimproved: urban: 0.9% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 0.8% of population (2015 est.)
total: 0.9% of population (2015 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

<.1% (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

4,400 (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 122

HIV/AIDS - deaths

<100 (2018 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

26% (2016)
country comparison to the world: 46

Education expenditures

5.6% of GDP (2016)
country comparison to the world: 36

Literacy

definition: NA
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2011)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 17 years
male: 16 years
female: 18 years (2016)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 7.9%
male: 7.4%
female: 8.7% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144

Government

Country name

conventional long form: Czech Republic
conventional short form: Czechia
local long form: Ceska republika
local short form: Cesko
etymology: name derives from the Czechs, a West Slavic tribe who rose to prominence in the late 9th century A.D.

Government type

parliamentary republic

Capital

name: Prague
geographic coordinates: 50 05 N, 14 28 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
etymology: the name likely derives from an old Slavic root "praga" or "prah", meaning "ford", and refers to the city's origin at a crossing point of the Vltava (Moldau) River

Administrative divisions

13 regions (kraje, singular - kraj) and 1 capital city* (hlavni mesto); Jihocesky (South Bohemia), Jihomoravsky (South Moravia), Karlovarsky (Karlovy Vary), Kralovehradecky (Hradec Kralove), Liberecky (Liberec), Moravskoslezsky (Moravia-Silesia), Olomoucky (Olomouc), Pardubicky (Pardubice), Plzensky (Pilsen), Praha (Prague)*, Stredocesky (Central Bohemia), Ustecky (Usti), Vysocina (Highlands), Zlinsky (Zlin)

Independence

1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia); note - although 1 January is the day the Czech Republic came into being, the Czechs commemorate 28 October 1918, the day the former Czechoslovakia declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, as their independence day

National holiday

Czechoslovak Founding Day, 28 October (1918)

Constitution

history: previous 1960; latest ratified 16 December 1992, effective 1 January 1993
amendments: passage requires at least three-fifths concurrence of members present in both houses of Parliament; amended several times, last in 2013 (2017)

Legal system

new civil code enacted in 2014, replacing civil code of 1964 - based on former Austro-Hungarian civil codes and socialist theory - and reintroducing former Czech legal terminology

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Czechia
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: President Milos ZEMAN (since 8 March 2013)
head of government: Prime Minister Andrej BABIS (since 13 December 2017); First Deputy Prime Minister Jan HAMACEK (since 27 June 2018), Deputy Prime Minister Alena SCHILLEROVA (since 30 April 2019)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (limited to 2 consecutive terms); elections last held on 12-13 January 2018 with a runoff on 26-27 January 2018 (next to be held in January 2023); prime minister appointed by the president for a 4-year term
election results: Milos ZEMAN reelected president in the second round; percent of vote - Milos ZEMAN (SPO) 51.4%, Jiri DRAHOS (independent) 48.6%

Legislative branch

description: bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of:
Senate or Senat (81 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 6-year terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 2 years)
Chamber of Deputies or Poslanecka Snemovna (200 seats; members directly elected in 14 multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote with a 5% threshold required to fill a seat; members serve 4-year terms)
elections:
Senate - last held in 2 rounds on 5-6 and 12-13 October 2018 (next to be held in October 2020)
Chamber of Deputies - last held on 20-21 October 2017 (next to be held by October 2021)
election results:
Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ODS 16, KDU-CSL 16, CSSD 13, STAN 10, ANO 7, SEN 21 6, TOP 09 3, SZ 1, Movement for Prague 1, Pirates 1, SsCR 1, independent 6; composition men 69, women 12, percent of women 14.8%

Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - ANO 29.6%, ODS 11.3%, Pirates 10.8%, SPD 10.6%, KSCM 7.8%, CSSD 7.3%, KDU-CSL 5.8%, TOP 09 5.3%, STAN 5.2%, other 6.3%; seats by party - ANO 78, ODS 25, Pirates 22, SPD 22, CSSD 15, KSCM 15, KDU-CSL 10, TOP 09 7, STAN 6; composition - men 156, women 44, percent of women 22%; note - total Parliament percent of women 19.9%

Judicial branch

highest courts: Supreme Court (organized into Civil Law and Commercial Division, and Criminal Division each with a court chief justice, vice justice, and several judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 15 justices); Supreme Administrative Court (consists of 36 judges, including the court president and vice president, and organized into 6-, 7-, and 9-member chambers)
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges proposed by the Chamber of Deputies and appointed by the president; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate; judges appointed for 10-year, renewable terms; Supreme Administrative Court judges selected by the president of the Court; unlimited terms
subordinate courts: High Court; regional and district courts

Political parties and leaders

Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party or KDU-CSL [Pavel BELOBRADEK]
Civic Democratic Party or ODS [Petr FIALA]
Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia or KSCM [Vojtech FILIP]
Czech Social Democratic Party or CSSD [Jan HAMACEK]
Freedom and Direct Democracy or SPD [Tomio OKAMURA]
Green Party or SZ [Petr STEPANEK]
Mayors and Independents or STAN [Petr GAZDIK]
Movement of Dissatisfied Citizens or ANO [Andrej BABIS]
Party of Civic Rights or SPO [Lubomir NECAS]
Pirate Party or Pirates [Ivan BARTOS]
Tradition Responsibility Prosperity 09 or TOP 09 [Jiri POSPISIL]

International organization participation

Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US

Ambassador Hynek KMONICEK (since 24 April 2017)
chancery: 3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 274-9100
FAX: [1] (202) 966-8540
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen B. KING (since 6 December 2017)
telephone: [420] 257 022 000
embassy: Trziste 15, 118 01 Prague 1 - Mala Strana
mailing address: use embassy street address
FAX: [420] 257 022 809

Flag description

two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side
note: combines the white and red colors of Bohemia with blue from the arms of Moravia; is identical to the flag of the former Czechoslovakia

National symbol(s)

silver (or white), double-tailed, rampant lion; national colors: white, red, blue

National anthem

name: "Kde domov muj?" (Where is My Home?)
lyrics/music: Josef Kajetan TYL/Frantisek Jan SKROUP
note: adopted 1993; the anthem was originally written as incidental music to the play "Fidlovacka" (1834), it soon became very popular as an unofficial anthem of the Czech nation; its first verse served as the official Czechoslovak anthem beginning in 1918, while the second verse (Slovak) was dropped after the split of Czechoslovakia in 1993

Economy

Economy - overview

Czechia is a prosperous market economy that boasts one of the highest GDP growth rates and lowest unemployment levels in the EU, but its dependence on exports makes economic growth vulnerable to contractions in external demand. Czechia’s exports comprise some 80% of GDP and largely consist of automobiles, the country’s single largest industry. Czechia acceded to the EU in 2004 but has yet to join the euro-zone. While the flexible koruna helps Czechia weather external shocks, it was one of the world’s strongest performing currencies in 2017, appreciating approximately 16% relative to the US dollar after the central bank (Czech National Bank - CNB) ended its cap on the currency’s value in early April 2017, which it had maintained since November 2013. The CNB hiked rates in August and November 2017 - the first rate changes in nine years - to address rising inflationary pressures brought by strong economic growth and a tight labor market.Since coming to power in 2014, the new government has undertaken some reforms to try to reduce corruption, attract investment, and improve social welfare programs, which could help increase the government’s revenues and improve living conditions for Czechs. The government introduced in December 2016 an online tax reporting system intended to reduce tax evasion and increase revenues. The government also plans to remove labor market rigidities to improve the business climate, bring procurement procedures in line with EU best practices, and boost wages. The country's low unemployment rate has led to steady increases in salaries, and the government is facing pressure from businesses to allow greater migration of qualified workers, at least from Ukraine and neighboring Central European countries.Long-term challenges include dealing with a rapidly aging population, a shortage of skilled workers, a lagging education system, funding an unsustainable pension and health care system, and diversifying away from manufacturing and toward a more high-tech, services-based, knowledge economy.

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$375.9 billion (2017 est.)
$360.5 billion (2016 est.)
$351.9 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 49

GDP (official exchange rate)

$215.8 billion (2017 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4.3% (2017 est.)
2.5% (2016 est.)
5.3% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$35,500 (2017 est.)
$34,200 (2016 est.)
$33,400 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 57

Gross national saving

26.9% of GDP (2017 est.)
27.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
28.2% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 45

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 47.4% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 19.2% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 24.7% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 1.1% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 79.9% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -72.3% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 2.3% (2017 est.)
industry: 36.9% (2017 est.)
services: 60.8% (2017 est.)

Agriculture - products

wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, poultry

Industries

motor vehicles, metallurgy, machinery and equipment, glass, armaments

Industrial production growth rate

7.5% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27

Labor force

5.427 million (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 2.8%
industry: 38%
services: 59.2% (2015)

Unemployment rate

2.9% (2017 est.)
3.9% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33

Population below poverty line

9.7% (2015 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 4.1%
highest 10%: 21.7% (2015 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

25 (2015)
25.1 (2014)
country comparison to the world: 152

Budget

revenues: 87.37 billion (2017 est.)
expenditures: 83.92 billion (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

40.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 37

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

1.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19

Public debt

34.7% of GDP (2017 est.)
36.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153

Fiscal year

calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.4% (2017 est.)
0.7% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118

Central bank discount rate

0.05% (31 December 2017)
0.05% (31 December 2016)
note: this is the two-week repo, the main rate CNB uses
country comparison to the world: 143

Commercial bank prime lending rate

3.59% (31 December 2017 est.)
3.91% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 168

Stock of narrow money

$177.2 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$133.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27

Stock of broad money

$177.2 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$133.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27

Stock of domestic credit

$147.1 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$124.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50

Market value of publicly traded shares

$58.83 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$40.74 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$44.5 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48

Current account balance

$2.317 billion (2017 est.)
$3.037 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38

Exports

$144.8 billion (2017 est.)
$131.1 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33

Exports - partners

Germany 32.8%, Slovakia 7.8%, Poland 6.1%, France 5.1%, UK 4.9%, Austria 4.4%, Italy 4.1% (2017)

Exports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment, raw materials, fuel, chemicals

Imports

$134.7 billion (2017 est.)
$120.5 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 32

Imports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment, raw materials and fuels, chemicals

Imports - partners

Germany 29.8%, Poland 9.1%, China 7.4%, Slovakia 5.8%, Netherlands 5.3%, Italy 4% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$148 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$85.73 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18

Debt - external

$205.2 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$138 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$185.6 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$139.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$54.39 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$43.09 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43

Exchange rates

koruny (CZK) per US dollar -
23.34 (2017 est.)
24.44 (2016 est.)
24.44 (2015 est.)
24.599 (2014 est.)
20.758 (2013 est.)

Energy

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

Electricity - production

77.39 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38

Electricity - consumption

62.34 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 42

Electricity - exports

24.79 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 7

Electricity - imports

13.82 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18

Electricity - installed generating capacity

21.63 million kW (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 40

Electricity - from fossil fuels

60% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

19% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

5% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130

Electricity - from other renewable sources

16% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51

Crude oil - production

2,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86

Crude oil - exports

446 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78

Crude oil - imports

155,900 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36

Crude oil - proved reserves

15 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85

Refined petroleum products - production

177,500 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56

Refined petroleum products - consumption

213,700 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56

Refined petroleum products - exports

52,200 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54

Refined petroleum products - imports

83,860 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60

Natural gas - production

229.4 million cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78

Natural gas - consumption

8.721 billion cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93

Natural gas - imports

8.891 billion cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28

Natural gas - proved reserves

3.964 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

115.8 million Mt (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 1,616,631
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 15 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 12,634,937
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 118 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73

Telephone system

general assessment: good telephone and Internet service; the Czech Republic has a sophisticated telecom market, with competition in all sectors provided by a number of alternate operators; the incumbent telco O2 Czech Republic remains the dominant player though other operators are gaining market share, through merger and acquisition activity; regulator makes progress for 5G services; fixed wireless broadband remains strong, with penetration among the highest in the EU (2018)
domestic: access to the fixed-line telephone network expanded throughout the 1990s, 15 per 100 fixed-line, but the number of fixed-line connections has been dropping since then; mobile telephone usage increased sharply to 119 per 100 mobile-cellular, and the number of cellular telephone subscriptions now greatly exceeds the population (2018)
international: country code - 420; satellite earth stations - 6 (2 Intersputnik - Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions, 1 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 1 Globalstar) (2019)

Broadcast media

22 TV stations operate nationally, with 17 of them in private hands; publicly operated Czech Television has 5 national channels; throughout the country, there are some 350 TV channels in operation, many through cable, satellite, and IPTV subscription services; 63 radio broadcasters are registered, operating over 80 radio stations, including 7 multiregional radio stations or networks; publicly operated broadcaster Czech Radio operates 4 national, 14 regional, and 4 Internet stations; both Czech Radio and Czech Television are partially financed through a license fee (2019)

Internet country code

.cz

Internet users

total: 8,141,303
percent of population: 76.5% (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 3,060,597
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 29 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39

Military and Security

Military expenditures

1.19% of GDP (2019 est.)
1.13% of GDP (2018)
1.04% of GDP (2017)
0.96% of GDP (2016)
1.03% of GDP (2015)
country comparison to the world: 107

Military and security forces

Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces:  Czech Land Forces and Czech Air Force (2019)

Military service age and obligation

18-28 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)

Transportation

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 4 (2015)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 48 (2015)
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 4,971,616 (2015)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 26,619,650mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

OK (2016)

Airports

128 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 46

Airports - with paved runways

total: 41 (2017)
over 3,047 m: 2 (2017)
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 (2017)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 (2017)
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2017)
under 914 m: 16 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 87 (2013)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013)
914 to 1,523 m: 25 (2013)
under 914 m: 61 (2013)

Heliports

1 (2013)

Pipelines

7,160 km gas, 675 km oil, 94 km refined products (2016)

Railways

total: 9,408 km (2017)
standard gauge: 9,385 km1.435-m gauge (3,218 km electrified) (2017)
narrow gauge: 23 km0.760-m gauge (2017)
country comparison to the world: 24

Roadways

total: 55,744 km(includes urban and category I, II, III roads) (2019)
paved: 55,744 km(includes 1,252 km of expressways) (2019)
country comparison to the world: 81

Waterways

664 km(principally on Elbe, Vltava, Oder, and other navigable rivers, lakes, and canals) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 76

Ports and terminals

river port(s): Prague (Vltava)
Decin, Usti nad Labem (Elbe)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international

none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

stateless persons: 1,502 (2018)

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; significant consumer of ecstasy

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