Brief Introduction Capital: Prague Area: total: 78,866 sq km National Flower: The important Festival: National day: 28 October Population: 10,220,000 Language: Czech Currency: CZK

Czech

Geography

Central Europe, southeast of Germany

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*, Stredocesky Kraj, Ustecky Kraj, Vysocina, Zlinsky Kraj .

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.

Culture and media

Newspaper:

Agris , Central Europe Business Journal, Diario de Praga , Haló Noviny , Landeszeitung, Mladý Svet , Prague Daily Monitor, Respekt.

Broadcast: CRo 1 - Radiozurnál , Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Radio Praha . Radio Slobodna Evropa .

TV Stations:

CT 24 , Nova, Prima TV ,

The place of interest

Prague Castle

Katedrala sv. Vita

Pivovaske Muzeum