Area:

78 864 sq km (30 449 sq miles)

Population:

10.3 mil.

Capital:

Prague (in Czech Praha, 1.2 mil. inhabitants)

Currency:

1 Czech crown - CZK (česká koruna - Kč) = 100 hellers (haléř)
banknotes: 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000 crowns
coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 crowns
Rate:
1 USD = app. 17 CZK
1 EUR = app. 25 CZK
1 GBP = app. 29 CZK

Time Zone:

Central European Time (GMT+1 hr)

Telephone country code:

+420

Electric power:

Voltage: 230 V
Frequency: 50 Hz
Plug: Type E electrical outlet (two round pins spaced 19mm apart, with a hole for the socket's male grounding pin) - will also accept Type C plugs

Official language:

Czech (belonging to a branch of Western-Slavonic languages as well as Polish, Slovak and Sorbian)

Biggest cities:

1. Prague (Praha),
2. Brno (centre of Moravia),
3. Ostrava (centre of Silesia),
4. Plzeň (Pilsen)

Neighbouring countries:

Poland (Polska - PL),
Germany (Deutschland - D),
Austria (Österreich - A) and
Slovakia (Slovensko - SK)

National Anthem:

Where Is My Home? (Kde domov můj? - 1834);
music: František Škroup,
words: Josef Kajetán Tyl

National tree:

linden-tree (lime-tree, in Latin Tilia, in Czech lípa)

Main rivers:

the Vltava (Moldau – 430 km),
the Elbe (Labe – 1154 km, in Bohemia 370 km),
the Morava (353 km)

Highest mountain:

in Bohemia: Sněžka – (1602 m) in the Giant Mountains (Krkonoše);
in Moravia: Praděd – (1492 m) in the Jeseníky Mountains

Political system:

Republic

Head of state:

President – 5-year-term:
Miloš Zeman (* 1944 in Kolín, since 2013, former social democrat)

Head of goverment:

Prime minister – 4-year-term:
Bohuslav Sobotka (* 1971 Telnice, sice 2014, social democrat)

Main political parties (in alphabetical order):

* ANO,
* Civic Democratic Party (ODS – Občanská demokratická strana),
* Christian and Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People´s Party (KDU-ČSL – Křesťanská a demokratická unie - Československá strana lidová),
* Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSČM – Komunistická strana Čech a Moravy),
* Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD – Česká strana sociálně demokratická),
* Green Party (SZ – Strana zelených),
* Public Affairs (VV - Věci veřejné),
* TOP 09

Administration:

14 regions (kraje), 205 municipalities with extended authority

Religion (according to the National census in 2001):

- Roman Catholic (27%),
- Protestant (5%),
- without religious belief or uknown (59-68%)

Useful words:

- Dobrý den! (literally good day!) = Good morning! Good afternoon!
- Dobrý večer! = Good evening!
- Dobrou noc! = Good night!
- Na shledanou! = Good bye!
- Děkuji! = Thank you!
- Díky! = Thanks!
- Prosím! = Please!
- Ano = yes
- Ne = no
- Nevím = I don´t know
- Nerozumím = I don´t understand
- Promiňte! = Excuse me!
- Kde je...? = Where is...?
- Pivo = Beer - Víno = wine - Voda = water

Public holidays:

- 01/ 01.01. - New Year; Day of the Renewal of the Independent Czech State (1993)
- 02/ Easter Monday
- 03/ 01.05. - Labour day
- 04/ 08.05. - Day of Liberation (1945)
- 05/ 05.07. - Day of Slavonic Missionaries SS Cyril and Methodius (863)
- 06/ 06.07. - Day of Jan Hus´ (John Huss) Burning to Death (1415)
- 07/ 28.09. - Day of Czech Stateness (St. Wenceslas´ Day, 935)
- 08/ 28.10. - Day of the Establishment of the Independent Czechoslovak State (1918)
- 09/ 17.11. - Day of Struggle for Freedom and Democracy (1989)
- 10/ 24.12. - Christmas Eve
- 11/ 25.12. - Christmas Day
- 12/ 26.12. - St. Stephen´s Day