Czech Republic Country & Tourist Information

Location
Central Europe.

Area
78,866 sq km (30,450 sq miles).

Population
10.2 million (2007 estimate).

Population Density
129.3 per sq km.

Capital
Prague.
Population: 1.2 million (2007).

Government
Republic since 1993.

Language
The official language is Czech. English and German are also spoken.

Religion
Mostly Roman Catholic and some Protestant, including churches such as the Reformed, Lutheran, Methodist, Unity of Czech Brothers and Baptist. There is a small community of Jews, mainly in Prague. According to the March 2001 national census, 60% of the population profess no religious beliefs.

Time
GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).

Electricity
Generally 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Most major hotels have standard international two-pin razor plugs.

Head of Government
Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek since 2006.

Head of State
President Václav Klaus since 2003.

Recent History
The Czech Republic is one of Europe’s youngest states, having come into existence only in 1993. Before that, it had formed the western part of Czechoslovakia, a country which itself had only been created in 1918, following the collapse of the Hapsburg Empire after WWI.

Czechoslovakia threw out its communist regime, which had been in power since 1948, in the Velvet Revolution of 1989 - so called because it took place without any violence. The dissident playwright Václav Havel became president and served until 2003, but he was unable to hold the country together. Disagreements with politicians in Bratislava led to the ’Velvet Divorce’ in 1993, when Czechoslovakia split into two independent republics - the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic.

Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek’s multi-party, center-right coalition scraped through in a parliamentary vote of confidence in January 2007. This was not his first attempt to form an administration: tricky coalition negotiations also had to take place after the 2006 general elections. Parliament also narrowly re-elected President Václav Klaus - who suceeded Havel in 2003 - in February 2008.

Telephone
Country code: 420. There are plenty of public telephone booths; international calls can be made from any of them. Most of the public telephone booths take phonecards, which can be purchased at hotels, tourist information offices, newsagents and tobacconist shops. Surcharges can be quite high on long-distance calls from hotels.

Mobile Telephone
The Czech Republic uses the GSM 900 system, and is 3G compatible. Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies. Coverage is excellent.

Internet
There are lots of Internet cafes in Prague and other cities.

Media
Private media in the Czech Republic mushroomed in the 1990s, and private radio and TV stations provide stiff competition for public broadcasters. Public TV broadcaster Česká Televize (CT) operates two networks and a 24-hour news channel. Czech public radio, Český Rozhlas (CRo), operates three national networks as well as local services. Two major private television channels broadcast nationally and there are more than 70 private radio stations.

Post
Airmail takes a couple of days to reach other European destinations; allow up to a week to North America.

Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1800, 0800-1200 Sat.

Press
• The Prague Post newspaper and Czech Business Weekly magazine (both weekly) are published in English.
• The main Czech dailies include Mladá Fronta Dnes, Právo and Lidové Noviny.

Radio
• Public broadcaster Český Rozhlas operates national and regional networks.
• Radio Prague has programs in a number of languages including English.
• Frekvence 1 and Rádio Impuls are private national stations.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2009-December 2010 period.

2009
1 Jan New Year's Day.
13 Apr Easter Monday.
1 May May Day.
8 May Liberation Day.
5 Jul Day of the Apostles St Cyril and St Methodius.
6 Jul Anniversary of the Martyrdom of Jan Hus.
28 Sep Czech Statehood Day.
28 Oct Independence Day.
17 Nov Freedom and Democracy Day.
24-26 Dec Christmas.

2010
1 Jan New Year's Day.
5 Apr Easter Monday.
1 May May Day.
8 May Liberation Day.
5 Jul Day of the Apostles St Cyril and St Methodius.
6 Jul Anniversary of the Martyrdom of Jan Hus.
28 Sep Czech Statehood Day.
28 Oct Independence Day.
17 Nov Freedom and Democracy Day.
24-26 Dec Christmas.

Contact Information:

Embassy of the Czech Republic in the UK
26-30 Kensington Palace Gardens, London W8 4QY, UK
Tel: (020) 7243 1115 (Mon-Fri 1400-1500) or 09065 508 931 (24-hour recorded visa information; calls cost £1 per minute).
Website: www.mzv.cz/london  
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 0900-1200 and 1400-1600; Fri 0900-1200; Mon-Fri 0900-1200 (visa application); 1315-1500 (visa collection).

Czech Tourist Authority in the UK
13 Harley Street, London W1G 9QG, UK
Tel: (020) 7631 0427 or 0906 364 0641 (24-hour brochure request line; calls cost 60p per minute).
Website: www.czechtourism.com

Embassy of the Czech Republic in the USA
3900 Spring of Freedom Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 274 9100.
Website: www.mzv.cz/washington

Czech Tourist Authority in the USA
1109 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10028, USA
Tel: (212) 288 0830.
Website: www.czechtourism.com


Next Page »

Related Czech Republic Content