, thousands of Germans were held in prisons, detention camps, and used as forced labour. In the summer of 1945, there were several massacres. Only 250,000 Germans who had been active in the resistance against the Nazis or were necessary for the economy were not expelled, though many of them emigrated later. Following a Soviet-organised referendum, the Subcarpathian Rus has never returned under Czechoslovak rule and became part of the Ukrainian SSR, as the Zakarpattia Oblast in 1946. Václav Havel, the first President of the Czech Republic. Václav Klaus, current President of the Czech Republic. Czechoslovakia uneasily tried to play the role of a "bridge" between the West and East. However, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia rapidly increased in popularity, particularly because of a general disappointment with the West (due to the pre-war Munich Agreement) and a favourable popular attitude towards the Soviet Union (due to the Soviets' role in liberating Czechoslovakia from German rule). In the 1946 elections, with 38% of the votes, the Communists became the largest party in the Czechoslovak parliament. They formed a coalition government with other parties of the National Front, and moved quickly to consolidate power. The decisive step took place in February 1948. During a series of events characterized by Communists as a "revolution" and by anti-Communists as a "takeover", the Communist People's Militias secured control of key locations in Prague, and a new, all-Communist government was formed. For the next forty-one years, Czechoslovakia was a Communist state within the eastern bloc (see Czechoslovakia: 1948-1989). This period was marked by a variety of social developments. The Communist government completely nationalized the means of production and established a command economy. The economy grew rapidly during the 1950s and 1960s, but slowed down in the 1970s with increasing problems during the 1980s. The political climate was highly repressive during the 1950s (including numerous show trials), but became more open and tolerant in the 1960s, culminating in Alexander Dubcek's leadership in the 1968 Prague Spring that tried to create "socialism with a human face" and perhaps even introduce political pluralism. This was forcibly ended by 21 August 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion. From then until 1989, the political establishment returned to censorship of opposition, though using more "carrot" than "whip" policy to ensure the populace's passivity. In November 1989, Czechoslovakia returned to democracy through a peaceful "Velvet Revolution". However, Slovak national aspirations strengthened until on January 1, 1993, the country peacefully split into the independent Czech Republic and Slovakia. Both countries went through economic reforms and privatisations, with the intention of creating a market economy. From 1991 the Czech Republic (originally as part of Czechoslovakia, and now in its own right) has been a member of the Visegrad Group and from 1995 of the OECD. The Czech Republic joined NATO on March 12, 1999 and the European Union on May 1, 2004. [edit] Geography General map of the Czech Republic Map of the Czech Republic showing cities and main towns Main article: Geography of the Czech Republic See also: Protected Areas of the Czech Republic The Czech landscape is quite varied. Bohemia to the west consists of a basin, drained by the Elbe (Czech: Labe) and the Vltava rivers, and surrounded by mostly low mountains such as the Krkonoše range of the Sudetes. The highest point in the country, Snežka, at 1,602 m (5,262 ft), is located here. Moravia, the eastern part of the country, is also quite hilly. It is drained mainly by the Morava River, but it also contains the source of the Oder (Czech: Odra) River. Water from the landlocked Czech Republic flows to three different seas: the North Sea, Baltic Sea and Black Sea. The Czech Republic also leases the Moldauhafen, a 30,000-square-metre (7.4-acre) lot in the middle of the Hamburg Docks, which was awarded to Czechoslovakia by Article 363 of the Treaty of Versailles to allow the landlocked country a place where goods transported downriver could be transferred to seagoing ships. The territory reverts to Germany in 2028. [edit] Weather and climate The Czech Republic has a temperate, continental climate with relatively hot summers and cold, cloudy winters, usually with snow. Most rains are during the summer. The temperature difference between summers and winters is relatively high due to its landlocked geographical position. Even within the Czech Republic, temperatures vary greatly depending on the elevation. In general, at higher altitudes the temperatures decrease and precipitation increases. Another important factor is the distribution of the mountains. Therefore the climate is quite varied. Labe near Decín Moravian-Silesian Beskids At the highest peak (Snežka, 1,602 m/5,260 ft) the average temperature is only -0.4 °C (31 °F), whereas in the lowlands of South Moravia, the average temperature is as high as 10 °C (50 °F). This also applies for the country's capital Prague, but this is due to urban factors. The coldest month is usually January followed by February and December. During these months there is usually snow in the mountains and sometimes in the major cities and lowlands. During March, April and May, the temperature usually increases rapidly and especially during April the temperature and weather tends to vary widely during the day. Spring is also characterized by high water levels in the rivers due to melting snow followed by floods at times. The warmest month of the year is July, followed by August and June. On average, the summer temperatures are about 20 °C (68 °F) higher than during winter. Especially in the last decade,[citation needed] temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F) are not unusual. Summer is also characterized by rain and storms. Autumn generally begins in September, which is still relatively warm, but much drier. During October, temperatures usually fall back under 15° or 10°C (59° or 50°F) and deciduous trees begin to shed their leaves. By the end of November, temperatures usually range around the freezing point. [edit] Demographics Main article: Demographics of the Czech Republic [edit] Population Population of the Czech lands[4] Year Total Change Year Total Change 1857 7,016,531 — 1930 10,674,386 6.6% 1869 7,617,230 8.6% 1950 8,896,133 -16.7% 1880 8,222,013 7.9% 1961 9,571,531 7.6% 1890 8,665,421 5.4% 1970 9,807,697 2.5% 1900 9,372,214 8.2% 1980 10,291,927 4.9% 1910 10,078,637 7.5% 1991 10,302,215 0.1% 1921 10,009,587 -0.7% 2001 10,230,060 -0.7% The vast majority of the inhabitants of the Czech Republic are Czechs (94.2%). Significant minorities include the Slovaks (1.9%), Poles (0.5%), Vietnamese (0.44%) Germans (0.4%), and Gypsies.[5] According to the Interior Ministry of the Czech Republic, there were 392,087 foreigners legally residing in the country at the end of 2007, making up 3.2% of the population, with the largest groups being Ukrainians, Slovaks and Vietnamese.[6] [edit] Religion The Czech Republic, along with Estonia, has one of the least religious populations in all of Europe. According to the 2001 census, 59% of the country is agnostic, atheist, non-believer or no-organised believer, 26.8% Roman Catholic and 2.5% Protestant.[7] According to the most recent Eurobarometer Poll 2005,[8] 19% of Czech citizens responded that "they believe there is a God", whereas 50% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 30% that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God, or life force", the lowest rate of EU countries after Estonia with 16%.[9] [edit] Politics Ceremonial guards outside the Prague Castle. Main article: Politics of the Czech Republic [edit] Political system The Czech Republic is a pluralist multi-party parliamentary representative democracy, where the Prime Minister is the head of government. The Parliament is bicameral, with the Chamber of Deputies (Czech: Poslanecká snemovna) (200 members) and the Senate (81 members). [edit] Armed forces Main article: Military of the Czech Republic The Czech armed forces consist of the Army and Air Force and of specialized support units. In 2004, the Czech armed forces completely phased out conscription and transformed into a fully professional army and air force. The country has been a member of NATO since March 12, 1999. Defence spending is around 1.8% of GDP (2006). [edit] Regions and districts Main articles: Regions of the Czech Republic and Districts of the Czech Republic Since 2000, the Czech Republic is divided into thirteen regions (kraje, singular kraj) and the capital city of Prague. Each region has its own elected Regional Assembly (krajské zastupitelstvo) and hejtman (usually translated as hetman or "president"). In Prague, their powers are executed by the city council and the mayor. The older seventy-six districts (okresy, singular okres) including three 'statutory cities' (without Prague, which had special status) were disbanded in 1999 in an administrative reform; they remain as territorial division and seats of various branches of state administration.[10] Map of the Czech Republic with regions. (Lic. plate) Region Capital Population (2004 est.) Population (2007 est.) A Capital of Prague (Hlavní mesto Praha) 1,170,571 1,204,897 S Central Bohemian Region (Stredoceský kraj) offices located in Prague (Praha) 1,144,071 1,193,516 C South Bohemian Region (Jihoceský kraj) Ceské Budejovice 625,712 632,547 P Plzen Region (Plzenský kraj) Pilsen (Plzen) 549,618 559,010 K Karlovy Vary Region (Karlovarský kraj) Karlovy Vary 304,588 306,172 U Ústí nad Labem Region (Ústecký kraj) Ústí nad Labem 822,133 826,372 L Liberec Region (Liberecký kraj) Liberec 427,563 432,752 H Hradec Králové Region (Královéhradecký kraj) Hradec Králové 547,296 551,646 E Pardubice Region (Pardubický kraj) Pardubice 505,285 510,263 M Olomouc Region (Olomoucký kraj) Olomouc 635,126 641,006 T Moravian-Silesian Region (Moravskoslezský kraj) Ostrava 1,257,554 1,249,981 B South Moravian Region (Jihomoravský kraj) Brno 1,123,201 1,137,533 Z Zlín Region (Zlínský kraj) Zlín 590,706 590,482 J Vysocina Region (Vysocina) Jihlava 517,153 513,195 [edit] Economy Main article: Economy of the Czech Republic The Czech Republic possesses a developed,[11] high-income[12] economy with a GDP per capita of 82% of the European Union average. One of the most stable and prosperous of the post-Communist states, the Czech Republic has seen a growth of over 6% annually in the last three years. Recent growth has been led by exports to the European Union, especially Germany, and foreign investment, while domestic demand is reviving. However, the rate of corruption remains one of the highest among OECD countries. The public budgets remain in deficit despite strong growth of the economy in recent years. However, the 2007 deficit has been 1.58% GDP (according to EU accounting rules), far less than originally expected. Most of the economy has been privatized, including banks and telecommunications. The current right-center government plans to continue with privatization, including the energy industry and the Prague airport. It has recently agreed to the sale of a 7% stake of the energy producer CEZ, with the sale of the Budejovický Budvar brewery also mooted. The country has fully implemented the Schengen Agreement and therefore has abolished border controls with all of its neighbours (Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovakia) on December 21, 2007.[13] The last Czech government had expressed a desire to adopt the euro in 2010, but the current government has postponed it due to budget deficits. An exact date has not been set up, but the Finance Ministry described adoption by 2012 as realistic[14] if public finance reform passes. However, the most recent draft of the euro adoption plan omits giving any date. [edit] Tourism Kutná Hora Snežka is the highest point in the Czech Republic. Main article: Tourism in the Czech Republic The Czech economy gets a substantial income from tourism: in 2001, the total earnings from tourism reached 118.13 billion CZK, making up 5.5% of GNP and 9.3% of overall export earnings. The industry employs more than 110,000 people - over 1% of the population.[15] There are several centres of tourist activity: The historic city of Prague is the primary tourist attraction, and the city is also the most common point of entry for tourists visiting other parts of the country.[16] Most other cities in the country attract significant numbers of tourists, but the spa towns such as Karlovy Vary, Mariánské Lázne and Františkovy Lázne are particularly popular holiday destinations. Other popular tourist sites are the many castles and chateaux, such as those at Karlštejn, Konopište and Ceský Krumlov. Away from the towns, areas as Ceský ráj, Šumava and the Krkonoše Mountains attract visitors seeking outdoor pursuits. The country is also famous for its love of puppetry and marionettes. The Pilsner style beer originated in western Bohemian city of Plzen. [edit] Education The Programme for International Student Assessment, coordinated by the OECD, currently ranks the Czech education as the 15th best in the world, being higher than the OECD average.[17] [edit] Sport Main article: Sport in the Czech Republic See also: Czech Republic national football team [edit] International rankings Human Development Index 2007: Rank 32nd out of 178 countries Index of Economic Freedom 2007: Rank 31st out of 157 countries Reporters Without Borders world-wide press freedom index 2007: Rank 14th out of 169 countries Global Competitiveness Report 2006: Rank 29th out of 125 countries Democracy Index (January 2007): Ranks 18th of 167 countries (a functioning democracy along with only 27 others) It was also ranked as the highest alcohol-consuming nation by The Economist in 2006. [edit] See also List of Czech Republic-related topics Foreign relations of the Czech Republic List of cities in the Czech Republic List of postal codes in the Czech Republic Internet in the Czech Republic Communications in the Czech Republic Public holidays in the Czech Republic Transport in the Czech Republic Spa towns in the Czech Republic Culture Cinema of the Czech Republic List of famous Czechs Czech literature Music of the Czech Republic List of Czech musical groups National Theatre (Prague) List of Czech language television channels Czech cuisine [edit] References ^ Velinger, Jan (2006-02-28). World Bank Marks Czech Republic's Graduation to 'Developed' Status. Radio Prague. Retrieved on 2007-01-22. ^ Statistics of the Human Development Report. ^ Tab. 3 Národnost ceskoslovenských státních príslušníku podle žup a zemí k 15.2.1921 (PDF) (Czech). ^ Czech Statistic Office ^ Zjištování národnosti ve scítání lidu, domu a bytu v období 1921 - 2001 (PDF) (Czech). Czech Statistical Office. Retrieved on 2007-05-24. ^ Largest number of children since 1993 born in CzechRep last year, Czech.cz, March 20, 2008 ^ Obyvatelstvo hlásící se k jednotlivým církvím a náboženským spolecnostem (Czech). Czech Statistical Office. Retrieved on 2006-12-19. ^ Eurobarometer on Social Values, Science and technology 2005 - page 11. Retrieved on 2007-05-05. ^ Social values, Science and Technology (PDF) (English). Eurobarometer (June 2005). Retrieved on 2006-12-19. ^ The death of the districts, Radio Prague January 3, 2003. ^ Getting to know Czech Republic, from Czech.cz, the official site of the Czech Republic ^ World Bank 2007 ^ Czech Republic to join Schengen. The Prague Post (13 December 2006). Retrieved on 2007-10-08. ^ Czech government adopts euro adoption plan. EUbusiness (11 April 2007). Retrieved on 2007-06-01. ^ Promotion Strategy of the Czech Republic in 2004 - 2010. Czech Tourism. Retrieved on 2006-12-19. ^ CZECH SIGHTS. Discover Czech. Retrieved on 2006-12-19. ^ OECD.org Some of the material comes from the CIA World Factbook 2000 and the 2003 U.S. Department of State website. [edit] External links Find more about Czech Republic on Wikipedia's sister projects: Dictionary definitions Textbooks Quotations Source texts Images and media News stories Learning resources Czech Republic [edit] Government Governmental website Presidential website Portal of the Public Administration [edit] Parliament Chamber of Deputies Senate [edit] News Czech News Agency news Prague Daily Monitor The Prague Tribune Radio Prague [edit] Statistics Economic & Social Data Ranking [edit] Travelling CzechTourism Czech Republic at Wikitravel    Geographic locale v • d • e Countries of Europe Albania · Andorra · Armenia2 · Austria · Azerbaijan1 · Belarus · Belgium · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus2 · Czech Republic · Denmark3 · Estonia · Finland · France1 · Georgia1 · Germany · Greece  · Hungary · Iceland · Ireland · Italy1 · Kazakhstan1 · Kosovo5 · Latvia · Liechtenstein · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Macedonia4 · Malta · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · Netherlands3 · Norway3 · Poland · Portugal3 · Romania · Russia1 · San Marino · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain1 · Sweden · Switzerland · Turkey1 · Ukraine · United Kingdom3 · Vatican City 1 Has part of its territory outside Europe.  2 Entirely in West Asia but having socio-political connections with Europe.  3 Has dependencies or similar territories outside Europe. 4 Name disputed by Greece; see Macedonia naming dispute. 5 Declared independence from Serbia on February 17 and is recognised by 40 countries including Taiwan. Coordinates: 49°45'N, 15°45'E   International membership v • d • e  Member States of the European Union Austria · Belgium · Bulgaria · Cyprus · Czech Republic · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Ireland · Italy · Latvia · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Malta · Netherlands · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · United Kingdom v • d • e Members of the Council of Europe Albania · Andorra · Armenia · Austria · Azerbaijan · Belgium · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus · Czech Republic · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Georgia · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Iceland · Ireland · Italy · Latvia · Liechtenstein · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Malta · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · Netherlands · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Russia · San Marino · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia · Turkey · Ukraine · United Kingdom v • d • e Members and candidates of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Members Belgium · Bulgaria · Canada · Czech Republic · Denmark · Estonia · France · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Iceland · Italy · Latvia · Lithuania · Luxembourg