conventional long form: Czech Republic
conventional short form: Czech Republic
local long form: Ceska Republika
local short form: Ceska Republika

EZ

parliamentary democracy

Prague

73 districts (okresi, singular - okres) and
4 municipalities* (mesta, singular - mesto); Benesov, Beroun, Blansko,
Breclav, Brno*, Brno-Venkov, Bruntal, Ceske Budejovice, Ceska Lipa,
Cesky Krumlov, Cheb, Chomutov, Chrudim, Decin, Domazlice,
Frydek-Mistek, Havlickuv Brod, Hodonin, Hradec Kralove, Jablonec nad
Nisou, Jesenik, Jicin, Jihlava, Jindrichuv Hradec, Karlovy Vary,
Karvina, Kladno, Klatovy, Kolin, Kromeriz, Kutna Hora, Liberec,
Litomerice, Louny, Melnik, Mlada Boleslav, Most, Nachod, Novy Jicin,
Nymburk, Olomouc, Opava, Ostrava*, Pardubice, Pelhrimov, Pisek,
Plzen*, Plzen-Jih, Plzen-Sever, Prachatice, Praha*, Praha-Vychod,
Praha Zapad, Prerov, Pribram, Prostejov, Rakovnik, Rokycany, Rychnov
nad Kneznou, Semily, Sokolov, Strakonice, Sumperk, Svitavy, Tabor,
Tachov, Teplice, Trebic, Trutnov, Uherske Hradiste, Usti nad Labem,
Usti nad Orlici, Vsetin, Vyskov, Zdar nad Sazavou, Zlin, Znojmo

1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech and
Slovak Republics)

National Liberation Day, 8 May; Founding of the
Republic, 28 October

ratified 16 December 1992; effective 1 January 1993

civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to bring
it in line with Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE) obligations and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory

18 years of age; universal

chief of state: President Vaclav HAVEL (since 2 February 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Milos ZEMAN (since 17 July 1998);
Deputy Prime Ministers Vladimir SPIDLA (since 17 July 1998), Pavel
RYCHETSKY (since 17 July 1998), Pavel MERTLIK (since 17 July 1998),
Jan KAZAN (since 8 December 1999)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of
the prime minister
elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term;
election last held 20 January 1998 (next to be held NA January 2003);
prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Vaclav HAVEL reelected president; Vaclav HAVEL
received 47 of 81 votes in the Senate and 99 out of 200 votes in the
Chamber of Deputies (second round of voting)

bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the
Senate or Senat (81 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
serve staggered two-, four-, and six-year terms) and the Chamber of
Deputies or Poslanecka Snemovna (200 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 13-14 and 20-21 November 1998 (next to
be held NA November 2000 - to replace/reelect 20 senators serving
two-year terms); Chamber of Deputies - last held 19-20 June 1998 (next
to be held by NA June 2002)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - CSSD 23, ODS 25, KDU-CSL 16, KCSM 4, ODA 7, US 4, DEU 1,
independent 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - CSSD 74, ODS 63, KDU-CSL 20, US 19, KCSM 24

Supreme Court, chairman and deputy chairmen are
appointed by the president for life; Constitutional Court, chairman
and deputy chairmen are appointed by the president for life

Assembly for the Republic or SPR-RSC
; Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak
People's Party or KDU-CSL ; Civic Democratic
Alliance or ODA ; Civic Democratic Party or
ODS ; Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia
or KSCM ; Czech Social Democrats or
CSSD ; Democratic Union or DEU [Ratibor
MAJZLIK, chairman]; Freedom Union or US [Karel KUEHUL, acting
chairman]; Quad Coalition  (includes KDU-CSL,
US, ODA, DEU)

"Thanks, Now Go"; Impulse 99;
Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions

Australia Group, BIS, CCC,
CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UPU, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

chief of mission: Ambassador Alexsandr VONDRA
chancery: 3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:  (202) 363-6315
FAX:  (202) 966-8540
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York

chief of mission: Ambassador John SHATTUCK
embassy: Trziste 15, 11801 Prague 1
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone:  (2) 5753-0663
FAX:  (2) 5753-0583

two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red
with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side (almost
identical to the flag of the former Czechoslovakia)