Official title: Czech Republic (Česká republika)
Form of government: bi-cameral parliamentary democracy
President: Václav Klaus
Prime Minister: Jiri Paroubek
Date established: January 1, 1993, with the break-up of the former Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and Slovakia
Area: 78,703 sq. km (30,449 sq. mi), slightly larger than New Brunswick
Number of inhabitants: 10,298,324
Geographical position: landlocked in Central Europe

Neighboring states: Germany (west) , Poland (north), Slovakia (east), Austria (south), Capital city: Prague (Praha), 1.2 million inhabitants
Other major cities: Brno, 388,596; Ostrava, 325,827; Pilsen (Plzen), 171,908; Olomouc, 106,278
Official language: Czech
Ethnic makeup: Czech, 94.4%; Slovak, 3%; Polish, 0.6%; German, 0.5%; Gypsy, 0.3%; Hungarian, 0.2%; other, 1%
Currency: Czech Crown (Ceská Koruna - Kc), Crowns are divided into 100 smaller units, called hallers (halér)
Exchange rate: Currently 18.35 Kc = 1CAD. For an up-to-date exchange rate, click here. Crowns are fully convertible on all international markets.
Religion: Atheist, 39.8%; Roman Catholic, 39.2%; Protestant, 4.6%; Orthodox, 3%; undecided, 13.4%
Weather: Mild climate zone with a cycle of four seasons and generous precipitation. Winters are cold and cloudy, and summers are warm. The average temperature in the winter ranges around -5° C (23° F), and in the summer around 20° C (68° F). For an up-to-date weather report, click here.
Time zone : Central European Time (CET)- six hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. Daylight Savings Time (one hour added) is used from approximately the beginning of April to the end of October.
Voltage: 220 V/50 Hz
Telephone numbers: The country telephone code for the Czech Republic is 420. Area codes (followed by the local number) differ by city, for example: Prague- 2, Brno - 5, Pilsen - 19, Olomouc - 68, Ostrava - 69, Liberec - 48.
Important emergency numbers: Police - 158, Fire Department - 150, Ambulance - 155

National holidays:
January 1: Establishment Day, commemorating the creation of the Czech Republic in 1993
Easter Monday
May 1: Labour Day
May 8: Liberation Day, celebrating the end of World War II
July 5: Constantin and Methodius Day (Cyril a Metoděj), celebrating the first Christian missionaries to the Czech Republic
July 6: Jan Hus Day, celebrating the religious reformer who was burned at the stake in 1415
September 28: St. Wenceslas Day, celebrating the patron of the Czech State
October 28: Czechoslovak Statehood Day, establishment of democratic Czechoslovakia in 1918
November 17: Freedom and Democracy Day, commemorating the anti-Nazi student demonstrations of 1939 and the anti-Communist demonstrations of 1989
December 24: Christmas Eve , December 25: Christmas Day, December 26: St. Stephen Day

Czechs also have unique personal holidays, called "name days"- every day of the year is assigned a given name. On the day that shares your name, you are treated to greetings, toasts, and gifts from your friends and family.