Czech Republic Facts and Figures

Official title: Czech Republic (Česká republika)

Form of government: bi-cameral parliamentary democracy

President: Petr PAVEL 

Prime Minister: Petr FIALA

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)

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 (haléř)

Exchange rate: Currently 24.7 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.

Important emergency numbers: Police - 158, Fire Department - 150, Ambulance - 155

European emergency number: 112

National holiday: The Czech National Holiday on October 28 in the Czech Republic commemorates the anniversary of establishing an independent state. This day marks the anniversary of the creation of the first independent Czechoslovak state in 1918.

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.