A Brief History
Following the World War I, the closely related Czechs and Slovaks of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire merged to form Czechoslovakia on October 28, 1918. During the interwar years, the new country's leaders were frequently preoccupied with meeting the demands of other ethnic minorities within the republic, most notably the Sudeten Germans and the Ruthenians (Ukrainians). After World War II, Czechoslovakia fell within the Soviet sphere of influence. In 1968, an invasion by Warsaw Pact troops ended the efforts of the country's leaders to liberalize Communist party rule and create "socialism with a human face." Anti-Soviet demonstrations the following year ushered in a period of harsh repression. With the collapse of Soviet authority in 1989, Czechoslovakia regained its freedom through a peaceful "Velvet Revolution." On January 1, 1993, the country underwent a "Velvet Divorce" into its two national components, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. As a member of NATO since March 12, 1999, the Czech Republic has moved toward integration in world markets, a development that poses both opportunities and risks. The Czech Republic joined the European Union on May 1, 2004.

The flag of the Czech Republic	The Czech coat of arms

Government
President Vaclav Klaus, elected by Parliament for a five-year term;
Prime Minister Vladimír Špidla, appointed by the president;
Bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senát (81 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms; one-third elected every two years) and the Chamber of Deputies or Poslanecká Snemovna (200 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms);
Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; chairman and deputy chairmen are appointed by the president for a 10-year term.

Population Statistics
Total Pop: 10,249,216 people (51.3% female, 48.7% male)
22.8% under the age of 19
13.8% over the age of 65
81.2 % Czech
13.2% Moravian
3.1% Slovak
39.8% atheist
39.2% Roman Catholic
4.6%, Protestant
3%, Orthodox
13.4% Other

Czech Currency
The unit of the Czech money is the Czehc Crown, or Ceská Koruna, abbreviated KCZ or CZK (for Koruna Ceská). The crown is divided into 100 Heller or Halér(h). Notes come in 5000, 2000, 1000, 500, 200, 100, 50 and 20 KCZ denominations and coins in 50, 20, 10, 5, 2, and 1 KCZ and 50, 20 and 10 h sizes.

State holidays
1st January – Establishment Day, celebrating the creation of the Czech Republic in 1993
8th May – Liberation Day, celebrating the end of World War II
5th July – Constantin and Methodius Day (Cyril a Metodej), celebrating the first Christian missionaries to the Czech lands
6th July – Jan Hus Day, celebrating the religious reformer who was burned at the stake in 1415
28th September - Saint Wenceslas Day, celebrating the patron of the Czech State
28th October – Czechoslovakian Statehood Day, establishment of democratic Czechoslovakia in 1918
17th November – Freedom and Democracy Day, commemorating the anti-Nazi student demonstrations of 1939 and the anti-Communist demonstrations of 1989

Other holidays
1st January – New Year´s Day
Easter Monday
1st May – May Day
24th December – Christmas Eve
25th December - Christmas Day
26th December - Boxing Day

Area
about 30,450 sq miles (78,866 sq km), slightly smaller than South Carolina

Climate
The average annual temperature ranges between 5.5°C (42°F) and 10°C (50°F), but temperatures are lower in the mountains. The average annual rainfall is 693 mm (27 inches). The normal summer temperature varies between 23°C (73°F) and 29°C (84°F), and the normal winter temperature varies between -11°C (12°F) and 0°C (32°F). The highest peak, Snežka, in the western mountains, has an annual average snowfall of 130 days.

Facts thanks to the CIA World Factbook 2003 and the Official Site of the Czech Republic.