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Czech Republic

Geography

Central Europe, southeast of Germany. Landlocked.

Economy

Figures unless otherwise stated are from the CIA Factbook.

Factbook: "he Czech Republic is one of the most stable and prosperous of the post-Communist states of Central and Eastern Europe. Maintaining an open investment climate has been a key element of the Czech Republic's transition from a communist, centrally planned economy to a functioning market economy. As a member of the European Union, with an advantageous location in the center of Europe, a relatively low cost structure, and a well-qualified labor force, the Czech Republic is an attractive destination for foreign investment."

Estimated per capita GDP:
2008 $26,100
2007 $25,200
2006 $23,700

GDP annual growth rate:
2008: 3.9%
2007: 6%
2006: 6.8%

Unemployment estimated for 2008: 6%

Military expenditures as a percentage of GDP: 1.46 (2007)

Deaths and Births per 1,000 persons, estimated for the year 2008

Deaths: 10.69. Births: 8.89.

Population

Estimate for July 2008: 10.22 million. Growth rate estimated for 2008: minus 0.082 percent per year.

Native home to Petra Nemcova, tsunami survivor and the greatest of supermodels -- at least formerly. When she is not rail thin she has the more beauty that the late and great Ingrid Bergman, and Bergman's charm and diction -- different from the impression one gathers from her pouting and narrowness of face in swimsuit photos. 

Migration 2008

More arriving than leaving, a net gain of 0.97 persons per 1,000 population.

Health estimates

Infant mortality for 2008: 3.83, down from 3.93 in 2005 (deaths before the age of one year, per 1,000 live births)

Average life expectancy at birth estimated for 2008: 76.62, up from 76.02 in 2005.

Living with HIV/AIDS, ages 15 to 49: less than 0.1 percent (2001).

Religion

Atheist 39.8 percent, Roman Catholic 39.2 percent, Protestant 4.6 percent, Other 13.4 percent.

SOURCES:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/

Copyright © 2008 by Frank E. Smitha. All rights reserved.