Czech Republic 2018

In 2018, the Czech Republic had a population of approximately 10.6 million people. The economy is largely based on services such as tourism and financial services, which account for nearly 70% of the GDP. Exports such as machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and chemicals are also important exports. Czech is the official language although other languages such as German, Polish and Slovak are also spoken. According to extrareference, the Czech Republic is a parliamentary republic with an executive branch headed by the President who is elected for a five year term. The legislative branch consists of a bicameral parliament (the Chamber of Deputies and Senate). In terms of foreign relations, the Czech Republic maintains diplomatic ties with over 100 countries around the world and has close ties with its neighbors in Europe such as Germany, Poland and Slovakia. The government also works closely with international organizations such as the United Nations, European Union (EU), World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Trade Organization (WTO) and Council of Europe (CoE).

Yearbook 2018

Czech Republic. According to Countryaah.com, Prague is the capital city of Czech Republic, a country located in Eastern Europe. The Czech Republic was hit by a government crisis since the election the year before. The victor Andrej Babiš and his party Ano (Disgruntled Citizens’ Action) got no coalition partners, as one of Babiš companies was investigated for cheating with EU grants. Babiš and Ano sought to form a minority government but voted down in parliament in January. President Miloš Zeman gave Babiš another chance to form a government and in the meantime lead an expedition minister.

• According to Abbreviationfinder: EZS is an three letter acronym for Czech Republic.

Zeman himself faced presidential elections. The EU and immigrant-critical but Putin- and Trump-friendly Zeman were challenged primarily by Jiří Drahoš, former president of the Czech Academy of Sciences. Drahoš warned of both Putin and populism, emphasizing the importance of education, science and environmental care.

Zeman won the first round of the presidential election with just over 38% of the vote against just over 26% for Drahoš. Nine candidates took part in the election and the two main ones made a decisive round at the end of January. The two diametrically different candidates had equal support in public opinion, which was seen as evidence of the nation’s deep divide. However, Zeman was the strongest in the TV debates and won the second round with just over 51% of the vote against just under 49% for Drahoš.

When Miloš Zeman was installed in March for his second term as president, he attacked a mining magnate and media mogul and his media, who often criticized him. Zeman also accused state-run Czech TV of bias. The speech was widely criticized, and in Prague, thousands of people demonstrated against Zeman and against Babiš and in support of freedom of speech.

Negotiations between Prime Minister Babiš Party Ano and the Social Democrats to form a coalition broke down in April. The news was followed by demonstrations in Prague with protests against Babiš and demands for “a decent government”.

President Zeman wanted the Czech Republic to follow the example of the United States and move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The government, however, stuck to the EU’s line on the matter but assigned honorary consulates and the Czech cultural center to Jerusalem. When the EU voted in favor of joint condemnation of the US embassy move, the Czech Republic vetoed it. When Zeman later visited Israel, he promised to do his best for an embassy move, but noted that he was unfortunately not a dictator.

The Babiš minority government relied in Parliament on the support of the Communists and the right-wing party Freedom and Direct Democracy. In June, however, Babiš managed to form a coalition with the Social Democrats. It was also in the minority but was supported by the Communist Party and approved in Parliament.

The government party Ano ran an immigrant-critical policy, and in November the government decided to withdraw from the UN’s new global framework for migration, like several neighboring countries.

Prague

Prague, Czech Praha, capital of the Czech Republic; 1. 2 million residents (2014). Prague, located on the Vltava River (Moldova), is an important administrative, industrial, transport and cultural center with ever-growing tourism.

The main works of the late medieval Bohemian painting can be found in the National Gallery, which also has rich international collections, and the gallery in St. George’s Monastery. Prague is also a major theater and music city with, among other things, the Theater Laterna Magika and three opera scenes, Tylovo divadlo (Tylteatern), inaugurated in 1783, the National Theater, inaugurated in 1881, burned down and re-inaugurated in 1883, and the Smetanateatern, inaugurated in 1888 as a German-language stage (since 1945 Czech). Since 1946, an annual international music festival, Pražské jaro (Prague Spring) is organized. In 2000, Prague was the European Capital of Culture.

Business

Prague is the country’s economic center. Although the city’s business sector has undergone a major change from being industry-dominated to becoming more service- and service-oriented, the city still has several important industrial companies. Nowadays, however, about 80% of the workforce works in the service and service industries; tourism, finance, media and government administration are some of the most important industries. Important industrial industries include electrical, food and chemical technology. Most post-war industries were located on the outskirts of the city, especially in the east.

Communications

Prague is the country’s most important road and rail junction. There are three major railway stations and two river ports. Ruzyně International Airport is 10 km west of the city center. Prague is also the starting point for Vltava-Elbe shipping with significant tourist traffic.

In addition to the bus and tram lines since 1974, city traffic is provided by a subway system that includes three lines.

Architecture and cityscape

Prague is the architecturally richest of Central Europe’s major cities with the 1300s and the Baroque as the most important building stage and with the castles of Hradčany and Staré Město (Old Town) as particularly densified environments. Within Hradčany are the Romanesque St. George’s Church (founded 920) and St. Veitsdomen, begun in 1344 by Matthias of Arras and continued in 1353-99 by Peter Parler, who is also the author of the large collection of portrait busts in the court triforium and the Charles Bridge (1357). The same stage includes the Tyn Church (founded 1135, rebuilt from 1365), the town hall with famous astronomical clock from the 1400s and the Old Synagogue (1270) in Staré Město. A rich late Gothic interior is characterized by the Coronation Hall in Hradčany (1480–1502, Benedikt von Ried).

An early example of Renaissance architecture is the Belvedere Castle (begun in 1536), and among the many noble palaces in the district of Malá Strana (Little Side) on the left bank is particularly noticeable the large Wallenstein Palace (1624-30). From the latter part of the 17th century, a southern German and Italian inspired Baroque style dominated, which has meant a lot to the city’s face. Examples include the Clam-Gallas Palace (1713-19, JB Fischer von Erlach) and a large number of Catholic churches, including Saint Nicholas (1732–37, see picture Dientzenhofer).

Nové Město (New Town), built in the middle of the 13th century south of Staré Město, is dominated by the avenue-like, almost kilometer-long Wenceslas Square, the center of modern city life. Later buildings in the district are especially notable for the National Theater (1868–83, Josef Zítek). A functionalist pioneering work is the Pension Office’s huge office building in the Žižkov district (1930–32, Karel Honzík and Josef Havlíček). As one of the few major cities in Central Europe, Prague avoided destruction during the Second World War. Since 1992, the city’s historic center has been included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.