An Introduction to The Czech Republic
The land of the modern-day Czech Republic formed part of the powerful state of Bohemia, which grew from the late 9th century and reached peaks in the 13th and 14th century when its heirs ruled the territories of Poland, Hungary, Italy and the Holy Roman Empire, and helped defeat the 1235 invasion of the Mongols, killing Genghis Khan's grandson Baidar in the battle of Olomouc. After its decline the area came under Habsburg influence and rule and endured the Thirty Years War, religious persecutions and famine. See full country profile.Latest Research News from Europe (Other)
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GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary republic
AREA: 78,866sq km
POPULATION: 10,562,214 (July 2011 Census)
MAJOR LANGUAGE: Official Language: Czech
Some business and general info
The Market Research Industry
Trade and Industry in The Czech Republic
A little More Knowledge?
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The land of the modern-day Czech Republic formed part of the powerful state of Bohemia, which grew from the late 9th century and reached peaks in the 13th and 14th century when its heirs ruled the territories of Poland, Hungary, Italy and the Holy Roman Empire, and helped defeat the 1235 invasion of the Mongols, killing Genghis Khan's grandson Baidar in the battle of Olomouc. After its decline the area came under Habsburg influence and rule and endured the Thirty Years War, religious persecutions and famine.
The state of Czechoslovakia was formed in 1918 - it was the only democracy in the region between the wars. Communists won a large number of seats in 1946 democratic elections and consolidated power in 1948. More liberal ideas emerged in the late 1960s before Warsaw Pact troops put down the 1968 Prague Spring, and hard line policies continued until 1989 when the 'velvet revolution' peacefully returned the country to democracy. The two halves, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, split in 1993 and have both made relatively successful moves to privatised and developed economies. The latter joined NATO in 1999 and the EU in 2004.
GDP: $285.0 bn (2011 est.); $27,062 per capita
Religions 79.4% was agnostic, atheist or irreligious (see 'A little knowledge'), 10.3% Roman Catholic, 0.8% Protestant (0.5% Czech Brethren and 0.4% Hussite), and 9.4% other
Currency: Czech koruna (CZK); 20.8 CZK = $US 1
Telephone Code: + 420
Research Industry
The Czech Republic is the 31st largest research market in the world, and the 17th largest in Europe. 77 percent of MR turnover comes from domestic clients and 23 percent from international. According to the ESOMAR Global Prices Study 2012 the country was the 37th most expensive for carrying out research.The Czech Republic's economy is open, developed and relatively high income, and the country is one of the most stable and prosperous from the former eastern bloc. Real GDP fell 4.7% in 2009, but recovered as early as the second half of that year. Car making is the largest industry and accounts for 24% of all manufacturing. Growth was over 6% annually in the three years leading up to 2008, and was led by exports to the EU - especially Germany - and by foreign investment. Privatisation has been widespread and is ongoing. A plan to adopt the Euro by 2010 was shelved in 2007 and no exact date has been scheduled now, although it could be as soon as 2013.
The economy remains sensitive to the performance of those of its export partners, especially Germany. Other concerns surround corruption, a rapidly aging population, an unsustainable pension and health care system, and the need for a more diversified and higher-tech industrial base.
Czech exports summed to $146.7 bn in 2011, and in addition to some 800,000 vehicles, and also included raw materials, fuel and chemicals - Germany took 31.7% in 2010, with Slovakia, Poland and France also between 5 and 10%. Imports are nicely balanced - $143.5 bn in 2011, with Germany (25.6% in 2010) and China (11.9%) supplying the biggest share and Poland, Russia and Slovakia all chipping in with between 5 and 7%. Key commodities were machinery and transport equipment, raw materials, fuels and chemicals.
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