Czech Republic

World Factbook as of November 2014: "The Czech Republic is a stable and prosperous market economy closely integrated with the EU, especially since the country [joined] the EU in 2004. The auto industry is the largest single industry, and, together with its upstream suppliers, accounts for nearly 24% of Czech manufacturing. The Czech Republic produced more than a million cars for the first time in 2010, over 80% of which were exported. While the conservative, inward-looking Czech financial system has remained relatively healthy, the small, open, export-driven Czech economy remains sensitive to changes in the economic performance of its main export markets, especially Germany."

Economc growth rate
2011: 1.8%
2010: 2.3%
2009: -4.7%

Unemployment rate
2011: 8.5%
2010: 9%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
1996: top ten percent of population, 22.4%; bottom ten percent, 4.3%

Public debt
2010: 40% of GDP
2009: 32.8% of GDP
2008: 26.8% of GDP

Income distribution – GINI index
Ranks 112th among 140 countries (lower rank number is less equal).

Health expenditures
2009: 7.6% of GDP (compared to 16/2% for the US)

Military expenditures as a percentage of GDP
2007: 1.46%

People

Living in an urban area
2010: 74%
2008: 73%

Net migration rate
2012: A net gain of 0.97 persons per 1,000 population.

Ethnic groups
2001 census: Czech 90.4%, Moravian 3.7%, Slovak 1.9%, other 4%

Religion
2001 census: Roman Catholic 26.8%, Protestant 2.1%, other 3.3%, unspecified 8.8%, unaffiliated 59%

Geography

Central Europe, southeast of Germany. Landlocked.

Government

Parliamentary democracy. Capital: Prague,

Recent History

In 2004 Supermodel Petra Nemcova is injured during the tsunami in Thailand. She has Ingrid Bergman's charm and good diction – different from the impression one gathers from her pouting and narrowness of face in swimsuit photos.