The Czech Republic, consisting of the historicallands of Bohemia and Moravia, is a parliamentarydemocracy.
There are over 10 million inhabitants living in acountry which covers some 30,000 sq miles. Its neighbors are Germany,Austria, Poland, and Slovakia.
The official language is Czech. The educationaland cultural level of the population compares favorably with theUnited States; German and English are spoken widely.
There is an English language weekly newspaper ThePrague Post, which serves the needs of English speaking community ofPrague -- some 40,000 people.
The official currency is the Czech crown. Exchangerate fluctuates around 34 crowns for 1 US $.
The average monthly salary is over 11,000 crowns.The country's unemployment has risen to 9 %; inflation in 1999 wasonly 2 %.
The capital is PRAGUE, population 1,200,000.Annually, this ancient capital is the destination of tens of millionsof people from all over the world. BRNO, capital of Moravia, is thesecond largest city.
Politically, the country is stable. Since the"European Revolution of 1989", the country has been slowly undergoingthe change from communist dictatorship to democracy. Although thesociety still has a long way to go, it is going in the rightdirection.
Under the leadership of the Czech President VaclavHavel, the country has privatized most of the economy, there isfreedom of press, and its citizens are learning how to live and workin a market economy and in a democracy.
The Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999, andaspires to join the European Union.
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UNION OF INDUSTRY OF THE CZECHREPUBLIC
Mr. Stepan Popovic, President
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Mr. Ivan Zikes, President
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Employment in Czech Republic
The work force stands at 4,175,000 people. Over1,343,000 work in industries, 641,000 work in wholesale and retailtrade, 474,000 work in construction, and 379,000 in transportation.In agriculture work only 228,000 people.
Self-emloyment increasing
13% of the work force is now self-emloyed,approximately 643,000 persons. Prague has the highest rate at16%.
Protest against McDonalds andglobalization
The recent worldwide demonstrations against theecological impact of globalization took place also in Prague, withMcDonalds as the obvious target.
Globalization can be likened to totalitarianism,according to some. For instance, the president of the German CentalBank, Hans Tietmeyer recently said that "from now on, politicians areunder the dictate of financial markets." Daily turnover of the giantpension funds equals annual average cash reserves of all the centralbanks of the world combined. Democratic countries now more and moreface above-national and undemocratic organizations and are forcedinto the role of hostages.
Austrian energy firms interested inprivatization
Austrian firms would like to increase theirinvestments in Czech energy companies, when further privatizationssteps are undertaken, according to the Austrial minister of economicsHannes Farnleitner.
Czech automobile firm the largest firm in thecountry
The firm SKODA AUTO is the largest firm in the CR,with approximatelu $3 billion in annual sales. In the second place isUNIPETROL with over $ 2.5 billion in sales, and third is theelectricity producer CEZ, with about $2 billion in sales.
General Electric gets a Czech bankinglicence
General Electric International Holding Company(GE) plans to purchase a large part of the Czech bankAgrobanka.
The 45th annual meeting of CIC attracts muchattention
Under the patronage of the minister of agricultureLux, the international Council for Hunting and Preservation of WildLife (CIC), over 420 representatives from all over the world attendedthe 5-day event in Prague, according its President Nicholas Franco ofSpain.
Among the attendeed were Prof. Heinz Sielmann, aprominent photographer who has made a number of movies about wildlife all over the world, as well as the famous animal sculptor andportraitist Kurt Arentz from Leverkusen. Arentz has createdlarger-than-life bronze portraits of over 100 prominent European andAmerican personalities, among them Ronald Reagan, Herbert vonKarajan, German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and George Bush.
Semafor Theater Celebrates 40thAnniversary
A gala evening took place in Prague on October 30,1999. Besides Jiri Suchy, the leader of the famous theater, manyother Czech celebrities took part in the celebration. Songs wereperformed by Waldemar Matuska, Karel Gott, Pavlina FIlipovska, HanaHegerova a Eva Pilarova.
Writer Bohumil Hrabal Honored
A plain concrete wall in Liben, Hrabal's belovedPrague neighborhood, has been decorated by painter Tatiana Svatosovato honor the author's work and life.
Leaders of 1989 Celebrate November 17Anniversary in Prague
Michail Gorbatchov, George Bush, Helmut Kohl,Margaret Thatcher, Lech Walesa and Danielle Mitterrand commemoratedthe 10th anniversary of the student demonstration in Prague which ledto the fall of communism.
The guests were the very ones responsible fortaking down the Iron Curtain and establishing democracy in the formerSoviet Union satellites.
President Vaclav Havel decorated all the guestswith the Order of the White Lion, the highest state honor, to expressgratitude for their great influence in dismantling the totalitarianregimes in Central and Eastern Europe.
Action 99 Asks for Investigation of November1989 Events
Signatories of Action 99 want to open discussionsabout the events of November 17, 1989. Among the 74 signatories isPetr Cibulka, who leaked unofficial list of secret policecollaborators. Signatories say the events of 1989 did not defeatbolshevism in Czechoslovakia, but rather Communist Party and secretpolice leaders simply moved into top positions in the newregime.
Gorbatchov on NATO
NATO is suffering from the victory syndrome, saidMichail Gorbatchov during his visit to Prague. He said it isdangerous that NATO doctrine now allows intervention anywhere in theworld without consulting the United Nations. Gorbatchov said Russiacannot be ignored.
Zeman visits Berlin
Prime Minister Milos Zeman visited Berlin onNovember 9, where he participated in celebrations marking the 10thanniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Student Leaders of 1989 Demand Top PoliticiansResignations
Six student leaders of 1989 published an appealcalled "Thank You, Now Leave!", demanding the resignation of mostpolitical leaders. The authors declare that they are "deeplydisgusted and outraged by the current political representation'sperformance." The student leaders also wrote that they feel deceivedby an arrogant political power and they demand "the return ofdecency, morality, political correctness and humanorientation."
The appeal was supported by President VaclavHavel, Cardinal Miloslav Vlk and leaders of the Four-Party Coalition.The text has been signed by more than 150,000 citizens.
Volkswagen wishes to buy up SkodaAuto
The German car maker Volkswagen, which owns 70% ofthe Czech carmaker Skoda Auto, is interested to buy the remaining 30%of its shares for 8 billion crowns. Prime Minister Zeman says thatthis price is too low, hinting a price in the area of 20 billioncrowns would be more realistic.
Which are the top Czechcompanies?
The best Czech company is Skoda Auto, followed bythe Investment and Postal Bank and Glaverbel Czech. The followingplaces are taken by Microsoft CR, SPT Telecom, RadioMobil, Fischer,Pilsner Urquell, Barum Continental. Brno Fairs and Exhibitonsfinished 10th.
Pope Expresses Regret over Execution of CzechReformer Jan Hus in 1415
"On the treshold of the great anniversary of theyear 2000 I want to express my deep regret over the cruel death ofJohn Huss (Jan Hus), which became the source of many conflicts anddivisions in the hearts and minds of the Czech nation," said PopeJohn Paul II in a speech at the Vatican.
Huss, a priest, was considered a heretic by theCatholic Church for his reformist ideas, and in 1415 was burnt at thestake.
Havel Talks about Globalization in New Year'sSpeech
"My dear fellow citizens, at midnight we enteredthe year of a great change of ages. People traditionally considersuch a time as a challenge for more fundamental contemplation ofthemselves, about the world, about the meaning of all things," beganPresident Havel's annual New Year's address. The main theme of hisspeech was globalization. Havel said our planet is becoming "unifiedand electronically connected place of information, communication,finance and trade, in which circulate not only news, but alsobillions of dollars, cultural values and pseudo-values, good and badgoods, good and bad approaches to life." Havel called on people tochange their values, to be more humble and considerate: "We shouldunderstand much more strongly that we are not only the members of ourfamily, employees or owners of a company, residents of our village orcity, members of our profession, members of our group or party andmembers of our nation, but that we are residents of this Earth."Havel in the end wished the Czech people "a great return of hope-hopein our personal lives, the life of our land and the life of theentire human community."
Havel, who among the world's statesmen is the onlyone who can be called a "philosopher-king", is an example that asmall country can raise great men.
Lowest inflation of the decade
The average rate of inflation in 1999 in the CzechRepublic was only 2%, the lowest since 1991.
Unemployment hits record high
The unemployment rate in the Czech Republic was inDecember 1999 at 9.4%, a record. About 487,000 people were out ofwork. The regions most severely hit are north Moravia andnorthwestern Bohemia, where unemployment rate was around 20%. Thelowest unemployment rate is in Prague.
New Year should be more prosperous for theCzechs
After two years of recession, economists arepredicting growth. They expect the GDP to rise by 2% in2000.
Jan Palach Monument opens on WenceslasSquare
31 years after setting himself on fire, thestudent Jan Palach was honored by a monument in front of the NationalMuseum at the top of Wenceslas Square in Prague. In 1969 Jan Palach,then a student of Charles University, set himself on fire in protestagainst the Russian occupation of Czechoslovakia on August 20,1968.
Palach set himself on fire on January 16, 1969 anddied three days later. In his courageous act of protest he was laterjoined by two other young men-student Jan Zajic and a worker, EmilPlocek.
Current popularity of the politicalparties
The Civic Democratic Party (ODS) would be thestrongest party in Parliament with 22%, if elections were held inJanuary 2000. The Communists (KSCM) would be second with 18%, theSocial Democrats would be third with 15%.
Czech export on the rise
Last year's foreign trade deficit was nearly $ 2billion, which is the best result in the past five years. Exports tothe countries of the European Union increased by 18%, includingexports to Germany, which alone increased by 20%. Germany is theCzech Republic's biggest and most important trading partner, taking42% of all Czech exports. Although the export of foodstuffs andconsumer goods has decreased, exports of machinery, expecially cars,has increased.
New rector of Charles University takesoffice
The three year term of the 506th CharlesUniversity Rector Ivan Wilhelm, 58, began on February 1, 2000.President Vaclav Havel himself inaugurated him intooffice.
The new rector said that he is going to demandperfect knowledge of foreign languages from students, he wants toexpand seminars at the expense of lectures, make entrance exams moreobjective and broaden bachelor studies. He said he is also going tosupport scientific research and motivate young scientists throughforeign exchanges.
Bronze bust for President Havel
President Vaclav Havel was honored during hisfirst state visit to Germany in May with a bronze portrait bust bythe German sculptor Kurt Arentz.
The ceremony took place in the Czech Embassy inBerlin. The event was initiated by the Czech Honorary Consul andMuseum Director B. John Zavrel.
His Museum of European Art in Clarence, New Yorkhas cooperated with the Europaeische Kulturstiftung (The EuropeanCultural Foundation) in Berlin and the Alexander Order for Art andScience in Paris.
President Havel said to Zavrel that the culturalcooperation between the countries is very important in supporting abetter understanding among people. "This supports also our policy fora free and united Europe," emphasized Havel. He thanked Zavrel andthe art organizations for their engagement. In further discussionswith the German president Johannes Rau and the former presidentsRoman Herzog and Richard von Weizsaecker Consul Zavrel announcedbilateral and multilateral cultural events.
The sculptor Kurt Arentz is a leading artist inEurope. His works are in official collections of the GermanGovernment. Arentz also created the portraits of the US PresidentsRonald Reagan, George Bush and Bill Clinton.
American businesses located in the Buffalo, NewYork and in the Western New York which are interested in receivingmore information about possible business contacts (export,outsourcing, or import) in the Czech Republic cancontact:
Consul B. John ZAVREL
B. John Zavrel, P.C.
Certified Public Accountants
10545 Main Street
Clarence, New york 14031, USA
Telephone 716 - 759 - 6078, fax 716 - 759 -7925.
Czech artists (painters or sculptors)interested in cooperation with the United States can writeto:
Consul B. John ZAVREL
The Museum of European Art
10545 Main Street
Clarence, New York 14031, USA
Web Site: http://www.meaus.com