Czech Republic
Conventional Long Form Name of country: Czech Republic Capital City: Prague Type of Government: Parliamentary Democracy Date of Independence: 18 October 1918: The day the former Czechoslovakia declared independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. 1 January 1993: The day recognized as the split from Slovakia, also celebrated as an independence day. National Holiday: Czechoslovak Founding Day, 28 October 1918 Chief of State: President Milos Zeman Head of State: Prime Minister Jiri Rusnok Description of Executive Branch/Powers: Functions much as the U.S system of Executives do. A presidential election determines who will be serving for a five year term, in which they can serve no more than two terms in a row. Cabinet members are subsequently promoted to the President by the Prime Minister, and are then selected by the President. Description of Legislative Branch/Powers: Bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate, which has a total of 81 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms; one-third elected every two years and the Chamber of Deputies or Poslanecka Snemovna has 200 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms. This makes for a solid two house legislature. Description of Judicial Branch/Powers: Supreme Court, which is organized into Civil Law and Commercial Division, and Criminal Division each with a court chief justice, vice justice, and several judges; Constitutional Court, consisting of 15 justices; Supreme Administrative Court consisting of 28 judges. Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Name of the Czech Republic's Ambassador to the U.S: Ambassador Petr Gandolovic Place of Czech Republic Embassy in the U.S: 3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 Location of Czech Republic Consulate in the U.S: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York Name of U.S Ambassador: Ambassador Norman L. Eisen Location of U.S Embassy: Trziste 15, 118 01 Prague 1 - Mala Strana Location of U.S Consulate in Czech Republic: N/A Name of their UN Ambassador: H.E. Mrs. Edita Hrda Description of the Flag's Symbolism: Two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side. This flag represents the Czechoslovakia of old. National Symbol: Double-tailed lion International Disputes: While threats of international legal action never materialized in 2007, 915,220 Austrians, with the support of the popular Freedom Party, signed a petition in January 2008, demanding that Austria block the Czech Republic's accession to the EU unless Prague closes its controversial Soviet-style nuclear plant in Temelin, bordering Austria. Refugees: 1,502 (country unknown) Illicit Drug Trafficking/Use: Transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and minor transit point for Latin American cocaine to Western Europe; producer of synthetic drugs for local and regional markets; susceptible to money laundering related to drug trafficking, organized crime; significant consumer of ecstasy (2008). |
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