World Factbook
Czechia
Ceska republika
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Flag
description: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the left side
note: combines the white and red of Bohemia with blue from the arms of Moravia; identical to the flag of the former Czechoslovakia
Capital
name
Prague
etymology
the name may derive from the old Slavic word "praga" or "prah," meaning "threshold;" it could also be related to the same Slavic root word as the modern Czech "pražiti," a term for woodland cleared by burning
time difference
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time
+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
geographic coordinates
50 05 N, 14 28 E
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
citizenship by birth
no
citizenship by descent only
at least one parent must be a citizen of Czechia
dual citizenship recognized
no
residency requirement for naturalization
5 years
Constitution
history
previous 1960; latest ratified 16 December 1992, effective 1 January 1993
amendment process
passage requires at least three-fifths concurrence of members present in both houses of Parliament
Country name
etymology
name derives from the Czechs, a West Slavic tribe who rose to prominence in the late 9th century A.D.; the tribal name is said to come from an ancestral chief
local long form
Ceska republika
local short form
Cesko
conventional long form
Czech Republic
conventional short form
Czechia
Independence
1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia)
note: although 1 January is the day the Czech Republic came into being, the Czechs commemorate 28 October 1918, the day the former Czechoslovakia declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, as their independence day
Legal system
new civil code enacted in 2014, replacing civil code of 1964 based on former Austro-Hungarian civil codes and socialist theory
Government type
parliamentary republic
Judicial branch
highest court(s)
Supreme Court (organized into Civil Law and Commercial Division, and Criminal Division each with a court chief justice, vice justice, and several judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 15 justices); Supreme Administrative Court (consists of 36 judges, including the court president and vice president, and organized into 6-, 7-, and 9-member chambers)
subordinate courts
High Court; regional and district courts
judge selection and term of office
Supreme Court judges proposed by the Chamber of Deputies and appointed by the president; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate; judges appointed for 10-year, renewable terms; Supreme Administrative Court judges selected by the president of the Court; unlimited terms
Executive branch
cabinet
Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
chief of state
President Petr PAVEL (since 9 March 2023)
election results
2023: Petr PAVEL elected in the second round; percent of vote in the first round - Petr PAVEL (independent) 35.4%, Andrej BABIS (ANO) 35 % , Danuse NERUDOVA (Mayors and Independents) 13.9%, Pavel FISCHER (independent) 6.8%; percent of vote in the second round - Petr PAVEL 58.3%, Andrej BABIS 41.6% 2018: Milos ZEMAN reelected president in the second round; percent of vote - Milos ZEMAN (SPO) 51.4%, Jiri DRAHOS (independent) 48.6%
head of government
Prime Minister Andrej BABIS (since 9 December 2025)
most recent election date
13-14 January 2023, with a second round on 27-28 January 2023
election/appointment process
president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (limited to 2 consecutive terms); prime minister appointed by the president for a 4-year term
expected date of next election
by January 2028
National holiday
Czechoslovak Founding Day, 28 October (1918)
National color(s)
white, red, blue
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites
17 (16 cultural, 1 natural)
selected World Heritage Site locales
Historic Prague (c); Historic Telč (c); Historic Český Krumlov (c); Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape (c); Historic Kutná Hora (c); Holy Trinity Column, Olomouc (c); Karlovy Vary Spa (c); Zatec and the Landscape of Saaz Hops; Žatec and the Landscape of Saaz Hops (n)
Political parties
Action of Dissatisfied Citizens or ANO ( Akce nespokojených občanů) Christian and Democratic Union - Czechoslovak People's Party or KDU-ČSL Civic Democratic Party or ODS Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia or KSČM Czech Pirate Party or Piráti ForMOST or ProMOST Freedom and Direct Democracy or SPD Independents or NEZ Mayors and Independents or STAN Mayors for the Liberec Region or SLK Přísaha Senator 21 or SEN 21 Social Democracy SOCDEM Svobodni Tradition Responsibility Prosperity 09 or TOP 09 Tábor 2020 or T2020 United Democrats - Association of Independents or SD-SN
Legislative branch
legislature name
Parliament (Parlament)
legislative structure
bicameral
National anthem(s)
title
"Kde domov muj?" (Where is My Home?)
history
adopted 1993; the anthem was originally written as incidental music for the play "Fidlovacka" (1834), but it soon became popular as an unofficial anthem of the Czech nation; its first verse served as the official Czechoslovak anthem beginning in 1918, and the second verse (Slovak) was dropped after Czechoslovakia was dissolved in 1993
lyrics/music
Josef Kajetan TYL/Frantisek Jan SKROUP
National symbol(s)
silver (or white) double-tailed rampant lion
Administrative divisions
13 regions ( kraje , singular - kraj ) and 1 capital city* ( hlavni mesto ); Jihocesky (South Bohemia), Jihomoravsky (South Moravia), Karlovarsky (Karlovy Vary), Kralovehradecky (Hradec Kralove), Liberecky (Liberec), Moravskoslezsky (Moravia-Silesia), Olomoucky (Olomouc), Pardubicky (Pardubice), Plzensky (Pilsen), Praha (Prague)*, Stredocesky (Central Bohemia), Ustecky (Usti), Vysocina (Highlands), Zlinsky (Zlin)
Legislative branch - lower chamber
chamber name
Chamber of Deputies (Poslanecka Snemovna)
term in office
4 years
number of seats
200 (all directly elected)
electoral system
proportional representation
scope of elections
full renewal
most recent election date
10/3/2025 to 10/4/2025
expected date of next election
October 2029
percentage of women in chamber
33.5%
parties elected and seats per party
ANO (80); SPOLU (52); Mayors and independents (STAN) (22); Czech Pirate Party (18); Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) (15); Motoristé sobě (AUTO) (13)
Legislative branch - upper chamber
chamber name
Senate (Senat)
term in office
6 years
number of seats
81 (all directly elected)
electoral system
plurality/majority
scope of elections
partial renewal
most recent election date
9/20/2024 to 9/28/2024
expected date of next election
September 2026
percentage of women in chamber
21.3%
parties elected and seats per party
Civic Democratic Party (ODS) (8); Christian Democratic Union - Czechoslovak People's Party (KDU - CSL) (7); TOP 09 (3); ANO 2011 (3); Independents (2); Other (4)
Diplomatic representation in the US
FAX
[1] (202) 966-8540
chancery
3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008-3803
telephone
[1] (202) 274-9100
chief of mission
Ambassador Miloslav STAŠEK (since 16 September 2022)
consulate(s) general
Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
email address and website
washington@embassy.mzv.cz https://www.mzv.cz/washington/
Diplomatic representation from the US
FAX
[420] 257-022-809
embassy
Trziste 15, 118 01 Praha 1 - Mala Strana
telephone
[420] 257-022-000
mailing address
5630 Prague Place, Washington DC 20521-5630
chief of mission
Ambassador Nicholas MERRICK (since 23 October 2025)
email address and website
ACSPrg@state.gov https://cz.usembassy.gov/
International organization participation
Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction