ial branch:
Supreme Court, Constitutional Court
Political parties and leaders:
Civic Democratic Party (ODS), Vaclav KLAUS, chairman; Christian
Democratic Union-Czech People's Party (KDU-CSL), Josef LUX, chairman;
Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA), Jan KALVODA, chairman; Christian
Democratic Party (KDS), Ivan PILIP, chairman; Czech Social Democratic
Party, Milos ZEMAN, chairman; Czech-Moravian Center Party, Jan KYCER,
chairman; Liberal Social Union (LSU), Frantisek TRNKA; Communist Party
of Bohemia/Moravia (KSCM), Miroslav GREBENICEK, chairman; Association
for the Republic - Republican Party, Miroslav SLADEK, chairman; Left
Bloc, Marie STIBOROVA, chairman
Other political or pressure groups:
Left Bloc; Liberal Party; Czech-Moravian Chamber of Trade Unions
Member of:
BIS, CCC, CE (guest), CEI, CERN, COCOM (cooperating), CSCE, EBRD, ECE,
FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IFCTU, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NACC, NSG,
PCA, UN (as of 8 January 1993), UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNOMIG, UNOMOZ, UNPROFOR, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Michael ZANTOVSKY
chancery:
3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 363-6315 or 6316
FAX:
(202) 966-8540
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Adrian A. BASORA
embassy:
Trziste 15, 11801, Prague 1
mailing address:
Unit 25402; APO AE 09213
telephone:
[42] (2) 251-0847
FAX:
[42] (2) 531-193
Flag:
two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue
isosceles triangle based on the hoist side (almost identical to the
flag of the former Czechoslovakia)

@Czech Republic, Economy

Overview:
The dissolution of Czechoslovakia into two independent nation states -
the Czech Republic and Slovakia - on 1 January 1993 has complicated
the task of moving toward a more open and decentralized economy. The
old Czechoslovakia, even though highly industrialized by East European
standards, suffered from an aging capital plant, lagging technology,
and a deficiency in energy and many raw materials. In January 1991,
approximately one year after the end of communist control of Eastern
Europe, the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic launched a sweeping
program to convert its almost entirely state-owned and controlled
economy to a market system