Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country borders Poland to the northeast, Germany to the west, Austria to the south and Slovakia to the east. The capital and largest city is Prague (Czech: Praha). The country is composed of the historic regions of Bohemia and Moravia, as well as parts of Silesia. The Czech Republic has been a member of NATO, since 1999 and the European Union, since 2004. As of 1 January 2009, the Czech Republic holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The Czech Republic made economic reforms, such as fast privatizations and flat taxes. Annual gross domestic product growth has recently been around 6%. The country is the first former member of the Comecon to achieve the status of a developed country (2006), according to the World Bank. The Czech Republic also ranks best, compared to the former Comecon countries in the Human Development Index.
