Visitors have been pouring in and revelling in the accessibility of this top tourist destination since things changed with a thump in 1989. Veteran travellers, meanwhile, are often heard lamenting about no longer having Prague to themselves. But the Czech Republic is still all things to all people. While Prague shakes with excitement, almost everything outside this astonishing city is still off the beaten tourist track and unspoiled. Who could complain?

Full name : Czech Republic
Capital : Prague (pop 1.2 million )
Area : 78,870 sq km
Population : 10.22 million
People : Czech with minorities of Slovaks, Poles, Germans, Romanies (also known as Gypsies)and Hungarians
Language : Czech, german,
Religion : 40% Roman Catholic, 10% Protestant, orthodox
Government : Parliamentary democracy
Prime Minister : Jiri Paroubek
President : Vaclav Klaus

GDP : US$204.4 billion
GDP per head : US$20,000
Growth rate : 6.1%
Inflation rate : 1.9%
Unemployment rate : 8.3%
Major industries : Machinery, transport, steel, armaments, vehicles, cement, ceramics, cotton, beer
Trading partners : Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Russia, Italy
EU member : yes