The ethnic composition of the Czech Republic is mostly Czech: the majority of the 10.3 million inhabitants of the Czech Republic are ethnically and linguistically Czech (90%). Other ethnic groups include Germans, Roma, and Poles. After the 1993 division, some Slovaks remained in the Czech Republic and comprise roughly 2% of the current population. The border between the Czech Republic and Slovakia is open for former citizens of Czechoslovakia. Major religious denominations and their estimated percentage populations are Roman Catholic (39%) and Protestant (3%). A large percentage of the Czech population claim to be atheists (40%), and 16% describe themselves as uncertain. The Jewish community numbers just a few thousand today. The Czechs share a cultural tradition clearly rationalistic, secular, and anticlerical, which permeates Czech life. Part of Czech self-identity focuses on maintaining the unique blend of Slavic and Western elements that make up the Czech heritage.
 
 

Czech and Slovak Solidarity Council
United Moravian Societies
Moravian Historical Society
Bohemian Benevolent
Literary Association of the City of New York
Bohemian Citizen's Benevolent Society of Astoria
Masaryk Club of Boston
Council of Higher Education
Czech Educational Foundation of Texas
American Czechoslovak Club of North Miami
Czech Heritage Foundation
Bohemian National Cemetery Association of Baltimore
Nebraska Czechs of Wilber
Oklahoma Czechs
California Czech and Slovak Club
Friends of Czech Music
Society of Czechoslovak Philately
Czech-North American Chamber of Commerce
 
 

              As a state, Czechoslovakia could be easily divided into the two major nationalities that resided in the state’s borders, The Czechs and the Slovaks.  Holding more of the power in the state’s federal government, the Czechs wanted continued unification between these two people.  The Slovak people felt as if national funds were being unfairly distributed to Czech regions.  In addition, a separation of newspapers and television stations in the two nations along with political parties that promoted the Slovak republic raised the level of Slovak nationalism.  In Slovak lands the SNS and HZDS, under Vladimir Meciar, consolidated to promote Slovak rights and more local control than the federal government would allow.  In essence, the leading political parties of Slovakia were asking for a confederate government that would give the Slovaks autonomy.  In June 1992 Vaclav Klaus, seeing the Slovak autonomy as a cause of disorder, not only gave the Slovaks autonomy, but also, (despite the Slovak people’s wishes) independence.  Unlike the post-Communist ethnic conflicts in Russia and Yugoslavia, this conflict passed with virtually no blood spilled.
            However, the Czech Republic government is far from excellence concerning internal minority rights.  The largest ethnic problem in the Czech Republic comes from the interactions of the mysterious and closed-off Roma people.  The history of the Roma people is anything but certain.  Evidence shows signs that Nomadic Roma tribes entered into current-day Czech Republic as early as the 13th century.  Possibly originating in Egypt, with ties to Indian languages, the Roma people have always isolated themselves from the people around them.  In recent history, placed into concentration camps, the Romas almost became extinct during the Second World War and only 583 were reported to make it back into the Czech Republic.
            Due to their isolative nature, animosity has often arisen from both the Czech people and the government.  In a population of ten million, the Roma now makes up roughly 0.3% of the inhabitants.  They are often characterized by a high level of unemployment and an average education that does not exceed the elementary level.  This is not necessarily a result of Czech mistreatment, but more likely a result of their nomadic lifestyle.  This lifestyle allowed less time for the workers to learn skills. This type of lifestyle tends to lead to numerous children in order to protect the parents once they age. Also, Roma place a larger emphasis on the health of their family than on their community. Often, an education isn’t as important to the Roma as finding a way to bring food to the family. Those with jobs are usually working blue-collar professions on the railroads, timber industry, and street sweeping.  During the Communist regime a law was made forbidding the nomadic lifestyle that the Romas depended on for centuries.  Even though this law was revoked in 1998, the government still sponsors the hatred.  After the Velvet Divorce in 1993, the Roma people in the Czech lands were part of no specific state; specifically, the Czech government forced the Romas to prove permanent residency to gain citizenship.  Open discrimination and hatred coming from politicians made the situation even worse.  In one small rural town, plans were being drawn to build a fence to separate the Roma community from the rest of the population.  Despite the government’s denial of discrimination, the international community has put pressure on the government to open up communication with the minority, and as a result, has taken some steps towards improvement by allowing for discussion of minorities’ rights in governmental procedures.
            In addition to the state-sponsored discrimination, skinheads have been responsible for dozens of beatings and murders of the Roma people since the break up of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.  While the government has always been quick to condemn these murders, some critics have said the punishments for the murder of Romas has been too lenient.  With a population that is over 80% Czech, the Czech Republic needs to keep open communication with the minorities in order to increase understanding and decrease ethnic hatred.

            Other ethnicities have had problems in the Czech Republic. Just under 40,000 Germans live in the Czech Republic, most of which came during or soon after World War II.  Between bitterness from the war and Communist nationalism, the Germans were treated badly in the Czech Republic for many years.  The state would only allow for a basic education to the Germans.  However, the situation changed drastically after the fall of Communism. The Czech-German Future Fund was created to help relations between the two ethnicities.  Also, both Czech and German are taught at many schools. Today the German population benefits from equality, freedom and minimal prejudice.  The Czech people are working on remaining prejudices by increasing the understanding of the German people through the education system.
 
 

Source: "Ethnic German Minorities in the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia" http://www.radio.cz/en/article/27184
 
 

    In order to fully understand the Slovak nationalist movement it is fundamental to address the subject in a political arena.  Nationalism in Czechoslovakia after the breakup of the Soviet Union was facilitated through the politcal parties of the country.  Slovaks as a people were not adament about secession from the Czechoslovak state, but were rather much more complacent than the poltical elites of the 1990s.
    After the Prague Spring of 1968 Czechoslovakia evolved into a federation containing both  Czech and Slovak republics.  However, following this and up to the 1990s, there was a growing sentiment (at least among politicians) that the Slovaks needed more autonomy in the state. 1990-1991 brought a separation among the political parties along Czech and Slovak lines so that each individual party was now split into completely autonomous Czech and Slovak divisions (this even included the Communists who had always advocated federal sovereignty).  The division of the parties really signifies the beginnings of the great divorce that would follow a year later.
    The elections of 1992 brought Vaclav Klaus (Civic Democratic Party) into power as the Prime Minister for the Czechs and Vladimir Meciar (Movement for Democratic Slovakia--HZDS) as the Prime Minister for the Slovaks.  Klaus's main objective as Prime Minister was to stimulate the economy through rapid privatization by a voucher system.  When Meciar brought the subject of increased Slovak autonomy or eventual secession to the table, Klaus was fairly unconcerned.  In essence, he told the Slovaks that if they wanted to leave then they should.  The notion was brought before the Federal Assembly and was approved on November 25, 1992.  Slovakia became officially independent on January 1, 1993.
    It is easy to see that Slovak nationalism was precipitated by the elected officials of the time.  Minor parties such as the Slovak National Party openly advocated secession but really had no say in the issue.  When the Slovak population was asked their opinion, the majority favored federation and secession.  In my opinion, the main reason behind this is that the Slovaks and Czechs were already well separated in terms of geography in Czechoslovakia.  There were essentially no Slovaks in the Czech lands and there were no Czechs in the Slovak lands.  However, politics drove the issue and independence was granted.