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Country information - Slovakia

The original Slavic population settled the general territory of Slovakia in the 5th century. In the centuries that followed Slovakia was for the greater part a part of the Kingdom of Hungary, and mostly an influential part. By the end of the 18th century, Slovakia's influence decreased.

In 1918, Slovakia was joined to the regions of Bohemia and neighboring Moravia to form Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovakia lasted until it was broken up by the Munich Agreement of 1938, when Slovakia became a separate republic that would be tightly controlled by Nazi Germany.

Following the chaos of World War II, Czechoslovakia became a Communist nation within Soviet-ruled Eastern Europe. The end of communist rule in Czechoslovakia in 1989, during the peaceful Velvet Revolution, was followed once again by the country's dissolution, this time into two successor states.

Slovakia and the Czech Republic went their separate ways after January 1, 1993, an event sometimes called the Velvet Divorce. Slovakia joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.

	Geography	Slovakia

Location

Central Europe, south of Poland

Area	total: 48,845 sq km

Land	48,800 sq km

Water

45 sq km

Land boundaries

total: 1,524 km

Border countries

Austria 91 km, Czech Republic 215 km, Hungary 677 km, Poland 444 km, Ukraine 97 km

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Climate

temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters

Terrain

rugged mountains in the central and northern part and lowlands in the south

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Bodrok River 94 m

highest point

Gerlachovsky Stit 2,655 m

Natural resources

brown coal and lignite; small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganese ore; salt; arable land

Natural hazards

	People	Slovakia

Population

5,431,363

Nationality

noun: Slovak(s)

Adjective

Slovak

Ethnic groups

Slovak 85.8%, Hungarian 9.7%, Roma 1.7%, Ruthenian/Ukrainian 1%, other and unspecified 1.8%)

Religions

Roman Catholic 68.9%, Protestant 10.8%, Greek Catholic 4.1%, other or unspecified 3.2%, none 13%

Languages

Slovak (official) 83.9%, Hungarian 10.7%, Roma 1.8%, Ukrainian 1%, other or unspecified 2.6%

	Government	Slovakia

Country name

conventional long form: Slovak Republic

Conventional short form

Slovakia

Local long form

Slovenska Republika

Local short form

Slovensko

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Capital

Bratislava

Administrative divisions

8 regions (kraje, singular - kraj); Banskobystricky, Bratislavsky, Kosicky, Nitriansky, Presovsky, Trenciansky, Trnavsky, Zilinsky

Independence

1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia)

National holiday

Constitution Day, 1 September (1992)

Constitution

ratified 1 September 1992, effective 1 January 1993; changed in September 1998 to allow direct election of the president; amended February 2001 to allow Slovakia to apply for NATO and EU membership

Legal system

civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to comply with the obligations of Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: President Ivan Gasparovic (since 15 June 2004)

Head of government

Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda (since 30 October 1998); Deputy Prime Minister Ivan Miklos (since 30 October 1998); Deputy Prime Minister Pal Csaky (since 30 October 1998); Deputy Prime Minister Pavol Rusko (since May 2004)

Cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister

Elections

president elected by direct, popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 3 April and 17 April 2004 (next to be held April 2009); following National Council elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president

Legislative branch

unicameral National Council of the Slovak Republic or Narodna Rada Slovenskej Republiky (150 seats; members are elected on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)

Elections

last held 20-21 September 2002 (next to be held September 2006)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (judges are elected by the National Council); Constitutional Court (judges appointed by president from group of nominees approved by the National Council)

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red superimposed with the Slovak cross in a shield centered on the hoist side; the cross is white centered on a background of red and blue

	Economy	Slovakia

It wasn't easy but Slovakia mastered much of the difficult transition from a centrally planned economy to a modern market economy. The Dzurinda government made excellent progress during 2001-04 in macroeconomic stabilization and structural reform.

Major privatizations are nearly complete, the banking sector is almost completely in foreign hands, and the government has helped facilitate a foreign investment boom with business-friendly policies, such as labor market liberalization and a 19% flat tax. Foreign investment in the automotive sector has been strong.

Slovakia's economic growth exceeded expectations in 2001-05, despite the general European slowdown. Unemployment remains the economy's most problematic point. Slovakia joined the EU on 1 May 2004. Slovakia plans to adopt the Euro currency on 1 January 2009 and has already entered the ERM for this purpose.

Labor force

2.62 million

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 5.8%, industry 29.3%, construction 9%, services 55.9%

Unemployment rate

11.5%

Population below poverty line

Household income by percentage share

lowest 10%: 5.1%, highest 10%: 18.2%

Agriculture - products

grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, cattle, poultry; forest products

Industries

metal and metal products; food and beverages; electricity, gas, coke, oil, nuclear fuel; chemicals and manmade fibers; machinery; paper and printing; earthenware and ceramics; transport vehicles; textiles; electrical and optical apparatus; rubber products

Currency (code)

Slovak koruna (SKK)