Slovakia

Slovakia, the landlocked nation in central Europe, was founded in 1993 from Czechoslovakia. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. The city of Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia. Slovakia is a member of the European Union, NATO, OECD, WTO, etc. and will join the Eurozone in 2009.

HISTORY:- The Slovaks settled in the region of present-day Slovakia around the 6th century. The region became a part of the Great Moravian Empire in the 9th century. Around 907, the Moravian Empire collapsed as a result of the Germans and the Magyars invasions and the region was incorporated into the Kingdom of Hungary in the early 10th century. Following the World War I, Czech lands of Bohemia, Moravia, and part of Silesia were merged with Slovakia to form the state of Czechoslovakia in 1918 under the Treaty of Saint Germain and Treaty of Trianon. In 1939, Germany captured the newly born land and set up a protectorate. Germany established a puppet government with Monsignor Josef Tiso as the Prime minister in Czechoslovakia. The Soviets seized Czechoslovakia from the Germans in 1945. In 1948, when communist era started, the power centralized in the hand of the Czech-dominated government. This enlightened dissatisfaction between the two republics. In 1969, the country became a federation of the Czech Socialist Republic and the Slovak Socialist Republic. The communist era was ended in 1989 with Vaclav Havel as the president of Czechoslovakia. Negotiations over the formation of two republics out of Czechoslovakia began in 1991. In 1993 through the Velvet Divorce, two republics were founded.

GEOGRAPHY:- Slovakia is located at 48 40 N, 19 30 E in Central Europe, occupying total 48,845 sq km area in which only 45 sq km area is occupied by internal waters. Slovakia is a landlocked nation, bordering Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Ukraine. The lowest point is Bodrok River (94 m) while the highest point is Gerlachovsky Stit (2,655 m). The central and northern parts are rugged mountainous and the southern part is formed of lowlands. The Danube, the Váh and the Hron are the major rivers of Slovakia.

CLIMATE:- The climate of Slovakia is mostly temperate with cool summers and cold, cloudy, humid winters.

GOVERNMENT:- Slovakia has a parliamentary democracy. The constitution was ratified in 1992, which came to effect in 1993, amended in 1998 to allow direct presidential election and re-amended in 2001 to apply for NATO and EU membership. The civil law system is based on the Austro-Hungarian codes. The three major branches of the government are:

Executive branch comprises the President (chief of state), the Prime minister (head of government), the Deputy Prime Ministers, and the cabinet. The president is elected by popular vote on a 5-year term. The leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed the prime minister by the president. The cabinet is appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister.

Legislative branch comprises the unicameral National Council of the Slovak Republic (150 seats).

Judicial branch comprises the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court.

Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKU), Slovak National Party (SNS), Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK), Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS), and Christian-Democratic Movement (KDH) are the major political parties of Slovakia. Suffrage is universal at 18.

President                                    Ivan Gašparoviè

Prime Minister                             Robert Fico

President of National Council      Pavol Paška

Deputy Prime Ministers               Dusan Caplovic, Robert Kalinak, Stefan Harabin, Jan Mikolaj.

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:- Slovakia is divided into 8 kraje: Banskobystricky, Bratislavsky, Kosicky, Nitriansky, Presovsky, Trenciansky, Trnavsky, and Zilinsky.

CULTURE:- Slovakian cuisine is mainly consisted of meats and wine. The Slovakian music ranges from waltzes, polkas, and czardas folk genres to American jazz, R&B, and rock and roll.

ECONOMY:- Since 1993, Slovakia’s centrally-planned economy is trying to transform into a modern market economy. The banking sector is almost entirely in private hands. The high-income economy of Slovakia has one of the fastest growth rates in EU and OECD. 

GDP/PPP (2007 est.): $109.6 billion; per capita $20,300.

Real growth rate: 10.4%.

Inflation: 2.8%.

Unemployment: 8.4%.

Arable land: 30%.

Agriculture: Grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, cattle, poultry; forest products.

Labor force: 2.24 million (Sept. 30, 2005, est.); agriculture 5.8%, industry 29.3%, construction 9%, services 55.9% (2003).

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.

Budget:  

Revenues: $34.34 billion

Expenditures: $35.99 billion (2007 est.)

Public debt: 35.9% of GDP (2007 est.)

Debt - external: $36.63 billion (31 December 2007)

Natural resources: Brown coal and lignite; small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganese ore; salt; arable land.

Exports: $32.39 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): vehicles 25.9%, machinery and electrical equipment 21.3%, base metals 14.6%, chemicals and minerals 10.1%, plastics 5.4% (2004).

Imports: $34.48 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): machinery and transport equipment 41.1%, intermediate manufactured goods 19.3%, fuels 12.3%, chemicals 9.8%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 10.2% (2003).

Major trading partners: Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, Poland, U.S., Hungary, Russia (2004).

Monetary unit: Koruna

LANGUAGE:- Slovak is the official language spoken by 83.9%.

Hungarian 10.7%

Roma 1.8%

Ukrainian 1%

Other or unspecified 2.6% (2001)

CITIES:- Bratislava is the capital city and the largest city of Slovakia. 

POPULATION:- The approximate population of Slovakia is 5,447,502 with a growth rate of 0.1%.

Density per sq mi: 289

Literacy rate: 99.6% (2001 est.)

RACE:-

Slovak 85.8%

Hungarian 9.7%

Roma 1.7%

Ruthenian/Ukrainian 1%

Other and unspecified 1.8% (2001)

RELIGION:-

Roman Catholic 68.9%

Protestant 10.8%

Greek Catholic 4.1%

Other or unspecified 3.2%

None 13% (2001)

HEALTH:-

Birth rate: 10.64 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 9.5 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 6.98 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.17 years

Total fertility rate: 1.34 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (2001 est.)

Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2005): 1,130

UNICEF:- UNICEF Slovakia committee is started in 1993. UNICEF established child-friendly schools in Slovakia. UNICEF provided financial and technical support to ChildLine and a 24-hour telephone hotline.

TRANSPORTATION:-

Railways: total: 3,668 km (2002).

Highways: total: 42,717 km; paved: 37,036 km (including 296 km of expressways); unpaved: 5,681 km (2000).

Waterways: 172 km on the Danube. Ports and harbors: Bratislava, Komarno.

Airports: 37 (2002).