Slovakia

Slovakia (Slovak: Slovensko) is a landlocked republic in Central Europe. It borders the Czech Republic in the northwest, Poland in the north, Ukraine in the east, Hungary in the south, and Austria in the southwest. \n\n\n

Slovensk� Republika

\n	\n
(In Detail)\n

National motto: None\n

Slovak\n

Area
- Total
- % water

Ranked 126th
49,036 km�
Negligible \n

Population \n
- Total (2000) \n
- Density

Ranked 103rd\n
5,414,937 \n
111/km� \n

Independence\n
- Date

Division of Czechoslovakia\n
January 1, 1993\n

Currency

Slovak koruna\n

Time zone

UTC +1\n

National anthem

Nad Tatrou sa bl�ska\n

Internet TLD

.SK\n

Calling Code

421\n

Table of contents

1 Name
2 History
3 Politics
4 Regions
5 Geography
6 Economy
7 Demographics
8 Culture
9 Miscellaneous topics
10 External links

Name

Slovakia is officially also called Slovak Republic (in Slovak: Slovensk� republika). However, this form is not often used and its use is not desired by the Slovaks. The short form is lingustically or historically more correct than the long one. The recent practice, especially in economic texts, of using the name Slovak Republic instead of Slovakia, when the terms Hungary, Slovenia etc. are used in the same text, is wrong. This wrong usage arose in analogy to the use of the term Czech Republic, but that is (partly) another problem (see Czech Republic, Czech lands).

History

\nMain article: History of Slovakia The original Slavic population settled the general territory of Slovakia in the 5th century. Slovakia was part of the center of Samo's empire in the 7th century. The highest point of the 9th century proto-Slovak state known as Great Moravia came with the arrival of Cyril and Methodius and the expansion under King Svatopluk. Eventually, Slovakia became a part of the Kingdom of Hungary in the 11th-14th centuries and as such was later part of Austria-Hungary prior to 1918. \nIn that year Slovakia joined with the regions of Bohemia and neighbouring Moravia to form Czechoslovakia. \nFollowing the break-up of that country after the Munich Agreement of 1938, Slovakia became a separate republic that would be tightly controlled by Nazi Germany. Post World War II Czechoslovakia was reinstated and came under the influence of the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact from 1945 onward. \nThe end of communist Czechoslovakia in 1989 during the peaceful Velvet Revolution also meant the end for Czechoslovakia as a whole and a creation of two successor states; Slovakia and the Czech Republic went their separate ways after January 1, 1993. Slovakia became a member of the European Union in May 2004. See also: Bratislava - History, and History of Bratislava

Politics

\nMain article: Politics of Slovakia Slovakia joined the NATO on March 29 2004 and the EU on May 1 2004. There were Presidential election in Slovakia on April 3 2004 and April 17 2004. The Slovak head of state is the president, elected by direct popular vote for a five-year term. \nMost executive power lies with the head of government, the prime minister, who is usually the leader of the major party or a majority coalition in parliament and appointed by the president. \nThe remainder of the cabinet is appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister. Slovakia's highest legislative body is the 150-seat unicameral National Council of the Slovak Republic (N�rodn� Rada Slovenskej Republiky). \nDelegates are elected for 4-year terms on the basis of proportional representation. Slovakia highest judicial body is the Constitutional Court (�stavn� s�d), which rules on constitutional issues. \nThe 13 members of this court are appointed by the president from a slate of candidates nominated by parliament. See also: List of rulers of Slovakia

Regions

\nMain article: Regions of Slovakia As for administrative division, Slovakia is subdivided into 8 "kraje" (singular - kraj, usually translated as regions, but actually meaning rather county), each of which is named after their principal city. As for territorial division and the definition of self-governing entities, since 2002, Slovakia is divided into 8 "vyššie �zemn� celky" abbr. V�C (Higher Territorial Units) and 8 "samospr�vne kraje" (Self-governing (or: autonomous) Regions), both of which are presently identical with the 8 "kraje":

Banska Bystrica region (Banskobystrick� kraj) (see also Banska Bystrica)\n* Bratislava region (Bratislavsk� kraj) (see also Bratislava)\n* Kosice region (Košick� kraj) (see lalso Kosice)\n* Nitra region (Nitriansky kraj) (see also Nitra)\n* Presov region (Prešovsk� kraj) (see also Presov)\n* Trencin region (Trenčiansky kraj) (see also Trencin)\n* Trnava region (Trnavsk� kraj) (see also Trnava)\n* Zilina region (Žilinsk� kraj) (see also Zilina)\n(the word "kraj" can be replaced by "V�C" or "samospr�vny kraj" in each case)

The "kraje" are - and have always been - subdivided into many "okresy" (singular - okres, usually translated as districts). Slovakia currently has 79 districts. See also: List of traditional regions of Slovakia

Geography

\nMain article: Geography of Slovakia The Slovak landscape is noted primarily for its mountainous nature, with the Carpathian Mountains extending across most of the northern half of the country. \nAmongst them are the high peaks of the Tatra mountains, which are a popular skiing destination and home to many scenic lakes and valleys as well as the highest point in Slovakia, the Gerlachovsk� �t�t at 2,655 m. \nLowlands are found in the southwestern (along the Danube) and southeastern parts of Slovakia. Major Slovak rivers, besides the Danube, are the V�h and the Hron. The Slovak climate is temperate, with relatively cool summers and cold, cloudy and humid winters.

Economy

\nMain article: Economy of Slovakia In a survey of the German Chamber of Commerce held in March 2004, as much as 50% of German enterpreneurs chose Slovakia as the best place for investment. Slovakia has mastered much of the difficult transition from a centrally planned economy to a modern market economy. \nThe Dzurinda government made progress in 2001 in macroeconomic stabilisation and structural reform. \nMajor privatisations are nearly complete, the banking sector is almost completely in foreign hands, and foreign investment has picked up. Slovakia's economy exceeded expectations in the early 2000's, despite recession in key export markets. Revival of domestic demand in 2002, partly due to a rise in real wages, offset slowing export growth to help drive the economy to its strongest expansion since 1998. Solid domestic demand boosted economic growth to 4.4% in 2002. Strong export growth, in turn, pushed economic growth to a still strong 4.2 % in 2003, despite a downturn in household consumption. \nUnemployment, rising to 19.8% at the end of 2001, has decreased considerably during the radical reforms introduced since the right-wing Dzurinda government was elected in 2002. By June 2004, the jobless rate had fallen to 13.9% among those registered as unemployed. Inflation dropped from an average annual rate of 12.0% in 2000 to just 3.3% in 2002, but it rose again in 2003-2004 due to administrative measures. Nonetheless, the CPI is widely expected to fall below 4% by 2005.

Demographics

\nMain article: Demographics of Slovakia The majority of the inhabitants of the Slovak Republic are ethnically Slovak (86%). Hungarians are the largest ethnic minority (10%) and are concentrated in the southern and eastern regions of Slovakia.
\nOther ethnic groups include Roma, Czechss, Ruthenians, Ukrainians, Germanss, and Poles. The Slovak constitution guarantees freedom of religion. \nThe majority of Slovak citizens (69%) practise Roman Catholicism; the second-largest group are Protestants (9%). \nAbout 2,300 Jews remain of the estimated pre-WWII population of 120,000. The official state language is Slovak, a member of the Slavic languages, but Hungarian is also widely spoken in the south and enjoys a co-official status in some regions.