Slovakia

¹ Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia; see Velvet Divorce.
² Also .eu, shared with other European Union member states.
³ Shared code 42 with Czech Republic until 1997.

Slovakia (long form: Slovak Republic; Slovak: Slovensko, long form Slovenská republika) is a landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of over five million and an area of about 49,000 square kilometres (almost 19,000 square miles). The Slovak Republic borders the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. The largest city is its capital, Bratislava. Slovakia is a member state of the European Union, NATO, OECD, WTO, and other international organizations.

The Slavic people arrived in the territory of present day Slovakia between the 5th and 6th century AD during the Migration Period (Migration of Nations). Various parts of Slovakia belonged to Samo's Empire, the first known political unit of Slavs, Great Moravia, the Kingdom of Hungary, Habsburg (Austrian) monarchy, Austria-Hungary, Czechoslovakia throughout history. Slovakia became independent on 1 January 1993, after the Velvet Divorce.

1 History
2 Geography
3 Demographics
4 Politics
5 Regions and districts
6 Economy
7 Tourism
8 International rankings
9 See also
10 References
11 Further reading
12 External links

[edit] History

Main article: History of Slovakia

[edit] Before the 5th century

From around 450 BC, the territory of modern-day Slovakia was settled by Celts, who built powerful oppida in Bratislava and Havránok. Biatecs, the silver coins with the names of Celtic kings, represent the first known use of writing in Slovakia. From 6 AD, the expanding Roman Empire established and maintained a chain of outposts around the Danube. The Kingdom of Vannius, a barbarian kingdom founded by the Germanic tribe of Quadi, existed in western and central Slovakia from 20 to 50 AD.

[edit] Slavic states

The Slavic population settled in the territory of Slovakia in the 5th century. Western Slovakia was the centre of Samo's Empire in the 7th century. A Slovak state, known as the Principality of Nitra, arose in the 8th century and its ruler Pribina had the first Christian church in Slovakia consecrated by 828. Together with neighboring Moravia, the principality formed the core of the Great Moravian Empire from 833. The high point of this Slavonic empire came with the arrival of Saints Cyril and Methodius in 863, during the reign of Prince Rastislav, and the territorial expansion under King Svatopluk.

[edit] Kingdom of Hungary

After the disintegration of the Great Moravian Empire in the early 10th century, the Magyars gradually annexed the territory of the present-day Slovakia. In the late 10th century, southwestern Slovakia became part of the arising Hungarian principality (after 1000 the Kingdom of Hungary). Most of Slovakia was integrated into the Kingdom of Hungary by c. 1100, northeastern parts by c. 1300. Because of its high level of economic and cultural development, Slovakia retained its important position in this new state.^{[citation needed]} For almost two centuries, it was ruled autonomously as the Principality of Nitra, within the Kingdom of Hungary. Slovak settlements extended to northern and southeastern present-day Hungary, while Magyars started to settle down in the southern part of Slovakia. The ethnic composition became more diverse with the arrival of the Carpathian Germans (from the 13th century), Vlachs (from the 14th century), and Jews.

Bojnice Castle is the most visited castle in Slovakia

A huge population loss resulted from the invasion of the Mongols in 1241 and the subsequent famine. However medieval Slovakia was characterized rather by burgeoning towns, construction of numerous stone castles, and the development of art.^{[citation needed]} In 1467, Matthias Corvinus founded the first university in Bratislava, but the institution was short-lived.

After the Ottoman Empire started its expansion into Hungary and the occupation of Buda in the early 16th century, the center of the Kingdom of Hungary (under the name of Royal Hungary) shifted towards Slovakia, and Bratislava (known as Pressburg, Pozsony, Pressporek or Posonium at that time) became the capital city of the Royal Hungary in 1536. But the Ottoman wars and frequent insurrections against the Habsburg Monarchy also inflicted a great deal of destruction, especially in rural areas. As the Turks retreated from Hungary in the 18th century, Slovakia's importance within the kingdom decreased, although Bratislava retained its position of the capital city of Hungary until 1848, when the capital moved to Budapest.

During the revolution in 1848-49 the Slovaks supported the Austrian Emperor with the ambition to secede from the Hungarian part of the Austrian monarchy, but they failed in the end to achieve this aim. During the period of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, from 1867 to 1918, the Slovaks experienced severe oppression in the form of Magyarization promoted by the Hungarian government.

St. Elizabeth's Cathedral, Košice.

[edit] Twentieth century

In 1918, Slovakia and the regions of Bohemia and neighbouring Moravia were joined to form Czechoslovakia (confirmed by the Treaty of Saint Germain and Treaty of Trianon). First spelled Czecho−Slovakia,^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4] the name was changed to Czechoslovakia by Prague in 1920, the original hyphenated spelling Czecho−Slovakia was restored in 1938 until its demise, and the spelling Czechoslovakia was reemployed upon the country's partial reconstitution in 1945 (without Sub-Carpathian Rus, its former easternmost constituent). In 1919, during the chaos following the breakup of Austria-Hungary, Slovakia was attacked by the provisional Hungarian Soviet Republic and one-third of Slovakia temporarily became the Slovak Soviet Republic.

During the inter-war period, democratic and prosperous Czechoslovakia was under continuous pressure from the revisionist governments of Germany and Hungary, until it was finally broken up in 1939, as a result of the Munich Agreement concluded a year before. Southern Slovakia was lost to Hungary due to the First Vienna Award.

Under pressure from Nazi Germany, the First Slovak Republic, led by the clerical fascist leader Jozef Tiso, declared its independence from Czechoslovakia in 1939. However, Tiso's government was strongly influenced by Germany and gradually became a puppet regime. An anti-Nazi resistance movement launched a fierce armed insurrection, known as the Slovak National Uprising, in 1944. A bloody German occupation and a guerilla war followed. Most Jews were deported from the country and vanished in German concentration camps during the Holocaust.

After World War II, Czechoslovakia was reconstituted and Jozef Tiso was hanged in 1947 for collaboration with Nazism. More than 76000 Hungarians^[5] and 32000 Germans^[6] have been forced to leave Slovakia, in a series of population transfers initiated by the Allies at the Potsdam Conference. ^[7] This expulsion is still a source of tension^[8] between Slovakia and Hungary.

Czechoslovakia came under the influence of the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact after a coup in 1948. In 1969, the state became a federation of the Czech Socialist Republic and the Slovak Socialist Republic.

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. On September 9, 1992, The Pittsburgh Agreement, which declared desire for independence, was signed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by officials of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech Republic and Slovakia went their separate ways after January 1, 1993, an event sometimes called the Velvet Divorce. Slovakia has remained a close partner with the Czech Republic and other countries within the Visegrad Group. Slovakia became a member of the European Union in May 2004.

[edit] Geography

Main article: Geography of Slovakia

See also: Geomorphological division of Slovakia

Relief.

The Slovak landscape is noted primarily for its mountainous nature, with the Carpathian Mountains extending across most of the northern half of the country. Amongst these mountain ranges are the high peaks of the Tatra mountains.^[9] To the north, close to the Polish border, are the High Tatras which are a popular skiing destination and home to many scenic lakes and valleys as well as the highest point in Slovakia, the Gerlachovský štít at 2,655 metres (8,711 ft).

Major Slovak rivers, besides the Danube, are the Váh and the Hron.

The Slovak climate lies between the temperate and continental climatic zones, with relatively warm summers and cold, cloudy and humid winters. The area of Slovakia can be divided into three kinds of climatic zones and the first zone can be divided into two subzones.

A Climate of lowlands

A.a Climate of lowlands with dominance of oceanic influences - average annual temperature is about 9-10 °C. The average temperature of the hottest month is about 20 °C and the average temperature of the coldest month is greater than -3 °C. This kind of climate occurs at Záhorská nížina and Podunajská nížina. It is the typical climate of the capital city Bratislava[2].

A.b Climate of lowlands with dominance of continental influences - average annual temperature is about 8-9 °C. The average temperature of the hottest month is about 19 °C and the average temperature of the coldest month is less than -3 °C. This kind of climate can be found at Košická kotlina and Východoslovenská nížina. It is the typical climate of the town of Košice[3].

B Climate of basins - average annual temperature is between 5 °C and 8,5 °C. The average temperature of the hottest month is between 15 °C and 18,5 °C and the average temperature of the coldest month is between -3 °C and -6 °C. This climate can be found in almost all basins in Slovakia. For example Podtatranská kotlina, Žilinská kotlina, Turčianska kotlina, Zvolenské kotlina. It is the typical climate for the towns of Poprad[4] and Sliač[5].

C Mountain climate - average annual temperature is less than 5 °C. The average temperature of the hottest month is less than 15 °C and the average temperature of the coldest month is less than -5 °C. This kind of climate occurs in mountains and in some villages in the valleys of Orava and Spiš.

[edit] Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Slovakia

The majority of the inhabitants of Slovakia are ethnically Slovak (86%). Hungarians are the largest ethnic minority (9.5%) and are concentrated in the southern regions of the country.^[9] Other ethnic groups include Roma with 1.8%, Czechs with 0.8%, Ruthenians with 0.4%, Ukrainians with 0.2% and Germans with 0.1%. The estimated percentage of Roma ranges from 1.8% (self-identification of the Roma in the last census) to around 5.6% (based on interviews with municipality representatives and mayors, that is based on the ascription by the remaining population). Note however that in the case of the 5.6%, the above percentages of Hungarians and Slovaks are lower by 4 percentage points in sum.

The official state language is Slovak, a member of the Slavic Language Family, but Hungarian is also widely spoken in the south of the country and enjoys a co-official status in some municipalities, and many people also speak Czech.

The Slovak constitution guarantees freedom of religion. The majority of Slovak citizens (68.9 %) identify themselves with Roman Catholicism (although church attendance is lower); the second-largest group are people without confession (13%). About 6.93% belong to Lutheranism, 4.1% are Greek Catholic, Calvinism has 2.0%, other and non-registered churches 1.1% and some (0.9%) are Eastern Orthodox. About 2,300 Jews remain of the large estimated pre-WWII population of 90,000.^[10]

In 2004 Slovakia had a fertility rate of 1.25 (i.e., the average woman will have 1.25 children in her lifetime), which is one of the lowest numbers among EU countries. The fertility rate is currently increasing again.

[edit] Politics

Main article: Politics of Slovakia

Main building of the National Council of the Slovak Republic, to the left of the Bratislava Castle

Slovakia is a parliamentary democratic republic with a multi-party system. The last parliamentary elections were held on June 17, 2006 and two rounds of presidential elections took place on April 3, 2004 and April 17, 2004.

The Slovak head of state is the president (Ivan Gašparovič, 2004 - 2009), elected by direct popular vote for a five-year term. Most executive power lies with the head of government, the prime minister (Robert Fico, 2006 - 2010), who is usually the leader of the winning party, but he/she needs to form a majority coalition in the parliament. The prime minister is appointed by the president. The 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 (Národná rada Slovenskej republiky). Delegates are elected for a four-year term on the basis of proportional representation. Slovakia's highest judicial body is the Constitutional Court (Ústavný súd), which rules on constitutional issues. The 13 members of this court are appointed by the president from a slate of candidates nominated by parliament.

Slovakia is a member state of the European Union since May 1, 2004 and of NATO since March 29, 2004. As a member of the United Nations (since 1993), Slovakia was, on October 10, 2005, for the first time elected to a two-year term on the UN Security Council (for 2006-2007). Slovakia is also a member of WTO, OECD, OSCE, and other international organizations.

See also: List of rulers of Slovakia

[edit] Regions and districts

Main articles: Regions of Slovakia and Districts 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 its principal city. Regions have enjoyed a certain degree of autonomy since 2002. Their self-governing bodies are referred to as Self-governing (or autonomous) Regions (sg. samosprávny kraj, pl. samosprávne kraje) or Upper-Tier Territorial Units (sg. vyšší územný celok, pl. vyššie územné celky, abbr. VÚC).

Bratislava Region (Bratislavský kraj) (capital Bratislava)
Trnava Region (Trnavský kraj) (capital Trnava)
Trenčín Region (Trenčiansky kraj) (capital Trenčín)
Nitra Region (Nitriansky kraj) (capital Nitra)
Žilina Region (Žilinský kraj) (capital Žilina)
Banská Bystrica Region (Banskobystrický kraj) (capital Banská Bystrica)
Prešov Region (Prešovský kraj) (capital Prešov)
Košice Region (Košický kraj) (capital Košice)

(the word kraj can be replaced by samosprávny kraj or by VÚC in each case)

The "kraje" are subdivided into many okresy (sg. okres, usually translated as districts). Slovakia currently has 79 districts.

In terms of economics and unemployment rate, the western regions are richer than eastern regions; however the relative difference is no bigger than in most EU countries having regional differences.

See also: List of traditional regions of Slovakia and List of tourism regions of Slovakia

[edit] Economy

Modern high-rises in Bratislava

Main article: Economy of Slovakia

Slovakia has pursued a difficult transition from a centrally planned economy to a modern market economy. Major privatizations are nearly complete, the banking sector is almost completely in foreign hands, and foreign investment has picked up.

Solid domestic demand boosted economic growth to 4.1% in 2002. Strong export growth, in turn, pushed economic growth to a still-strong 4.2% in 2003 and 5.4% in 2004, despite a downturn in household consumption. Multiple reasons entailed a GDP growth of 6% in 2005, the 4th highest rate in the EU (after the three Baltic states). GDP growth is expected to reach 8.2% in 2006 (the year-to-year growth amounted to unexpected 9.8% in the 3th quarter of 2006 and stayed high at 9.5% year-to-year change in the 4th quarter of 2006), and 8.0% in 2007. The 9.8% growth came as a surprise to local analysts (6 % was expected), given that the big foreign investor Kia was only going to launch its production in late 2006. In 2006, Slovakia reached the highest economic growth among the members of OECD.

Unemployment, peaking at 19.2% at the end of 2001, decreased again to some 8.9% (March 2007).^[11] In addition to the economic growth, migration of workers to other member-states of the European Union also contributed to this reduction. The unemployment rate still remains among the highest in the EU.

Inflation dropped from an average annual rate of 12.0% in 2000 to just 3.3% in the election year 2002, but it rose again in 2003-2004 because of increases in taxes and regulated prices. It reached 3.7 % in 2005.

Slovakia plans to adopt the Euro currency on 1 January 2009 and has already entered the ERM II for this purpose (Slovak euro coins).

Slovakia is among the most attractive countries in the EU for foreign investors mainly because of its lower labour cost, low tax rates and well educated labour force. In recent years, Slovakia has been pursuing a policy of encouraging foreign investment. However, that has not shown any benefits so far in innovation capabilities within the country.

Despite a sufficient number of researchers and a solid secondary educational system, Slovakia (as well as some other post-communist countries) still faces many challenges in the field of modern knowledge economy. The business and public Research and development expenditures are deeply below EU average.

High Tatras.

[edit] Tourism

Main article: Tourism in Slovakia

Slovakia features natural landscapes, mountains, caves, medieval castles and towns, folk architecture, spas and ski resorts.

[edit] International rankings

Human Development Index 2006: Rank 42nd out of 177 countries
Index of Economic Freedom 2006: Rank 34th out of 157 countries
Reporters Without Borders world-wide press freedom index 2007: Rank 3rd (along with Estonia) out of 169 countries
Global Competitiveness Report ranking 2006-2007: Rank 37th out of 125 countries.
Corruption Perceptions Index 2007: Rank 49th out of 180 countries.
PISA 2007: Rank 27

[edit] See also

[edit] Culture

Slovakia Portal

[edit] Holidays

[edit] Miscellaneous topics

[edit] References

This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2007)

^ "Section III., État Tchéco-Slovaque., Art. 53." Traité de paix entre les puissances alliées et associées et l'Allemagne et protocole signés à Versailles, le 28 juin 1919.
^ "Abschnitt III., Tschecho-slowakischer Staat., Artikel 53." Friedensvertrag zwischen Deutschland und den alliierten und assoziierten Mächten (Versailler Vertrag) vom 28. Juni 1919.
^ "Section IV., État Tchéco-Slovaque., Article 48." Traité de paix entre les puissances alliées et associées et la Hongrie, protocole et declaration du 4 Juin 1920 (Trianon).
^ "Section IV. Czecho-Slovak State., Article 48." Treaty of Peace Between the Allied and Associated Powers and Hungary; And Protocol and Declaration, Signed at Trianon June 4, 1920.
^ Management of the Hungarian Issue in Slovak Politics
^ Nemecká menšina na Slovensku po roku 1918 (in Slovak)
^ Rock, David; Stefan Wolff (2002). Coming home to Germany? : the integration of ethnic Germans from central and eastern Europe in the Federal Republic. New York; Oxford: Berghahn.
^ [1]
^ ^a ^b Slovakia. The World Factbook. CIA (2007). Retrieved on 02-13-2007.
^ Vogelsang, Peter; Brian B. M. Larsen (2002). Deportations. The Danish Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. Retrieved on 02-13-2007.
^ Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic

[edit] Further reading

Pavel Dvorak: The Early History of Slovakia in Images ISBN 80-85501-34-1
Julius Bartl and Dusan Skvarna: Slovak History: Chronology & Lexicon ISBN 086-5164444
Olga Drobna, Eduard Drobny and Magdalena Gocnikova: Slovakia: The Heart of Europe ISBN 086-5163197
Karen Henderson: Slovakia: The Escape from Invisibility ISBN 0415274362
Stanislav Kirschbaum: A History of Slovakia : The Struggle for Survival ISBN 0312161255
Alfred Horn: Insight Guide: Czech & Slovak Republics ISBN 088-7296556
Rob Humphreys: The Rough Guide to the Czech and Slovak Republics ISBN 1858289041
Michael Jacobs: Blue Guide: Czech and Slovak Republics ISBN 0393319326
Neil Wilson, Richard Nebesky: Lonely Planet World Guide: Czech & Slovak Republics ISBN 1864502126
Eugen Lazistan, Fedor Mikovič, Ivan Kučma and Anna Jurečková: Slovakia: A Photographic Odyssey ISBN 086-5165173
Lil Junas: My Slovakia: An American's View ISBN 8070906227

[edit] External links

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Geographic locale

v • d • e

Sovereign states of Europe

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¹ Has part of its territory outside Europe. ² Entirely in West Asia but having socio-political connections with Europe. ³ Has dependencies or similar territories outside Europe.

International organizations

v • d • e Member States of the European Union
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v • d • e

Council of Europe

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v • d • e Visegrád Group
Czech Republic · Hungary · Poland · Slovakia

v • d • e Members of the United Nations Security Council
Permanent members	China · France · Russia · United Kingdom · United States
Term ends December 31, 2007	Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville) · Ghana · Peru · Qatar · Slovakia
Term ends December 31, 2008	Belgium · Indonesia · Italy · Panama · South Africa

v • d • e North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
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Candidates	Albania · Croatia · Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) · *

v • d • e Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
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v • d • e

Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO)

Albania · Angola · Antigua and Barbuda · Argentina · Armenia · Australia · Bahrain · Bangladesh · Barbados · Belize · Benin · Bolivia · Botswana · Brazil · Brunei (Brunei Darussalam) · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cambodia · Cameroon · Canada · Central African Republic · Chad · Chile · China (PRC) · Colombia · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Republic of the Congo · Costa Rica · Côte d'Ivoire · Croatia · Cuba · Djibouti · Dominica · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · Egypt · El Salvador · European Union¹ · Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) · Fiji · Gabon · The Gambia · Georgia · Ghana · Grenada · Guatemala · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Guyana · Haiti · Honduras · Hong Kong² · Iceland · India · Indonesia · Israel · Jamaica · Japan · Jordan · Kenya · South Korea · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Lesotho · Liechtenstein · Macau² · Madagascar · Malawi · Malaysia · Maldives · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mexico · Moldova · Mongolia · Morocco · Mozambique · Myanmar · Namibia · Nepal · New Zealand · Nicaragua · Niger · Nigeria · Norway · Oman · Pakistan · Panama · Papua New Guinea · Paraguay · Peru · Philippines · Qatar · Rwanda · St. Kitts and Nevis · St. Lucia · St. Vincent and the Grenadines · Saudi Arabia · Senegal · Sierra Leone · Singapore · Solomon Islands · South Africa · Sri Lanka · Suriname · Swaziland · Switzerland · Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu|Chinese Taipei³ · Tanzania · Thailand · Togo · Tonga · Trinidad and Tobago · Tunisia · Turkey · Uganda · United Arab Emirates · United States · Uruguay · Venezuela · Vietnam · Zambia · Zimbabwe

All twenty-seven member states of the European Union are also members of the WTO in their own right: Austria • Belgium • Bulgaria • Cyprus • Czech Republic • Denmark • Estonia • Finland • France • Germany • Greece • Hungary • Ireland • Italy • Latvia • Lithuania • Luxembourg • Malta • Netherlands and Netherlands Antilles • Poland • Portugal • Romania • Slovakia • Slovenia • Spain • Sweden • United Kingdom.
Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.
Designated name for the Republic of China.

v • d • e Member states and observers of La Francophonie
Members	Albania · Andorra · Belgium (French Community) · Benin · Bulgaria · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cambodia · Cameroon · Canada (New Brunswick · Quebec) · Cape Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Cyprus¹ · Comoros · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Republic of the Congo · Côte d'Ivoire · Djibouti · Dominica · Egypt · Equatorial Guinea · Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia · France (including French Guiana · Guadeloupe · Martinique · Saint Pierre and Miquelon) · Gabon · Ghana¹ · Greece · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Haiti · Laos · Luxembourg · Lebanon · Madagascar · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Moldova · Monaco · Morocco · Niger · Romania · Rwanda · St. Lucia · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Switzerland · Togo · Tunisia · Vanuatu · Vietnam
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¹ Associate member.