
Slovakia Guide
Slovakia – information about the country
Country name | Slovakia |
Official name | Slovak Republic |
Capital | Bratislava |
Continent | Europe |
Area | 49,033 km2 |
Population | 5,415,949 (2013) |
Foundation of a state | 1/1/1993 |
The highest mountains | Gerlachovský štít 2655 m |
Longest rivers | Danube 2850 km (in the country 172 km), Váh 389 km |
State system | a pluralist republic with a unicameral parliament |
The biggest cities | Bratislava (capital) 455,000, Košice 242,000, Nitra 95,000 |
Official language | Slovak |
Ethnicity/National Composition | Slovaks 83.5%, Hungarians 10.7%, Roma 4%, Czechs 0.8%, others 1% |
Religious affiliation | Roman Catholic 60.5%, Protestant 8%, Greek Catholic 3.3%, Orthodox 0.7%, Atheist and no religion 9.5%, other 18% |
Currency | 1 crown (Sk) = 100 haliers |
gross domestic product (GDP) | US$24,142 (2012) |
Average life expectancy of the population | 74.73 years (2006) |
Structure of GDP | agriculture, forestry and fishing 7%, mining and industry 38%, construction 4%, services 51% |
Slovakia – neighboring states
State | Capital | Area | Population |
Czechia | Prague | 78,866 km2 | 10,513,800 |
Hungary | Budapest | 93,032 km2 | 9,906,000 |
Poland | Warsaw | 312,685 km2 | 38,502,396 |
Austria | Vienna | 83,858 km2 | 8,504,850 |
Ukraine | Kyiv | 603,700 km2 | 45,426,200 |
Country overview
According to Abbreviationfinder, Slovakia is a landlocked state in Central Europe. Common borders in the northwest with the Czech Republic, in the north with Poland, in the east with Ukraine, in the south with Hungary, in the southwest with Austria.
The capital is Bratislava. Currency – euro. The official language is Slovak. Religion – Catholicism.
The landscape is mountainous. The climate is moderate. Summer is warm, winter is cold. Carpathian mountains, including the Tatras and Beskids in the north, beautiful oak and beech forests. Danube valley in the south.
The territory of Slovakia covers part of the Western and environs of the Eastern Carpathians and the Middle Danube and Potyskoi lowlands, from which the wide valleys of Ves, Grozdi, Gornad extend northwards. These valleys are densely populated. The mountain ranges opposite are sparsely populated, and sometimes almost deserted. The largest mountain ranges are the High Tatras and Low Tatras, the highest point of which is Mount Gerlachovsky Shtit (2655 m).
Slovakia is attractive for tourists because of its beautiful nature. These are primarily mountains, caves and cultural and historical attractions, such as medieval castles and cities. These are folk architecture, resorts and ski resorts. According to some data, the country has the highest concentration of castles per person. The country is visited by more than 1.6 million tourists a year.
Favorite places for tourists include the capital Bratislava and the High Tatras with the city of Poprad. Travelers also visit other mountainous regions – the Low Tatras with the bases of Jasna Chopok, Donovaly, the Slovak Paradise National Park, the Liptov foothill regions with thermal water parks in Besenova and the Liptovska Mara reservoir and Spish with the famous Spisska Castle and Levoča, whose historical center is listed by UNESCO. In addition to the Bratislava castle, Zvolensky castle, Krasnaya Gvorka, Chakhtitsky castle, Trenchinsky castle are also known. Of the resorts, tourists first visit Piestany, Trencianske Teplice, Rajecka Teplice, Bardejovske Kupel.
The majority of tourists are citizens of Slovakia themselves (59.1%), tourists from the Czech Republic make up about 13.4%, Poland 4.8%, Germany 3.7%, Austria 1.7%, Hungary 1.7%, Ukraine 1%. The citizens of Slovakia themselves most often rest in Croatia (127,500), Turkey (82,465), Greece (73,715), Bulgaria (63,592), Italy (53,121), Egypt (46,942).
Interesting facts
The Slavs settled in the territory of Slovakia in the 5th century AD, during the Great Migration.
Thanks to transverse valleys and low passes, important routes from Poland to Hungary pass through Slovakia. But longitudinal valleys and paths unite the west, center and east of Slovakia. The transitional geographical position and the small size of the Slovak ethnic territory (40,000 km2) led to the fact that it did not represent a separate state and was part of the Kingdom of Hungary or was united with the Czech Republic.
The most popular sports in Slovakia are football, handball, tennis, basketball, volleyball, wrestling, athletics, boxing, slalom kayaking, cycling. Winter sports include ice hockey and skiing (biathlon).
Country data
Location: Europe
Time zone: CET
Total area: 49,035 km²
Land area: 48,105 km²
Water area: 930 km²
Length of the state border: 1,474 km
Bordering countries:
Austria: 91 km
Poland: 420 km
Czech Republic: 197 km
Ukraine: 90 km
Hungary: 676 km
Coastline: 0 km
Capital: Bratislava
Regions: 8
Banskobystricky, Bratislavsky, Kosicky, Nitriansky, Presovsky, Trenciansky, Trnavsky, Zilinsky
Electric current: 220 V / 50 Hz
Telephone code: 00 421 (Source: Allcitycodes)
Highest point: Gerlachovsky Stit 2,655 m
Population
Population: approx. 5.4 million residents (Countryaah, 2021)
Population growth: 0% per year
Population density (residents per km²): 110
Life expectancy: 73 (male), 81 (female)
Official language: Slovak, Hungarian
Religions:
- 62% Roman Catholic
- 13% atheists
- 8% Protestants
- 17% other
Climate
The summer months (June-August) are mostly warm, with temperatures of 24-30 ° C. In winter (December-February) the average temperature is -5 ° C to 0 ° C. Occasionally it can get colder in the valleys.
You have to expect rain all year round as there is no specific rainy season.
Currency / finance
Currency unit: Euro (EUR)
Classification: 1 euro = 100 cents
ATMs: Available in many cities.
International credit cards: These are accepted by many hotels and shops.
Regulations: National and foreign currencies can be imported and exported in unlimited amounts.
Customs regulations
The following may be carried duty-free:
- 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 g of tobacco
- 1 liter of alcoholic beverages
- small amounts of perfume
(Information applies to people aged 18 and over)
Tourists and people in transit can bring items of personal use with them duty-free.
Travel advice
There is currently no country-specific safety notice for Slovakia.
Economy
Since Slovakia broke away from the state union with the Czech part in 1993, economic development has stalled.
The step into the free market economy brought a great change for all areas of industry. The economy is still troubled by the high unemployment rate of around 13%.
Industries: building materials, chemistry, electronics, power generation, vehicle construction, wood processing, food production, mechanical engineering, metal processing, paper production, textiles
Natural resources: lignite, iron ore, copper, manganese, agricultural land, salt
Land use:
- Usable land: 31%
- Grain cultivation: 3%
- Pasture area: 17%
- Forests: 41%
- other: 8%
Plants
Large parts of the country are still covered with forest. Above all spruce, linden and maple trees can be found here.
There are many species of plants and grass that are typical of Europe and also some rare species in clearings and meadows.
Animals
Many animal species that lived in the region a hundred years ago have become extinct or have been severely decimated.
The red deer is one of the most common large living wild animals.
The protection of the animal world has been given a higher priority again in the last decade thanks to new laws.