Slovakia

Warning: mkdir() [function.mkdir]: Permission denied in /home/webs/affiliatelib2/CacheManager.php on line 12

Warning: mkdir() [function.mkdir]: No such file or directory in /home/webs/affiliatelib2/CacheManager.php on line 12

Warning: fopen(/home/templatecore2cache//*cluesnet.com/ad/ad49090d7e8df9131a9ba114fd6c4ff856a43e0f.tc2cache) [function.fopen]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/webs/affiliatelib2/CacheManager.php on line 130

Warning: fwrite(): supplied argument is not a valid stream resource in /home/webs/affiliatelib2/CacheManager.php on line 131

Warning: fclose(): supplied argument is not a valid stream resource in /home/webs/affiliatelib2/CacheManager.php on line 132

{{Infobox Country or territory|native_name = Slovenská republika|conventional_long_name = Slovak Republic|common_name = Slovakia|image_flag = Flag of Slovakia.svg|image_coat = Coat of Arms of Slovakia.svg|image_map = EU_location_SVK.png|map_caption = |national_anthem = Nad Tatrou sa blýska"Lightning over the Tatras"]|capital = Bratislava|leader_title1 = [President of Slovakia|leader_title2 = Prime Minister of Slovakia|leader_name1 = Ivan Gašparovič|accessionEUdate = [May 1 2004|sovereignty_note = due to dissolution of [Czechoslovakia [19931] (1 koruna = 100 haliers)|currency_code = SKK|country_code =|time_zone = Central European Time|utc_offset = +1|time_zone_DST = CEST²|calling_code = 421|calling_code_note = ³|footnotes = 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 language: 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.

History Before the 5th century From around 450 BC, the territory of modern-day Slovakia was settled by Celts, who built powerful Enclosed oppidum 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 Anno Domini, 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 peoples tribe of Quadi, existed in western and central Slovakia from 20 to 50 AD.

Slavic states The Slavic peoples 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 Moravia 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 I.

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. 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.

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. 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 Revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas 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.

, Košice. Twentieth century In 1918, Slovakia joined the regions of Bohemia and neighbouring Moravia to form Czechoslovakia (confirmed by the Treaty of Saint Germain and Treaty of Trianon). During the chaos following the breakup of Austria-Hungary, Slovakia was in 1919 attacked by the provisional Hungarian Soviet Republic and 1/3 area of Slovakia temporarily became the Slovak Soviet Republic.

During the Interwar period, democratic and prosperous Czechoslovakia was under continuous pressure from the Revanchism 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 a clerical fascism 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 Hungarians_in_Slovakia#Population_exchanges Management of the Hungarian Issue in Slovak Politics and 32000 Germans Nemecká menšina na Slovensku po roku 1918 (in Slovak) have been forced to leave Slovakia, in a series of Flight and expulsion of Germans during and after WWII initiated by the Allies at the Potsdam Conference. This expulsion is still a source of tension 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.Czech Republicand Slovakia went their separate ways after January 1, 1993, an event sometimes called the Dissolution of Czechoslovakia, but Slovakia has remained close partner with the Czech Republic, as well as with other Central European countries within the Visegrad Group. Slovakia became a member of the European Union in May 2004.

Geography 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. 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.

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.

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 and Sliač.

C Mountain climate- average annual temperature is less than 5 °C. The average temperature of the hottest month is less then 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.

Demographics The majority of the inhabitants of Slovakia are ethnically Slovaks (86%). Hungary are the largest ethnic minority (9.5%) and are concentrated in the southern regions of the country.{{cite web | title = Slovakia | work = The World Factbook | publisher = Central Intelligence Agency | date = 2007 | url = https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/lo.html| accessdate = 02-13-2007 -->Other ethnic groups include Roma (people) with 1.8%, Czech peoples with 0.8%, Rusyns 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 language, a member of the Slavic languages, but Hungarian language is also widely spoken in the south of the country and enjoys a co-official status in some municipalities.

The Constitution of Slovakia 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 Church. It is estimated that there are about 5,000 Islam in Slovakia. About 2,300 Jews remain of the large estimated pre-WWII population of 90,000.{{cite web | last =Vogelsang | first =Peter | coauthors =Brian B. M. Larsen | title =Deportations | work =The Danish Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies | publisher = | date =2002 | url =http://www.holocaust-education.dk/holocaust/deportationer.asp | accessdate =02-13-2007 -->

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.

Politics , to the left of the Bratislava CastleSlovakia is a parliamentary democratic republic with a multi-party system. The last Slovak parliamentary election, 2006 were held on June 17, 2006 and two rounds of Presidential election in Slovakia 2004 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 (government) 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 (government) 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 judiciary 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.

In its 2007 Worldwide Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders ranked Slovakia 3th (along with Estonia) out of 169 countries.

Regions and districts 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.

Economy 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). Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic 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 European Exchange Rate Mechanism 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..

Tourism Slovakia features interesting natural landscapes, mountains, deep List of caves in Slovakia, medieval List of castles in Slovakia and towns, folk architecture, spas and Ski and winter sports in Slovakia.

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 2006: Rank 8th out of 168 countries
Global Competitiveness Report ranking 2006-2007: Rank 37th out of 125 countries.
Corruption Perceptions Index 2007: Rank 49th out of 180 countries.

See also Culture

Holidays

Miscellaneous topics

Communications in Slovakia
Education in Slovakia
Foreign relations of Slovakia
History of ice hockey in Slovakia
List of villages and municipalities in Slovakia
List of rivers in Slovakia
List of rulers of Slovakia
List of Slovaks
List of tourism regions of Slovakia
List of towns in Slovakia
List of traditional regions of Slovakia
Military of Slovakia
Protected areas of Slovakia
Transportation in Slovakia

References 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 Mikovic, Ivan Kucma and Anna Jureckova: Slovakia: A Photographic Odyssey ISBN 086-5165173
Lil Junas: My Slovakia: An American's View ISBN 8070906227

External links

The Slovak Republic Government Office
The official travel guide to Slovakia
Slovakia Tourism from The Slovak Tourist Board
Slovakia.org - guide to Slovakia
Slovak Republic Guide
CIA World Factbook - Slovakia
Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic
Historical photos of Slovakia
Google satellite map of Slovakia
The Slovak Spectator, English-speaking news magazine

{{Template group|title = Geographic locale|list =-->{{Template group|title = International organizations|list =-->

BBC News - Country Profile: Slovakia
Provides overview, key facts and events, timelines and leader profiles along with current news.

Slovakia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Slovakia (long form: Slovak Republic; Slovak: Slovensko (help · info), long form Slovenská republika (help · info)) is a landlocked country in Central Europe with a ...

Slovakia
Slovakia is a peaceful country, with beautiful scenery, inexpensive shopping and tourism and hospitable people. Slovakia is becoming one of Europe's focal points for travel and ...

Property For Sale in Slovakia | Find Properties | Buy Real Estate
Search for, find and buy property for sale in Slovakia with TheMoveChannel.com, an overseas property and international real estate portal.

Arc Property - Investing in property abroad. Properties Slovakia
The new and emerging markets of central and Eastern Europe offer fantastic potential returns for investors seeking high rental yields and capital gains. Operating in Latvia ...

Property in Slovakia - Slovakia Property For Sale
Bratislava, the state capital of Slovakia, spreads on both banks of the Danube River. It ranks among the warmest ...

Hotels Bratislava Slovakia, Bratislava Hotels Slovakia - Slovakia ...
Welcome to the SlovakiaTravel guide to Hotels in Bratislava and throughout Slovakia.SlovakiaTravel features accommodation and lodgings in hotels, inns, country houses, castles and ...

Property for sale in the ski resorts of the Tatras mountains Slovakia.
Property for sale in Slovakia. Holiday properties and homes in the Tatras mountains of Slovakia. ... Property sales in Slovakia Euroburo Ltd An English registered company with ...

European Countries - Slovakia
This page provides general information on Slovakia ... Slovakia became an independent state in January 1993 after Czechoslovakia split into its two constituent parts.

Slovakia Property - The Best Property in Slovakia
The web resource for buying property and real estate in Slovakia. For information, advice and a list of the latest property for sale visit us now.