Slovakia

Slovakia Background

In 1918 the Slovaks joined the closely related Czechs to form Czechoslovakia. Following the chaos of World War II, Czechoslovakia became a Communist nation within Soviet-ruled Eastern Europe. Soviet influence collapsed in 1989 and Czechoslovakia once more became free. The Slovaks and the Czechs agreed to separate peacefully on 1 January 1993. Slovakia joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.

Slovakia Information

• Population: 5,423,567 (July 2004 est.)
• Nationality: noun: Slovak(s) adjective: Slovak
• Location:: Central Europe, south of Poland
• Religions:: Roman Catholic 60.3%, atheist 9.7%, Protestant 8.4%, Orthodox 4.1%, other 17.5%
• Ethnic Groups:: Slovak 85.7%, Hungarian 10.6%, Roma 1.6% (the 1992 census figures underreport the Gypsy/Romany community, which is about 500,000), Czech, Moravian, Silesian 1.1%, Ruthenian and Ukrainian 0.6%, German 0.1%, Polish 0.1%, other 0.2% (1996)
• Land Boundaries:: total: 1,524 km border countries: Austria 91 km, Czech Republic 215 km, Hungary 677 km, Poland 444 km, Ukraine 97 km
• Area: total: 48,845 sq km water: 45 sq km land: 48,800 sq km
• Coast Line: 0 km (landlocked)
• Climate: temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters
• Terrain: rugged mountains in the central and northern part and lowlands in the south
• Maritime Claims: none (landlocked)
• Land Use: arable land: 30.16% permanent crops: 2.62% other: 67.22% (2001)
• Environmental Issues: air pollution from metallurgical plants presents human health risks; acid rain damaging forests
• Natural Resources: brown coal and lignite; small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganese ore; salt; arable land
• Highways: total: 42,717 km paved: 37,036 km (including 296 km of expressways) unpaved: 5,681 km (2000)
• Railways: total: 3,661 km broad gauge: 100 km 1.520-m gauge standard gauge: 3,512 km 1.435-m gauge (1,588 km electrified) narrow gauge: 49 km (1.000-m or 0.750-m gauge) (2003)
• Ports & Harbours: Bratislava, Komarno
• Airports: 34 (2003 est.)