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Slovakia

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Countries; European
Countries

                         Slovenská republika
   Slovak Republic

   Flag of Slovakia Coat of arms of Slovakia
   Flag             Coat of arms
   Anthem: Nad Tatrou sa blýska
   ("Lightning Over the Tatras")
   Location of Slovakia
   Capital
   (and largest city)    Bratislava
                         48°08′N 17°06′E
    Official languages   Slovak
   Government            Parliamentary democracy
    - President          Ivan Gašparovič
    - Prime Minister     Robert Fico
       Independence      from Czechoslovakia
    - Date               January 1, 1993^1
      Accession to EU    May 1, 2004
                                 Area
    - Total              49,037 km² ( 130th)
                         18,933 sq mi
    - Water (%)          negligible
                              Population
    - July 2005 estimate 5,401,000 ( 110th)
    - 2001 census        5,379,455
    - Density            111/km² ( 88th)
                         287/sq mi
        GDP ( PPP)       2005 estimate
    - Total              $87.32 billion ( 60th)
    - Per capita         $16,041 ( 45th)
        HDI  (2004)      0.856 (high) ( 42nd)
         Currency        Slovak koruna ( SKK)
         Time zone       CET ( UTC+1)
    - Summer ( DST)      CEST ( UTC+2)
       Internet TLD      .sk^2
       Calling code      +421^3
   ^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 ( Slovak: Slovensko) is a landlocked republic in Central
   Europe with a population of over five million. It is a member of the
   European Union (since May 1, 2004) and borders Czech Republic and
   Austria in the west, Poland in the north, Ukraine in the east and
   Hungary in the south. The largest city is its capital, Bratislava.

Name

   The longer form of the name Slovakia is Slovak Republic ( Slovak:
   Slovenská republika). The relation between those two name forms is
   exactly the same as with for example Germany vs. Federal Republic of
   Germany or France vs. French Republic.

   The latest practice, often seen 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 therefore awkward, arising
   in analogy to the use of the term Czech Republic, but that is (partly)
   another problem (see Czech Republic, Czech lands).

History

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 Liptov. 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.

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 proto-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 (Proto-) Slovak empire came with the
   arrival of Saints Cyril and Methodius in 863, during the reign of
   Prince Rastislav, and the territorial expansion under King Svätopluk.

Kingdom of Hungary

   After the disintegration of the Great Moravian Empire in the early 10th
   century, the Magyars gradually occupied the territory of the
   present-day Slovakia. Because of its high level of economic and
   cultural development, Slovakia also 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 the northern half of present-day Hungary, while
   Hungarians later settled 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.
   Orava Castle.
   Enlarge
   Orava Castle.

   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.
   St. Elizabeth's Cathedral.
   Enlarge
   St. Elizabeth's Cathedral.

   After the Ottoman Empire started its expansion into present-day Hungary
   and the occupation of Buda in the early 16th century, the centre of the
   Kingdom of Hungary (under the name of Royal Hungary) shifted towards
   Slovakia, and Bratislava (known as Pressburg, Pressporek, Posonium or
   Posony 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 influence decreased within the kingdom,
   although Bratislva 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 Magyarisation
   promoted by the Hungarian government. For example, all three Slovak
   high schools and Matica slovenská were closed down in 1874-1875.

Twentieth century

   In 1918, Slovakia joined the regions of Bohemia and neighbouring
   Moravia to form Czechoslovakia. 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 permanently threatened by revisionist
   governments of Germany and Hungary, until it was finally broken up by
   the Munich Agreement of 1938, when Slovakia became a separate state
   with a Nazi Germany sympathizing government (in lead with president
   Jozef Tiso). However, the anti-Nazi resistance movement launched a
   fierce armed insurrection, known as the Slovak National Uprising, in
   1944. After World War II, Czechoslovakia was reassembled and came under
   the influence of the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact from 1945 onward.
   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. Slovakia and the
   Czech Republic went their separate ways after January 1, 1993, an event
   sometimes called the Velvet Divorce, but Slovakia has remained close
   partners 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

   Relief
   Enlarge
   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 them are the high peaks of the Tatra
   mountains, where the High Tatras 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 is temperate, with relatively warm summers and cold,
   cloudy and humid winters.

Demographics

   Bratislava Old Town
   Enlarge
   Bratislava Old Town

   The majority of the inhabitants of Slovakia are ethnically Slovak
   (86%). Hungarians are the largest ethnic minority (9.7%) and are
   concentrated in the southern and eastern regions of the country.
   Several municipalities, Dunajská Streda, Komárno, Šahy, Želiezovce
   etc., have a Hungarian majority. Other ethnic groups include Roma,
   Czechs, Ruthenians, Ukrainians and Germans. The percentage of Roma is
   1.7% according to the last census (that is based on their own
   definition of the Roma), but around 5.6% based on interviews with
   municipality representatives and mayors (that is based on the
   definition of the remaining population). Note however that in the case
   of the 5.6%, the above percentages of Hungarians and Slovaks are lower
   by 4 %age points in sum.

   The Slovak constitution guarantees freedom of religion. The majority of
   Slovak citizens (68.9 %) identify themselves with the Roman Catholicism
   (although church attendance is lower); the second-largest group are
   people without confession (13%). About 6.93% belong to Lutheranism and
   4.1% are Greek Catholic, Calvinism has 2.0%, other and non-registered
   churches 1.1% i.e., other Eastern Catholic and some 0.9% are Eastern
   Orthodox. It is estimated that there are about 5,000 Muslims in
   Slovakia. About 2,300 Jews remain of the large 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 of the country and enjoys a co-official status in some (southern)
   regions of Slovakia.

   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

   Bojnice Castle, the only one of its design in Central Europe.
   Enlarge
   Bojnice Castle, the only one of its design in Central Europe.

   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 (
   Róbert 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.

Administrative divisions

   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 enjoy 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).
    1. Bratislava Region (Bratislavský kraj) (capital Bratislava)
    2. Trnava Region (Trnavský kraj) (capital Trnava)
    3. Trenčín Region (Trenčiansky kraj) (capital Trenčín)
    4. Nitra Region (Nitriansky kraj) (capital Nitra)
    5. Žilina Region (Žilinský kraj) (capital Žilina)
    6. Banská Bystrica Region (Banskobystrický kraj) (capital Banská
       Bystrica)
    7. Prešov Region (Prešovský kraj) (capital Prešov)
    8. 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; the relative difference is not bigger
   however than in most EU countries having regional differences.

Economy

   Slovakia has mastered much of the difficult transition from a centrally
   planned economy to a modern market economy. The Slovak government made
   progress in 2001 in macroeconomic stabilization and structural reform.
   Major privatizations 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 2000s, despite
   recession in key export markets.

   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). The GDP growth is
   expected to reach at least 7.7% in 2006 (the year-to-year growth
   amounted to unexpected 9.8% in the 3th quarter, which helped to
   increase the overall year economy growth expectation to 7.7%), and 6.5%
   in 2007. The 9.8% growth came as a surprise to local analysts (6 % were
   expected), given that the big foreign investor Kia is going to launch
   its production only in late 2006.

   Unemployment, rising from 14.9 % at the end of 1998 to 19.2% at the end
   of 2001 (seasonally adjusted harmonised rate) during the radical
   reforms introduced by the Slovak government since 1999, decreased again
   to some 12% (autumn 2006), but still remains among the highest ones 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 low labour costs (a 2005 survey by the
   prominent consultant firm Deloitte shows that Slovakia has the lowest
   labour costs in the European Union) and low tax rates. This issue has
   sparked criticism from some other EU countries, which accuse Slovak
   government of social and tax dumping. 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 face many challenges in the field of modern knowledge
   economy. Within the EU, Slovakia ranks next to last on knowledge
   creation and last for innovation and entrepreneurship. The business and
   public R&D expenditures are deeply below EU average. World Bank urges
   Slovakia to upgrade information infrastructure and reform education
   system, OECD states that a stronger product market competition would
   help.

Tourism

   Because it is in middle Europe and has been inhabited for a relatively
   long time, Slovakia features interesting natural landscapes, mountains,
   deep caves, medieval castles and cities, folk architecture and ski
   resorts.
   High Tatras
   Enlarge
   High Tatras

Neighbouring countries

   Flag of Czech Republic  Czech Republic Flag of Poland  Poland
   Flag of Austria  Austria North Flag of Ukraine  Ukraine
   West    Flag of Slovakia  Slovakia     East
   South
   Flag of Hungary  Hungary

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovakia"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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