Map of Slovakia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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Background: After centuries under foreign rule, mainly by Hungary, the Slovaks joined with their neighbors to form the new nation of Czechoslovakia in 1918. 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 was an independent country turning toward the West. The Slovaks and the Czechs agreed to separate peacefully on 1 January 1993. Slovakia has experienced more difficulty than the Czech Republic in developing a modern market economy.


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Location: Central Europe, between Hungary and Poland

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Ethnic Groups in Eastern Europe, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total area total: 48,845 km²
Land: 48,800 km²

Land boundaries: total 1,355 km, Austria 91 km, Czech Republic 215 km, Hungary 515 km, Poland 444 km, Ukraine 90 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none; landlocked

Climate: temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters

Terrain: rugged mountains in the central and northern part and lowlands in the south

Elevation

Natural resources: brown coal and lignite; small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganese ore; salt

Land use
Arable land: NA%
Permanent crops: NA%
Meadows and pastures: NA%
Forest and woodland: NA%
Other: NA%

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: NA

Geography
Note: landlocked


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Population: 5,403,505 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 0.53% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Slovak(s)

Ethnic groups: Slovak 85.6%, Hungarian 10.8%, Gypsy 1.5% (the 1992 census figures underreport the Gypsy/Romany community, which could reach 500,000 or more), Czech 1.1%, Ruthenian 15,000, Ukrainian 13,000, Moravian 6,000, German 5,000, Polish 3,000

Languages: Slovak (official), Hungarian

Religions: Roman Catholic 60.3%, atheist 9.7%, Protestant 8.4%, Orthodox 4.1%, other 17.5%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.53% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 14.55 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 9.28 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: acid rain damaging forests

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 10.4 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 72.81 years
Male: 68.66 years
Female: 77.2 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.96 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Total population: NA%
Male: NA%
Female: NA%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Slovak Republic
Conventional short form:

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Bratislava

Administrative divisions: 4 departments (kraje, singular - Kraj) Bratislava, Zapadoslovensky, Stredoslovensky, Vychodoslovensky

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 January 1993 (from Czechoslovakia)

National holiday: Anniversary of Slovak National Uprising, August 29 (1944)

Constitution: ratified 1 September 1992; fully effective 1 January 1993

Legal system: civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to comply with the obligations of Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Michal KOVAC (since 8 February 1993); election last held 8 February 1993 (next to be held NA 1998); results - Michal KOVAC elected by the National Council
Head of government: Prime Minister Jozef MORAVCIK (since 16 March 1994)

Legislative branch: Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, Civil Defense, Railroad Units
National Council Narodni Rada: elections last held 5-6 June 1992 (next to be held 31 September-1October 1994); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (150 total) Movement for a Democratic Slovakia 55, Party of the Democratic Left 28, Christian Democratic Movement 18, Slovak National Party 9, National Democratic Party 5, Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement/Coexistence 14, Democratic Union of Slovakia 16, independents 5

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: BIS, CCC, CE (guest), CEI, CERN, COCOM (cooperating), CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NACC, NSG, PCA, UN (as of 8 January 1993), UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMUR, UNPROFOR, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation
From the us chief of mission: Ambassdor Theodore RUSSELL
From the us chancery: (temporary) Suite 330, 2,201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,007
From the us telephone: [42] (7) 330-861
From the us fax: (202) 965-5,166
From the us embassy: Hviezdoslavovo Namesite 4, 81,102 Bratislava
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us FAX: [42] (7) 335-439

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red superimposed with the Slovak cross in a shield centered on the hoist side; the cross is white centered on a background of red and blue

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The dissolution of Czechoslovakia into two independent states - the Czech Republic and Slovakia - on 1 January 1993 has complicated the task of moving toward a more open and decentralized economy. The old Czechoslovakia, even though highly industrialized by East European standards, suffered from an aging capital plant, lagging technology, and a deficiency in energy and many raw materials. In January 1991, approximately one year after the end of communist control of Eastern Europe, the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic launched a sweeping program to convert its almost entirely state-owned and controlled economy to a market system. In 1991-92 these measures resulted in privatization of some medium- and small-scale economic activity and the setting of more than 90% of prices by the market - but at a cost in inflation, unemployment, and lower output. For Czechoslovakia as a whole inflation in 1991 was roughly 50% and output fell 15%. In 1992 in Slovakia, inflation slowed to an estimated 8.7% and the estimated fall in GDP was a more moderate 7%. In 1993 GDP fell roughly 5%, with the disruptions from the separation from the Czech lands probably accounting for half the decline; exports to the Czech Republic fell about 35%. Bratislava adopted an austerity program in June and devalued its currency 10% in July. In 1993, inflation rose an estimated 23%, unemployment topped 14%, and the budget deficit exceeded the IMF target of $485 million by over $200 million. By yearend 1993 Bratislava estimated that 29% of GDP was being produced in the private sector. The forecast for 1994 is gloomy; Bratislava optimistically projects no growth in GDP, 17% unemployment, a $425 million budget deficit, and 12% inflation. At best, if Slovakia stays on track with the IMF, GDP could fall by only 2-3% in 1994 and unemployment could be held under 18%, but a currency devaluation will likely drive inflation above 15%.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: -5% (1993 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: largely self-sufficient in food production; diversified crop and livestock production, including grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit, hogs, cattle, and poultry; exporter of forest products

Industries: brown coal mining, chemicals, metal-working, consumer appliances, fertilizer, plastics, armaments

Industrial production growth rate: -13.5% (December 1993 over December 1992)

Labor force: 2.484 million
By occupation industry: 33.2%
By occupation agriculture: 12.2%
By occupation construction: 10.3%
By occupation communicationandother: 44.3% (1990)

Unemployment rate: 14.4% (1993 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues:$4.5 billion

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $5.13 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment; chemicals; fuels, minerals, and metals; agricultural products
Partners: Czech Republic, CIS republics, Germany, Poland, Austria, Hungary, Italy, France, US, UK

Imports: $5.95 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment; fuels and lubricants; manufactured goods; raw materials; chemicals; agricultural products
Partners: Czech Republic, CIS republics, Germany, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, Hungary, UK, Italy

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $3.2 billion hard currency indebtedness (31 December 1993)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: koruny (Sk) per US$1 - 32.9 (December 1993), 28.59 (December 1992), 28.26 (1992), 29.53 (1991), 17.95 (1990), 15.05 (1989; note - values before 1993 reflect Czechoslovak exchange rate


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 24 billion kWh

Electricity consumption
Per capita: 4,550 kWh (1992)

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: 8.2 billion koruny, NA% of GDP (1993 est.), note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 46
Usable: 32
With permanentsurface runways: 7
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 6
With runways 10602439 m: 18
Note: a C-130 can land on a 1,060-m airstrip

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines: petroleum products NA km; natural gas 2,700 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: NA km

Merchant marine: total 19 (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 309,502 GRT/521,997 DWT, bulk 13, cargo 6
Note: most under the flag of Saint Vincent

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: Gabcikovo Dam dispute with Hungary; unresolved property issues with Czech Republic over redistribution of former Czechoslovak federal property

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe