Map of Slovakia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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.


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Location: Central Europe south of Poland

Geographic coordinates: 48 40 N 19 30 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 48,845 km²
Land: 48,800 km²
Water: 45 km²
Comparative: about twice the size of New Hampshire

Land boundaries
Total: 1,524 km
Border countries: (5) Austria 91 km; , Czech Republic 215 km; , Hungary 677 km; , Poland 444 km; , Ukraine 97 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
Extremes lowest point: Bodrok River 94 m
Extremes highest point: Gerlachovsky Stit 2,655 m

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

Land use
Arable land: 30.16%
Permanent crops: 2.62%
Other: 67.22% (2001)

Irrigated land: 1740 km² (1998 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: NA

Geography
Note: landlocked; most of the country is rugged and mountainous; the Tatra Mountains in the north are interspersed with many scenic lakes and valleys


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Population: 5,431,363 (July 2005 est.)
Growth rate: 0.15% (2005 est.)
Below poverty line: NA

Nationality
Noun: Slovak
Adjective: Slovak

Ethnic groups: Slovak 85.8% Hungarian 9.7% Roma 1.7% Ruthenian/Ukrainian 1% other and unspecified 1.8% (2001 census)

Languages: Slovak (official) 83.9% Hungarian 10.7% Roma 1.8% Ukrainian 1% other or unspecified 2.6% (2001 census)

Religions: Roman Catholic 68.9% Protestant 10.8% Greek Catholic 4.1% other or unspecified 3.2% none 13% (2001 census)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 17.1% (male 475,263/female 453,340)
15-64 years: 71% (male 1,919,222/female 1,939,097)
65 years and over: 11.9% (male 241,610/female 402,831) (2005 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 35.43 years
Male: 33.85 years
Female: 37.25 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.15% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 10.62 births/1000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 9.43 deaths/1000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.3 migrant(s)/1000 population (2005 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: air pollution from metallurgical plants presents human health risks; acid rain damaging forests
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male/female
65 years and over: 0.6 male/female
Total population: 0.94 male/female (2005 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 7.41 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 8.65 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 6.1 deaths/1000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.5 years
Male: 70.52 years
Female: 78.68 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.32 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: less than 200 (2003 est.)
Deaths: less than 100 (2001 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99.6%
Male: 99.7%
Female: 99.6% (2001 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Slovak Republic
Conventional short form: Slovakia
Local long form: Slovenska Republika
Local short form: Slovensko

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Bratislava

Administrative divisions: 8 regions (kraje singular - kraj); Banskobystricky Bratislavsky Kosicky Nitriansky Presovsky Trenciansky Trnavsky Zilinsky

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia)

National holiday: Constitution Day 1 September (1992)

Constitution: ratified 1 September 1992 effective 1 January 1993; changed in September 1998 to allow direct election of the president; amended February 2001 to allow Slovakia to apply for NATO and EU membership

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 Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Ivan GASPAROVIC (since 15 June 2004)
Head of government: Prime Minister Mikulas DZURINDA (since 30 October 1998); Deputy Prime Minister Ivan MIKLOS (since 30 October 1998); Deputy Prime Minister Pal CSAKY (since 30 October 1998); Deputy Prime Minister Pavol RUSKO (since May 2004)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
Elections: president elected by direct, popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 3 April and 17 April 2004 (next to be held April 2009); following National Council elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president
Election results: Ivan GASPAROVIC elected president in runoff; percent of vote - Ivan GASPAROVIC 59.9%, Vladimir MECIAR 40.1%; Mikulas DZURINDA reelected prime minister October 2002
Note: government coalition - SDKU, SMK, KDH, ANO

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 20-21 September 2002 (next to be held September 2006)
Election results: percent of vote by party - HZDS-LS 19.5%, SDKU 15.1%, Smer 13.5%, SMK 11.2%, KDH 8.3%, ANO 8%, KSS 6.3%; seats by party - governing coalition 69 (SDKU 22, SMK 20, KDH 15, ANO 12), opposition 81 (HZDS 26, Smer 25, KSS 9, Free Forum 6, People's Union 5, and independents 10)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are elected by the National Council); Constitutional Court (judges appointed by president from group of nominees approved by the National Council)

Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Movement or KDH [Pavol HRUSOVSKY]; Direction (Smer) [Robert FICO]; Free Forum [Zuzana MARTINAKOVA]; Movement for Democracy or HZD [Jozef GRAPA]; Movement for a Democratic Slovakia-People's Party or HZDS-LS [Vladimir MECIAR]; New Citizens Alliance or ANO [Pavol RUSKO]; Party of the Hungarian Coalition or SMK [Bela BUGAR]; People's Union or LU [Gustav KRAJCI]; Slovak Communist Party or KSS [Jozef SEVC]; Slovak Democratic and Christian Union or SDKU [Mikulas DZURINDA]; Slovak National Party or SNS [Peter SULOVSKY]

International organization participation: Australia Group BIS CE CEI CERN EAPC EBRD EIB EU (new member) FAO IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt ICFTU ICRM IDA IEA IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM ISO ITU MIGA NAM (guest) NATO NEA NSG OAS (observer) OECD OPCW OSCE PCA UN UNAMSIL UNCTAD UNDOF UNESCO UNFICYP UNIDO UNTSO UPU WCL WCO WEU (member affiliate) WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Rastislav KACER
In the us chancery: 3,523 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 237-1054
In the us fax: [1] (202) 237-6,438
In the us consulates general: Los Angeles and New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Scott N. THAYER
From the us embassy: Hviezdoslavovo Namestie 4, 81,102 Bratislava
From the us mailing address: P.O. Box 309, 814 99 Bratislava
From the us telephone: [421] (2) 5,443-3,338
From the us fax: [421] (2) 5,443-0096

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: Slovakia has mastered much of the difficult transition from a centrally planned economy to a modern market economy. The DZURINDA government made excellent progress during 2001-04 in macroeconomic stabilization and structural reform. Major privatizations are nearly complete the banking sector is almost completely in foreign hands and the government has helped facilitate a foreign investment boom with business-friendly policies such as labor market liberalization and a 19% flat tax. Slovakia's economic growth exceeded expectations in 2001-04 despite the general European slowdown. Unemployment at an unacceptable 15% in 2003-04 remains the economy's Achilles heel. Slovakia joined the EU on 1 May 2004.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $78.89 billion (2004 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 5.3% (2004 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $14,500 (2004 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 3.5%
Industry: 30.1%
Services: 66.4% (2004 est.)

Agriculture products: grains potatoes sugar beets hops fruit; pigs cattle poultry; forest products

Industries: metal and metal products; food and beverages; electricity gas coke oil nuclear fuel; chemicals and manmade fibers; machinery; paper and printing; earthenware and ceramics; transport vehicles; textiles; electrical and optical apparatus; rubber products

Industrial production growth rate: 5.1% (2004 est.)

Labor force: 2.2 million (3rd quarter 2004 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 5.8%
By occupation industry: 29.3%
By occupation construction: 9%
By occupation services: 55.9% (2003)

Unemployment rate: 13.1% (31 December 2004 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 5.1%
Highest 10: 18.2% (1992)

Distribution of family income gini index: 26.3 (1996)

Budget
Revenues: $15.44 billion
Expenditures: $16.7 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt: 46.6% of GDP (2004 est.)

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 7.5% (2004 est.)

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: $-1.4 billion (2004 est.)

Exports: $29.24 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Commodities: vehicles 25.9% machinery and electrical equipment 21.3% base metals 14.6% chemicals and minerals 10.1% plastics 5.4%% (2004 est.)
Partners: Germany 34.4% Czech Republic 14.7% Austria 8.2% Italy 5.8% Poland 5.3% US 4.5% Hungary 4.3% (2004)

Imports: $29.67 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment 41.1% intermediate manufactured goods 19.3% fuels 12.3% chemicals 9.8% miscellaneous manufactured goods 10.2% (2003)
Partners: Germany 26.1% Czech Republic 21.3% Russia 9.1% Austria 6.6% Poland 4.9% Italy 4.9% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $14.91 billion (2004 est.)

Debt external: $19.54 billion (2004 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: koruny per US dollar - 32.257 (2004) 36.773 (2003) 45.327 (2002) 48.355 (2001) 46.035 (2000)


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Electricity
Production: 31.15 billion kWh (2003)
Consumption: 28.89 billion kWh (2003)
Exports: 8 billion kWh (2003)
Imports: 6 billion kWh (2003)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 190 million m³ (2003 est.)
Consumption: 6.8 billion m³ (2003 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2003 est.)
Imports: 6.6 billion m³ (2003 est.)
Proven reserves: 7.504 billion m³ (1 January 2002)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 1,294,700 (2003)
Mobile cellular: 3,678,800 (2003)

Telephone system
General assessment: a modernization and privatization program is increasing accessibility to telephone service, reducing the waiting time for new subscribers, and generally improving service quality
Domestic: predominantly an analog system that is now receiving digital equipment and is being enlarged with fiber-optic cable, especially in the larger cities; mobile cellular capability has been added
International: country code - 421; three international exchanges (one in Bratislava and two in Banska Bystrica) are available; Slovakia is participating in several international telecommunications projects that will increase the availability of external services

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .sk
Hosts: 89,592 (2004)
Users: 1,375,800 (2003)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $406 million (2002)
Percent of gdp: 1.89% (2002)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: complete transition to an all-volunteer professional force is planned for 1 January 2007; 82% of Slovak armed forces were volunteers as of January 2005; volunteers include women with minimum age of 17 years; 18 years of age for compulsory military service (January 2005)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 34 (2004 est.)
With paved runways total: 17
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With paved runways under 914 m: 7 (2004 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 17
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 9
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 7 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 1 (2004 est.)

Pipelines: gas 6,769 km; oil 449 km (2004)

Railways
Total: 3,662 km
Broad gauge: 100 km 1.520-m gauge
Standard gauge: 3,512 km 1.435-m gauge (1,588 km electrified)
Narrow gauge: 50 km (1.000-m or 0.750-m gauge) (2004)

Roadways

Waterways: 172 km (on Danube River) (2004)

Merchant marine
Total: 24 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 41,891 GRT/63,185 DWT
By type: bulk carrier 5, cargo 18, chemical tanker 1
Foreign owned: 18 (Bulgaria 8, Estonia 1, Greece 1, Syria 1, Turkey 6, United Kingdom 1) (2005)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: Hungary amended its status law extending special social and cultural benefits to ethnic Hungarians in Slovakia to which Slovakia had protested; consultations continue between Slovakia and Hungary over Hungary's completion of its portion of the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros hydroelectric dam project along the Danube; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border Slovakia must implement the strict Schengen border rules

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe; producer of synthetic drugs for regional market