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

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Background: Slovakia traces its roots to the 9th century state of Great Moravia. Subsequently the Slovaks became part of the Hungarian Kingdom where they remained for the next 1000 years. Following the formation of the dual Austro-Hungarian monarchy in 1867 language and education policies favoring the use of Hungarian (Magyarization) resulted in a strengthening of Slovak nationalism and a cultivation of cultural ties with the closely related Czechs who were under Austrian rule. After the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the close of World War I the Slovaks joined the Czechs to form Czechoslovakia. During the interwar period Slovak nationalist leaders pushed for autonomy within Czechoslovakia and in 1939 Slovakia became an independent state allied with Nazi Germany. Following World War II Czechoslovakia was reconstituted and came under communist rule within Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe. In 1968 an invasion by Warsaw Pact troops ended the efforts of the country's leaders to liberalize communist rule and create 'socialism with a human face' ushering in a period of repression known as 'normalization.' The peaceful 'Velvet Revolution' swept the Communist Party from power at the end of 1989 and inaugurated a return to democratic rule and a market economy. On 1 January 1993 the country underwent a nonviolent 'velvet divorce' into its two national components Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Slovakia joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004 and the euro zone on 1 January 2009.


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Location: Central Europe south of Poland

Geographic coordinates: 48 40 N 19 30 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 49,035 km²
Land: 48,105 km²
Water: 930 km²
Rank: 131
Comparative: about one and a half times the size of Maryland; about twice the size of New Hampshire

Land boundaries
Total: 1611 km
Border countries: (5) Austria 105 km; Czech Republic 241 km; Hungary 627 km; Poland 541 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
Mean elevation: 458 m
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Bodrok River 94 m: highest point: Gerlachovsky Stit 2,655 m

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 40.1%
Forest: 40.2%
Other: 19.7%

Irrigated land: 869 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: flooding

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
Distribution: a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country; slightly larger concentration in the west in proximity to the Czech border: 5,445,829 (July 2017 est.)
Rank: 118
Growth rate: -0.01% (2017 est.)
Growth rate rank: 197
Below poverty line: 12.3% (2015 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Slovak
Adjective: Slovak

Ethnic groups: Slovak 80.7% Hungarian 8.5% Romani 2% other and unspecified 8.8% (2011 est.)
Note: Romani populations are usually underestimated in official statistics and may represent 7–11% of Slovakia's population

Languages: Slovak (official) 78.6% Hungarian 9.4% Roma 2.3% Ruthenian 1% other or unspecified 8.8% (2011 est.)

Religions: Roman Catholic 62% Protestant 8.2% Greek Catholic 3.8% other or unspecified 12.5% none 13.4% (2011 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 15.17%
15-24 years: 10.87%
25-54 years: 45.1%
55-64 years: 13.42%
65 years and over: 15.43% (2017 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 41.5
Youth dependency ratio: 21.6
Elderly dependency ratio: 26.8
Potential support ratio: 3.7

Median age
Total: 40.5 years
Male: 38.8 years
Female: 42.3 years
Rank: 49

Population growth rate: -0.01% (2017 est.)
Rank: 197

Birth rate: 9.7 births/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 197

Death rate: 9.9 deaths/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 41

Net migration rate: 0.1 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 70

Population distribution: a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country; slightly larger concentration in the west in proximity to the Czech border

Urbanization
Urban population: 53.4% of total population
Rate of urbanization: -0.09% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: BRATISLAVA (capital) 401,000 (2015)

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 Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.07 male/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male/female
15-24 years: 1.06 male/female
25-54 years: 1.02 male/female
55-64 years: 0.9 male/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male/female
Total population: 0.94 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth: 27.6 years (2014 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 5.1 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 5.7 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 4.5 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 176

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.3 years
Male: 73.7 years
Female: 81.1 years
Rank: 75

Total fertility rate: 1.41 children born/woman (2017 est.)
Rank: 210

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 3.39 physicians/1000 population (2013)

Hospital bed density: 6 beds/1000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: .1% (2016 est.)
People living with hivaids: 1000 (2016 est.)
Deaths: 100 (2016 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 20.5% (2016)
Rank: 98

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 4.1% of GDP (2013)
Rank: 103

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 15 years
Male: 14 years
Female: 16 years

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
Etymology: related to the Slavic autonym 'Slovenin' a derivation from 'slovo' (word) denoting 'people who speak (the same language)' (i.e. people who understand each other)

Government type: parliamentary republic

Capital
Name: Bratislava
Geographic coordinates: 48 09 N 17 07 E
Time difference: UTC+1
Daylight saving time: +1hr begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

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
History: several previous ; latest passed by the National Council 1 September 1992 signed 3 September 1992 effective 1 October 1992
Amendments: proposed by the National Council; passage requires at least three-fifths majority vote of Council members; amended many times last in 2017

Legal system: civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; note - legal code modified to comply with the obligations of Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Slovakia
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Andrej KISKA
Head of government: Prime Minister Robert FICO ; Deputy Prime Ministers Robert KALINAK (since 4 April 2012) Lucia ZITNANSKA and Peter PELLEGRINI (since 23 March 2016)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term ; election last held on 15 and 29 March 2014 (next to be held in March 2019); following National Council elections the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the president
Election results: Andrej KISKA elected president; percent of vote in second round - Andrej KISKA 59.4% Robert FICO (Smer-SD) 40.6%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Council or Narodna Rada
Elections: last held on 5 March 2016
Election results: percent of vote by party - Smer-SD 28.3% SaS 12.1% OLaNO-NOVA 11% SNS 8.6% LSNS 8% Sme-Rodina 6.6% Most-Hid 6.5% Siet 5.6% other 13.3%; seats by party - Smer-SD 49 SaS 21 OLaNO-NOVA 19 SNS 15 LSNS 14 Sme-Rodina 11 Most-Hid 11 Siet 10

Judicial branch
Highest court: Supreme Court of the Slovak Republic ; Constitutional Court (consists of 13 judges)
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judge candidates proposed by the Judicial Council of the Slovak Republic an 18-member independent body to include the Supreme Court chief justice and presidential governmental parliamentary and judiciary appointees; judges appointed by the president for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; Constitutional Court judges nominated by the National Council of the Republic and appointed by the president; judges appointed for 12-year terms
Subordinate courts: regional and district civil courts; Higher Military Court; military district courts; Court of Audit

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: Australia Group BIS BSEC (observer) CBSS (observer) CD CE CEI CERN EAPC EBRD ECB EIB EMU EU FAO IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICRM IDA IEA IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA NATO NEA NSG OAS (observer) OECD OIF (observer) OPCW OSCE PCA Schengen Convention SELEC (observer) UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNFICYP UNIDO UNTSO UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Peter KMEC
In the us chancery: 3,523 International Court NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] 237-1054
In the us FAX: [1] 237-6,438
In the us consulate general: Los Angeles New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Adam H. Sterling
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] 5,443-3,338
From the us FAX: [421] 5,441-8,861

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of white (top) blue and red derive from the Pan-Slav colors; the Slovakian coat of arms (consisting of a red shield bordered in white and bearing a white double-barred cross of St. Cyril and St. Methodius surmounting three blue hills) is centered over the bands but offset slightly to the hoist side
Note: the Pan-Slav colors were inspired by the 19th-century flag of Russia

National symbols: double-barred cross (Cross of St. Cyril and St. Methodius) surmounting three peaks; national colors: white blue red

National anthem
Name: 'Nad Tatrou sa blyska'
Lyrics and music: Janko MATUSKA/traditional
Note: adopted 1993 in use since 1844; music based on the Slovak folk song 'Kopala studienku'

National heritage


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Economy overview:

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2016 dollars
Rank: 72

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 87

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2016 dollars
Rank: 60

Gross national saving:
Rank: 84

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 54.7%
Government consumption: 19.5%
Investment in fixed capital: 20.2%
Investment in inventories: 1.9%
Exports of goods and services: 93.8%
Imports of goods and services: -90.1%

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 3.8%
Industry: 34.8%
Services: 61.4%

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

Industries: automobiles; metal and metal products; electricity gas coke oil nuclear fuel; chemicals synthetic fibers wood and paper products; machinery; earthenware and ceramics; textiles; electrical and optical apparatus; rubber products; food and beverages; pharmaceutical

Industrial production growth rate: 5.2% (2016 est.)
Rank: 47

Labor force: 2.759 million (2016 est.)
Rank: 110
By occupation agriculture: 3.9%
By occupation industry: 22.7%
By occupation services: 73.4%

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 125

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 12.3% (2015 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3.3%
Highest 10: 19.3%

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 148

Budget
Revenues: $35.79 billion
Expenditures: $37.3 billion
Surplus or deficit: -1.7% of GDP (2016 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 80

Taxes and other revenues: 40% of GDP (2016 est.)
Rank: 40

Public debt:
Note: data cover general Government Gross Debt and includes debt instruments issued by Government entities including sub-sectors of central government state government local government and social security funds
Rank: 95

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 30

Central bank discount rate:
Note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility which offers overnight credit to banks from the euro area; Slovakia became a member of the Economic and Monetary Union on 1 January 2009
Rank: 153

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 174

Stock of narrow money:
Note: see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders
Rank: 53

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 64

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 59

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 90

Current account balance:
Rank: 108

Exports:
Rank: 39
Commodities: vehicles and related parts 27% machinery and electrical equipment 20% nuclear reactors and furnaces 12% iron and steel 4% mineral oils and fuels 5% (2015 est.)
Partners: Germany 21.9% Czech Republic 11.9% Poland 7.7% France 6.1% UK 5.9% Austria 5.7% Hungary 5.7% Italy 4.8% (2016)

Imports:
Rank: 40
Commodities: machinery and electrical equipment 20% vehicles and related parts 14% nuclear reactors and furnaces 12% fuel and mineral oils 9% (2015 est.)
Partners: Germany 20.2% Czech Republic 16.9% Austria 9.8% Poland 6.5% Hungary 6.1% South Korea 4.7% China 4.6% France 4.4% (2016)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 108

Debt external:
Rank: 56

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 56

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 59

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100%
Production: 24.85 billion kWh (2015 est.)
Production rank: 72
Consumption: 25.87 billion kWh (2015 est.)
Consumption rank: 67
Exports: 10.6 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 21
Imports: 13.25 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 20
Installed generating capacity: 7.11 million kW (2015 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 73
Generation sources fossil fuels: 35.1% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 177
Generation sources nuclear: 25.5% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 4
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 14.9% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 101
Generation sources other renewable sources: 11.8% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 63

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 200 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 96
Crude oil exports: 129.7 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 81
Crude oil imports: 115,600 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 42
Crude oil proven reserves: 9 million bbl (1 January 2017 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 94

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 137,400 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products production rank: 62
Products consumption: 84,290 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 88
Products exports: 83,030 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products exports rank: 46
Products imports: 36,470 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products imports rank: 95

Natural gas
Production: 94 million m³ (2015 est.)
Production rank: 81
Consumption: 7.868 billion m³ (2015 est.)
Consumption rank: 59
Exports: 3 million m³ (2014 est.)
Exports rank: 54
Imports: 4.407 billion m³ (2015 est.)
Imports rank: 35
Proven reserves: 14.16 billion m³ (1 January 2017 es)
Proven reserves rank: 80

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 31.1 million Mt (2015 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 76

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 823,594
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 15
Fixed lines rank: 80
Mobile cellular total: 6,989,902
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 128
Mobile cellular rank: 108

Telephone system
General assessment: a modern telecommunications system that has expanded dramatically in recent years with the growth of cellular services
Domestic: Slovak Telecom maintains a near monopoly on fixed-line service; four companies provide nationwide cellular services
International: country code - 421; 3 international exchanges are available; Slovakia is participating in several international telecommunications projects that will increase the availability of external services (2017)

Broadcast media: state-owned public broadcaster Radio and Television of Slovakia (RTVS) operates 2 national TV stations and multiple national and regional radio networks; roughly 50 privately owned TV stations operating nationally regionally and locally; about 40% of households are connected to multi-channel cable or satellite TV; 32 privately owned radio stations (2016)

Internet
Country code: .sk
Users total: 4,382,558
Users percent of population: 80.5%
Users rank: 72

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 89

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription in peacetime suspended in 2006; women are eligible to serve (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 4
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 23
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 11,100
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: OM (2016)

Airports: 35 (2013)
Rank: 111
With paved runways total: 21
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: 11
With unpaved runways total: 14
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 9
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 5

Heliports: 1 (2013)

Pipelines: gas transmission pipelines 2,270 km; high-pressure gas distribution pipelines 6,278 km; mid- and low-pressure gas distribution pipelines 27,023 km (2016); oil 510 km (2015)

Railways
Total: 3,626 km
Broad gauge: 99 km 1.520-m gauge
Standard gauge: 3,477 km 1.435-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 50 km 1.000-m or 0.750-m gauge
Rank: 49

Roadways
Total: 54,869 km (2012)
Rank: 75

Waterways: 172 km (on Danube River) (2012)
Rank: 99

Merchant marine
Total: 11
By type: cargo 9 refrigerated cargo 2
Foreign owned: 11 (2010)
Rank: 112

Ports and terminals
River port: Bratislava Komarno


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Disputes international: bilateral government legal technical and economic working group negotiations continued 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 has implemented strict Schengen border rules

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Stateless persons: 1523

Illicit drugs
Rank: li>a href='../rankorder/rankorderguide.html'>Guide to Country Comparisons: transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe; producer of synthetic drugs for regional market; consumer of ecstasy