General Information

Slovakia

Established state form:  republic
Type of government:  parliamentary democracy
Formation date:  January 1, 1993
EU member since: May 1, 2004
Currency:  Euro (EUR)
VAT: 19%

Membership in international organisations: UN, OECD, WTO, V4, NATO, EU

Area: 49,035 km²
Population:  5,379,450 (2001 census)
Official language:  Slovak

Capital: Bratislava
Largest cities (by population): Bratislava (452,288), Košice (249,915), Prešov (92,687), Nitra (87,357), Žilina (86,685), Banská Bystrica (84,919).
Geographical location: The Slovak Republic lies in central Europe. Relatively large differences in elevation are characteristic of Slovakia. Central and northern Slovakia is more mountainous; the Carpathian bow extends across these regions. The south and east of the country lie in the lowlands, an important agricultural area in Slovakia. The most important river is the Danube, which connects the capital Bratislava with two European metropolises – Vienna and Budapest.
Borders: Hungary (679 km), Poland (597.5 km), Czech Republic (265 km), Austria (127.2 km), Ukraine (98 km)

Nationalities:  Slovak (85.6%), Hungarian (10.8%), Romany (1.8%), Czech (1.2%), Ukrainian (0.3%), German (0.1%),  Polish (0.1%), other (0.2%)
Religion:  Roman Catholic (60.3%), Greek Catholic (3.4%), Evangelic (6.2%), Orthodox (0.6%), non-denominational (9.7%), no data (18.2%)

Climate: The Slovak Republic is located in a moderate zone with characteristic changes of season. The average daily temperature is -2ºC in winter and 21ºC in summer. The coldest month is January; the warmest are July and August. Snow remains on the ground an average of 130 days per year in the highest elevations.

Main agricultural crops:  wheat, rye, corn, potatoes, sugar beets
Breeding:  cattle, pigs, poultry, sheep, goats