Slovak Republic

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Slovak Republic

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Slovenská Republika/Slovak Republic Area 49,035 sq km/18,932 sq mi Capital Bratislava Language Slovak (official), Hungarian, Czech, other ethnic languages Religion Roman Catholic (over 50%), Lutheran, Reformist, Orthodox, atheist 10% Time difference GMT +1 Major holidays 1, 6 January, 1 May, 5 July, 29 August, 1, 15 September, 1 November, 24–26 December; variable: Good Friday, Easter Monday


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Koaice, Nitra, Preaov, Banská Bystrica, Zilina, Trnava, Martin Physical features Western range of Carpathian Mountains, including Tatra and Beskids in north; Danube plain in south; numerous lakes and mineral springs Airports five international airports and several regional airports providing domestic services; total passengers carried: 208,000 (2003 est) Railways total length: 3,600 km/2,237 mi; total passenger journeys: 51.3 million (2003) Roads total road network: 42,993 km/26,715 mi, of which 87.3% paved (2003 est); passenger cars: 285.9 per 1,000 people (2003 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state Ivan Gasparovic from 2004 Head of government Robert Fico from 2006 Political system emergent democracy Political executive parliamentary Administrative divisions eight regions and 79 districts Political parties Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (MDS), left of centre, nationalist-populist; Democratic Union of Slovakia (DUS), centrist; Christian Democratic Movement (KSDH), right of centre; Slovak National Party (SNP), nationalist; Party of the Democratic Left (PDL), reform socialist, (ex-communist); Association of Workers of Slovakia, left wing; Hungarian Coalition, ethnic Hungarian Death penalty abolished in 1990 Armed forces 22,200 (2006 est) Conscription military service is compulsory for six months Defence spend (% GDP) 1.8 (2005 est) Education spend (% GDP) 4.4 (2003 est) Health spend (% GDP) 5.2 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency Slovak koruna (based on Czechoslovak koruna) GDP (US$) 46.4 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 6.5 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 42.8 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 15,760 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 4.7% (2006 est) Unemployment 13.9% (2006 est) Labour force 4.7% agriculture, 38.8% industry, 56.5% services (2005) Foreign debt (US$) 25.8 billion (2005 est) Major trading partners EU25, Germany, Czech Republic, Russia, Austria, Italy, Poland Resources brown coal, lignite, copper, zinc, lead, iron ore, magnesite Industries chemicals, pharmaceuticals, heavy engineering, munitions, mining, textiles, clothing, glass, leather, footwear, construction materials, televisions, transport equipment (cars, lorries, and motorcycles) Exports basic manufactures, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, miscellaneous manufactured articles. Principal market: Germany 26.1% (2005) Imports machinery and transport equipment, mineral fuels and lubricants, basic manufactures, chemicals and related products. Principal source: Germany 21% (2005) Arable land 29.2% (2006 est) Agricultural products wheat and other grains, sugar beet, potatoes and other vegetables; livestock rearing (cattle, pigs, and poultry)


POPULATION

Population 5,400,700 (2006 est) Population growth rate 0% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 110 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 58 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 17%, 15–59 67%, 60+ 16% (2005 est) Ethnic groups 86% ethnic Slovak, 11% ethnic Hungarian (Magyar), 2% Romany; small Czech, Moravian, Silesian, and Ukrainian communities Life expectancy 71 (men); 79 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 9 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 10 Literacy rate 99% (men); 99% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 32.5 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 7.3 (2003 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) <0.1 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 100 (urban); 100 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 22.2 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 84.1 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 965 (2001 est) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 424 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 35.7 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 46.3 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

9th century Part of kingdom of Greater Moravia, in Czech lands to west, founded by Slavic Prince Sviatopluk; Christianity adopted. 906 Came under Magyar (Hungarian) domination and adopted Roman Catholicism. 1526 Came under Austrian Habsburg rule. 1867 With creation of dual Austro-Hungarian monarchy, came under separate Hungarian rule; policy of forced Magyarization stimulated revival of Slovak national consciousness. 1918 Austro-Hungarian Empire dismembered; Slovaks joined Czechs to form independent state of Czechoslovakia. Slovak-born Tomas Masaryk remained president until 1935, but political and economic power became concentrated in Czech lands. 1939 Germany annexed Czechoslovakia, which became Axis puppet state under the Slovak autonomist leader Monsignor Jozef Tiso; Jews persecuted. 1944 Popular revolt against German rule (‘Slovak Uprising’). 1945 Liberated from German rule by Soviet troops; Czechoslovakia re-established. 1948 Communists assumed power in Czechoslovakia. 1950s Heavy industry introduced into previously rural Slovakia; Slovak nationalism and Catholic Church forcibly suppressed. 1968–69 ‘Prague Spring’ political reforms introduced by Slovak-born Communist Party leader Alexander Dubcek; Warsaw Pact forces invaded Czechoslovakia to stop reforms; Slovak Socialist Republic, with autonomy over local affairs, created under new federal constitution. 1989 Pro-democracy demonstrations in Bratislava; new political parties, including centre-left People Against Violence (PAV), formed and legalized; Communist Party stripped of powers; new government formed, with ex-dissident playwright Václav Havel as president. 1990 Slovak nationalists polled strongly in multiparty elections; Vladimir Meciar (PAV) became prime minister. 1991 Increasing Slovak separatism as economy deteriorated. Meciar ousted as premier and formed PAV splinter group, Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS), pledging greater Slovak autonomy. 1992 Meciar returned to power following HZDS electoral victory. Slovak parliament's declaration of sovereignty led to Havel's resignation. 1993 Slovak Republic joined United Nations (UN) and Council of Europe as sovereign state. 1994 Joined NATO's ‘Partnership for Peace’ programme. 1995 Slovak made sole official language; Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation signed with Hungary. 1996 Anti-Meciar Slovak Democratic Coalition formed by five opposition parties. 1998 Meciar assumed presidential powers but stepped down when HZDS went into opposition following elections. New government led by Slovak Democratic Coalition (SDC) formed under Mikulas Dzurinda. Currency (koruna) devalued by 6%. 1999 Rudolf Schuster elected president. 2000 Death penalty abolished. Meciar arrested on corruption charges. 2003 Accession to European Union (EU) endorsed in referendum. 2004 Slovak Republic joined EU and NATO. Ivan Gaaparovic elected president, defeating Meciar. 2005 Joined European Exchange Rate Mechanism. 2006 Severe flooding along Danube river. Social democrat Robert Fico formed new coalition government following elections.


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