BASIC INFORMATION

THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC (Slovakia) is one of the youngest Central European members of European Union.

Area: 49.035 sq. km (18.933 sq. miles)

Population: 5.395.000 (ranks it in 22nd largest in Europe)

Government type: parliamentary democracy

The capital: Bratislava (population: 452.288)

Bordering countries: Austria (127 km), Czech Republic (265 km), Hungary (679 km), Poland (597 km), The Ukraine (98 km)

Other larger regional cities: Košice (240 915), Prešov (92 687), Nitra (87 357), Žilina (86 685), Banská Bystrica (84 919), Trnava (70 191), Martin (60 772), Trenčín (58 872), Poprad (55 037), Prievidza (54 405), Zvolen (44 328)

Administrative division: 8 regions and 79 districts

Official language: Slovak

Nationalities: Slovak (86 %), Hungarian (10,8 %), Romany (1,8%), Czech (1,2%), Ruthenian (0,3%), Ukraine (0,3%), German (0,1%), Polish (0,1%), and other (0,2%)

Religion: Roman-Catholic (60 %), Greek-Catholic (3,4%), Lutheran–Augsburg denomination (7 %), Reformist (1,6%), Orthodox (0,6%)

Elevation above sea level: 95 m (river Bodrog) – 2.656 m (Gerlach peak in High Tatras)

Location

The Slovak Republic is located in the Central Europe. The country geography is characteristic with major differences in the height above sea. The central and northern Slovakia (about one-third territory) is a mountainous region - the Carpathian Mountains cross this area. The southern and eastern Slovakia is a lowland region, being an important agricultural area of the country. The Danube river connects Slovakia with Vienna, the Rhine-Main channel, and harbours at the Black sea.

Climate

The Slovak Republic lies in the temperate climate zone at the border between the Atlantic and the continental part of Europe, with distinctive rotation of seasons. The average daily temperature in the wintertime is -2 °C and in summertime 21 °C. The coldest month is January and the warmest months are July and August. In average the snow keeps up in the highest locations 130 days per year