Introduction

 

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.

 

Geography

 

Location: Central Europe, south of Poland

 

Geographic coordinates: 48 40 N, 19 30 E

 

Map references: Europe

 

Area: total: 48,845 sq km; land: 48,800 sq km; water: 45 sq km

 

Area - comparative: about twice the size of New Hampshire

 

Land boundaries: total: 1,524 km; border countries: 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;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: 1,740 sq km (1998 est.)

 

Natural hazards: NA

 

Environment - current issues: air pollution from metallurgical plants presents human health risks; acid rain damaging forests

 

Environment - 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

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

 

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

 

People

 

Population: 5,431,363 (July 2005 est.)

 

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.)

 

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/1,000 population (2005 est.)

 

Death rate: 9.43 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

 

Net migration rate: 0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

 

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female; under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female; 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female; total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

 

Infant mortality rate: total: 7.41 deaths/1,000 live births; male: 8.65 deaths/1,000 live births; female: 6.1 deaths/1,000 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.)

 

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

 

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: less than 200 (2003 est.)

 

HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (2001 est.)

 

Nationality: noun: Slovak(s); adjective: Slovak

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Literacy: definition: NA; total population: NA%; male: NA%; female: NA%

 

Government

 

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

 

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

 

National holiday: Constitution Day, 1 September (1992)

 

Constitution: ratified 1 September 1992, fully 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

 

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: unicameral National Council of the Slovak Republic or Narodna Rada Slovenskej Republiky (150 seats; members are elected on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)

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)

 

Economy

 

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.

 

GDP: purchasing power parity - $78.89 billion (2004 est.)

 

GDP - real growth rate: 5.3% (2004 est.)

 

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

 

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.5%; industry: 30.1%; services: 66.4% (2004 est.)

 

Labor force: 2.2 million (3rd quarter, 2004 est.)

 

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 5.8%, industry 29.3%, construction 9%, services 55.9% (2003)

 

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

 

Population below poverty line: NA

 

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)

 

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

 

Investment (gross fixed): 24% of GDP (2004 est.)

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

 

Public debt: 46.6% of GDP (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.)

 

Electricity - production: 31.15 billion kWh (2003)

 

Electricity - consumption: 28.89 billion kWh (2003)

 

Electricity - exports: 8 billion kWh (2003)

 

Electricity - imports: 6 billion kWh (2003)

 

Oil - production: 1,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

 

Oil - consumption: 82,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

 

Oil - exports: NA

 

Oil - imports: NA

 

Oil - proved reserves: 4.5 million bbl (1 January 2002)

 

Natural gas - production: 190 million cu m (2003 est.)

 

Natural gas - consumption: 6.8 billion cu m (2003 est.)

 

Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2003 est.)

 

Natural gas - imports: 6.6 billion cu m (2003 est.)

 

Natural gas - proved reserves: 7.504 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

 

Current account balance: $-1.4 billion (2004 est.)

 

Exports: $29.24 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

 

Exports - commodities: vehicles 25.9%, machinery and electrical equipment 21.3%, base metals 14.6%, chemicals and minerals 10.1%, plastics 5.4%% (2004 est.)

 

Exports - partners: Germany 35.7%, Czech Republic 13.4%, Austria 8.6%, Italy 5.6%, US 4.8%, Poland 4.8%, Hungary 4.3% (2004)

 

Imports: $29.67 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

 

Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment 41.1%, intermediate manufactured goods 19.3%, fuels 12.3%, chemicals 9.8%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 10.2% (2003)

 

Imports - partners: Germany 29.6%, Czech Republic 17.1%, Russia 9.5%, Austria 7.1%, Italy 5.4%, Hungary 4.3% (2004)

 

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

 

Debt - external: $19.54 billion (2004 est.)

 

Economic aid - recipient: $2.2 billion in available EU structural adjustment and cohesion funds (2004-06)

 

Currency (code): Slovak koruna (SKK)

 

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

 

Fiscal year: calendar year

 

Communications

 

Telephones - main lines in use: 1,294,700 (2003)

 

Telephones - 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

 

Radio broadcast stations: AM 15, FM 78, shortwave 2 (1998)

 

Television broadcast stations: 6 national broadcasting, 7 regional, 67 local (2004)

 

Internet country code: .sk

 

Internet hosts: 89,592 (2004)

 

Internet users: 1,375,800 (2003)

 

Transportation

 

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)

 

Highways: total: 42,970 km; paved: 37,698 km (including 302 km of expressways); unpaved: 5,272 km (2002)

 

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

 

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

 

Ports and harbors: Bratislava, Komarno

 

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)

 

Airports: 34 (2004 est.)

 

Airports - with paved runways: total: 17; over 3,047 m: 2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2; 1,524 to; 2,437 m: 3; 914 to 1,523 m: 3; under 914 m: 7 (2004 est.)

 

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 17; 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1; 914 to 1,523 m: 9; under 914 m: 7 (2004 est.)

 

Heliports: 1 (2004 est.)

 

Transnational Issues

 

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

 

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