1994 Edition

Administrative divisions

4 departments (kraje, singular - Kraj) Bratislava, Zapadoslovensky, Stredoslovensky, Vychodoslovensky

Agriculture

largely self-sufficient in food production; diversified crop and livestock production, including grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit, hogs, cattle, and poultry; exporter of forest products

Airports

total: 46 usable: 32 with permanent-surface runways: 7 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 6 with runways 1,060-2,439 m: 18 note: a C-130 can land on a 1,060-m airstrip

Area

total area: 48,845 sq km land area: 48,800 sq km comparative area: about twice the size of New Hampshire

Birth rate

14.55 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Branches

Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, Civil Defense, Railroad Units

Budget

revenues: $4.5 billion expenditures: $5.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est.)

Capital

Bratislava

Climate

temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Constitution

ratified 1 September 1992; fully effective 1 January 1993

Currency

1 koruna (Sk) = 100 halierov

Death rate

9.28 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

8.2 billion koruny, NA% of GDP (1993 est.); note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results

Digraph

LO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Bravislav LICHARDUS chancery: (temporary) Suite 330, 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: (202) 965-5161

Economic aid

donor: the former Czechoslovakia was a donor - $4.2 billion in bilateral aid to non-Communist less developed countries (1954-89)

Electricity

capacity: 6,800,000 kW production: 24 billion kWh consumption per capita: 4,550 kWh (1992)

Environment

current issues: acid rain damaging forests natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur, Antarctic Treaty, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Climate Change

Ethnic divisions

Slovak 85.6%, Hungarian 10.8%, Gypsy 1.5% (the 1992 census figures underreport the Gypsy/Romany community, which could reach 500,000 or more), Czech 1.1%, Ruthenian 15,000, Ukrainian 13,000, Moravian 6,000, German 5,000, Polish 3,000

Exchange rates

koruny (Sk) per US$1 - 32.9 (December 1993), 28.59 (December 1992), 28.26 (1992), 29.53 (1991), 17.95 (1990), 15.05 (1989); note - values before 1993 reflect Czechoslovak exchange rate

Executive branch

chief of state: President Michal KOVAC (since 8 February 1993); election last held 8 February 1993 (next to be held NA 1998); results - Michal KOVAC elected by the National Council head of government: Prime Minister Jozef MORAVCIK (since 16 March 1994) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister

Exports

$5.13 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: machinery and transport equipment; chemicals; fuels, minerals, and metals; agricultural products partners: Czech Republic, CIS republics, Germany, Poland, Austria, Hungary, Italy, France, US, UK

External debt

$3.2 billion hard currency indebtedness (31 December 1993)

FAX

(202) 965-5166

[42] (7) 335-439

Fiscal year

calendar year

Flag

three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red superimposed with the Slovak cross in a shield centered on the hoist side; the cross is white centered on a background of red and blue

Highways

total: 17,650 km (1990) paved: NA unpaved: NA

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe

Imports

$5.95 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: machinery and transport equipment; fuels and lubricants; manufactured goods; raw materials; chemicals; agricultural products partners: Czech Republic, CIS republics, Germany, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, Hungary, UK, Italy

Independence

1 January 1993 (from Czechoslovakia)

Industrial production

growth rate -13.5% (December 1993 over December 1992)

Industries

brown coal mining, chemicals, metal-working, consumer appliances, fertilizer, plastics, armaments

Infant mortality rate

10.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

23% (1993 est.)

Inland waterways

NA km

International disputes

Gabcikovo Dam dispute with Hungary; unresolved property issues with Czech Republic over redistribution of former Czechoslovak federal property

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Labor force

2.484 million by occupation: industry 33.2%, agriculture 12.2%, construction 10.3%, communication and other 44.3% (1990)

Land boundaries

total 1,355 km, Austria 91 km, Czech Republic 215 km, Hungary 515 km, Poland 444 km, Ukraine 90 km

Land use

arable land: NA% permanent crops: NA% meadows and pastures: NA% forest and woodland: NA% other: NA%

Languages

Slovak (official), Hungarian

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 Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory

Legislative branch

unicameral

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 72.81 years male: 68.66 years female: 77.2 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%

Location

Central Europe, between Hungary and Poland

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 1,426,290; fit for military service 1,095,604; reach military age (18) annually 48,695 (1994 est.)

Map references

Ethnic Groups in Eastern Europe, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

none; landlocked

Member of

BIS, CCC, CE (guest), CEI, CERN, COCOM (cooperating), CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NACC, NSG, PCA, UN (as of 8 January 1993), UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMUR, UNPROFOR, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Merchant marine

total 19 (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 309,502 GRT/521,997 DWT, bulk 13, cargo 6 note: most under the flag of Saint Vincent

Names

conventional long form: Slovak Republic conventional short form: Slovakia local long form: Slovenska Republika local short form: Slovensko

National Council (Narodni Rada)

elections last held 5-6 June 1992 (next to be held 31 September-1October 1994); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (150 total) Movement for a Democratic Slovakia 55, Party of the Democratic Left 28, Christian Democratic Movement 18, Slovak National Party 9, National Democratic Party 5, Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement/Coexistence 14, Democratic Union of Slovakia 16, independents 5

National holiday

Anniversary of Slovak National Uprising, August 29 (1944)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $31 billion (1993 est.)

National product per capita

$5,800 (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate

-5% (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun: Slovak(s) adjective: Slovak

Natural resources

brown coal and lignite; small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganese ore; salt

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Note

landlocked

Other political or pressure groups

Green Party; Social Democratic Party in Slovakia; Freedom Party; Slovak Christian Union; Hungarian Civic Party

Overview

The dissolution of Czechoslovakia into two independent states - the Czech Republic and Slovakia - on 1 January 1993 has complicated the task of moving toward a more open and decentralized economy. The old Czechoslovakia, even though highly industrialized by East European standards, suffered from an aging capital plant, lagging technology, and a deficiency in energy and many raw materials. In January 1991, approximately one year after the end of communist control of Eastern Europe, the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic launched a sweeping program to convert its almost entirely state-owned and controlled economy to a market system. In 1991-92 these measures resulted in privatization of some medium- and small-scale economic activity and the setting of more than 90% of prices by the market - but at a cost in inflation, unemployment, and lower output. For Czechoslovakia as a whole inflation in 1991 was roughly 50% and output fell 15%. In 1992 in Slovakia, inflation slowed to an estimated 8.7% and the estimated fall in GDP was a more moderate 7%. In 1993 GDP fell roughly 5%, with the disruptions from the separation from the Czech lands probably accounting for half the decline; exports to the Czech Republic fell about 35%. Bratislava adopted an austerity program in June and devalued its currency 10% in July. In 1993, inflation rose an estimated 23%, unemployment topped 14%, and the budget deficit exceeded the IMF target of $485 million by over $200 million. By yearend 1993 Bratislava estimated that 29% of GDP was being produced in the private sector. The forecast for 1994 is gloomy; Bratislava optimistically projects no growth in GDP, 17% unemployment, a $425 million budget deficit, and 12% inflation. At best, if Slovakia stays on track with the IMF, GDP could fall by only 2-3% in 1994 and unemployment could be held under 18%, but a currency devaluation will likely drive inflation above 15%.

Pipelines

petroleum products NA km; natural gas 2,700 km

Political parties and leaders

Movement for a Democratic Slovakia, Vladimir MECIAR, chairman; Party of the Democratic Left, Peter WEISS, chairman; Christian Democratic Movement, Jan CARNOGURSKY; Slovak National Party, Jan SLOTA, chairman; Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement, Vojtech BUGAR; National Democratic Party - New Alternative, Ludovit CERNAK, chairman; Democratic Union of Slovakia, Jozef MORAVCIK, chairman; Coexistence Movement, Miklos DURAY, chairman

Population

5,403,505 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

0.53% (1994 est.)

Ports

maritime outlets are in Poland (Gdynia, Gdansk, Szczecin), Croatia (Rijeka), Slovenia (Koper), Germany (Hamburg, Rostock); principal river ports are Komarno on the Danube and Bratislava on the Danube

Railroads

3,669 km total (1990)

Religions

Roman Catholic 60.3%, atheist 9.7%, Protestant 8.4%, Orthodox 4.1%, other 17.5%

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telecommunications

NA

Terrain

rugged mountains in the central and northern part and lowlands in the south

Total fertility rate

1.96 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Type

parliamentary democracy

Unemployment rate

14.4% (1993 est.)

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassdor Theodore RUSSELL embassy: Hviezdoslavovo Namesite 4, 81102 Bratislava mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [42] (7) 330-861