1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Introduction
Background
After centuries under foreign rule, mainly by Hungary, the Slovaks joined with their neighbors to form the new nation of Czechoslovakia in 1918. 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 was an independent country turning toward the West. The Slovaks and the Czechs agreed to separate peacefully on 1 January 1993. Slovakia has experienced more difficulty than the Czech Republic in developing a modern market economy.
Geography
Area
total: 48,845 sq km land: 48,800 sq km water: 45 sq km
Area--comparative
about twice the size of New Hampshire
Climate
temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Bodrok River 94 m highest point: Gerlachovka 2,655 m
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-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geographic coordinates
48 40 N, 19 30 E
Geography--note
landlocked
Irrigated land
800 sq km (1993 est.)
Land boundaries
total: 1,355 km border countries: Austria 91 km, Czech Republic 215 km, Hungary 515 km, Poland 444 km, Ukraine 90 km
Land use
arable land: 31% permanent crops: 3% permanent pastures: 17% forests and woodland: 41% other: 8% (1993 est.)
Location
Central Europe, south of Poland
Map references
Europe
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Natural hazards
NA
Natural resources
brown coal and lignite; small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganese ore; salt
Terrain
rugged mountains in the central and northern part and lowlands in the south
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 20% (male 551,847; female 528,236) 15-64 years: 69% (male 1,837,788; female 1,861,305) 65 years and over: 11% (male 237,710; female 379,307) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
9.52 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
9.43 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
Slovak 85.7%, Hungarian 10.7%, Gypsy 1.5% (the 1992 census figures underreport the Gypsy/Romany community, which is about 500,000), Czech 1%, Ruthenian 0.3%, Ukrainian 0.3%, German 0.1%, Polish 0.1%, other 0.3%
Infant mortality rate
9.48 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
Slovak (official), Hungarian
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 73.46 years male: 69.71 years female: 77.4 years (1999 est.)
Literacy
NA
Nationality
noun: Slovak(s) adjective: Slovak
Net migration rate
0.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population
5,396,193 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
0.04% (1999 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 60.3%, atheist 9.7%, Protestant 8.4%, Orthodox 4.1%, other 17.5%
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.2 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
8 departments (kraje, singular--kraj); Banskobystricky, Bratislavsky, Kosicky, Nitriansky, Presovsky, Trenciansky, Trnavsky, Zilinsky
Capital
Bratislava
Constitution
ratified 1 September 1992, fully effective 1 January 1993
Country name
conventional long form: Slovak Republic conventional short form: Slovakia local long form: Slovenska Republika local short form: Slovensko
Data code
LO
Executive branch
chief of state: President (vacant); note--President NOVAC retired at the end of his term; the government has announced its intention to hold direct presidential election in early 1999; in the meantime the prime minister takes over the president's duties head of government: Prime Minister Mikulas DZURINDA (since 30 October 1998) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president elected by National Council secret ballot that must yield a three-fifths majority for a five-year term; election last held NA March 1998 but no candidate was able to win a three-fifths majority required by law (next to be held NA 1999); 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: presidency vacant
Flag description
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
Government type
parliamentary democracy
Independence
1 January 1993 (from Czechoslovakia)
International organization participation
Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUA, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Martin BUTORA chancery: (temporary) Suite 250, 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ralph R. JOHNSON embassy: Hviezdoslavovo Namestie 4, 81102 Bratislava mailing address: use embassy street address
Judicial branch
Supreme Court, judges are elected by the National Council; Constitutional Court Political parties and leaders: Movement for a Democratic Slovakia Hungarian Coalition or SMK (includes MKDH, MOS, and Coexistence) LUPTAK, chairman]; Social Democratic Party of Slovakia or SSDS chairman] Political pressure groups and leaders: Party of Entrepreneurs and Businessmen of Slovakia; Christian Social Union; Confederation of Trade Unions or KOZ; Metal Workers Unions or KOVO and METALURG; Association of Employers of Slovakia; Association of Towns and Villages or ZMOS
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
Legislative branch
unicameral National Council of the Slovak Republic or Narodna Rada Slovensky Repubiky (150 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 25-26 September 1998 (next to be held NA September 2003) election results: percent of vote by party--HZDS 27%, SDK 16.3%, SDL 14.7%, SMK 9.1%, SNS 9.1%, SOP 8%; seats by party--governing coalition 93 (SDK 42, SDL 23, SMK 15, SOP 13), opposition 57 (HZDS 43, SNS 14)
National holiday
Slovak Constitution Day, 1 September (1992); Anniversary of Slovak National Uprising, 29 August (1944)
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture--products
grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, cattle, poultry; forest products
Budget
revenues: $5.4 billion expenditures: $6.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997)
Currency
1 koruna (Sk) = 100 halierov
Debt--external
$10.7 billion (1997)
Economic aid--recipient
$421.9 million (1995)
Economy--overview
Slovakia, continuing the difficult transition from a centrally controlled economy to a modern market-oriented economy, begins 1999 with clouds on the horizon: GDP growth is slowing sharply; budget and current account deficits are too large; external debt is growing uncomfortably fast; unemployment is high and rising; corrupt insider deals persist; and demand is weakening for Slovakia's key primary goods exports, especially as Russia and Ukraine slump and as EU growth slows. International credit rating agencies have downgraded Slovak debt to below investment grade. The new government intends to address the economy's ills by giving priority to joining the OECD and EU, cutting government wage and infrastructure spending, boosting some taxes and regulated prices, expanding privatization to companies formerly considered strategic, restructuring the financial section, encouraging foreign investment, and reenergizing the social partnership with labor and employers. Government officials believe as long as two years may be needed before its structural reforms improve economic performance. In 1999, the government expects GDP growth to slow from 5% in 1998 to 2%, inflation to rise from 6% to 10%, and unemployment to rise from less than 14% to 15% or 16%, but hopes to bring the budget deficit down to no more than 2% of GDP and the current account deficit down to 5% to 6% of GDP.
Electricity--consumption
26.353 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports
2.607 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports
3.15 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production
25.81 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 35.57% hydro: 20.81% nuclear: 43.62% other: 0% (1996)
Exchange rates
koruny (Sk) per US$1--36.207 (January 1999), 35.233 (1998). 33.616 (1997), 30.654 (1996), 29.713 (1995), 32.045 (1994)
Exports
$10.7 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports--commodities
machinery and transport equipment 37%; intermediate manufactured goods 30%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 13%; chemicals 9%; raw materials 4% (1998)
Exports--partners
EU 56% (Germany 29%), Czech Republic 20%, Austria 7%, Poland 7% (1998)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity--$44.5 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: 4.8% industry: 33.4% services: 61.8% (1997)
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$8,300 (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
5% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 5.1% highest 10%: 18.2% (1992)
Imports
$12.9 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports--commodities
machinery and transport equipment 40%; intermediate manufactured goods 18%; fuels 11%; chemicals 11%; miscellaneous manufactured goods 10% (1998)
Imports--partners
EU 50% (Germany 26%), Czech Republic 18%, Russia 10%, Italy 6% (1998)
Industrial production growth rate
2.7% (1997)
Industries
metal and metal products; food and beverages; electricity, gas, coke, oil, and nuclear fuel; chemicals and manmade fibers; machinery; paper and printing; earthenware and ceramics; transport vehicles; textiles; electrical and optical apparatus; rubber products
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
7.4% (1998)
Labor force
3.32 million (1997)
Labor force--by occupation
industry 29.3%, agriculture 8.9%, construction 8%, transport and communication 8.2%, services 45.6% (1994)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
14% (1998 est.)
Communications
Radio broadcast stations
AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA; note--there are 22 private broadcast stations and two public (state) broadcast stations
Radios
915,000 (1995 est.)
Telephone system
domestic: NA international: NA
Telephones
1,362,178 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations
41 (1997)
Televisions
1.2 million (1995 est.)
Transportation
Airports
15 (1998 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 10 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1998 est.) Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 3 (1998 est.)
Highways
total: 38,000 km paved: 37,500 km (including 280 km of expressways) unpaved: 500 km (1998 est.)
Merchant marine
total: 3 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 15,041 GRT/19,517 DWT (1998 est.)
Pipelines
petroleum products NA km; natural gas 2,700 km Ports and harbors: Bratislava, Komarno
Railways
total: 3,660 km broad gauge: 102 km 1.520-m gauge standard gauge: 3,507 km 1.435-m gauge (1424 km electrified) narrow gauge: 51 km (46 km 1,000-m gauge; 5 km 0.750-m gauge) (1996)
Waterways
172 km on the Danube
Military and Security
Military branches
Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, Reserve Force (Home Guards), Civil Defense Force
Military expenditures--dollar figure
$436 million (1998)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP
2.1% (1998)
Military manpower--availability
males age 15-49: 1,478,729 (1999 est.) Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 1,130,482 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--military age
18 years of age
Military manpower--reaching military age annually
males: 45,919 (1999 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international
ongoing Gabcikovo Dam dispute with Hungary is before the International Court of Justice; unresolved property issues with Czech Republic over redistribution of former Czechoslovak federal property
Illicit drugs
minor, but increasing, transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish bound for Western Europe