2008 Edition

Background

The dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the close of World War I allowed the Slovaks to join the closely related Czechs to form Czechoslovakia. Following the chaos of World War II, Czechoslovakia became a Communist nation within Soviet-dominated 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.

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: Gerlachovsky Stit 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-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, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 1.04 per capita: 193 cu m/yr (2003)

Geographic coordinates

48 40 N, 19 30 E

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

Irrigated land

1,830 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

total: 1,474 km border countries: Austria 91 km, Czech Republic 197 km, Hungary 676 km, Poland 420 km, Ukraine 90 km

Land use

arable land: 29.23% permanent crops: 2.67% other: 68.1% (2005)

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; arable land

Terrain

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

Total renewable water resources

50.1 cu km (2003)

Age structure

0-14 years: 16.1% (male 448,083/female 427,643) 15-64 years: 71.7% (male 1,947,112/female 1,961,788) 65 years and over: 12.3% (male 250,787/female 419,994) (2008 est.)

Birth rate

10.64 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate

9.5 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Education expenditures

3.9% of GDP (2005)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

fewer than 100 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 6.98 deaths/1,000 live births male: 8.15 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 75.17 years male: 71.23 years female: 79.32 years (2008 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.6% male: 99.7% female: 99.6% (2001 est.)

Median age

total: 36.5 years male: 34.8 years female: 38.2 years (2008 est.)

Nationality

noun: Slovak(s) adjective: Slovak

Net migration rate

0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Population

5,455,407 (July 2008 est.)

Population growth rate

0.143% (2008 est.)

Religions

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

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 15 years male: 14 years female: 15 years (2006)

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 (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.34 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Administrative divisions

8 regions (kraje, singular - kraj); Banskobystricky, Bratislavsky, Kosicky, Nitriansky, Presovsky, Trenciansky, Trnavsky, Zilinsky

Capital

name: Bratislava geographic coordinates: 48 09 N, 17 07 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Constitution

ratified 1 September 1992, 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

Country name

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Vincent OBSITNIK embassy: Hviezdoslavovo Namestie 4, 81102 Bratislava mailing address: P.O. Box 309, 814 99 Bratislava telephone: [421] (2) 5443-3338

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Peter BURIAN chancery: 3523 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 237-1054

Executive branch

chief of state: President Ivan GASPAROVIC (since 15 June 2004) head of government: Prime Minister Robert FICO (since 4 July 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers Dusan CAPLOVIC, Robert KALINAK, Stefan HARABIN, Jan MIKOLAJ (since 4 July 2006) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 3 April and 17 April 2004 (next to be held in 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%

FAX

[1] (202) 237-6438 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

[421] (2) 5441-8861

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red superimposed with the coat of arms of Slovakia (consisting of a red shield bordered in white and bearing a white Cross of Lorraine surmounting three blue hills); the coat of arms is centered vertically and offset slightly to the hoist side

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Independence

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

International organization participation

Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

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); Special Court (judges elected by a council of judges and appointed by president)

Legal system

civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; 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 Slovenskej Republiky (150 seats; members are elected on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 17 June 2006 (next to be held in 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - Smer 29.1%, SDKU 18.4%, SMK 11.7%, SNS 11.7%, LS-HZDS 8.8%, KDH 8.3%, other 12%; seats by party - Smer 50, SDKU 31, SMK 20, SNS 19, LS-HZDS 16, KDH 14

National holiday

Constitution Day, 1 September (1992)

Parties in the Parliament

Christian Democratic Movement or KDH [Pavol HRUSOVSKY]; Direction-Social Democracy or Smer-SD [Robert FICO]; Party of the Hungarian Coalition or SMK [Pal CSAKY]; People's Party - Movement for a Democratic Slovakia or LS-HZDS [Vladimir MECIAR]; Slovak Democratic and Christian Union or SDKU-DS [Mikulas DZURINDA]; Slovak National Party or SNS [Jan SLOTA]; Parties outside the Parliament: Agrarian Party of the Provinces or ASV [Jozef VASKEBA]; Civic Conservative Party or OKS [Peter TATAR]; Free Forum [Zuzana MARTINAKOVA]; Hope or NADEJ [Alexandra NOVOTNA]; Left-wing Bloc or LB [Jozef KALMAN]; Mission 21 - New Christian Democracy or MISIA 21 [Ivan SIMKO]; Movement for Democracy or HZD [Jozef GRAPA]; New Citizens Alliance or ANO [Pavol RUSKO]; Party of the Democratic Left or SDL [Ladislav KOZMON]; Prosperita Slovenska or PS [Frantisek A. ZVRSKOVEC]; Slovak Communist Party or KSS [Vladimir DADO]; Slovak National Coalition or SLNKO [Vitazoslav MORIC]; Slovak People's Party or SLS [Jozef SASIK]; Union of the Workers of Slovakia or ZRS [Jan LUPTAK]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Association of Towns and Villages or ZMOS; Confederation of Trade Unions or KOZ; Entrepreneurs Association of Slovakia or ZPS; Federation of Employers' Associations of the Slovak Republic; National Union of Employers or RUZ; Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry or SOPK; The Business Alliance of Slovakia or PAS

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, cattle, poultry; forest products

Budget

revenues: $34.34 billion expenditures: $35.99 billion (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate

4.25% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

7.99% (31 December 2007)

Currency (code)

Slovak koruna (SKK)

Currency code

SKK

Current account balance

-$3.998 billion (2007 est.)

Debt - external

$36.63 billion (31 December 2007)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

26 (2005)

Economic aid - recipient

$235 million in available EU structural adjustment and cohesion funds (2004)

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. Foreign investment in the automotive sector has been strong. Slovakia's economic growth exceeded expectations in 2001-07 despite the general European slowdown. Unemployment, at an unacceptable 18% in 2003-04, dropped to 8.6% in 2007 but remains the economy's Achilles heel. Slovakia joined the EU on 1 May 2004 and will be the second of the new EU member states to adopt the euro in 2009 if it continues to meet euro adoption criteria in 2008. Despite its 2006 pre-election promises to loosen fiscal policy and reverse the previous DZURINDA government's pro-market reforms, FICO's cabinet has thus far been careful to keep a lid on spending in order to meet euro adoption criteria. The FICO government is pursuing a state-interventionist economic policy, however, and has pushed to regulate energy and food prices.

Electricity - consumption

26 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports

11.85 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports

12.73 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production

26.17 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 30.3% hydro: 16% nuclear: 53.6% other: 0% (2001)

Exchange rates

Slovak koruny (SKK) per US dollar - 24.919 (2007), 29.611 (2006), 31.018 (2005), 32.257 (2004), 36.773 (2003)

Exports

$57.53 billion f.o.b. (2007 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)

Exports - partners

Germany 21.4%, Czech Republic 12.6%, France 6.7%, Italy 6.4%, Poland 6.2%, Hungary 6%, Austria 5.8%, UK 4.8% (2007)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 2.6% industry: 33.5% services: 63.9% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$20,200 (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

10.4% (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$74.99 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$110.2 billion (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3.1% highest 10%: 20.9% (1996)

Imports

$58.4 billion f.o.b. (2007 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 22.1%, Czech Republic 17.3%, Russia 9.2%, Hungary 6.7%, Austria 5.1%, Poland 4.9%, South Korea 4.7% (2007)

Industrial production growth rate

17.2% (2007 est.)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.8% (2007 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

25.7% of GDP (2007 est.)

Labor force

2.654 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 5.8%, industry 29.3%, construction 9%, services 55.9% (2003)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$5.574 billion (2006)

Natural gas - consumption

6.216 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports

180 million cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports

6.268 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - production

128 million cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

14.16 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Oil - consumption

82,860 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - exports

72,240 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports

134,100 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - production

12,770 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

9 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Population below poverty line

21% (2002)

Public debt

35.9% of GDP (2007 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$18.98 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$1.509 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$45.25 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$41.76 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of money

$26.17 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money

$21.11 billion (31 December 2007)

Unemployment rate

8.4% (2007 est.)

Internet country code

.sk

Internet hosts

717,744 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

6 (2000)

Internet users

2.35 million (2007)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 15, FM 78, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios

3.12 million (1997)

Telephone system

general assessment: Slovakia has a modern telecommunications system that has expanded dramatically in recent years with the growth in cellular services domestic: analog system is now receiving digital equipment and is being enlarged with fiber-optic cable, especially in the larger cities; 3 companies provide nationwide cellular services international: country code - 421; 3 international exchanges (1 in Bratislava and 2 in Banska Bystrica) are available; Slovakia is participating in several international telecommunications projects that will increase the availability of external services

Telephones - main lines in use

1.151 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular

6.068 million (2007)

Television broadcast stations

80 (national broadcasting 6, regional 7, local 67) (2004)

Televisions

2.62 million (1997)

Airports

35 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 20 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: 10 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 15 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 7 (2007)

Heliports

1 (2007)

Merchant marine

total: 51 by type: bulk carrier 5, cargo 42, refrigerated cargo 4 foreign-owned: 47 (Bulgaria 6, Germany 3, Greece 2, Ireland 1, Israel 4, Italy 2, Poland 2, Russia 1, Slovenia 1, Syria 2, Turkey 10, Ukraine 12, UK 1) (2008)

Pipelines

gas 6,769 km; oil 416 km (2007)

Ports and terminals

Bratislava, Komarno

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) (2006)

Roadways

total: 43,761 km paved: 38,085 km (includes 316 km of expressways) unpaved: 5,676 km (2006)

Waterways

172 km (on Danube River) (2005)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 1,420,966 females age 16-49: 1,386,259 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 1,166,833 females age 16-49: 1,156,874 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 38,183 female: 36,388 (2008 est.)

Military branches

Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic (Ozbrojene Sily Slovenskej

Military expenditures

1.87% of GDP (2005 est.)

Military service age and obligation

17-30 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2006; women are eligible to serve (2007)

Republiky)

Land Forces (Pozemne Sily), Air Forces (Vzdusne Sily) (2008)

Disputes - international

bilateral government, legal, technical and economic working group negotiations continued in 2006 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 has implemented the strict Schengen border rules

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe; producer of synthetic drugs for regional market; consumer of ecstasy This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008