Slovakia — map and facts

About Slovakia

Slovakia is a landlocked Central European country of approximately 5.5 million people, bordered by the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Ukraine, and Poland. Its capital is Bratislava, located on the Danube and unique in being a capital city that borders two other countries (Austria and Hungary). Slovakia became independent on 1 January 1993 following the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia, known as the Velvet Divorce. It joined NATO and the EU in 2004 and adopted the euro in 2009. The official language is Slovak, a West Slavic language closely related to Czech. Slovakia has a diversified economy, strong in automotive manufacturing, electronics, and services; it is one of the world's largest producers of cars per capita.

Geography and Landscape

Slovakia's landscape is dominated by mountains in the centre and north, with the High Tatras (Vysoké Tatry) forming a dramatic alpine skyline along the Polish border, reaching 2,655 metres at Gerlachovský štít — the highest point in the Carpathian range. The Western and Low Tatras, the Slovak Ore Mountains, and the Fatra and Beskydy ranges cover much of the country. The southern lowlands along the Danube and its tributaries are the main agricultural zone, merging with Hungary's Great Plain. Major rivers include the Danube (forming the southern border), the Váh, the Nitra, and the Hron. Slovakia has over 1,300 caves, several with UNESCO status, and hot spring resorts. The climate is temperate continental, with cold winters and warm summers.

History

The territory of modern Slovakia was part of the Great Moravian Empire in the ninth century, which Christianised under Saints Cyril and Methodius. After the fall of Moravia, the region was conquered by the Hungarians around 900 AD and remained part of the Kingdom of Hungary for almost a thousand years. The capital of Hungary was Bratislava (then called Pozsony) from 1563 to 1783. Slovak national consciousness emerged in the nineteenth century through scholars such as ?udovít Štúr, who codified the Slovak literary language. After the First World War, Slovakia united with the Czech lands to form Czechoslovakia in 1918. A puppet Slovak state existed under Nazi Germany's patronage during the Second World War. After 1948, Czechoslovakia became communist. The Velvet Revolution of 1989 ended communist rule; the country peacefully split into Slovakia and the Czech Republic on 1 January 1993.