| 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.
Historic, political, and geographic factors have caused
Slovakia to experience more difficulty in developing a
modern market economy than some of its Central European
neighbors. |
| Location: |
Central Europe,
south of Poland |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
48 40 N, 19 30 E |
| 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:
1,355 km
border countries: Austria 91 km, Czech Republic
215 km, Hungary 515 km, Poland 444 km, Ukraine 90 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:
31%
permanent crops: 3%
permanent pastures: 17%
forests and woodland: 41%
other: 8% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
800 sq km (1993
est.) |
| 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, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic
Compounds, 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 |
| Geography
- note: |
landlocked |
| Population: |
5,414,937 (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
18.86% (male 522,563; female 498,832)
15-64 years: 69.6% (male 1,872,496; female
1,896,249)
65 years and over: 11.54% (male 236,996; female
387,801) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
0.13% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
10.05
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
9.25 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
0.53 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 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: 0.61 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
8.97 deaths/1,000
live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 73.97 years
male: 69.95 years
female: 78.2 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
1.25 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
less than 0.01%
(1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
400 (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
less than 100
(1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Slovak(s)
adjective: Slovak |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Slovak 85.7%,
Hungarian 10.6%, Roma 1.6% (the 1992 census figures
underreport the Gypsy/Romany community, which is about
500,000), Czech, Moravian, Silesian 1.1%, Ruthenian and
Ukrainian 0.6%, German 0.1%, Polish 0.1%, other 0.2% (1996) |
| Religions: |
Roman Catholic
60.3%, atheist 9.7%, Protestant 8.4%, Orthodox 4.1%, other
17.5% |
| Languages: |
Slovak
(official), Hungarian |
| Literacy: |
definition:
NA
total population: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA% |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: Slovak Republic
conventional short form: Slovakia
local long form: Slovenska Republika
local short form: Slovensko |
| Government
type: |
parliamentary
democracy |
| 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 Rudolf SCHUSTER (since 15 June
1999)
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 direct popular
vote for a five-year term; election last held 29 May 1999
(next to be held NA May/June 2004); 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: Rudolf SCHUSTER elected
president in the first direct, popular election; percent of
vote - Rudolf SCHUSTER 57%
note: government coalition - SDK, SDL, SMK,
SOP, KDH |
| 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 25-26 September 1998 (next
to be held NA September 2002)
election results: percent of vote by party -
HZDS 27%, SDK 26.3%, 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) |
| 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) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Christian
Democratic Movement or KDH [Pavol HRUSOVSKY]; Liberal
Democratic Union or LDU [Jan BUDAJ]; Movement for a
Democratic Slovakia or HZDS [Vladimir MECIAR]; Party of
Civic Understanding or SOP [Pavol HAMZIK]; Party of the
Democratic Left or SDL [Jozef MIGAS]; Party of the Hungarian
Coalition or SMK [Bela BUGAR]; Slovak Democratic and
Christian Union or SDKU [Mikulas DZURINDA]; note - this is
DZURINDA's new party for 2002 elections; he remains chairman
of a rump and splintering SDK; Slovak Democratic Coalition
or SDK (loose parliamentary club grouping representing
members of the smaller SSDS, SZS, and those committed to run
under SDKU in 2002) [Mikulas DZURINDA]; Slovak National
Party or SNS [Anna MALIKOVA] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Association of
Employers of Slovakia; Association of Towns and Villages or
ZMOS; Confederation of Trade Unions or KOZ; Metal Workers
Unions or KOVO and METALURG |
| International
organization participation: |
Australia Group,
BIS, BSEC (observer), CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE,
EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat (nonsignatory
user), Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NSG, OECD,
OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNMEE, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Martin BUTORA
chancery: Suite 250, 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20007; note - new chancery opening in June
2001 at International Court NW, Washington, DC
telephone: [1] (202) 965-5161
FAX: [1] (202) 965-5166 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Carl SPIELVOGEL
embassy: Hviezdoslavovo Namestie 4, 81102
Bratislava
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [421] (7) 5443-3338
FAX: [421] (7) 5443-0096 |
| 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 |
| Economy
- overview: |
Slovakia
continues the difficult transition from a centrally planned
economy to a modern market economy. The economic slowdown in
1999 stemmed from large budget and current account deficits,
fast-growing external debt, and persistent corruption. Even
though GDP growth reached only 2.2% in 2000, the year was
marked by positive developments such as foreign direct
investment of $1.5 billion, strong export performance,
restructuring and privatization in the banking sector, entry
into the OECD, and initial efforts to stem corruption.
Strong challenges face the government in 2001, especially
the maintenance of fiscal balance, the further privatization
of the economy, and the reduction of unemployment. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $55.3 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
2.2% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $10,200 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
4.5%
industry: 29.3%
services: 66.2% (1999 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
5.1%
highest 10%: 18.2% (1992) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
12.2% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
3 million (1999) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
industry 29.3%,
agriculture 8.9%, construction 8%, transport and
communication 8.2%, services 45.6% (1994) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
17% (2000 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$5.2 billion
expenditures: $5.6 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1999) |
| 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: |
9.3% (2000 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
22.582 billion
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
37.56%
hydro: 18.27%
nuclear: 44.17%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
21.471 billion
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
930 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
1.4 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
grains, potatoes,
sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, cattle, poultry; forest
products |
| Exports: |
$12 billion
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
machinery and
transport equipment 39.4%, intermediate manufactured goods
27.5%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 13%, chemicals 8%
(1999) |
| Exports
- partners: |
EU 59.7% (Germany
27.8%, Austria 8%, Italy 8.9%), Czech Republic 18.1% (1999) |
| Imports: |
$12.8 billion
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and
transport equipment 37.7%, intermediate manufactured goods
18%, fuels 13%, chemicals 11%, miscellaneous manufactured
goods 9.5% (1999) |
| Imports
- partners: |
EU 51.4% (Germany
26%, Italy 7.1%), Czech Republic 16.6%, Russia 11.9% (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$10.3 billion
(2000 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$421.9 million
(1995) |
| Currency: |
Slovak koruna (SKK) |
| Exchange
rates: |
koruny per US
dollar - 48.09 (March 2001), 46.395 (2000), 41.363 (1999),
35.233 (1998), 33.616 (1997), 30.654 (1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
1,934,558 (1998) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
736,662 (April
1999) |
| 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: 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) |
| Radios: |
3.12 million
(1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
38 (plus 864
repeaters) (1995) |
| Televisions: |
2.62 million
(1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.sk |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
6 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
700,000 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total:
3,660 km
broad gauge: 102 km 1.520-m gauge
standard gauge: 3,507 km 1.435-m gauge (1,505
km electrified; 1,011 km double track)
narrow gauge: 51 km (46 km 1,000-m gauge; 5 km
0.750-m gauge) (1998) |
| Highways: |
total:
17,710 km
paved: 17,533 km (including 288 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 177 km (1998 est.) |
| Waterways: |
172 km (all on
the Danube) |
| Pipelines: |
petroleum
products NA km; natural gas 2,700 km |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Bratislava,
Komarno |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 15,041 GRT/19,517 DWT
ships by type: cargo 3 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
18
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 8 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
17
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 7 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Ground Forces,
Air and Air Defense Forces, Territorial Defense Forces,
Civil Defense Force |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
18 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 1,487,093 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 1,136,811 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males:
45,502 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$380 million
(FY00) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1.71% (FY00) |
| Disputes
- international: |
Gabcikovo/Nagymaros
Dam dispute with Hungary is before the ICJ |
| Illicit
drugs: |
transshipment
point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe |
|
