|
|
|
| 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;
most of the country is rugged and mountainous; the Tatra
Mountains in the north are interspersed with many scenic
lakes and valleys |
| 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: P.O. Box 309, 814 99
Bratislava
telephone: [421] (2) 5443-3338
FAX: [421] (2) 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) (2001) |
| 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 |
|
|
|
