Slovakia

Slovak RepublicSlovenska Republika

parliamentary democracyIndependence 1 January 1993 (from Czechoslovakia)

Slovakia as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 89 fields, one of 33 editions from 1993 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalBratislava

Position48 40 N, 19 30 E

Area48,845 sq km

LocationCentral Europe, south of Poland

Populationas each edition published it

5.37 million July 1996 est. · 5.38m in 1993

Population growth% a year

0.34% 1996 est. · 0.51% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 35 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

73.01 years 1996 est. · 72.39 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.65 children per woman 1996 est. · 1.99 in 1993

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

10.7 deaths per 1,000 live births 1996 est. · 10.8 in 1993

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$7,200 1995 est. · $6,100 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

6% 1995 est. · -7% in 1993

Geography

Central Europe, south of Poland

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Area

48,845sq km

land area: 48,800 sq kmcomparative area: about twice the size of New Hampshire

Coastline

0km

(landlocked)Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Land boundaries

1,355km

border countries: Austria 91 km, Czech Republic 215 km, Hungary 515 km, Poland 444 km, Ukraine 90 km

International disputes

Gabcikovo Dam dispute with Hungary; unresolved property issues with Czech Republic over redistribution of former Czechoslovak federal property

Climate

temperate;
cool summers;
cold, cloudy, humid winters

Terrain

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

lowest point:: Bodrok River 94 m
highest point:: Gerlachovka 2,655 m

Natural resources

brown coal and lignite;
small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganese ore;
salt

Land use

arable land:: NA%
permanent crops:: NA%
meadows and pastures:: NA%
forest and woodland:: NA%
other:: NA%

Environment

current issues:: air pollution from metallurgical plants presents human health risks; acid rain damaging forests
natural hazards:: NA
international agreements:: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling;
signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea

People

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Population

5,374,362

(July 1996 est.)growth rate: 0.34% (1996 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1996 est.)

Birth

12.62Death

9.35Net migration

0.12

Ethnic divisions

Slovak 85.7%Hungarian 10.7%Gypsy 1.5% (the 1992 census figures underreport the Gypsy/Romany community, which could reach 500,000 or more)Czech 1%Ruthenian 0.3%Ukrainian 0.3%German 0.1%Polish 0.1%other 0.3%

Religions

Roman Catholic 60.3%atheist 9.7%Protestant 8.4%Orthodox 4.1%other 17.5%

Age structure

0-14 years:: 22% (male 605,379; female 579,232)
15-64 years:: 67% (male 1,777,100; female 1,812,555)
65 years and over:: 11% (male 234,377; female 365,719) (July 1996 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.64 male(s)/female
all ages:: 0.95 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate

10.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:: 73.01 years
male:: 69.01 years
female:: 77.21 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.65 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Slovak(s)
adjective:: Slovak

Languages

Slovak (official), Hungarian

Literacy

Government

Parliamentary democracy; President Michal KOVAC (since 8 February 1993) was elected for a five-year term by the National Parliament; Prime Minister Vladimir MECIAR (since 12 December 1994) was appointed by the president

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Presidential electionpercent of vote

35%

HZDS 35%SDL 10.4%Hungarian coalition (Hungarian Christian Democrats, Hungarian Civic Party, Coexistence) 10.2%KDH 10.1%DU 8.6%ZRS 7.3%SNS 5.4%

Legislature, 150 seatsone dot, one seat

governing coalition (HZDS 61, ZRS 13, SNS 9) 83opposition (SDL 18, Hungarian coalition 17, KDH 17, DU 15) 67

Name of country

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

Data code

Type of government

parliamentary democracy

Capital

Bratislava

Administrative divisions

4 departments (kraje, singular - kraj) Bratislava, Zapadoslovensky, Stredoslovensky, Vychodoslovensky

Independence

1 January 1993 (from Czechoslovakia)

National holiday

Slovak Constitution Day, 1 September (1992)

Constitution

ratified 1 September 1992, fully effective 1 January 1993

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 Michal KOVAC (since 8 February 1993) was elected for a five-year term by the National Parliament;
election last held 8 February 1993 (next to be held NA 1998)
head of government:: Prime Minister Vladimir MECIAR (since 12 December 1994) was appointed by the president
cabinet:: Cabinet was appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister

Legislative branch

unicameral

National Parliament (Narodni Rada)

elections last held 30 September-1 October 1994 (next to be held by October 1998);
results - HZDS 35%, SDL 10.4%, Hungarian coalition (Hungarian Christian Democrats, Hungarian Civic Party, Coexistence) 10.2%, KDH 10.1%, DU 8.6%, ZRS 7.3%, SNS 5.4%;
seats - (150 total) governing coalition 83 (HZDS 61, ZRS 13, SNS 9), opposition 67 (SDL 18, Hungarian coalition 17, KDH 17, DU 15)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, judges are elected by the National Parliament

Political parties and leaders

Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS), Vladimir MECIAR, chairman;
Common Choice/Party of the Democratic Left (SDL), Peter WEISS, chairman;
Hungarian Christian Democrats, Vojtech BUGAR;
Hungarian Civic Party;
Coexistence, Miklos DURAY, chairman;
Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), Jan CARNOGURSKY;
Democratic Union (DU), Jozef MORAVCIK, chairman;
Association of Slovak Workers (ZRS), Jan LUPTAK, chairman;
Slovak National Party (SNS), Jan SLOTA, chairman

Other political or pressure groups

Green Party;
Social Democratic Party of Slovakia;
Slovak Christian Union

International organization participation

Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CCC, CE (guest), CEI, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarset, Intelsat, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NACC, NSG, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Branislav LICHARDUS
chancery:: (temporary) Suite 380, 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone:: [1] (202) 965-5161

FAX

[1] (202) 965-5166

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Ralph JOHNSON
embassy:: Hviezdoslavovo Namestie 4, 81102 Bratislava
mailing address:: use embassy street address
telephone:: [42] (7) 533-0861, 533-3338

FAX

[42] (7) 533-5439

Flag

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

Since its separation from the Czech Republic on | 1 January 1993, Slovakia has continued the difficult transformation | from a centrally controlled economy to a modern market-oriented | economy.

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GDP per capita, PPP

$7,200

(1995 est.)

Real growth rate

(1995 est.)industrial production growth: 7.8% (January-August 1995)

Inflation, consumer prices

7.5%

(1995 est.)

Unemployment rate

13%

(1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector(1993 est.)

agriculture 6.7%industry 47.6%services 45.7% (1993 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$6.1 billionExpenditures

$6.4 billion (1995 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Installed generating capacity, 6,300,000 kW

Electricity production

20.9 billionElectricity consumption per capita

3,609 (1993)

Economic overview

Since its separation from the Czech Republic on 1 January 1993, Slovakia has continued the difficult transformation from a centrally controlled economy to a modern market-oriented economy. Macroeconomic performance improved steadily in 1994 and 1995 - with 4.8% and 6% growth, respectively.

But privatization progressed only in fits and starts. Strong export performance boosted growth in both years, with consumption and investment rebounding. Unemployment fell to 12.8% in November 1995, the lowest level since mid-1993, and inflation dropped from 26% in 1993 to 7.5% in 1995.

The federal government deficit fell from 7% of GDP in 1993 to less than 2% in 1994-95, as growth boosted revenues. Positive international financial performance led Standard & Poor's to raise its rating of the National Bank of Slovakia's foreign currency debt to just one step below investment grade.

The trade and current accounts are both in surplus, and foreign currency reserves held by the central bank have climbed to $3.5 billion. Foreign debt of $4.6 billion - about the same as Romania's - is the lowest in Central and Eastern Europe and the second lowest per capita. Bratislava made the Slovak crown convertible for current account transactions on 1 October 1995.

Slovakia continued to have difficulty attracting foreign investment, however, because of perceived political uncertainty and vacillations in privatization policy. The government as well as the OECD projects 5% growth in 1996 and 1997.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $39 billion (1995 est.)

Labor force

2.484 million; by occupation: industry 33.2%, agriculture 12.2%, construction 10.3%, communication and other 44.3% (1990)

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

Agriculture

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

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe

Exports

$8.8 billion (f.o.b., January-November 1995)

commodities:: machinery and transport equipment;
chemicals;
fuels, minerals, and metals;
agricultural products
partners:: Czech Republic 35.4%, Germany 18.9%, Austria 5.0%, Italy 4.7%, Hungary 4.6%, Poland 4.4%, Russia 3.6%, Ukraine 2.1%, France 2.0%, Netherlands 1.7% (January-October 1995)

Imports

$8.7 billion (f.o.b., January-November 1995)

commodities:: machinery and transport equipment;
fuels and lubricants;
manufactured goods;
raw materials;
chemicals;
agricultural products
partners:: Czech Republic 28.1%, Russia 16.8%, Germany 14.3%, Austria 5.2%, Italy 4.5%, Poland 2.9%, US 2.3%, France 2.3%, Hungary 2.2%, Netherlands 1.7%, Ukraine 1.5% (January-October 1995)

External debt

$4.6 billion hard currency indebtedness (1995 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $104 million (1993)

Currency

1 koruna (Sk) = 100 halierov

Exchange rates

koruny (Sk) per US$1 - 29.587 (August 1995), 29.447 (November 1994), 32.045 (1994), 30.770 (1993), 28.26 (1992), 29.53 (1991);
note - values before 1993 reflect Czechoslovak exchange rate

Fiscal year

calendar year

Transportation

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Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 37 in all

over 3 047 m

2 438 to 3 047 m

1 524 to 2 437 m

914 to 1 523 m

under 914 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

17,737Railways

3,660Waterways

172

Highways: paved: NA km · unpaved: NA km (1993 est.) · Railways: broad gauge: 102 km 1.520-m gauge · standard gauge: 3,507 km 1.435-m gauge (1378 km electrified) · narrow gauge: 51 km (46 km 1,000-m gauge; 5 km 0.750-m gauge) (1995)