Slovakia

Slovenska Republika

parliamentary democracyIndependence 1 January 1993 (from Czechoslovakia)

Slovakia as the 1997 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 100 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

5.39 million July 1997 est. · 5.38m in 1993

Population growth% a year

0.12% 1997 est. · 0.51% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 35 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

72.91 years 1997 est. · 72.39 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.34 children per woman 1997 est. · 1.99 in 1993

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

10 deaths per 1,000 live births 1997 est. · 10.8 in 1993

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$8,000 1996 est. · $6,100 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

7% 1996 est. · -7% in 1993

Geography

Central Europe, south of Poland

18 fields

Land useshare of 48,845 sq km

arable land 31%permanent crops 3%permanent pastures 17%forests and woodland 41%other 8% (1993 est.)irrigated 800 sq km (1993 est.)

Area

48,845sq km

land: 48,800 sq kmwater: 45 sq kmabout twice the size of New Hampshire

Coastline

0km

(landlocked)Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Highest point

2,655m

Gerlachovkalowest point: Bodrok River 94 m

Land boundaries

1,355km

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

Climate

temperate;
cool summers;
cold, cloudy, humid winters

Terrain

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

Natural resources

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

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, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:: Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol

People

15 fields

Population

5,387,665

(July 1997 est.)growth rate: 0.12% (1997 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1997 est.)

Birth

10.37Death

9.58Net migration

0.37

Ethnic groups

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:: 21% (male 588,511; female 563,090) 15-64 years : 68% (male 1,802,132; female 1,831,119)
65 years and over:: 11% (male 233,476; female 369,337) (July 1997 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:: 0.63 male(s)/female
total population:: 0.95 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate

10 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:: 72.91 years
male :: 69.11 years
female:: 76.9 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.34 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Slovak(s)
adjective:: Slovak

Languages

Slovak (official), Hungarian

Literacy

Government

Parliamentary democracy; President Michal KOVAC (since 8 February 1993)

21 fields

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%last held 30 September-1 October 1994 (next to be held by October 1998)

Legislature, 150 seats, elected 30 September-1 October 1994one dot, one seat

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

Percent of vote

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%

Country name

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

Data code

Government type

parliamentary democracy

National capital

Bratislava

Administrative divisions

4 departments (kraje, singular - kraj) Bratislava, Zapadoslovensky, Stredoslovensky, Vychodoslovensky note: an article in the Slovakian press mentions there are 8 departments named Bratislava, Banska Bystrica, Kosice, Nitra, Presov, Trnava, Trencin, and Zilina

Independence

1 January 1993 (from Czechoslovakia)

National holiday

Slovak Constitution Day, 1 September (1992); Anniversary of Slovak National Uprising, 29 August (1944)

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

Legislative branch

unicameral National Council of the Slovak Republic or Narodna Rada Slovensky Repubiky (150 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections:: last held 30 September-1 October 1994 (next to be held by October 1998)
election results:: percent of vote by party - 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 by party - 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 or HZDS [Vladimir MECIAR, chairman];
Party of the Democratic Left or SDL [Jozef MIGAS, chairman];
Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement or MKDH [Vojtech BUGAR];
Hungarian Civic Party or MOS [Laszlo A. NAGY, president];
Coexistence [Miklos DURAY, chairman];
Christian Democratic Movement or KDH [Jan CARNOGURSKY, chairman];
Democratic Union or DU [Jozef MORAVCIK, chairman];
Association of Slovak Workers or ZRS [Jan LUPTAK, chairman];
Slovak National Party or SNS [Jan SLOTA, chairman];
Slovak Green Alternative or SZA [Zora LAZAROVA, chairwoman];
Farmers' Party of Slovakia or RSS [Pavel DELINGA, chairman];
Social Democratic Party of Slovakia or SSDS [Jaroslav WOLF, chairman];
Party of Greens in Slovakia or SZS [Jozef POKORNY, chaiman];
Democratic Party or DS [Jan LANGOS, chairman]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Party of Entrepreneurs and Businessmen of Slovakia;
Christian Social Union;
Confederation of Trade Unions or KOZ;
Metal Workers Unions or KOVO and METALURG;
Association of Employers of Slovakia;
Association of Towns and Villages or ZMOS

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, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NACC, NSG, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNTAES, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Branislav LICHARDUS
chancery:: (temporary) Suite 250, 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone :: [1] (202) 965-5160

FAX

[1] (202) 965-5166

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Ralph R. 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 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

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

22 fields

Real growth rate

(1996 est.)industrial production growth: 2.8% (1996 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

5.5%

(1996 est.)

Unemployment rate

12%

(1996 est.)

Labor force

2.538million

by occupation : industry 29.3%, agriculture 8.9%, construction 8.0%, transport and communication 8.2%, services 45.6% (1994)

GDP - composition by sector(1995 est.)

agriculture 5.4%industry 39.9%services 54.7% (1995 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$5.3 billionExpenditures

$5.6 billion (1995)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Economy - overview

Since the establishment of the Slovak 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 1994-96, but privatization progressed only in fits and starts.

Strong export performance boosted GDP growth to 4.8% in 1994 after a four-year decline. GDP surged to 7.4% growth in 1995 and should be only slightly less in 1996, the fastest growth in Central and Eastern Europe. Unemployment fell to about 12% in 1996 and inflation dropped from 26% in 1993 to 5.5% in 1996, the lowest in the region.

Foreign debt of $4.6 billion also is the lowest in the region and the second lowest per capita. Private activity now makes up roughly two-thirds of GDP. Positive international financial performance has 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.

Although Slovak economic performance continues to be impressive, many warning signs of possible danger ahead have been raised. Aggregate demand has surged in the form of increased personal and government consumption. At the same time that the budget deficit is growing, the money supply has been rapidly increasing, which could apply upward pressure on inflation.

The trade and current account deficits both are mounting as imports soar and exports sag. Perhaps most troubling, Slovakia continues to have difficulty attracting foreign investment because of perceived political problems and halting progress on restructuring and privatization. The government projects 6.4% growth in 1997 and 5% in 1998.

Continuing economic recovery in western Europe should boost exports and production, but Slovakia's image with foreign creditors and investors could suffer setbacks in 1997 if progress on privatization and restructuring stalls.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $42.8 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $8,000 (1996 est.)

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

Electricity - capacity

7.12 million kW (1994)

Electricity - production

23.6 billion kWh (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita

4,400 kWh (1995 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Exports

total value:: $8.1 billion (January-November 1996)
commodities :: machinery and transport equipment 18.7%;
chemicals 13.4%;
miscellaneous manufactured goods 13.1%;
raw materials 5.0% (1995)
partners:: EU 37.4%, Central Europe Free Trade Agreement 44.3% (Czech Republic 35.2%), FSU 7.1% (1995)

Imports

total value :: $9.6 billion (f.o.b., January-November 1996)
commodities:: machinery and transport equipment 29.0%;
fuels 18.0%;
intermediate manufactured goods 17.6%;
miscellaneous manufactured goods 8.0% (1995)
partners:: EU 34.7%, Central Europe Free Trade Agreement 32.9% (Czech Republic 27.5%), FSU 19.5% (1995)

Debt - external

$4.6 billion hard currency indebtedness (1995 est.)

Economic aid

Currency

1 koruna (Sk) = 100 halierov

Exchange rates

koruny (Sk) per US$1 - 31.50 (January 1997), 30.654 (1996), 29.713 (1995), 32.045 (1994), 30.770 (1993), 28.26 (1992), 29.53 (1991);
note - values before 1993 reflect Czechoslovak exchange rate

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields

Fixed lines

1,362,178

(1992 est.)

Telephone system

domestic:: NA
international:: NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA; note - there are 22 private broadcast stations and 1 public (state) broadcast station

Radios

915,000 (1995 est.)

Television broadcast stations

56 private broadcast stations, 1 public (state) broadcast station (1995 est.)

Televisions

1.2 million (1995 est.)

Transportation

9 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

total

12under 914 m

over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 2

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

under 914 m

total: 25 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m : 10

Networkskm

Highways

17,868Railways

3,660Waterways

172

Highways: paved: 17,654 km (including 198 km of expressways) · unpaved: 214 km (1995 est.) · Railways: broad gauge: 102 km 1.520-m gauge · standard gauge : 3,507 km 1.435-m gauge (1424 km electrified) · narrow gauge: 51 km (46 km 1,000-m gauge; 5 km 0.750-m gauge) (1995)