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The World Factbook 2002
| Slovakia |

Introduction | Slovakia

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.

Geography | Slovakia

Location: | Central Europe, south of Poland
Geographic coordinates: | 48 40 N, 19 30 E
Map references: | Europe
Area: | total: 48,845 sq km water: 45 sq km land: 48,800 sq km
Area - comparative: | about twice the size of New Hampshire
Land boundaries: | total: 1,524 km border countries: Austria 91 km, Czech Republic 215 km, Hungary 677 km, Poland 444 km, Ukraine 97 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% other: 66% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: | 1,740 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: | NA
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, Desertification, 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

People | Slovakia

Population: | 5,422,366 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 18.3% (male 508,256; female 484,739) 15-64 years: 70.1% (male 1,888,705; female 1,910,842) 65 years and over: 11.6% (male 237,770; female 392,054) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: | 0.14% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: | 10.09 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: | 9.22 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: | 0.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 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 (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | 8.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 74.2 years female: 78.41 years (2002 est.) male: 70.19 years
Total fertility rate: | 1.25 children born/woman (2002 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%

Government | Slovakia

Country name: | conventional long form: Slovak Republic conventional short form: Slovakia local short form: Slovensko local long form: Slovenska Republika
Government type: | parliamentary democracy
Capital: | Bratislava
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
note: government coalition - SDK, SDL, SMK, SOP, KDH
election results: Rudolf SCHUSTER elected president in the first direct, popular election; percent of vote - Rudolf SCHUSTER 57%

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)
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); note - seating as of January 2002 - governing coalition 90 (SDK 23, SDL 21, SOP 16, SMK 15, KDH 9, DS 6), opposition 51 (HZDS 43, SNS 8), PSNS 6, independents 3
elections: last held 25-26 September 1998 (next to be held NA September 2002)

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]; Democratic Party or DS [Ludovit KANIK]; Direction (Smer) [Robert FICO]; Liberal Democratic Union or LDU [Jan BUDAJ]; Movement for a Democratic Slovakia-People's Party or HZDS-LS [Vladimir MECIAR]; Party of Civic Understanding or SOP [Pavol HAMZIK]; note - SSDS and SZS joined the SOP parliamentary caucus; Party of the Democratic Left or SDL [Pvel KONCOS]; Party of the Hungarian Coalition or SMK [Bela BUGAR]; Real Slovak National Party or PSNS [Jan SLOTA]; Slovak Democratic and Christian Union or SDKU [Mikulas DZURINDA]; note - this is DZURINDA's new party for the 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]; Yes (ANO) [Paval RUSKO]

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, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NSG, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNTAET, 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: 3523 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 FAX: [1] (202) 237-6438 telephone: [1] (202) 237-1054
Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald WEISER 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 | Slovakia

Economy - overview:

Slovakia has mastered much of the difficult transition from a centrally planned economy to a modern market economy. The DZURINDA government made excellent progress in 2001 in macroeconomic stabilization and structural reform. Major privatizations are nearly complete, the banking sector is almost completely in foreign hands, and foreign investment has picked up. Slovakia's economy exceeded expectations in 2001, despite recession in key export markets. Revival of domestic demand, partly due to a rise in real wages, offset slowing export growth to help drive the economy to its strongest expansion since 1998. Solid domestic demand is expected to boost economic growth to 3.4% in 2002, and about 4% in 2003. Unemployment, rising to 19.8% at the end of 2001, remained the economy's Achilles' heel. The government faces other strong challenges in 2002, especially the maintenance of fiscal balance ahead of the September 2002 parliamentary election, cutting budget and current account deficits, and privatization of the Slovak energy and power monopolies.

GDP: | purchasing power parity - $62 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | 3% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $11,500 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 4% industry: 32% services: 64% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: | NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 5.1% highest 10%: 18.2% (1992)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: | 26.3 (1996)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 7.4% (2001 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: | 19.8% (yearend 2001 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: | 4% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production: | 27.53 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 35.34% hydro: 17.11% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 47.55%
Electricity - consumption: | 25.203 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: | 4.9 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: | 4.5 billion kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: | grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, cattle, poultry; forest products
Exports: | $12.5 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: | machinery and transport equipment 39.4%, intermediate manufactured goods 27.5%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 13%, chemicals 8% (1999)
Exports - partners: | EU 59.0% (Germany 26.8%, Italy 9.2%, Austria 8.4%), Czech Republic 17.4% (2000)
Imports: | $14.4 billion (f.o.b., 2001 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 48.9% (Germany 25.1%, Italy 6.2%), Russia 17.0%, Czech Republic 14.7% (2000)
Debt - external: | $7.8 billion (2001 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: | $421.9 million (1995)
Currency: | Slovak koruna (SKK)
Currency code: | SKK
Exchange rates: | koruny per US dollar - 47.792 (September 2001), 46.035 (2000), 41.363 (1999), 35.233 (1998), 33.616 (1997)
Fiscal year: | calendar year

Communications | Slovakia

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)

Transportation | Slovakia

Railways: | total: 3,660 km broad gauge: 102 km 1.520-m gauge narrow gauge: 51 km (46 km 1,000-m gauge; 5 km 0.750-m gauge) (2001) standard gauge: 3,507 km 1.435-m gauge (1,505 km electrified; 1,011 km double-tracked)
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 15,191 GRT/19,489 DWT ships by type: cargo 3 (2002 est.)
Airports: | 34 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 17 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 7 (2001) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 17 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 7 (2001)
Heliports: | 1 (2001)

Military | Slovakia

Military branches: | Army (Ground Forces), Air and Air Defense Forces, Home Guards (Territorial Defense Forces), Civil Defense Force, Railway Armed Forces (subordinate to the Ministry of Transportation, Post, and Telecommunications)
Military manpower - military age: | 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 1,486,728 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 1,136,775 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 45,502 (2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $406 million (2002)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 1.89% (2002)

Transnational Issues | Slovakia

Disputes - international: | Slovakia requested additional ICJ judgment in 1998, and talks continue to set modalities to assure Hungarian compliance with 1997 ICJ decision to proceed with construction of Gabcikovo-Nagymaros Dam, abandoned by Hungary in 1989
Illicit drugs: | transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe; producer of synthetic drugs for regional market

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002