SLOVAKIA

Official Country Name: Slovenska Republika (The Slovak Republic)
Geographic boundary coordinates: Patince (47°43'55" of the North Latitude), Oravska Polhora (49°36'54" of the North Latitude), Zahorska Ves (16°50'04" of the East Longitude), Nova Sedlica (22°34'20" of the East Longitude)

Area: 49,030 square kilometers
Maximum length: 428 km (Zahorska Ves - Nova Sedlica)
Maximum width: 195 km (Sturovo - Skalite)
Elevation above sea level: 95 m (bodrog) – 2,656 m (Gerlach)
Population: 5,268,935 (1995)
Population density: 107.5/sqkm

Nationalities: Slovak (85.6%), Hungarian (10.8%), Romanian (1.8%), Czech (1.2%), Ruthenian (0.3%), Ukrainian (0.3%), German (0.1%), Polish (0.1%), Other (0.2%)
Religion: Roman-Catholic (60.3%), Greek-Catholic (3.4%), Protestant (6.2%), Reformist (1.6%), Orthodox (0.6%), without any confession (9.7%), no data (18.2%)
Capital: bratislava
bordering countries: Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Ukraine Government type: parliamentary democracy
Independence: January 1, 1993 (from The Czech-Slovak Federation, previously Czechoslovakia)
Constitution: January 1, 1993
Monetary unit: Slovenska koruna (Slovak crown)
Chief crops: wheat, rye, corn, potatoes, sugar beets
Livestock: cattle, pigs, chickens, sheep, goats
Major industries: brown coal mining, chemical, metalworking, consumer appliances, fertilizers, plastics, armaments
Natural resources: antimony ore, mercury, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc

Climate: temperate cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters
Terrain and Environment: Slovakia boasts rugged mountains in its central and northern regions. The High Tatra alpine range houses Gerlachovsky stit, the highest peak at 8,762 feet (2,655 meters). The southern region is made up of fertile lowlands. There is, however, air pollution and acid rain.

Slovak culture
   The development of Slovak culture reflects the country’s rich folk tradition, in addition to the influence of broader European trends. The impact of centuries of cultural repression and control by foreign governments is also evident in much of Slovakia’s art, literature and music. There are 12 state scientific libraries in Slovakia, 473 libraries affiliated with universities and institutions of higher learning, and 2600 public libraries.
   The University Library in Bratislava, founded in 1919, contains more than 2 million volumes and is the country’s most important library. The Slovak National Library (1863), located in Martin, includes a collection of materials relating to Slovak culture. Slovakia is also home to more than 50 museums.

Minorities in Slovakia
• The Slovak Republic consists of about 85% ethnic Slovaks, who are a Slavic peoples. A significant portion of the population, about one tenth, is ethnic Hungarian, who is descended from Finno-Ugric and Turkish tribes. This population is mainly concentrated on the border with Hungary, especially in the South West. Other minorities, such as Czechs, Romanies (gypsy is the derogative term), Ruthenians, Germans, Ukrainians, Poles and Jews also have smaller representations throughout the land and comprise the last 5% of the total population.

Special Events
   Most towns have their own folk festivals, with dancing, local costumes and food. These tend to be in the summer months leading up to the harvest festivals in September. The following is a selection of cultural events, which will be celebrated during 1998 in the Slovak Republic. (Photo right: traditional folk dancing ensemble)
• May 29-30 Festival of Puppets, Poprad
• Jun 25-29 Eurofolklore (international folklore festival), banska bystrica
• Jun 21-Jul 10 Zvolen Castle Drama and Opera Festival, Zvolen
• Jul 3-5 International Folk Festival, Vychodná
• Jul 10-12 European Exhibition of Folk Craft, Kezmarok
• Aug 8-9 International Festival of Historical Fencing, Spis Castle
• Sep 25-Oct 9 bratislava Musical Celebration, bratislava
• Oct 23-25 bratislava Jazz Days, bratislava
• Dec 5-22 Christmas in banská bystrica (Musical Displays, Christmas Customs), banská bystrica.