Official name: Slovak Republic (SR)
State formation date: 1 January 1993
State system: republic
Political system: parliamentary democracy (150 members of Parliament elected for 4 years)
State symbols: national coat of arms/emblem, national flag, state seal and national anthem „Nad Tatrou sa blýska“
Membership in international organisations: EU (since 1 May 2004), NATO, UN, UNESCO, OECD, OBSE, CERN, WHO, INTERPOL, etc.
International codes: SK, SVK, bar code 858
Area: 49 035 km2
Location: Central Europe (17° – 22° E, 47° – 49° N)
The mid and the North of the country is mountainous (Carpathian curve), lowlands (important agricultural areas) are typical of the South and the East. The most important Slovak river the Danube connects the capital city of the SR Bratislava with two capital cities of the neighbour countries – Vienna and Budapest.
Time: Central European time (+1 hour from GMT)
(Summer time/daylight – saving time from March to November: +2 hours from GMT)
Elevation: the highest point is Peak Gerlachovský štít (2655 m), the lowest point is the Bodrog river on village Streda nad Bodrogom (94 m).
Climate: Moderate climatic zone, with changing four seasons, average temperature in winter -2 °C (the coldest month January, the coldest area High Tatras), in summer 21 °C (the warmest months July and August, the warmest area Danubian Lowland). In some mountain ranges the snow remains on average 130 days per year.
Border countries: Hungary (654.8 km), Poland (541.1 km), the Czech Republic (251.8 km), Austria (106.7 km), Ukraine (97.8 km)
Administrative divisions: 8 self-governing regions (Bratislava, Trnava, Trenčín, Nitra, Žilina, Banská Bystrica, Prešov, Košice region), 79 districts, 138 towns, 2891 municipalities (including towns)
Capital city: Bratislava (population 465 327 as at 1/6/2012)
Population: 5 412 008 (as at 30/6/2013)
Population density: 110/km2
Official language: Slovak (learn Slovak here)
Nationalities / Ethnic groups: Slovak (80.7 %), Hungarian (8.5 %), Roma (Gipsy) (2 %), Czech (0.6 %), Ruthenian (0.6 %), Ukrainian (0.1 %), German (0.1 %), Polish (0.1 %) and other (7.3 %)
Religion:
– believers approximately 86.6 % of which:
Roman Catholic (62 %), Evangelic (5.9 %), Greek-Catholic (3.8 %), Reformed Christians (1,8 %), Orthodox (0.9 %)
– other 1.6 %, unspecified 10.6 %
– without confession about 13.4 %
Currency: Euro (from 1/1/2009)
National holidays (are also the public holidays):
1 January – Day of the establishment of the Slovak Republic
5 July – St. Cyril and Methodius Day
29 August – Slovak National Uprising anniversary
1 September – Day of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic
17 November – Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day
Days off:
6 January – Epiphany (The Three Magi)
Good Friday
Easter Monday
1 May – Labour Day
8 May – Day of victory over fascism
15 September – Lady of Sorrows Day / Blessed Virgin Mary
1 November – All Saints` Day
24 December – Christmas Eve
25 December – Christmas Day
26 December – St. Stephen`s Day