Slovakia

§1. Slovakia Introduction

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. Slovakia joined
  both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.

§2. Slovakia Geography

Location:
  Central Europe, south of Poland

Geographic coordinates:
  48 40 N, 19 30 E

Map references:
  Europe

Area:
  total: 48,845 km²
  land: 48,800 km²
  water: 45 km²

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: 29.23%
  permanent crops: 2.67%
  other: 68.1% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  1,740 km² (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-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution- Sulfur 85, Air
    Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic
    Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
    Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
    Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
    Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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

§3. Slovakia People

Population:
  5,439,448 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 16.7% (male 465,304/female 443,967)
  15-64 years: 71.3% (male 1,929,448/female 1,947,735)
  65 years and over: 12% (male 244,609/female 408,385) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 35.8 years
  male: 34.2 years
  female: 37.6 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  0.15% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  10.65 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  9.45 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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: 0.6 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 7.26 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 8.48 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 5.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 74.73 years
  male: 70.76 years
  female: 78.89 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  1.33 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  less than 200 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  less than 100 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
  noun: Slovak(s)
  adjective: Slovak

Ethnic groups:
  Slovak 85.8%, Hungarian 9.7%, Roma 1.7%, Ruthenian/Ukrainian 1%, other and
  unspecified 1.8% (2001 census)

Religions:
  Roman Catholic 68.9%, Protestant 10.8%, Greek Catholic 4.1%, other or
  unspecified 3.2%, none 13% (2001 census)

Languages:
  Slovak (official) 83.9%, Hungarian 10.7%, Roma 1.8%, Ukrainian 1%, other or
  unspecified 2.6% (2001 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99.6%
  male: 99.7%
  female: 99.6% (2001 est.)

§4. Slovakia Government

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

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, 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; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations; 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 Ivan GASPAROVIC (since 15 June 2004)
  head of government: Prime Minister Mikulas DZURINDA (since 30 October
    1998); Deputy Prime Ministers Ivan MIKLOS and Pal CSAKY (since 30 October
    1998); Deputy Prime Ministers Daniel LIPSIC and Jirko MALCHAREK (since
    October 2005)
  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 3 April and 17 April 2004 (next to be held April
    2009); 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: Ivan GASPAROVIC elected president in runoff; percent of
    vote - Ivan GASPAROVIC 59.9%, Vladimir MECIAR 40.1%; Mikulas DZURINDA
    reappointed prime minister October 2002 following general elections the
    previous month
  note: government coalition - SDKU, SMK, KDH

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)
  elections: last held 20-21 September 2002 (next to be held 17 June 2006)
  election results: percent of vote by party - HZDS-LS 19.5%, SDKU 15.1%,
    Smer 13.5%, SMK 11.2%, KDH 8.3%, ANO 8%, KSS 6.3%; seats by party -
    governing coalition 53 (SDKU 23, SMK 20, ANO 10), opposition 97 (Smer 27,
    HZDS-LS 22, KDH 15, KSS 9, and independents 24) (February 2006)

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); Special Court (judges elected by a council of judges and
  appointed by president)

Political parties and leaders:
  Christian Democratic Movement or KDH [Pavol HRUSOVSKY]; Direction (Smer)
  [Robert FICO]; Free Forum [Zuzana MARTINAKOVA]; Movement for Democracy or
  HZD [Jozef GRAPA]; Movement for a Democratic Slovakia-People's Party or
  HZDS- LS [Vladimir MECIAR]; New Citizens Alliance or ANO [Pavol RUSKO];
  Party of the Hungarian Coalition or SMK [Bela BUGAR]; People's Union or LU
  [Gustav KRAJCI]; Slovak Communist Party or KSS [Jozef SEVC]; Slovak
  Democratic and Christian Union or SDKU [Mikulas DZURINDA]; Slovak National
  Party or SNS [Jan SLOTA]

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:
  ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CE, CEI, CERN,
  EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO,
  ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF
  (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMSIL,
  UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate
  partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Rastislav KACER
  chancery: 3523 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 237-1054
  FAX: [1] (202) 237-6438
  consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Rodolphe "Skip" M. VALLEE
  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 coat of arms of Slovakia (consisting of a red shield bordered in
  white and bearing a white Cross of Lorraine surmounting three blue hills);
  the coat of arms is centered vertically and offset slightly to the hoist
  side

§5. Slovakia Economy

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 during 2001-04 in macroeconomic stabilization and
  structural reform. Major privatizations are nearly complete, the banking
  sector is almost completely in foreign hands, and the government has helped
  facilitate a foreign investment boom with business-friendly policies, such
  as labor market liberalization and a 19% flat tax. Foreign investment in
  the automotive sector has been strong. Slovakia's economic growth exceeded
  expectations in 2001-05, despite the general European slowdown.
  Unemployment, at an unacceptable 15% in 2003-04, dropped to 11.4% in 2005,
  but remains the economy's Achilles heel. Slovakia joined the EU on 1 May
  2004.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $85.56 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $42.74 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  5.5% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $15,800 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 5.5%
  industry: 28.4%
  services: 66.1% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  2.24 million (30 September 2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 5.8%, industry 29.3%, construction 9%, services 55.9% (2003)

Unemployment rate:
  11.4% (2005 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:
  25.8 (1996)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  2.7% (2005)

Investment (gross fixed):
  25.8% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $22.7 billion
  expenditures: $23.2 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005
    est.)

Public debt:
  16.9% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
  grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, cattle, poultry; forest
  products

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:
  3.3% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
  30.57 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - consumption:
  24.8 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
  10.59 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
  8.731 billion kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
  3,808 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  71,400 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
  4.5 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
  165 million m³ (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  6.72 billion m³ (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
  1 million m³ (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
  6.949 billion m³ (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
  15.01 billion m³ (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
  $-2.15 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $32.39 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  vehicles 25.9%, machinery and electrical equipment 21.3%, base metals
  14.6%, chemicals and minerals 10.1%, plastics 5.4% (2004)

Exports - partners:
  Germany 34.4%, Czech Republic 14.6%, Austria 8.2%, Italy 5.8%, Poland 5.3%,
  US 4.5%, Hungary 4.3% (2004)

Imports:
  $34.48 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  machinery and transport equipment 41.1%, intermediate manufactured goods
  19.3%, fuels 12.3%, chemicals 9.8%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 10.2%
  (2003)

Imports - partners:
  Germany 26%, Czech Republic 21.3%, Russia 9.1%, Austria 6.6%, Poland 4.9%,
  Italy 4.9% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $15.5 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $26.54 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $12.67 billion in available EU structural adjustment and cohesion funds
  (2007-13)

Currency (code):
  Slovak koruna (SKK)

Exchange rates:
  koruny per US dollar - 31.018 (2005), 32.257 (2004), 36.773 (2003), 45.327
  (2002), 48.355 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Slovakia Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  1,250,400 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  4,275,200 (2004)

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: country code - 421; 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)

Television broadcast stations:
  6 national broadcasting, 7 regional, 67 local (2004)

Internet country code:
  .sk

Internet hosts:
  135,991 (2005)

Internet users:
  2.276 million (2005)

§7. Slovakia Transportation

Airports:
  34 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 17
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
  914 to 1,523 m: 3
  under 914 m: 7 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 17
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 9
  under 914 m: 7 (2005)

Heliports:
  1 (2005)

Pipelines:
  gas 6,769 km; oil 449 km (2004)

Railways:
  total: 3,662 km
  broad gauge: 100 km 1.520-m gauge
  standard gauge: 3,512 km 1.435-m gauge (1,588 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 50 km (1.000 m or 0.750-m gauge) (2004)

Roadways:
  total: 42,993 km
  paved: 37,533 km (including 313 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 5,460 km (2003)

Waterways:
  172 km (on Danube River) (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 39 ships (1000 GRT or over) 204,146 GRT/287,586 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 5, cargo 33, chemical tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 38 (Bulgaria 7, Estonia 1, Greece 5, Israel 6, Syria 2,
    Turkey 8, Ukraine 8, UK 1)
  registered in other countries: 1 (Cyprus 1) (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Bratislava, Komarno

§8. Slovakia Military

Military branches:
  Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic (Ozbrojene Sily Slovenskej Republiky):
    Land Forces (Pozemne Sily), Air Forces (Vzdusne Sily), Training and
    Support Forces (Vycviku a Podpory Sily) (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
  complete transition to an all-volunteer professional force went into effect
  at the beginning of 2006 after 140 years of mandatory army service;
  volunteers include women, with minimum age of 17 years (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 18-49: 1,351,848 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 18-49: 1,089,645 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
  males: 41,544 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $406 million (2002)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  1.87% FY05 (2005)

§9. Slovakia Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  Hungary amended its status law extending special social and cultural
  benefits to ethnic Hungarians in Slovakia, to which Slovakia had protested;
  consultations continue between Slovakia and Hungary over Hungary's
  completion of its portion of the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros hydroelectric dam
  project along the Danube; as a member state that forms part of the EU's
  external border, Slovakia must implement the strict Schengen border rules

Illicit drugs:
  transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe;
  producer of synthetic drugs for regional market


<Factbook 2006>
