Slovakia

Slovakia

AREA	49,034 sq km (18,933 sq miles).
POPULATION	5,393,000 (1998).
POPULATION DENSITY	109.9 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Bratislava.
CAPITAL POPULATION	449,547 (1998).
GEOGRAPHY	The Slovak Republic is situated in Central Europe, sharing frontiers with the Czech Republic, Austria, Poland, Hungary and Ukraine. Mountains, lowlands, canyons, lakes, cave formations, forests and meadows provide many examples of Slovakia's year-round natural beauty. Slovakia is a small country but its terrain varies impressively from lowlands to mountain ranges. Almost a half of the country is taken up by the Carpathian Arc, a range of mountains stretching across the north. The smaller ranges include the Lesser Carpathians, White Carpathians, Malá (Lesser) Fatra, Vel'ká (Greater) Fatra, High and Low Tatras and the Slovenské rudohorie Mountains (Slovak Ore Mountains).
GOVERNMENT	Republic since 1993. Head of State: President Rudolf Schuster since 1999. Head of Government: Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda since 1998.
LANGUAGE	The official language is Slovak. Hungarian, Ruthenian, Ukrainian and German are spoken by ethnic minorities. English is also spoken.
RELIGION	The majority is Roman Catholic. Protestant churches comprise the remainder with Reformed, Lutheran, Methodist and Baptist denominations. There is also a Jewish minority. There is a Greek Orthodox minority in Eastern Slovakia.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 2 (GMT + 1 from last Sunday in October to last Saturday in March).
ELECTRICITY	Generally 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Round 2-pin plugs are in use. Lamp fittings are normally of the screw type.

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