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Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 34 usable: 34 with permanent-surface runways: 9 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 5

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

17,650 km total (1990)

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

NA km

Merchant marine [time series]

the former Czechoslovakia had 22 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 290,185 GRT/437,291 DWT; includes 13 cargo, 9 bulk; may be shared with the Czech Republic

Pipelines [time series]

natural gas 2,700 km; petroleum products NA km

Ports [time series]

maritime outlets are in Poland (Gdynia, Gdansk, Szczecin), Croatia (Rijeka), Slovenia (Koper), Germany (Hamburg, Rostock); principal river ports are Komarno on the Danube and Bratislava on the Danube

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

3,669 km total (1990)

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, Civil Defense, Railroad Units

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

8.2 billion koruny, NA% of GDP (1993 est.); note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 1,407,908; fit for military service 1,082,790; reach military age (18) annually 47,973 (1993 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

largely self-sufficient in food production; diversified crop and livestock production, including grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit, hogs, cattle, and poultry; exporter of forest products

Budget [time series]

revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 koruna (Kc) = 100 haleru

Economic aid [time series]

the former Czechoslovakia was a donor - $4.2 billion in bilateral aid to non-Communist less developed countries (1954-89)

Electricity [time series]

6,800,000 kW capacity; 24,000 million kWh produced, 4,550 kWh per capita (1992)

Exchange rates [time series]

koruny (Kcs) per US$1 - 28.59 (December 1992), 28.26 (1992), 29.53 (1991), 17.95 (1990), 15.05 (1989), 14.36 (1988)

Exports [time series]

$3.6 billion (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: machinery and transport equipment; chemicals; fuels, minerals, and metals; agricultural products partners: Czech Republic, CIS republics, Germany, Poland, Austria, Hungary, Italy, France, US, UK

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$1.9 billion hard currency indebtedness (December 1992)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Illicit drugs [time series]

the former Czechoslavakia was a transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and was emerging as a transshipment point for Latin American cocaine (1992)

Imports [time series]

$3.6 billion (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: machinery and transport equipment; fuels and lubricants; manufactured goods; raw materials; chemicals; agricultural products partners: Czech Republic, CIS republics, Germany, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, Hungary, UK, Italy

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate NA%

Industries [time series]

brown coal mining, chemicals, metal-working, consumer appliances, fertilizer, plastics, armaments

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

8.7% (1992 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $32.1 billion (1992 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$6,100 (1992 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

-7% (1992 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

The dissolution of Czechoslovakia into two independent states - the Czech Republic and Slovakia - on 1 January 1993 has complicated the task of moving toward a more open and decentralized economy. The old Czechoslovakia, even though highly industrialized by East European standards, suffered from an aging capital plant, lagging technology, and a deficiency in energy and many raw materials. In January 1991, approximately one year after the end of communist control of Eastern Europe, the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic launched a sweeping program to convert its almost entirely state-owned and controlled economy to a market system. In 1991-92 these measures resulted in privatization of some medium- and small-scale economic activity and the setting of more than 90% of prices by the market - but at a cost in inflation, unemployment, and lower output. For Czechoslovakia as a whole inflation in 1991 was roughly 50% and output fell 15%. In 1992 in Slovakia, inflation slowed to an estimated 8.7% and the estimated fall in GDP was a more moderate 7%. In 1993 the government anticipates up to a 7% drop in GDP, with the disruptions from the separation from the Czech lands probably accounting for half the decline; inflation, according to government projections, may rise to 15-20% and unemployment may reach 12-15%. The Slovak government is moving ahead less enthusiastically than the Czech government in the further dismantling of the old centrally controlled economic system. Although the governments of Slovakia and the Czech Republic had envisaged retaining the koruna as a common currency at least in the short run, the two countries ended the currency union in February 1993.

Unemployment rate [time series]

11.3% (1992 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 48,845 km2 land area: 48,800 km2 comparative area: about twice the size of New Hampshire

Climate [time series]

temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters

Coastline [time series]

0 km (landlocked)

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

severe damage to forests from "acid rain" caused by coal-fired power stations

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

Gabcikovo-Nagymaros Dam dispute with Hungary; unresolved property issues with Czech Republic over redistribution of former Czechoslovak federal property; establishment of international border between the Czech Republic and Slovakia

Irrigated land [time series]

NA km2

Land boundaries [time series]

total 1,355 km, Austria 91 km, Czech Republic 215 km, Hungary 515 km, Poland 444 km, Ukraine 90 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: NA% permanent crops: NA% meadows and pastures: NA% forest and woodland: NA% other: NA%

Location [time series]

Eastern Europe, between Hungary and Poland

Map references [time series]

Ethnic Groups in Eastern Europe, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

none; landlocked

Natural resources [time series]

brown coal and lignite; small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganese ore; salt; gas

Note [time series]

landlocked

Terrain [time series]

rugged mountains in the central and northern part and lowlands in the south

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

4 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) Bratislava, Zapadoslovensky, Stredoslovensky, Vychodoslovensky

Capital [time series]

Bratislava

Constitution [time series]

ratified 3 September 1992; fully effective 1 January 1993

Digraph [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

chief of mission: Charge d'Affaires Dr. Milan ERBAN chancery: 3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 363-6315 or 6316

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

President: last held 8 February 1993 (next to be held NA 1998); results - Michal KOVAC elected by the National Council National Council: last held 5-6 June 1992 (next to be held NA June 1996); results - Movement for a Democratic Slovakia 37%, Party of the Democratic Left 15%, Christian Democratic Movement 9%, Slovak National Party 8%, Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement/Coexistence 7%; seats - (150 total) Movement for a Democratic Slovakia, 74, Party of the Democratic Left 29, Christian Democratic Movement 18, Slovak National Party 15, Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement/Coexistence 14

Executive branch [time series]

president, prime minister, Cabinet

Flag [time series]

three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red superimposed with a crest with a white double cross on three blue mountains

Independence [time series]

1 January 1993 (from Czechoslovakia)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State: President Michal KOVAC (since 8 February 1993) Head of Government: Prime Minister Vladimir MECIAR (since NA), Deputy Prime Minister Roman KOVAC (since NA)

Legal system [time series]

civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to comply with the obligations of Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral National Council (Narodni Rada)

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

BIS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NACC, NAM (guest), NSG, PCA, UN (as of 8 January 1993), UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOSOM, UNPROFOR, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Country name (Names) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

Slovak National Uprising, August 29 (1944)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

Green Party; Democratic Party; Social Democratic Party in Slovakia; Movement for Czech-Slovak Accord; Freedom Party; Slovak Christian Union; Hungarian Civic Party

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement, Vojtech BUGAR; Christian Democratic Movement, Jan CARNOGURSKY; Movement for a Democratic Slovakia, Vladimir MECIAR, chairman; Party of the Democratic Left, Peter WEISS, chairman; Slovak National Party, Ludovit CERNAK, chairman; Coexistence, Miklos DURAY, chairman; Party of Conservative Democrats, leader NA

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

parliamentary democracy

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Elect Eleanor SUTTER embassy: Hviczdoslavovo Namestie 4, 81102 Bratislava mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: 427 330 861

People

Birth rate [time series]

14.59 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate [time series]

9.47 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Slovak 85.6%, Hungarian 10.8%, Gypsy 1.5% (the 1992 census figures underreport the Gypsy/Romany community, which could reach 500,000 or more), Czech 1.1%, Ruthenian 15,000, Ukrainian 13,000, Moravian 6,000, German 5,000, Polish 3,000

Infant mortality rate [time series]

10.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force [time series]

2.484 million by occupation: industry 33.2%, agriculture 12.2%, construction 10.3%, communication and other 44.3% (1990)

Languages [time series]

Slovak (official), Hungarian

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 72.39 years male: 68.18 years female: 76.85 years (1993 est.)

Literacy [time series]

total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Slovak(s) adjective: Slovak

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population [time series]

5,375,501 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

0.51% (1993 est.)

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholic 60.3%, atheist 9.7%, Protestant 8.4%, Orthodox 4.1%, other 17.5%

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.99 children born/woman (1993 est.)