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Communications

Internet users (Internet Service Providers (ISPs)) [time series]

6 (2000)

Internet country code [time series]

.sk

Internet users [time series]

700,000 (2000)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 15, FM 78, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios [time series]

3.12 million (1997)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

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: 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

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]

1,934,558 (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

736,662 (April 1999)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

38 (plus 864 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions [time series]

2.62 million (1997)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues: $5.2 billion expenditures: $5.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Slovak koruna (SKK)

Exchange rates (Currency code) [time series]

SKK

Debt - external [time series]

$10.3 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid (Economic aid - recipient) [time series]

$421.9 million (1995)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

Slovakia continues the difficult transition from a centrally planned economy to a modern market economy. The economic slowdown in 1999 stemmed from large budget and current account deficits, fast-growing external debt, and persistent corruption. Even though GDP growth reached only 2.2% in 2000, the year was marked by positive developments such as foreign direct investment of $1.5 billion, strong export performance, restructuring and privatization in the banking sector, entry into the OECD, and initial efforts to stem corruption. Strong challenges face the government in 2001, especially the maintenance of fiscal balance, the further privatization of the economy, and the reduction of unemployment.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

21.471 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports [time series]

930 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports [time series]

1.4 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production [time series]

22.582 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source [time series]

fossil fuel: 37.56% hydro: 18.27% nuclear: 44.17% other: 0% (1999)

Exchange rates [time series]

koruny per US dollar - 48.09 (March 2001), 46.395 (2000), 41.363 (1999), 35.233 (1998), 33.616 (1997), 30.654 (1996)

Exports [time series]

$12 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities [time series]

machinery and transport equipment 39.4%, intermediate manufactured goods 27.5%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 13%, chemicals 8% (1999)

Exports - partners [time series]

EU 59.7% (Germany 27.8%, Austria 8%, Italy 8.9%), Czech Republic 18.1% (1999)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

purchasing power parity - $55.3 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 4.5% industry: 29.3% services: 66.2% (1999 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita) [time series]

purchasing power parity - $10,200 (2000 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

2.2% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: 5.1% highest 10%: 18.2% (1992)

Imports [time series]

$12.8 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities [time series]

machinery and transport equipment 37.7%, intermediate manufactured goods 18%, fuels 13%, chemicals 11%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 9.5% (1999)

Imports - partners [time series]

EU 51.4% (Germany 26%, Italy 7.1%), Czech Republic 16.6%, Russia 11.9% (1999)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

9.3% (2000 est.)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

12.2% (2000 est.)

Labor force [time series]

3 million (1999)

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

industry 29.3%, agriculture 8.9%, construction 8%, transport and communication 8.2%, services 45.6% (1994)

Population below poverty line [time series]

NA%

Unemployment rate [time series]

17% (2000 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 48,845 sq km land: 48,800 sq km water: 45 sq km

Area - comparative [time series]

about twice the size of New Hampshire

Climate [time series]

temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters

Coastline [time series]

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: Bodrok River 94 m highest point: Gerlachovsky Stit 2,655 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

air pollution from metallurgical plants presents human health risks; acid rain damaging forests

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geographic coordinates [time series]

48 40 N, 19 30 E

Geography - note [time series]

landlocked

Irrigated land [time series]

800 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

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

Land use [time series]

arable land: 31% permanent crops: 3% permanent pastures: 17% forests and woodland: 41% other: 8% (1993 est.)

Location [time series]

Central Europe, south of Poland

Map references [time series]

Europe

Maritime claims [time series]

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards [time series]

Natural resources [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

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

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

8 regions (kraje, singular - kraj); Banskobystricky, Bratislavsky, Kosicky, Nitriansky, Presovsky, Trenciansky, Trnavsky, Zilinsky

Capital [time series]

Bratislava

Constitution [time series]

ratified 1 September 1992, fully 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

Country name [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Carl SPIELVOGEL embassy: Hviezdoslavovo Namestie 4, 81102 Bratislava mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [421] (7) 5443-3338

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Martin BUTORA chancery: Suite 250, 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007; note - new chancery opening in June 2001 at International Court NW, Washington, DC telephone: [1] (202) 965-5161

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Rudolf SCHUSTER (since 15 June 1999) head of government: Prime Minister Mikulas DZURINDA (since 30 October 1998) 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 29 May 1999 (next to be held NA May/June 2004); 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: Rudolf SCHUSTER elected president in the first direct, popular election; percent of vote - Rudolf SCHUSTER 57% note: government coalition - SDK, SDL, SMK, SOP, KDH

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

[1] (202) 965-5166

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

[421] (7) 5443-0096

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red superimposed with the Slovak cross in a shield centered on the hoist side; the cross is white centered on a background of red and blue

Government type [time series]

parliamentary democracy

Independence [time series]

1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia)

International organization participation [time series]

Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NSG, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court (judges are elected by the National Council); Constitutional Court (judges appointed by president from group of nominees approved by the National Council)

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 Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory

Legislative branch [time series]

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 25-26 September 1998 (next to be held NA September 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - HZDS 27%, SDK 26.3%, SDL 14.7%, SMK 9.1%, SNS 9.1%, SOP 8%; seats by party - governing coalition 93 (SDK 42, SDL 23, SMK 15, SOP 13), opposition 57 (HZDS 43, SNS 14)

National holiday [time series]

Constitution Day, 1 September (1992)

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

Christian Democratic Movement or KDH [Pavol HRUSOVSKY]; Liberal Democratic Union or LDU [Jan BUDAJ]; Movement for a Democratic Slovakia or HZDS [Vladimir MECIAR]; Party of Civic Understanding or SOP [Pavol HAMZIK]; Party of the Democratic Left or SDL [Jozef MIGAS]; Party of the Hungarian Coalition or SMK [Bela BUGAR]; Slovak Democratic and Christian Union or SDKU [Mikulas DZURINDA]; note - this is DZURINDA's new party for 2002 elections; he remains chairman of a rump and splintering SDK; Slovak Democratic Coalition or SDK (loose parliamentary club grouping representing members of the smaller SSDS, SZS, and those committed to run under SDKU in 2002) [Mikulas DZURINDA]; Slovak National Party or SNS [Anna MALIKOVA]

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

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

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Introduction

Background [time series]

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. Historic, political, and geographic factors have caused Slovakia to experience more difficulty in developing a modern market economy than some of its Central European neighbors.

Military

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Territorial Defense Forces, Civil Defense Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure [time series]

$380 million (FY00)

Military expenditures (Military expenditures - percent of GDP) [time series]

1.71% (FY00)

Military manpower - availability [time series]

males age 15-49: 1,487,093 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service [time series]

males age 15-49: 1,136,811 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - military age [time series]

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually [time series]

males: 45,502 (2001 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 18.86% (male 522,563; female 498,832) 15-64 years: 69.6% (male 1,872,496; female 1,896,249) 65 years and over: 11.54% (male 236,996; female 387,801) (2001 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

10.05 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate [time series]

9.25 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

Slovak 85.7%, Hungarian 10.6%, Roma 1.6% (the 1992 census figures underreport the Gypsy/Romany community, which is about 500,000), Czech, Moravian, Silesian 1.1%, Ruthenian and Ukrainian 0.6%, German 0.1%, Polish 0.1%, other 0.2% (1996)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

less than 0.01% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

less than 100 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

400 (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

8.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Languages [time series]

Slovak (official), Hungarian

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 73.97 years male: 69.95 years female: 78.2 years (2001 est.)

Literacy [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

noun: Slovak(s) adjective: Slovak

Net migration rate [time series]

0.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Population [time series]

5,414,937 (July 2001 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

0.13% (2001 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Sex ratio [time series]

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: 0.61 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.25 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

Gabcikovo/Nagymaros Dam dispute with Hungary is before the ICJ

Illicit drugs [time series]

transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe

Transportation

Airports [time series]

35 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 18 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 8 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 17 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 7 (2000 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 17,710 km paved: 17,533 km (including 288 km of expressways) unpaved: 177 km (1998 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 15,041 GRT/19,517 DWT ships by type: cargo 3 (2000 est.)

Pipelines [time series]

petroleum products NA km; natural gas 2,700 km

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Bratislava, Komarno

Railways [time series]

total: 3,660 km broad gauge: 102 km 1.520-m gauge standard gauge: 3,507 km 1.435-m gauge (1,505 km electrified; 1,011 km double track) narrow gauge: 51 km (46 km 1,000-m gauge; 5 km 0.750-m gauge) (1998)

Waterways [time series]

172 km (all on the Danube)