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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]

$9.6 billion (2002 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]

26 (1996)

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

ODA $113 million (2000 est.)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

Slovakia has mastered much of the difficult transition from a centrally planned economy to a modern market economy. The DZURINDA government has made excellent progress in 2001-02 in macroeconomic stabilization and structural reform. Major privatizations are nearly complete, the banking sector is almost completely in foreign hands, and foreign investment has picked up. Slovakia's economy exceeded expectations in 2001-02, despite the general European slowdown. Unemployment, at an unacceptable 17.2% in 2002, remains the economy's Achilles heel. The government faces other strong challenges in 2003, especially the cutting of budget and current account deficits and the prevention of a revival of inflation.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

25.203 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports [time series]

4.9 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports [time series]

4.5 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production [time series]

27.53 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source [time series]

fossil fuel: 35% hydro: 17% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 48%

Exchange rates [time series]

koruny per US dollar - 47.792 (September 2001), 46.035 (2000), 41.363 (1999), 35.233 (1998), 33.616 (1997)

Exports [time series]

$12.9 billion f.o.b. (2002 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 59.9% (Germany 27.0%, Italy 8.8%, Austria 8.1%), Czech Republic 16.6% (2001)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

purchasing power parity - $66 billion (2002 est.)

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

agriculture: 5% industry: 34% services: 61% (2000)

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

purchasing power parity - $12,200 (2002 est.)

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

4% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: 5% highest 10%: 18% (1992) (1992)

Imports [time series]

$15.4 billion f.o.b. (2001 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 49.8% (Germany 24.7%, Italy 6.4%), Czech Republic 15.1%, Russia 14.8% (2001)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

4.4% (2002 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]

3.3% (2002 est.)

Labor force [time series]

3 million (1999)

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

industry 29%, agriculture 9%, construction 8%, transport and communication 8%, services 46% (1994) (1994)

Population below poverty line [time series]

NA%

Unemployment rate [time series]

17.2% (2002 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 48,845 sq km water: 45 sq km land: 48,800 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, Desertification, 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; most of the country is rugged and mountainous; the Tatra Mountains in the north are interspersed with many scenic lakes and valleys

Irrigated land [time series]

1,740 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 1,524 km border countries: Austria 91 km, Czech Republic 215 km, Hungary 677 km, Poland 444 km, Ukraine 97 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 30.74% permanent crops: 2.64% other: 66.62% (1998 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 short form: Slovensko local long form: Slovenska Republika

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald WEISER embassy: Hviezdoslavovo Namestie 4, 81102 Bratislava mailing address: P.O. Box 309, 814 99 Bratislava telephone: [421] (2) 5443-3338, 5443-0861 FAX: [421] (2) 5443-0096

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Martin BUTORA chancery: 3523 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 FAX: [1] (202) 237-6438 telephone: [1] (202) 237-1054

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 note: government coalition - SDK, SDL, SMK, SOP, KDH election results: Rudolf SCHUSTER elected president in the first direct, popular election; percent of vote - Rudolf SCHUSTER 57%

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, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NSG, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNTAET, 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) 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 78 (SDKU 28, SMK 20, KDH 15, ANO 15), opposition 72 (HZDS 36, SMER 25, KSS 11) elections: last held 20-21 September 2002 (next to be held NA September 2006)

National holiday [time series]

Constitution Day, 1 September (1992)

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

Christian Democratic Movement or KDH [Pavol HRUSOVSKY]; Democratic Party or DS [Ludovit KANIK]; Direction (Smer) [Robert FICO]; Liberal Democratic Union or LDU [Jan BUDAJ]; Movement for a Democratic Slovakia-People's Party or HZDS-LS [Vladimir MECIAR]; Party of Civic Understanding or SOP [Pavol HAMZIK]; note - SSDS and SZS joined the SOP parliamentary caucus; Party of the Democratic Left or SDL [Pavel KONCOS]; Party of the Hungarian Coalition or SMK [Bela BUGAR]; Real Slovak National Party or PSNS [Jan SLOTA]; Slovak Communist Party or KSS [leader NA]; Slovak Democratic and Christian Union or SDKU [Mikulas DZURINDA]; note - this is DZURINDA's new party for the 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]; Yes (ANO) [Paval RUSKO]

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]

Army (Ground Forces), Air and Air Defense Forces, Home Guards (Territorial Defense Forces), Civil Defense Force, Railway Armed Forces (subordinate to the Ministry of Transportation, Post, and Telecommunications)

Military expenditures - dollar figure [time series]

$406 million (2002)

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

1.89% (2002)

Military manpower - availability [time series]

males age 15-49: 1,486,728 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service [time series]

males age 15-49: 1,136,775 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - military age [time series]

18 years of age (2002 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually [time series]

males: 45,502 (2002 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 18.3% (male 508,256; female 484,739) 15-64 years: 70.1% (male 1,888,705; female 1,910,842) 65 years and over: 11.6% (male 237,770; female 392,054) (2002 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

10.09 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate [time series]

9.22 deaths/1,000 population (2002 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]

8.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Languages [time series]

Slovak (official), Hungarian

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 74.2 years female: 78.41 years (2002 est.) male: 70.19 years

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 (2002 est.)

Population [time series]

5,422,366 (July 2002 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

0.14% (2002 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 (2002 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.25 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

Slovakia requested additional ICJ judgment in 1998, and talks continue to set modalities to assure Hungarian compliance with 1997 ICJ decision to proceed with construction of Gabcikovo-Nagymaros Dam, abandoned by Hungary in 1989

Illicit drugs [time series]

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

Transportation

Airports [time series]

34 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 17 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 7 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3

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 (2002)

Heliports [time series]

1 (2002)

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 15,191 GRT/19,489 DWT ships by type: cargo 3 (2002 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 narrow gauge: 51 km (46 km 1,000-m gauge; 5 km 0.750-m gauge) (2001) standard gauge: 3,507 km 1.435-m gauge (1,505 km electrified; 1,011 km double-tracked)

Waterways [time series]

172 km (all on the Danube)