General Information About Slovakia

General information about Slovakia

I INTRODUCTION

Slovakia, landlocked republic in central Europe, bounded on the northwest by the Czech Republic, on the north by Poland, on the east by Ukraine, on the south by Hungary, and on the southwest by Austria. Bratislava is its capital and largest city.

Slovakia existed as part of Hungary from the beginning of the 10th century until 1918, when it united with the Czech lands of Bohemia and Moravia, in addition to a small part of Silesia, to form Czechoslovakia. In 1939, shortly before the start of World War II, Slovakia declared its independence under pressure from German dictator Adolf Hitler, but in 1945 it was reunited with the rest of Czechoslovakia. From 1948 until 1989 Czechoslovakia was ruled by a Soviet-style Communist regime. In 1993 the country broke apart, and Slovakia and the Czech Republic became independent.

II LAND AND RESOURCES

Slovakia’s total area is 49,035 sq km (18,933 sq mi). The country’s maximum length from east to west is about 416 km (about 258 mi), and its maximum width from north to south is about 208 km (about 129 mi). The Danube River, located in the southwest, forms part of Slovakia’s border with Hungary.

A Natural Regions

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Slovakia

Slovakia is known for its numerous and impressive mountain ranges. Many of the country’s mountains give way to rolling hills and river valleys, where agriculture, winemaking, and livestock raising are practiced. Slovakia’s mountainous terrain has also influenced settlement patterns within the country.

The Carpathian Mountains, a major mountain system of central Europe, extend across much of northern and northwestern Slovakia and encompass the Little Carpathians, the White Carpathians, and the Tatry, which is the highest Carpathian range. The High Tatry mountains contain the country’s highest peak, Gerlachovský Štít, which rises to an elevation of 2,655 m (8,711 ft). The High Tatry also contain one of Slovakia’s largest national parks and are a popular place for skiing and hiking. Other important mountains include the Low Tatry, in central Slovakia, and the Lesser and Greater Fatra ranges, in central and western Slovakia. The Slovak Ore Mountains, in eastern Slovakia, are named for their mineral deposits.

Southwestern Slovakia is dominated by the Danubian Lowlands, a fertile region that extends to the Danube River on the Hungarian border. Much of the country’s agriculture is produced in this area; Bratislava is its main industrial center.

Slovakia also contains a number of interesting and unusual caves. Among them are the Demänovská caves, a series of caves linked by underground lakes and waterfalls, located in central Slovakia; and the Domica cave, known for its vaulted roof and colored stalactites, located near the Hungarian border in eastern Slovakia.

B Rivers and Lakes

The Danube is Slovakia’s main navigable river. Other important rivers include the Váh, Hron, Ipel’ (Eipel), Nitra, Ondava, Laborec, and Hornád. Many small glacial lakes are located in the High Tatry Mountains.

C Plants and Animal Life

Some 43 percent of Slovakia is forested. Species of fir and spruce are common in most mountain areas. At lower elevations, oaks, birches, and lindens predominate. Slovakia’s forests are home to foxes, rabbits, squirrels, weasels, and muskrats; wild boar and wolves are occasionally seen in remote mountain areas. Wildlife stocks have been diminishing in Slovakia, due to pollution, urbanization, and deforestation.

D Natural Resources

Slovakia contains significant forest resources. The country’s main mineral resources are copper, lead, zinc, manganese, and iron. Lignite, a type of coal, is found near the cities of Modrý Kameň and Handlová.

E Climate

Slovakia has a continental climate, with four distinct seasons. Winters are typically cold and dry, while summers tend to be hot and humid. The average daily temperature range in Bratislava is -3° to 2°C (27° to 36°F) in January and 16° to 26°C (61° to 79°F) in July; temperatures tend to be cooler in the mountains. Bratislava receives an average of about 650 mm (about 26 in) of precipitation annually. In areas of high altitude, snow is often present for as many as 130 days each year.

F Environmental Issues

Citizen concern about the environment—particularly air and water pollution—increased in the 1990s. However, efforts to shut down pollution-producing industrial plants have been hampered by economic considerations, including concern about the high rate of unemployment.

Slovakia suffers from some of the worst air pollution in Europe. Coal-burning factories and power plants spew forth huge amounts of pollutants. High levels of nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and soot and dust in the atmosphere present human health risks and contribute to the dangerous levels of acid rain that fall on central Europe. Air pollution and acid rain have caused defoliation in 16 percent of Slovakia’s forests. Water pollution is also severe in many communities. Experts believe that half of Slovakia’s rivers are polluted to such an extent that they can no longer support aquatic life.

III THE PEOPLE OF SLOVAKIA

A Population and Settlement

The Slovaks are descendants of a Slavic people who settled near the Danube between 400 and 500 ad. Slovaks comprise about 86 percent of the country’s inhabitants; Hungarians, who constitute the largest minority group, comprise close to 11 percent; and Roma (Gypsies) represent less than 2 percent. Small numbers of Czechs, Moravians, Silesians, Ruthenians, Ukrainians, Poles, and Germans also live in Slovakia.

The country is divided informally into the three regions of Western Slovakia, Central Slovakia, and Eastern Slovakia, corresponding to administrative divisions that were abolished in 1989. Most of Slovakia’s 600,000 Hungarians live in the southern parts of Western and Central Slovakia, which served as the cultural center of Hungary for several centuries after Hungary proper was invaded by the Ottomans in the 16th century. The Ruthenian and Ukrainian minorities are concentrated in the northern regions of Eastern Slovakia. At the time of the 1991 census, Slovakia’s total population was 5,274,335; the 2004 estimated population was 5,423,567. The population density in 2004 was 111 persons per sq km (288 per sq mi). Some 58 percent of the population lived in urban areas.

B Principal Cities

Bratislava, Slovakia A strategically important urban center since the 12th century, Bratislava served as the Habsburg capital of Hungary from 1541 until 1784. Today it is the capital of the independent republic of Slovakia and is the nation’s economic hub.Photo Researchers, Inc./Chazot/Explorer

Bratislava, Slovakia’s capital and largest city, had an estimated population of 447,345 in 2001. Other important cities include Košice (242,080), an industrial city; Nitra (87,575), a food-processing center; Prešov (94,058), known for electrical-engineering; Banská Bystrica (84,000), in a mining and manufacturing area; and Žilina (86,679), a business center.

C Language

Slovak, a language of the West Slavic subgroup of Slavic languages, is the official language of Slovakia; Slovak is closely related to the Czech language (see Slovak Language). Hungarian is also widely spoken. In July 1994 a law was passed allowing the use of Hungarian as the official language in areas of Slovakia where at least 20 percent of residents speak Hungarian. However, this was retracted by a subsequent law, passed in November 1995, which makes Slovak the only language that can be used in the civil service, on road signs, and in advertisements. A coalition including ethnic Hungarians and members of opposition parties planned to challenge the new law. Other languages spoken in Slovakia include Ukrainian, Romani, and Czech. Most members of minority ethnic groups speak Slovak in addition to their own native languages.

D Religion

About 68 percent of Slovaks are Roman Catholics. Protestant churches, including the Slovak Evangelical Church, and the Reformed Christian Church, are also widely supported, claiming about 11 percent of the population as members. The Orthodox and Uniate churches maintain active followings among the Ruthenians and Ukrainians of Eastern Slovakia. Most of Slovakia’s Jewish community died during World War II in the Holocaust. Religion plays a major role in everyday life in Slovakia, with 85 percent of Slovaks claiming a religious affiliation. Even under the Communist system, which explicitly opposed religious practice, the majority of Slovaks baptized their children and were married and buried in religious ceremonies.

E Education

Nearly all of Slovak adults are able to read and write. Compulsory education begins at age six, when children enter primary school; primary education takes nine years to complete. After completing primary school, students may choose among three types of secondary education: vocational or technical schools, schools of general education (gymnasia), or teacher-training institutes. Slovakia has 14 institutions of higher education. Comenius University of Bratislava was founded in 1467 and is the country’s oldest university. Technical universities are located in Bratislava, Košice, Žilina, and Nitra.

F Way of Life

SIDEBAR

Customs of Slovakia

“Custom, then, is the great guide of human life,” wrote Scottish philosopher David Hume. Knowing the customs of a country is, in effect, a guide to understanding the soul of that country and its people. The following Sidebar is intended to provide a glimpse into the unique world of this nation’s customs: how people marry, how families celebrate holidays and other occasions, what people eat, and how they socialize and have fun.

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The reintroduction of a market economy in the early 1990s produced a sharp increase in unemployment, a high rate of inflation, and therefore a decline in living standards for many Slovak families. However, most households are relatively well-equipped with consumer goods, such as refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, and automobiles. Most urban residents live in high-rise buildings; many also own small cottages in the countryside. In rural areas, single-family homes predominate.

The Slovak diet relies heavily on pork. Bryndzové halušky (noodles with goat cheese) and Hungarian dishes including goulash are also widely enjoyed. Wine, beer, slivovice (plum brandy), and borovička (an herb-flavored drink), are popular beverages.

Attending soccer games and other sporting events is a popular pastime in Slovakia. Many Slovaks ski and hike in the mountains; and urban dwellers attend the opera, the ballet, concerts, and plays. Socializing with friends in wine cellars and taverns is also common.

G Social Problems

Slovak society suffers from many of the problems found commonly in developed Western societies. Crime, prostitution, and drug abuse increased after 1989, when the Communist government collapsed, political controls were lifted, and borders were reopened. Poverty has also increased, particularly among single mothers and the elderly.

In recent years, tensions have mounted between the Slovak government and Hungarians residing in Slovakia. Many Hungarians have complained of discrimination and have pressed for educational and cultural autonomy in addition to the right to use Hungarian as their official language. Tensions have also increased at the local level in areas populated by both Slovaks and ethnic Hungarians.

IV CULTURE

The development of Slovak culture reflects the country’s rich folk tradition, in addition to the influence of broader European trends. The impact of centuries of cultural repression and control by foreign governments is also evident in much of Slovakia’s art, literature, and music.

A Literature

In the late 18th century, a national movement began in Slovakia, with the aim of fostering Slovak culture and identity. One of its leaders was Anton Bernolák, a Jesuit priest who codified a Slovak literary language based on dialects used in western Slovakia. In the 19th century, Protestant leaders Ján Kollár and Pavol Šafárik developed a form of written Slovak that combined the dialects used in central Slovakia and the Czech lands. The linguist and Slovak nationalist L’udovít Štúr, a contemporary of Kollár and Šafárik’s, rejected the Czech influence and set out to develop a more authentic literary Slovak; his language was adopted by a group of Slovak poets, whose work dealt largely with national Slovak themes. Poetry remained an important literary form into the 20th century, and was used by some Slovak writers to address the experience of World War II and the rise of Communism. During the Communist period, Slovak literary culture suffered from heavy governmental control. The works of Dominik Tatarka, Luboš Jurik, Martin Butora, Milan Šimečka, and Hana Ponicka were exceptions to the pattern of politically influenced works.

B Art and Architecture

A Slovak school of painting emerged in the mid-19th century. Sculpture and architecture also developed in the 19th and 20th centuries, much of it heavily influenced by western European styles. Peter Michal Bohún and J.B. Klemens were among the best-known artists of this period. The work of landscape and figure painters Ladislav Medňanský and Dominik Skutecký received widespread attention in the late 19th century. The cubist artist Ester Simerová-Martinčeková and surrealist Imrich Weiner-Kráĺ were influential in the early 20th century. Other important 20th-century artists include L’udovít Fulla, Mikuláš Galanda, Martin Benka, and Mikuláš Bazorský. Dušan Jurkovič was an important architect of the early 20th century.

Folk arts and crafts, which include wood carving, fabric weaving, and glass painting, have a long and popular tradition in Slovakia, especially in rural areas. Examples of folk architecture, such as wooden churches and brightly painted houses, are found throughout the country, particularly in the Ukrainian communities of Eastern Slovakia.

C Music

Folk Music of Slovakia Bowed string instruments predominate in a variety of Slovakian instrumental ensembles. In this example from northern Slovakia, three musicians welcome wedding guests with a wedding-dance tune in duple meter (2/4 time). The violinist plays the melody and is usually the leader of the group. The viola player accompanies the leader with a chordal drone which also reinforces the rhythmic pattern played by the small-sized bass."In the house of the bridegroom" performed by residents of district Dolný Kubín, from The Marriage: Wedding ceremonies in Suchá Hora (Cat.# Supraphon SUA 12869) (p) Supraphon. All rights reserved.

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Music has long occupied an important and distinguished place in Slovak cultural life. In the first half of the 19th century, a national musical tradition began to develop around Slovakia’s impressive folk heritage. Modern Slovak music has drawn from both classical and folk styles. Well-known works from the 20th century include the compositions of Alexander Moyzes and the operas of Jan Cikker.

D Libraries and Museums

There are 12 state scientific libraries in Slovakia, 473 libraries affiliated with universities and institutions of higher learning, and 2,600 public libraries. The University Library in Bratislava, founded in 1919, contains more than 2 million volumes and is the country’s most important library. The Slovak National Library (1863), located in Martin, includes a collection of materials relating to Slovak culture.