Slovak Republic 

Form of government: republic 

Area: 48,845 km ² 

Population: 5,414,937 inhabitants 

Official language: Slovak 

Religion: Roman Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox 

Capital: Bratislava 

Currency: Slovak koruna (SKK) 

Independence: January 1, 1993 

Time Zone: GMT +1 / 2 

Internet domain:. Sk 

Area code: 00 421 

Geographic location 

Slovakia is a country located in Central Europe. Slavicized the sixth century, the country was the heart of Great Moravia in the ninth century and a province of Hungary in the tenth century until the twentieth century. Slovakia and Czech Republic were from November 1918 to December 1992 Czechoslovakia (except for the period 1939-1945). Independent country again in 1993, the separation of the Czech Republic, three years after the Revolution of 1989, which ended the authoritarian communist regime imposed by the Soviets after the Prague Spring in August 1968. Prague Spring meant by referring to "thaw" that occurred in the democratic movement in the consciousness of the Czechs and Slovaks (ie, of Czecho-Slovakia, they were officially called back then) on the country's democratization and testing, then premature naive, to escape from Soviet influence. 

Neighborhood 

Neighboring Ukraine to the east, north-east Poland, northwest Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary to the south west. 

Slovakia is part of the European Union from May 1, 2004, and NATO 

Relief 

The Slovak landscape is very contrasting to the relief. Carpathians (the foot which is Bratislava) is restricted mostly to the north. Among them, there are the Tatra Mountains (Tatry), which is a very popular destination for skiing and also contains numerous lakes and valleys, and the highest points of Slovakia, Gerlach (2655 m) and Krivan, a symbol of the country. 

Fields are located in the southwest (along the Danube) and the southeast. Highest Slovak rivers other than the Danube (Dunaj) are its tributaries, Vah and Hron, and Moravia to form the border with Austria. 

Climate 

The climate is temperate continental, with high rainfall, with relatively cool summers and cold winters, cloudy and wet (wet snow). Average temperature: the highest 10 ° C and the lowest of -3.7 ° C. 

Tourism 

The natural resources of major tourist attraction and cultural-historical values (castles, churches, museums, ethno-folkloric elements) is Slovakia's tourist dowry, in which it outlines three areas of interest: 

Slovakia West - including the Danube Plain Small Medium Little Carpathians and White, which contained important European spas resonance: Peištani, Bezovec, Nimnica, Smrdáki, Luilacovice, Zilina, natural attractions are complemented by the cultural and historical value , ie medieval castles and Bratislava; 

Central Slovakia - High Tatra Mountains includes (2250 m) and Low Tatras (2043 m) in the western Great Fatra and Low (1700-1592 m) Metaliferii Slovakia (1459 m) and Krupin Plateau in the south, with views of great variety and picturesque resorts, gothic castles, medieval fortifications and historic cities; 

Eastern Slovakia - with massive and Metaliferii Slovakia Tatras West Ondavei Plateau in east Beskizii Eastern, Eastern Slovakia plain, volcanic mountains and crystalline Slanske Virkolat. 

Known tourism in 1990, a process of revival in this country. 

Its capital is Bratislava (Presburg old), with a population of 430,000 inhabitants. Other important cities are Košice (Caşovia), Prešov, Nitra, Žilina, Banská, Trnava and Martin. 

Landmarks 

Slovakia's main tourist attractions are: 

National Parks, mountainous terrain and caves: 

High Tatras National Park (TANAP) has an area of 70,000 ha and is the most spectacular mountain range in Slovakia as part science and tourism. He has over 20 peaks exceeding 2,500 m, about 100 glacial lakes, karst forms, special flora and fauna elements. It arranged for tourism, with a dense network of marked trails to the most attractive places. Besides hiking in High Tatras resources are favorable and winter sports - here are country ski center - spa treatment, water sports, fishing and hunting sports. 

Low Tatras National Park (Napant) also includes ski areas, resorts, can practice rafting. Here is Monastery Red - Gothic. Low Tatras includes a part of Slovak Paradise, which displays karst landscapes