My home Slovakia

Slovakia is a country in central Europe that became independent on jan.1, 1993. From 1918 until Dec. 31,1992, Slovakia and the Czech Republic were partners in the larger nation of Czechoslovakia.

    

Bratislava is Slovakia´s capital and largest city. A Slavic people called Slovaks make up most of Slovakia´s population. About 600,000 Hungarians nation people live in Slovakia and smaller numbers of Czechs, Germans, Polen, Russians, Ukrainians and Gypsies also live in Slovakia.

        

Area: 49,035 km2

            

Elevation: Highest - Gerlachovský štít (2,655 m above sea level) and lowest - Bodrog River on the Hungarian border - 94 m above sea level.

                

Population: about 5,5 mil.people ( 2000)

                    

Chief products: agriculture - barley, corn, livestock, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat, fruits and vegetables

                        

Manufacturing: ceramics, chemical products, machinery, petroleum products, steel products and building industries.

                            

Government: parliamentary democracy. A one-house parliament called the National Council makes the country´s laws.Voters elect 150 members to four years terms. A president serves as head of state. The parliament elects  the president  to a five- year term.

                                

More than half of Slovakia´s people live in towns and cities. The larger cities are , in order of size, Bratislava, Košice, Žilina, Trnava, Trenčin, Banská Bystrica, Nitra, Piešťany, Prešov and o.

                                    

The standard of living is higher than in many other formerly Communist countries in Europe. Folk art has a long tradition in Slovakia. The best know objects made by folk artistare baskets, glass paintings, pottery, and woodcarvings. Painted wooden houses and other form of folk architecture are found in many regions of eastern Slovakia.

                                        

A series of mountain ranges, part of the western branch of the Carpatians Mountains, covers most of Slovakia. The Little Carpatians and the White Carpatians dominate much of western and nordwestern Slovakia. A range called High Tatras extends along part of the country´s northern border. The great beauty of the range has made it a favorite vacation spot. The area is also a national park.