Facts about Slovakia

A quick reference guide with basic information about Slovakia.

Tourist tips
What every visitor should know before coming to Slovakia: Visas and embassies, Telephones...

Official name: Slovak Republic
Name in native language: Slovensko ("Slovakia"), or Slovenska republika ("Slovak Republic")
Capital city: Bratislava
Currency: Euro

European Union and NATO member state since 2004

Official language: Slovak (a western Slavic language, very closely related to Czech and relatively close to Polish and the languages of the former Yugoslavia)

Demographics
Population: 5,350,000
Nationalities: 85% Slovak (western Slavic in origin), 10% Hungarian, 3% Roma. Significant smaller nationalities include Czechs, Ruthenians, Ukranians, Germans and Poles.
Religions: 63% Roman Catholic, 9% Protestant, 4% Greek Orthodox, 2% other Orthodox churches.

History and identity
Modern Slovakia was born as an independent nation-state in 1993, when it peacefully separated from the Czech Republic, splitting from the former Czechoslovakia by mutual agreement. (There has been no organized conflict of any kind in Slovakia since 1945.) Many foreigners still confuse Slovakia with Slovenia of the former Yugoslavia.

Government
Type of government: republic, with parliamentary democracy.
Head of government: Prime Minister, generally the leader of the largest party in parliament, this post holds most real executive authority.
Legislative body: National Council, a one-house parliament elected at least once every four years.
Head of state: President, elected once every five years (next election in 2009), largely ceremonial.