BASIC INFORMATION
Established form: republic
Type of government: parliamentary democracy
Formation date: 1. January 1993
EU member since: 1. May 2004
Currency: Slovak Crown (SKK)
1 SKK = 100 hallers (h)
NBS exchange rate (www.nbs.sk)
Membership in international organisations: UN, OECD, WTO, V4, NATO, EU
Area: 49,035 km2
Population: 5,379,450 (2001 census)
Official language: Slovak
Capital: Bratislava
Largest cities (by population): Bratislava: 452,288; Košice: 249,915, Prešov: 92,687; Nitra: 87,357; Žilina: 86,685; Banská Bystrica: 84,919
Geographical location: The Slovak Republic lies in central Europe. Relatively large differences in elevation are characteristic of Slovakia. Central and northern Slovakia is more mountainous; the Carpathian bow extends across these regions. The south and east of the country lie in the lowlands, an important agricultural area in Slovakia. The most important river is the Danube, which connects the capital Bratislava with two European metropolises – Vienna and Budapest.
Borders: Hungary (679 km), Poland (597.5 km), Czech Republic (265
km), Austria (127.2 km), Ukraine (98 km)
Nationalities: Slovak (85.6%), Hungarian (10.8%), Roma (1.8%), Czech
(1.2%), Ruthenian (0.3%), Ukranian (0.3%), German (0.1%), Polish (0.1%), other (0.2%)
Religion: Roman Catholic (60.3%), Greek Catholic (3.4%), Evangelic
(6.2%), Orthodox (0.6%), non-denominational (9.7%), no data (18.2%)
Climate: The Slovak Republic is located in a moderate zone with characteristic changes of season. The average daily temperature is -2ºC in winter and 21ºC in summer. The coldest month is January; the warmest are July and August. Snow remains on the ground an average of 130 days per year in the highest elevations.
Main agricultural crops: wheat, rye, corn, potatoes, sugar beets
Breeding: cattle, pigs, poultry, sheep, goats
Time zone: Central European time (GMT +1 hour), daylight savings beginning on the last Sunday in March and ending on the last Sunday in October - GMT+2
Telephone: Direct international telephone connection is possible with numerous countries in the world. IDD is possible. Calls in Slovakia – SR country code: +421 and the area code of the given city/region (e.g. Bratislava 02)
Calls abroad – use code: 00 + the appropriate country code + local area code + telephone/fax number.
Important telephone numbers:
SOS, emergency calls 112
Police 112
Ambulance/Rescue 112, 16155
Fire/Rescue 112
road service (ASA Slovakia) 18 124
Vysoké Tatry (the High Tatras)
Vysoké Tatry national park is the most beautiful in Slovakia. Vysoké Tatry became the country’s first national park in 1948 and includes the mountain chains of Belianske Tatry and Západné Tatry (Western Tatras), their length of 55 km making them one of the smallest mountain ranges of alpine character in Europe. Vysoké Tatry national park has an area of 73,800 ha., with 30,703 ha forming a buffer zone, and penetrates into the districts of Liptovský Mikuláš, Poprad, Kežmarok and Tvrdošín. The highest summit of Vysoké Tatry, and of the whole Carpathians, is Mt. Gerlachovský štít, at 2655 m. whilst the symbolic national peak of Slovakia, also located in this national park, is Mt. Kriváň 2495 m. high.
Almost two thirds of the national park are covered by forests, prevailingly spruce and fir-spruce. The dominant tree species is the spruce with a significant occurrence of Scots pine, Swiss pine, larch, and Swiss mountain pine. Deciduous forests – beech and maple growths - occur less frequently and mainly in the Belianske Tatry. Vysoké Tatry are mostly granite, the Western Tatras mostly of crystalline slates and the Belianske Tatry mostly limestone. There are 110 lakes, or mountain tarns in the park, which have been formed in glacial kettles. The deepest tarn is Veľké Hincovo pleso, with a maximum depth of 54 m. From among the park’s many waterfalls, the biggest is Kmeťov waterfall, 80 m high. In Vysoké Tatry area there are many karst formations, though the only cave accessible to the public here is Belianska jaskyňa (1750 m long) with its fascinating stalactite-stalagmite decoration.
In terms of commercial tourism, Vysoké Tatry is the most developed region in Slovakia offering the widest range of facilities for downhill and cross-country skiing, hiking and all-year-round recreation. There are health resorts here as well as the popular holiday resorts of Štrbské Pleso, Starý Smokovec and Tatranská Lomnica.
Downhill skiing and snowboarding fans can choose from a large number of ski resorts in Vysoké Tatry, with a wide range of pistes for skiers of all abilities. Parents will appreciate the ski school services for children, offered during the whole winter season in Štrbské Pleso.
Vysoké Tatry have a dense network of well-marked hiking trails of various difficulty through the most beautiful Tatran valleys to villages, mountain lakes, scenic points and cultural sights. The longest trail (46.5 km) is called Tatranská magistrála (the Central Tatras Route), which runs parallel to the main ridge across the southern valleys and slopes offering views of the Low Tatras and beyond.
Vysoké Tatry are a paradise for rock climbers and mountaineers.
More about National Park at www.tanap.org.
More about Slovakia and culture at: www.slovakiatourism.sk, www.slovakia.org, www.poprad.sk
