Slovakia

Background: In 1918 the Slovaks joined the closely related Czechs to form Czechoslovakia. Following the chaos of World War II, Czechoslovakia became a Communist nation within Soviet-ruled Eastern Europe. Soviet influence collapsed in 1989 and Czechoslovakia once more became free. The Slovaks and the Czechs agreed to separate peacefully on 1 January 1993. Historic, political, and geographic factors have caused Slovakia to experience more difficulty in developing a modern market economy than some of its Central European neighbors.
Location: Central Europe, south of Poland . Area: Total: 48,845 sq km, water: 45 sq km, land: 48,800 sq km. Area - comparative: About twice the size of New Hampshire. Land boundaries: Total: 1,524 km, border countries: Austria 91 km, Czech Republic 215 km, Hungary 677 km, Poland 444 km, Ukraine 97 km. Coastline: 0 km (landlocked).

Climate and Terrain: Climate: Temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters. Terrain: Rugged mountains in the central and northern part and lowlands in the south.
People: Population: 5,422,366. Ethnic groups: Slovak 85.7%, Hungarian 10.6%, Roma 1.6% (the 1992 census figures underreport the Gypsy/Romany community, which is about 500,000), Czech, Moravian, Silesian 1.1%, Ruthenian and Ukrainian 0.6%, German 0.1%, Polish 0.1%, other 0.2%. Religions: Roman Catholic 60.3%, atheist 9.7%, Protestant 8.4%, Orthodox 4.1%, other 17.5%. Languages: Slovak (official), Hungarian.
Government: Government type: Parliamentary democracy. Capital: Bratislava. Independence: 1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia).

Economy overview: Slovakia has mastered much of the difficult transition from a centrally planned economy to a modern market economy. The Dzurinda government made excellent progress in 2001 in macroeconomic stabilization and structural reform. Major privatizations are nearly complete, the banking sector is almost completely in foreign hands, and foreign investment has picked up. Slovakia's economy exceeded expectations in 2001, despite recession in key export markets. GDP - composition by sector: Agriculture: 4%, industry: 32%, services: 64%.
Statistics: Telephones - main lines in use: 1,934,558. Telephones - mobile cellular: 736,662. Radio broadcast stations: AM 15, FM 78, shortwave 2. Radios: 3.12 million. Television broadcast stations: 38 (plus 864 repeaters). Televisions: 2.62 million. Internet users: 700,000. Railways: Total: 3,660 km. Highways: Total: 17,710 km, paved: 17,533 km, unpaved: 177 km . Airports: 34, with paved runways: 17, with unpaved runways: 17. Heliports: 1.