Match 217 DB Rec# - 7,669 Dataset-WOFACT
Title :Slovakia
Text :
Slovakia
Geography
Location:
Central Europe, south of Poland
Map references:
Ethnic Groups in Eastern Europe, Europe
Area:
total area:
48,845 sq km
land area:
48,800 sq km
comparative area:
about twice the size of New Hampshire
Land boundaries:
total 1,355 km, Austria 91 km, Czech Republic 215 km, Hungary 515 km, Poland
444 km, Ukraine 90 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none; landlocked
International disputes:
Gabcikovo Dam dispute with Hungary; unresolved property issues with Czech
Republic over redistribution of former Czechoslovak federal property
Climate:
temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters
Terrain:
rugged mountains in the central and northern part and lowlands in the south
Natural resources:
brown coal and lignite; small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganese ore;
salt
Land use:
arable land:
NA%
permanent crops:
NA%
meadows and pastures:
NA%
forest and woodland:
NA%
other:
NA%
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
air pollution from metallurgical plants presents human health risks; acid
rain damaging forests
natural hazards:
NA
international agreements:
party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not
ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law
of the Sea
Note:
landlocked
People
Population:
5,432,383 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
23% (female 609,795; male 638,346)
15-64 years:
66% (female 1,807,312; male 1,778,712)
65 years and over:
11% (female 364,610; male 233,608) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.54% (1995 est.)
Birth rate:
14.51 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate:
9.12 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
10 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
73.24 years
male:
69.15 years
female:
77.57 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.93 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Slovak(s)
adjective:
Slovak
Ethnic divisions:
Slovak 85.7%, Hungarian 10.7%, Gypsy 1.5% (the 1992 census figures
underreport the Gypsy/Romany community, which could reach 500,000 or more),
Czech 1%, Ruthenian 0.3%, Ukrainian 0.3%, German 0.1%, Polish 0.1%, other
0.3%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 60.3%, atheist 9.7%, Protestant 8.4%, Orthodox 4.1%, other
17.5%
Languages:
Slovak (official), Hungarian
Literacy:
NA%
Labor force:
2.484 million
by occupation:
industry 33.2%, agriculture 12.2%, construction 10.3%, communication and
other 44.3% (1990)
Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Slovak Republic
conventional short form:
Slovakia
local long form:
Slovenska Republika
local short form:
Slovensko
Digraph:
LO
Type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Bratislava
Administrative divisions:
4 departments (kraje, singular - kraj) Bratislava, Zapadoslovensky,
Stredoslovensky, Vychodoslovensky
Independence:
1 January 1993 (from Czechoslovakia)
National holiday:
Anniversary of Slovak National Uprising, August 29 (1944)
Constitution:
ratified 1 September 1992, fully effective 1 January 1993
Legal system:
civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to comply with the
obligations of Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and
to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Michal KOVAC (since 8 February 1993); election last held 8
February 1993 (next to be held NA 1998); results - Michal KOVAC elected by
the National Council
head of government:
Prime Minister Vladimir MECIAR (since 12 December 1994)
cabinet:
Cabinet; appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister
Legislative branch:
unicameral
National Council (Narodni Rada):
elections last held 30 September-1 October 1994 (next to be held by October
1998); results - HZDS 35%, SDL 10.4%, Hungarian coalition (Hungarian
Christian Democrats, Hungarian Civic Party, Coexistence) 10.2%, KDH 10.1%,
DU 8.6%, ZRS 7.3%, SNS 5.4%; seats - (150 total) governing coalition 83
(HZDS 61, ZRS 13, SNS 9), opposition 67 (SDL 18, Hungarian coalition 17, KDH
17, DU 15)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS), Vladimir MECIAR, chairman; Common
Choice/Party of the Democratic Left (SDL), Peter WEISS, chairman; Hungarian
Christian Democrats, Vojtech BUGAR; Hungarian Civic Party; Coexistence,
Miklos DURAY, chairman; Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), Jan
CARNOGURSKY; Democratic Union (DU), Jozef MORAVCIK, chairman; Association of
Slovak Workers (ZRS), Jan LUPTAK, chairman; Slovak National Party (SNS), Jan
SLOTA, chairman
Government
Other political or pressure groups:
Green Party; Social Democratic Party of Slovakia; Slovak Christian Union
Member of:
Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE (guest), CEI, CERN, EBRD, ECE, FAO, GATT,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NACC,
NSG, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIL, UNOMUR,
UNPROFOR, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Branislav LICHARDUS
chancery:
(temporary) Suite 380, 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone:
[1] (202) 965-5161
FAX:
[1] (202) 965-5166
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Theodore E. RUSSELL
embassy:
Hviezdoslavovo Namestie 4, 81102 Bratislava
mailing address:
use embassy street address
telephone:
[42] (7) 330-861, 333-338
FAX:
[42] (7) 330-096
Flag:
three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red superimposed with
the Slovak cross in a shield centered on the hoist side; the cross is white
centered on a background of red and blue
Economy
Overview:
In 1994 macroeconomic performance improved steadily but privatization
progressed only in fits and starts. Most of Slovakia's IMF-approved targets
were met by an interim government that lasted 9 months. Annual inflation
fell from 23% in 1993 to 12%; unemployment at 14.6% was still well below
forecasts of 17%; and the budget deficit was around half that in 1993.
Slovakia's nearly $200 million trade surplus also compares favorably with a
more than $800 million deficit in 1993. Furthermore, after contracting
almost 25% in the three years following 1990, GDP grew 4.3% in 1994,
according to official statistics. Bratislava in June qualified for a $254
million IMF stand-by loan and the second $90 million tranche of its Systemic
Transformation Facility and, in December, received approval for a European
Union loan worth about $160 million. By the end of September 1994, the
Central Bank's foreign currency reserves had tripled since the end of 1993.
Slovakia continued to have difficulty attracting foreign investment,
however, because of perceived political instability and halting progress in
privatization. The interim government prepared property worth nearly $2
billion for the second wave of coupon privatization and sold participation
in the program to over 80% of Slovakia's eligible citizens. Parties
controlling the new Parliament in November 1994, however, put the second
wave of coupon privatization on hold and suspended sales of 38 firms until
the new government could evaluate the interim government's decisions in
early 1995. The new government's targets for 1995 include GDP growth of 3%,
inflation of 8%-10%, unemployment of 15%, and a budget deficit under 3% of
GDP. Continuing economic recovery in western Europe should boost Slovak
exports and production, but Slovakia's image with foreign creditors and
investors could suffer setbacks in 1995 if progress on privatization stalls
or budget deficits mount beyond IMF-recommended levels.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power parity - $32.8 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate:
4.3% (1994 est.)
National product per capita:
$6,070 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate:
14.6% (1994 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
$4.4 billion
expenditures:
$4.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $350 million (1994 est.)
Exports:
$6.3 billion (f.o.b., January-November 1994)
commodities:
machinery and transport equipment; chemicals; fuels, minerals, and metals;
agricultural products
partners:
Czech Republic 37.7%, Germany 17.1%, Hungary 5.3%, Austria 5.3%, Italy 4.6%,
Russia 4.0%, Poland 2.6%, Ukraine 1.8%, US 1.6% (January-September 1994)
Imports:
$6.1 billion (f.o.b., January-November 1994)
commodities:
machinery and transport equipment; fuels and lubricants; manufactured goods;
raw materials; chemicals; agricultural products
partners:
Czech Republic 29.9%, Russia 19.0%, Germany 13.2%, Austria 5.8%, Italy 4.3%,
US 2.6%, Poland 2.4%, Ukraine 1.9%, Hungary 1.6% (January-September 1994)
Economy
External debt:
$4.2 billion hard currency indebtedness (1994 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%
Electricity:
capacity:
6,300,000 kW
production:
20.9 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
3,609 kWh (1993)
Industries:
metal and metal products; food and beverages; electricity, gas, and water;
coking, oil production, and nuclear fuel production; chemicals and manmade
fibers; machinery; paper and printing; earthenware and ceramics; transport
vehicles; textiles; electrical and optical apparatus; rubber products
Agriculture:
largely self-sufficient in food production; diversified crop and livestock
production, including grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit, hogs,
cattle, and poultry; exporter of forest products
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe
Economic aid:
donor:
the former Czechoslovakia was a donor - $4.2 billion in bilateral aid to
non-Communist less developed countries (1954-89)
Currency:
1 koruna (Sk) = 100 halierov
Exchange rates:
koruny (Sk) per US$1 - 31.14 (September 1994), 32.9 (December 1993), 28.59
(December 1992), 28.26 (1992), 29.53 (1991), 17.95 (1990), 15.05 (1989);
note - values before 1993 reflect Czechoslovak exchange rate
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Transportation
Railroads:
total:
3,660 km (electrified 635 km)
broad gauge:
102 km 1.520-m gauge
standard gauge:
3,511 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge:
47 km (35 km 1,000-m gauge; 12 km 0.750-m gauge) (1994)
Highways:
total:
17,650 km (1990)
paved:
NA
unpaved:
NA
Inland waterways:
NA km
Pipelines:
petroleum products NA km; natural gas 2,700 km
Ports:
Bratislava, Komarno
Merchant marine:
total:
2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,160 GRT/6,163 DWT
Airports:
37
with paved runways over 3,047 m:
1
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m:
3
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m:
2
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m:
2
with paved runways under 914 m:
4
with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m:
2
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m:
2
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m:
10
with unpaved runways under 914 m:
11
Communications
Telephone system:
NA telephones
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
NA
Radio:
broadcast stations:
AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
radios:
NA
Television:
broadcast stations:
NA
televisions:
NA
Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, Civil Defense, Railroad Units
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 1,443,719; males fit for military service 1,107,453; males
reach military age (18) annually 49,045 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures:
9.59 billion koruny, 3.1% of GDP (1994 est.); note - conversion of defense
expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce
misleading results
| Index to 1995 World Factbook... | UMSL Govt. Docs... | UMSL Libraries... | UMSL Home... |
This publication is also available online from the CIA (http://www.odci.gov/cia) as 1995 World Factbook (http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/95fact/index.html).
The printed version of this item can be found under the title:
The World Factbook 1995,
SuDoc No: PREX 3.15:995
Select this link for contact information about the UM-St. Louis Librarians maintaining this site. Updated: March 12, 1996