Property frontiers

Slovakia:
Country Guide

Slovakia - general country guide

Sample

Map

^{Source: CIA World Factbook}

Summary Data

summary data
Total Area (km²)	48,845
Land (km²)	48,800
Water (km²)	45
Population	5,455,407
Population Density (/km²)	112
Capital	Bratislava
Religion (%)	Roman Catholic 68.9% Protestant 10.8% None 13% Greek Catholic 4.1% Other 3.2%
Time	GMT+1
Climate	Cool summers that are cold and cloudy, humid winters.

^{Source: CIA World Factbook}

Geography

Slovakia is located in central Europe bordering the Czech Republic, Austria, Poland, Hungary and Ukraine. The country is naturally stunning with numerous mountains, lakes, forests, lowlands and canyons. Almost half the country is covered by the Carpathian Arc making it extremely mountainous. Slovakia is rich in mineral resources and several mineral springs can be found within the country. The main river in Slovakia is the Danube which connects the country's capital Bratislava with the cities Vienna and Budapest.

Government

Slovakia is a Parliamentary democracy with a civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes. The head of state in Slovakia is President Ivan Gasparovic whose term will last until 2009. Robert Fico was appointed Prime Minister in 2006 with Duscan Caplovic acting as Deputy Prime Minister. On the 1st January 1993 Slovakia declared independence when Czechoslovakia split into Czech Republic and Slovakia. The country is divided into eight regions and seventy nine districts. Slovakia became a member of the UN in 1993 and joined the European Union and NATO in 2004.

Language

Slovak is the official language of Slovakia with 83.9% of the population speaking it. 10.7% of the population speaks Hungarian and 7.8% speak Roma, there is a minority of 2.6% of people who speak other languages.

Electricity

230 volts AC, 50Hz. A standard European style two pin plug is used.

Passports/Visa

Passports valid for a minimum of three months after return from Slovakia are required by all British, Australian, Canadian and American nationals. Members of the EU do not need a passport just a Valid ID card.

Visas

Visas are not required from any national before entering the country.

Passport/Visa Information

Embassy of Slovakia in the UK:

25 Kensington Palace Gardens
London

W8 4QY
tel: +44 (0) 20 7313 6470
fax: +44 (0) 20 7313 6481

Email: cons.london@mzv.sk

Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 9.00am-11.30am, 13.00pm-16.00pm, Fri 9.00am-11.30am

Airports and Airlines

Bratislava/ M.R. Stefanik (BTS)

Location: The airport is situated 9km northeast of the city centre.
Time: Local time is GMT +1 (GMT +2 from last Sunday in March to second last Saturday in September).
Contacts: +421 (0)2 3303 3353.
Website: www.airportbratislava.sk
Terminals: 1
Transfer to the city: Taxi and bus services are available
Facilities: Post Office, Bank, Bureau de Change, Restaurants, Bars, VIP Lounge, Duty Free Shop, Newsagent, Chemist, Gift Shop, Travel Agent, Car Rental, Taxi Service, First Aid, Baby/Parent Room, Disabled Access, Business Centre.
Car rental: Six car rental companies have permanent desks at the airport including Avis, Budget, Europcar and Hertz.
Parking: Parking is available.
Departure tax: None.

Standard of Living

Slovakia doesn't have a very high standard of living with high unemployment levels since the beginning of the twenty first century. Many families are living on social benefits meaning many fathers work away from home for long periods of time whilst the mothers' work loads mean the children are regularly left alone.

Principal commercial centres and towns

The Tatra Mountains are one of Slovakia's main tourist attractions and with many resorts in the region it offers several activities. However there are other cities which are becoming well known by holiday makers.