Weather in Slovakia
10 biggest cities (population)
Bratislava 431,061 Košice 234,596 Prešov 91,650 Žilina 85,477 Nitra 84,800 Banská Bystrica 80,730 Trnava 68,466 Martin 59,014 Trenčín 56,760 Poprad 55,042
Prices in Slovakia
dinner in restaurant 5 EUR
beer 1,5 EUR coffee 1,5 EUR 1 liter of petrol 1,5 EUR cheap hotel < 20 EUR (1 person) expensive hotel > 80 EUR (1 person) Download brochures
Slovak Newspaper
Listen to Slovak folk Music
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The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about 49,000 square kilometres (19,000 sq mi = about twice the size of New Hampshire). Slovakia is a landlocked country bordered by the Czech Republic (165 mi/265 km) and Austria (79 mi/127 km) to the west, Poland (371 mi/597 km)to the north, Ukraine (61 mi/98 km) to the east and Hungary (421 mi/678 km) to the south. The largest city is the capital, Bratislava, the second largest is Košice, the third largest is Prešov. Slovakia is a member state of the European Union, NATO, United Nations, OECD and WTO among others. The official language is Slovak, a member of the Slavic language family.
Slovakia is subdivided into 8 regions ("kraj" = region), each of which is named after its principal city.
The Slavs arrived in the territory of present day Slovakia in the 5th and 6th centuries during the migration period. In the course of history, various parts of today's Slovakia belonged to Samo's Empire (the first known political unit of Slavs), Principality of Nitra (as independent polity, as part of Great Moravia and as part of Hungarian Kingdom), Great Moravia, Kingdom of Hungary, the Austro-Hungarian Empire or Habsburg Empire, and Czechoslovakia. A separate Slovak state briefly existed during World War II, during which Slovakia was a dependency of Nazi Germany between 1939–1944. From 1945 Slovakia once again became a part of Czechoslovakia. The present-day Slovakia became an independent state on 1 January 1993 after the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia.
Slovakia is a high-income advanced economy with one of the fastest growth rates in the European Union and the OECD. The country joined the European Union in 2004 and the Eurozone on 1 January 2009. Slovakia together with Slovenia and Estonia are the only former Communist nations to be part of the European Union, Eurozone, Schengen Area and NATO simultaneously. The Slovak landscape is noted primarily for its mountainous nature, with the Carpathian Mountains extending across most of the northern half of the country. Amongst these mountain ranges are the high peaks of the Tatra mountains. To the north, close to the Polish border, are the High Tatras which are a popular skiing destination and home to many scenic lakes and valleys as well as the highest point in Slovakia, the Gerlachovský štít at 2,655 metres (8,711 ft), and the country's highly symbolic mountain Kriváň. Major Slovak rivers are the Danube, the Váh and the Hron. The Tisa marks the Slovak-Hungarian border for only 5 km (3.1 mi). The Slovak climate lies between the temperate and continental climate zones with relatively warm summers and cold, cloudy and humid winters. The average daily temperature is 28°F (-2°C) in the winter and 77°F (25°C) in the summer. The coldest month is January and the warmest months are July and August. |
National and public holiday
1st January
Day of the Establishment of the Slovak Republic Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia (1993) 6th January Epiphany (The Three Magi and Christmas Day of Orthododox Christians) March/April Good Friday March/April Easter Monday 1st May International Workers' Day (1886) 8th May Day of victory over fascism The end of World War II in Europe (1945) 5th July St. Cyril and Methodius Day Slavic missionaries Cyril (Constantine) and Metod (Methodius) came to Great Moravia (863) 29th August Slovak National Uprising anniversary The Slovaks rose against Nazi Germany (1944) 1st September Day of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic The constitution of (future) independent Slovakia has been adopted in Bratislava (1992) 15th September Day of Blessed Virgin Mary The Patron saint of Slovakia is the Blessed Virgin Mary 1st November All Saints’ Day Cemeteries are visited on or around this day 17th November Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day The demonstration in 1989 in Bratislava and Prague considered to mark the beginning of the Velvet Revolution 24th December Christmas Eve Christmas presents are opened in the evening on Christmas Eve in Slovakia 25th December Christmas Day Literally, First Christmas Holiday 26th December St. Stephen's Day Literally, Second Christmas Holiday Multimedia
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