Brief Introduction Capital: Bratislava Area: total: 49035 sq km National Flower: Rose The important Festival: National day: 29 August Population: 5,300,000 Language: Slovak (official) 83.9%, Hungarian 10.7%, Roma 1.8%, Ukrainian 1%, other or unspecified 2.6% (2001 census) Currency: SKK

Slovakia

Geography

Central Europe, south of Poland

Administrative divisions

8 regions (kraje, singular - kraj); Banskobystricky, Bratislavsky, Kosicky, Nitriansky, Presovsky, Trenciansky, Trnavsky, Zilinsky .

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 during 2001-04 in macroeconomic stabilization and structural reform. Major privatizations are nearly complete, the banking sector is almost completely in foreign hands, and the government has helped facilitate a foreign investment boom with business-friendly policies, such as labor market liberalization and a 19% flat tax. Slovakia's economic growth exceeded expectations in 2001-04, despite the general European slowdown. Unemployment, at an unacceptable 15% in 2003-04, remains the economy's Achilles heel. Slovakia joined the EU on 1 May 2004.

Culture and media

Newspaper:

24 Hodín , Hospodárske Noviny , Katolícke Noviny , Pravda , SME / Národná Obroda.

Broadcast: Radio Twist

TV Stations: Markiza TV , TA3

The place of interest

Primcialny Palac

Dom sv.Martina

Slovenske Narodne Divadlo