Slovakia

About Slovakia

The word Slovak derives from an old term for Slav: Slovan. Today’s Slovak Republic  corresponds to the centuries-old region of Slovakia (or Slovensko, as it’s referred to locally). Slovaks share a common culture despite regional (eastern, central, and western) and local differences in dialect, customs, and religion. The Slovak territories were historically cut off from economic development by the Carpathian mountain range and by the political border between Austria and Hungary. This made it tough for the Slovak people because they were tied to the Czech lands by language and culture but were bound politically to the Hungarian government. Policies aimed at imposing or maintaining the dominance of Hungarian language and culture— commonly referred to as Magyarization—were established.

SLOVAKIA Fast Facts
OFFICIAL NAME: Slovenska Republika (Slovak Republic)
SHORT NAME: Slovensko (Slovakia)
CAPITAL CITY: Bratislava
AREA: 18,921 square miles
BORDERING COUNTRIES: Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Ukraine
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Slovak
POPULATION: 5 million
MAJOR ETHNIC GROUPS: Slovak, Czech, Hungarian, Romany, Ruthenian, Ukrainian
MAJOR RELIGIONS: Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, Greek Catholicism, Orthodoxy