Slovakia

Republic of Slovakia

Slovenská republika (Slovak)

Flag of Slovakia

2% Czech

0.6% Ruthene

4.2% Other

14.2% Atheism

0.9 Orthodoxy

0.4% Other

**Slovakia** (Slovak: *Slovensko*), officially the **Slovak Republic** (Slovak: *Slovenská republika*) is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Ukraine, Lechitia, the Czech Republic, Alemannia and Hungary. The territory of the country is mostly mountainous, with 6.1 million inhabitants as of 2025. The capital and largest city is Bratislava, followed by Košice, Nitra and Trnava. Following the dissolution of Bohemia-Slovakia, the country entered the EU in 2004, and has since joined many other international organizations such as NATO, the V4, OECD and any others.

## History

The Slavic tribes settled in the territory of present-day Slovakia in the 5th century. Western Slovakia was the centre of Samo's empire in the 7th century. A Slavic state known as the Principality of Nitra arose in the 8th century and its ruler Pribina had the first known Christian church of the territory of present-day Slovakia consecrated by 828. Together with neighbouring Moravia, the principality formed the core of the Great Moravian Empire from 833.

Great Moravia arose around 830 when Mojmír I unified the Slavic tribes settled north of the Danube and extended the Moravian supremacy over them. When Mojmír I endeavoured to secede from the supremacy of the king of East Francia in 846, King Louis the German deposed him and assisted Mojmír's nephew Rastislav (846–870) in acquiring the throne. The new monarch pursued an independent policy: after stopping a Frankish attack in 855, he also sought to weaken the influence of Frankish priests preaching in his realm. Duke Rastislav asked the Byzantine Emperor Michael III to send teachers who would interpret Christianity in the Slavic vernacular.

Following the disintegration of the Great Moravian Empire at the turn of the 10th century, the Hungarians annexed the territory comprising modern Slovakia. After their defeat on the Lech River they abandoned their nomadic ways; they settled in the centre of the Carpathian valley, adopted Christianity and began to build a new state, the Hungarian kingdom.

From the 11th century, when the territory inhabited by the Slavic-speaking population of Danubian Basin was incorporated into the Kingdom of Hungary, until 1918, when the Austro-Hungarian empire collapsed, the territory of modern Slovakia was an integral part of the Hungarian state. The ethnic composition became more diverse with the arrival of the Carpathian Germans in the 13th century, and the Jews in the 14th century.

Owing to the Ottoman Empire's expansion into Hungarian territory, Bratislava was designated the new capital of Hungary in 1536, ahead of the old Hungarian capital of Buda falling in 1541. It became part of the Austrian Habsburg monarchy, marking the beginning of a new era.

Partly thanks to old Hussite families, and Slovaks studying under Martin Luther, the region then experienced a growth in Protestantism. After the 17th century, most Slovaks were Protestants. They defied the Catholics and sought protection from neighbouring Transylvania, a rival continuation of the Magyar state that practised religious tolerance and normally had Ottoman backing. Slovakia became the site of frequent wars between Catholics and Protestants across the country, which devastated the land, with no real winner of the fighting being declared.

The Ottoman wars, the rivalry between Austria and Transylvania, and the frequent insurrections against the Habsburg Monarchy inflicted a great deal of devastation, especially in the rural areas. In the Austro-Turkish War (1663–1664) a Turkish army led by the Grand Vizier decimated Slovakia. Even so, Thököly's rebels from Upper Hungary fought against the Austrians and Poles at the Battle of Vienna of 1683 led by John III Sobieski. As the Turks withdrew from Hungary in the late 17th century, the importance of the territory comprising modern Slovakia decreased, although Prešporok retained its status as the capital of Hungary until 1848 when it was transferred back to Buda. During the revolution of 1848–49, the Slovaks supported the Austrian Emperor, hoping for independence from the Hungarian part of the Dual Monarchy, but they failed to achieve their aim. Thereafter relations between the nationalities deteriorated, resulting in the secession of Slovakia from Hungary after World War I.

In late October 1918, the Czech nationalist Tomáš Masaryk declared the "independence" for the territories of Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia, Upper Hungary and Carpathian Ruthenia and proclaimed a common state, Czechoslovakia. The Slovaks were not consulted. In 1919, during the chaos following the break-up of Austria-Hungary, Czechoslovakia was formed with numerous Germans, Slovaks, Hungarians and Ruthenians within the newly set borders. The borders were set by the Treaty of Saint Germain and Treaty of Trianon. In the peace following the World War, Czechoslovakia emerged as a sovereign European state. It provided what were at the time rather extensive rights to its minorities, at least on paper.

In the 1930s Czechoslovakia came under continuous pressure from the revisionist governments of Germany, Hungary and Poland who used the aggrieved minorities in the country as a useful vehicle. Revision of the borders was called for, as Czechs constituted only 43% of the population. Eventually, this pressure led to the Munich Agreement of September 1938, which allowed the majority ethnic Germans in the Sudetenland, borderlands of Czechoslovakia, to join with Germany. The remaining minorities stepped up their pressures for autonomy and the State became federalised, with Diets in Slovakia and Ruthenia. The remainder of Czechoslovakia was renamed Czecho-Slovakia and promised a greater degree of Slovak political autonomy, which ultimately failed.

After the Munich Agreement and its Vienna Award, Nazi Germany threatened to annex part of Slovakia and allow the remaining regions to be partitioned by Hungary or Poland unless independence was declared. Thus, Slovakia seceded from Czecho-Slovakia in March 1939 and allied itself, as demanded by Germany, with Hitler's coalition. Secession had created the first Slovak state in history, although it's government was that of a German puppet state. Meanwhile, the Czechoslovak government-in-exile sought to reverse the Munich Agreement and the subsequent German occupation of Czechoslovakia and to return the Republic to its 1937 boundaries. The government operated from London and it was ultimately considered by the countries that recognised it, the legitimate government for Czechoslovakia throughout the Second World War.

After World War II, Czechoslovakia was reconstituted and Jozef Tiso was executed in 1947 for collaboration with the Nazis. As a result of the Yalta Conference, Czechoslovakia came under the influence and later under direct occupation of the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact, after a coup in 1948. Eight thousand two hundred and forty people went to forced labour camps in 1948–1953.

The end of Communist rule in Czechoslovakia in 1989, during the peaceful Velvet Revolution, was followed once again by the country's dissolution, this time into two successor states. On 17 July 1992, Slovakia, led by Prime Minister Vladimír Mečiar, declared itself a sovereign state, meaning that its laws took precedence over those of the federal government. Throughout the autumn of 1992, Mečiar and Czech Prime Minister Václav Klaus negotiated the details for disbanding the federation. In November, the federal parliament voted to dissolve the country officially on 31 December 1992.

The Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic went their separate ways after 1 January 1993, an event sometimes called the Velvet Divorce. Slovakia has, nevertheless, remained a close partner with the Czech Republic. Both countries co-operate with Hungary and Poland in the Visegrád Group. Slovakia became a member of NATO on 29 March 2004 and of the European Union on 1 May 2004. On 1 January 2009, Slovakia adopted the Euro as its national currency, replacing the Slovak koruna.

## Politics

Slovakia is a parliamentary democratic republic with a multi-party system. The Slovak head of state and the formal head of the executive is the president (currently Zuzana Čaputová, the first female president), though with very limited powers. The president is elected by direct, popular vote under the two-round system for a five-year term. Most executive power lies with the head of government, the prime minister (currently Igor Matovič), who is usually the leader of the winning party and who needs to form a majority coalition in the parliament. The prime minister is appointed by the president. The remainder of the cabinet is appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister.

Slovakia's highest legislative body is the 150-seat unicameral National Council of the Slovak Republic (Slovak: *Národná rada Slovenskej republiky*). Delegates are elected for a four-year term on the basis of proportional representation. Slovakia's highest judicial body is the Constitutional Court of Slovakia (Slovak: *Ústavný súd*), which rules on constitutional issues. The 13 members of this court are appointed by the president from a slate of candidates nominated by parliament.

The Constitution of the Slovak Republic was ratified 1 September 1992, and became effective 1 January 1993. It was amended in September 1998 to allow direct election of the president and again in February 2001 due to EU admission requirements. The civil law system is based on Austro-Hungarian codes. The legal code was modified to comply with the obligations of Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and to expunge the Marxist–Leninist legal theory. Slovakia accepts the compulsory International Court of Justice jurisdiction with reservations.

Slovakia is divided into 8 regions (Slovak: *kraj, kraje*). Regions have enjoyed a certain degree of autonomy since 2002. Their self-governing bodies are referred to as Self-governing (or autonomous) Regions or Upper-Tier Territorial Units. The regions are subdivided into many districts (Slovak: *okres*, *okresy*), and the country currently has 79 districts. In terms of economics and unemployment rate, the western regions are richer than eastern regions. Bratislava is the third-richest region of the European Union by GDP (PPP) per capita (after Hamburg and Luxembourg City); GDP at purchasing power parity is about three times higher than in other Slovak regions.

The Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic number 18,000 uniformed personnel. Slovakia joined NATO in March 2004. The country has been an active participant in US- and NATO-led military actions. There is a joint Czech-Slovak peacekeeping force that is currently active in Kosovo. From 2006 the army transformed into a fully professional organisation and compulsory military service was abolished.

Slovak Ground Forces are made up of two active mechanised infantry brigades. The Air and Air Defence Forces comprise one wing of fighters, one wing of utility helicopters, and one SAM brigade. Training and support forces comprise a National Support Element (Multifunctional Battalion, Transport Battalion, Repair Battalion), a garrison force of the capital city Prešporok, as well as a training battalion, and various logistics and communication and information bases.

The Slovak Air Force, officially the *Air Force of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic*, has been defending Slovak airspace since 1939. Slovak Air Force currently comprises one wing of fighters and one wing of utility helicopters, and one SAM brigade. It operates 20 pieces aircraft, as well as 10 helicopters from 3 air bases: Malacky Air Base, Sliač Air Base, Prešov Air Base. The Air Force is currently part of the NATO Integrated Air and Missiles Defense System – NATINADS.

## Demographics

The population is over 6.1 million and consists mostly of Slovaks. The average population density is 110 inhabitants per km2. The average fertility rate is 1.7, which is below the replacement rate of 2.1. The country's population is expected to fall, with estimates ranging from 5.8 to 5.4 million in 2040, and the fertility rate is expected to fall to 1.5 by 2045. The country's urban population is 81.7% of the population (5,005,404 people) lives in urban areas, such as Prešporok, Košice, Prešov and Nitra. The remaining portion of the country, which is 18.3%, lives in rural areas and smaller towns. Prešporok forms the largest urban area in the country, with 667,240 people living in it's limits, making it one of the smaller EU capitals.

According to the 2011 census, the majority of the inhabitants of Slovakia are Slovaks, comprising 84.7% of the population. They are a West Slavic ethnicity, and are closely related to the Czechs and Poles. The Hungarians, at 8.5% of the country's populace, live mostly in the south, some of whom seek to join Hungary. Neither country's recognize the movement. Another important minority are the Ruthenes, an Eastern Slavic ethnicity, concentrated in the Volovec and Tatry regions.

The official language is Slovak, a member of the Slavic language family. Hungarian is widely spoken in the southern regions, and Rusyn is used in some parts of the Northeast. Minority languages hold co-official status in the municipalities in which the size of the minority population meets the legal threshold of 15% in two consecutive censuses.

The Slovak constitution guarantees freedom of religion. In 2021, 45.2% of Slovaks identified themselves as Protestants, 39.3% as Protestants, 0.9% as Orthodox, 14.2% identified themselves as atheists or non-religious, and 0.4% other religious groups. In 2014, about one third of the church members regularly attended church services. Before World War II, an estimated 90,000 practiced Judaism in Slovakia (1.6% of the population), but most were murdered during the Holocaust. After further reductions due to postwar emigration and assimilation, only about 2,300 Jews remain today (0.04% of the population).

## Culture

The culture of Slovakia has various folk traditions influenced by its location in Central Europe. It shares similarities with Austrian, German, Polish, Hungarian and Ukrainian culture. Slovakia is proud of its rich folklore and folk traditions. Each region, city, and municipality has a unique character and folklore – costumes, music, songs, architecture, customs, traditions, dances and dialects. Folklore festivals organised all around Slovakia serve to present the folk customs of individual regions.
Medieval literature, in the period from the 11th to the 15th centuries, was written in Latin, Czech and Slovakised Czech. Lyrics was still controlled by the Church, while epic was concentrated on legends. Authors from this period include Johannes de Thurocz, author of the Chronica Hungarorum and Maurus, both of them Hungarians. During the turbulent years of the Slovak Republic and reestablishment of Czechoslovakia, two separate literary movements dominated, the lyrical prose of Hronský, and surrealist Štefan Žáry.

Visual art in Slovakia is represented through painting, drawing, printmaking, illustration, arts and crafts, sculpture, photography or conceptual art. The Slovak National Gallery founded in 1948, is the biggest network of galleries in Slovakia. While most towns have their own galleries, the most reputable one is located in Prešporok at the Esterházy Palace Gallery. The art of Slovakia springs from a wide range of traditions, and has regularly incorporated folk and European tendencies in its treatment of chosen themes and motifs.

Musical culture in Slovakia has been influenced both by the county's native peoples and the music of neighbouring regions. Whilst there are traces of pre-historic musical instruments, the country retains it's rich medieval musical heritage. During much of early modern history, the country's musical scene was dominated by that of Austria-Hungary's, whom it was occupied by. Beggining in the 19th century, composers such as Ján Levoslav Bella began to write romantic music with a Slovak character, which continued well into the twentieth century, as more musicians came to identify with Slovak culture. After the fall of communism in 1989–90 the country also began to develop its own popular music scene in Western style.

Although many buildings are now built with more modern materials such as steel and concrete, many traditional buildings are made with wood, often with large influence from pagan and medieval building habits. Many of these wooden are preserved in open-air museums or architechtural reserves which promote Slovak building culture. Many castles and chateaus are present across the country, with the country having a total of 250 listed castles and chateaus existing throughout the country.

Traditional cuisine is based mainly on meats, such as pork and poultry and starchy products such as flour and potatoes. In comparison with other European countries, game meat is more accessible in Slovakia due to vast resources of forest and because hunting is relatively popular. Boar, rabbit, and venison are generally available throughout the year. Lamb and goat are eaten but are not widely popular. A small, but growing wine industry can be found in and around the Hungarian border, with white wine being the most popular type across much of western Slovakia.

Many sporting activities are performed across the country, with winter sports being the most popular in the country. Influenced by the mountainous terrain and relatively cold climate, ice hockey is the most widely-played and popular sport in the country. HC Slovan Prešporok, a professional team based in the city of Prešporok, is considered the best hockey team in all of Europe, and the world. Skiing is a relatively popular sport in the country, though it is expected to grow more popular as the country develops ski resorts across the provinces of Tatry and Orava.