National anthem of SlovakiaSlovakia is a small nation with a rich cultural heritage. It is located in the Carpathian Mountains of central Europe. During most of the 1900s, Slovakia formed the southeastern province of the country of Czechoslovakia. In 1993 Slovakia became an independent nation after separating from the Czech Republic. Slovakia’s capital is Bratislava.
Slovakia shares borders with the Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, and Austria.
There are many mountains in Slovakia. The most significant ones are the Carpathians, which are divided into two ranges. The High Tatras run along the northern border with Poland and contain the highest peaks in Slovakia. The southern Carpathians are known as the Low Tatras. The Low Tatras give way to rolling uplands in the southern part of the country. Fertile lowlands are located in the southwest. This is the most populated region in Slovakia.
The Danube River flows through lowlands in the southwest. Slovakia has cool summers and cold winters.
Forests cover about 40 percent of Slovakia. Beech, spruce, oak, and pine trees are common. The highest mountain regions are sparsely covered with alpine grass, shrubs, and lichen.
Animal life in Slovakia is extremely varied. Bears, wolves, lynx, wildcats, marmots, otters, marten, and mink are found in the mountains. Slovakia is also home to numerous birds, including wild geese, ducks, cormorants, ospreys, and herons.
Slovakia is the historic homeland of the Slovak people. Slovaks make up most of the population. The rest of the people are mainly Hungarians. Slovak is the official language. More than half of the population lives in cities or towns. Roman Catholicism is the most common religion.
Banking, tourism, and other services are large parts of Slovakia’s economy. Manufacturing and mining are also important. Factories produce metals, machinery, flour, fuels, paper, and other goods. Mines provide iron, copper, lead, and zinc. Agriculture contributes a small amount to the economy. Grains, legumes, and root vegetables such as potatoes and sugar beets are the country’s main crops.
Tribes of people called Slavs settled Slovakia’s land in the 500s or 600s ce. Hungary later conquered the region. In 1526 the Habsburg Empire of Austria took over Hungary and Slovakia. After 1867 Slovakia was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After World War I the empire broke apart. In 1918 Slovakia became part of a new country called Czechoslovakia.
In 1939 Nazi Germany took over Czechoslovakia. In 1944 Slovak troops rose up against the Nazis. Although they were not successful, this resistance helped Slovaks see that they could work together. Near the end of World War II the region was conquered by the Soviet Union. In 1948, communists backed by the Soviet Union came to power in Czechoslovakia.
A communist government ruled Czechoslovakia from 1948 to 1989. During that time, people grew tired of having their freedoms limited by the communist government. Finally, Czechoslovakians began to protest in November 1989. These protests led to the fall of communism later that year in what was called the “Velvet Revolution.” The people of Slovakia then voted to separate from Czechoslovakia. Slovakia became an independent country on January 1, 1993.
Slovakia’s new government introduced democratic policies and reforms to improve the economy. Those changes brought some success in the early 2000s. In 2004 Slovakia joined the European Union, and in 2009 it adopted the euro as its currency. However, the population became increasingly frustrated at the country’s political corruption. Several journalists began to look into the connection between important people in the country and organized crime. When one of the journalists was killed in 2018, many people protested. The protests were the largest since the Velvet Revolution. As a result, the prime minister resigned. In 2019 Zuzana Caputova was elected the first female president of Slovakia.