THINGS THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SLOVAKIA

A few things that is good to remember.

Slovakia lies right in the middle of Europe and with the population of 5.4 million people belongs to one of the smallest countries of the European continent. The territory of the Slovak Republic is divided into eight regions. The regions are subdivided into smaller administrative areas (districts) with the seats of local government institutions ( the police, courts, public prosecutors Office , etc..) Apart from its own industries, agriculture, transport system and services, each region has its own industries, agriculture, transport system and services, each region has its own significance for the tourist industry. The regions are administrated by delegates and a chairperson ( unofficially called a Župan or regional Governor ) elected by popular vote for a period of four years. Is it an interesting and very attractive country for tourists, as it offers many opportunities because of its natural variety – special natural landscapes, mountains, caves, medieval castles and towns, folk architecture, spas and ski resorts.

Slovakia gained its independence only 18 years ago though the history of the Slovak nation is very rich. The first Slavs settled here already in the 5^th century AD. AS regards modern history, after being a part of Austrian-Hungarian empire, Slovakia together with Czech Republic made one country known as Czechoslovakia which lasted from 1918 till 1993 ( expect the years of the World War II ) . After the end of the World War II, Czechoslovakia fell under control of the Communistic regime led by the USSR. The year 1989 was the year of great change for Slovak nation and from then on Slovakia made huge steps towards the stable democracy – from year 2004 is it the member of NATO, EU and part of the Schengen space.

Slovakia is absolutely unique, regarding its landscape. Huge part of Slovakia is covered with the woods and forests and the flora is eminently colourful. Besides Slovaks ( about 80% ) there is almost 10% of Hungarians living in Slovakia who by doing so make up a substantial part of the Slovak population – during the years 1998 – 2006 Hungarians were also part of the Slovak government.

Slovakia is mainly roman-catholic country, the second biggest group is the atheists. The official language is Slovak, however Hungarian is also widely spoken in the south of the country and enjoys a co-official status in some municipalities. As regards the political system, Slovakia is the parliamentary democracy of a premiership type.