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Slovakia - Little Big Country

About Slovakia

Slovakia (long form: Slovak Republic; Slovak: Slovensko, long form Slovenská republika) is a landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of 5.5 million and an area of about 49,000 square kilometres (19,000 square miles). The Slovak Republic borders the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. The largest city is its capital, Bratislava. Slovakia is a member state of the European Union, NATO, OECD, WTO, and other international organizations.

The dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the close of World War I allowed the Slovaks to join the closely related Czechs to form Czechoslovakia. Following the chaos of World War II, Czechoslovakia became a Communist nation within Soviet-ruled Eastern Europe. Soviet influence collapsed in 1989 and Czechoslovakia once more became free. The Slovaks and the Czechs agreed to separate peacefully on 1 January 1993. Slovakia joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.

The majority of the inhabitants of Slovakia are ethnically Slovak (86%). Hungarians are the largest ethnic minority (9.5%) and are concentrated in the southern regions of the country. Other ethnic groups include Roma with 1.8%, Czechs with 0.8%, Ruthenians with 0.4%, Ukrainians with 0.2% and Germans with 0.1%.

The official state language is Slovak, a member of the Slavic Language Family, but Hungarian is also widely spoken in the south of the country as well as many people also speak Czech.

National holidays in Slovakia

1 January (1993) - Day of the Establishment of the Slovak Republic
6 January - Epiphany (The Three Magi and Christmas Day of Orthododox Christians)
March, April - Good Friday
March, April - Easter Monday
1 May (1886) - May Day, Labour Day
8 May (1945) - Day of victory over fascism
5 July (863) - St. Cyril and Methodius Day
29 August (1944) - Slovak National Uprising anniversary (SNP)
1 September (1992) - Day of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic
15 September - Day of Our Lady of Sorrows, patron saint of Slovakia
1 November - All Saints’ Day
17 November (1939/1989) - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day
24 December - Christmas Eve
25 December - First Christmas Day
26 December - St. Stephen's Day (Second Christmas Day)