Slovakia what country was before. Slovakia is an inconspicuous country in the center of Europe, but very attractive for tourists. Tours and attractions in Slovakia

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Slovakia- state in Central Europe. It borders on the Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Hungary and Austria. Has no access to the sea.

Most of the country is mountainous (the highest point of the country is the town of Gerlakhovsky-Shtit, 2655 m). A third of the country is occupied by the fertile South Slovak and East Slovak lowlands in the southeast and the Danube lowland east of Bratislava.

Airports in Slovakia

Airport Bratislava Miroslav Stefanik (Bratislava Milan Rastislav Stefanik Airport)

Kosice Barca Airport

Poprad-Tatry Airport

Hotels in Slovakia 1 - 5 stars

Slovakia weather

Moderate continental, with warm summers and cold winters. Precipitation on the plains falls from 450 to 700 mm. per year (mainly in winter and off-season), in the mountains - up to 1600-2100 mm. in year. At the same time, the snow mountainous areas, despite its relatively low altitude, lies 4-5 months a year, but the weather is quite changeable, so thaws are frequent.

May, June and September are the most convenient months for a "normal" visit to the country, for ski holidays the most favorable period is from November to March.

Average air temperature in Bratislava t°C

Language of Slovakia

Official language: Slovak

Czech, Hungarian, German, English are widely spoken and, in their places of residence, the languages ​​of ethnic groups.

Currency of Slovakia

International name: SKK

The Slovak crown is equal to 100 hellers. In circulation there are coins in denominations of 10, 20 and 50 hellers and 1, 2, 5 and 10 crowns (Sk) and banknotes in denominations of 20, 50, 100, 500, 1000 and 5000 crowns. Czechoslovak coins and banknotes are not valid.

Credit cards EuroCard, MasterCard are accepted in almost all banks, as well as VISA, American Express and Eurocheque. They are accepted in most large hotels, gas stations, less often in restaurants and shops. ATMs are becoming more common in Slovakia, although outside major cities it is better not to rely on them. Slovak ATMs are usually connected to the international payment systems MasterCard, VISA, Plus, Maestro, Cirrus.

Visa

To obtain a visa to Slovakia, you need:
- Passport with the personal signature of the owner, which is valid for 6 months after the end of the trip;
- 1 color photo 3.5 x 4.5 and a questionnaire with the personal signature of the tourist;
- Visa for children under 15 years old - issued free of charge
- At the age of 15, paid as for an adult.
- Questionnaire for filling out a visa application form.

Customs restrictions

Import and export of national and foreign currency is not limited (the declaration is required if the amount exceeds 150 thousand kroons or its equivalent in foreign currency). When exporting currency, it is necessary to present a document confirming its origin.

Duty-free import is allowed (including postage) up to 200 pieces. cigarettes or 100 thin cigars, or 50 regular cigars, or 250 g of smoking tobacco, up to 1 liter of strong alcoholic beverages (more than 38% alcohol), up to 2 liters of wine, up to 50 ml of perfume, up to 250 ml toilet water, as well as things for personal use in the amount of not more than 30 thousand kroons. Tobacco products can only be imported by persons over 16 years of age, alcoholic products - over 18 years of age. Medicines and medicines can be imported duty-free in the amount necessary to meet the minimum personal needs.

Mains voltage

Tips

Tipping in restaurants is approximately 10% of the bill. To give them or not is at the discretion of the tourist.

Office Hours

Banks are open daily, except Sunday, from 9 am to 11 am and from 2 pm to 4 pm On Saturday - until 12 pm Exchange offices on weekdays usually work from 7-8 am to 5-7 pm with an hour lunch break (some - around the clock ). Weekend hours are usually from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Most shops are open daily, except Sunday, from 9 am to 6 pm (large supermarkets and shopping centers Thursdays are usually open until 7pm. On Saturday, most shops are open from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Safety

Street robberies and pickpocketing are quite rare, but both are quite possible in urban transport. You should also be especially careful with the storage of ski equipment and photo and video cameras.

Code of the country: +421

First level geographic domain name:.sk

Emergency Phones

Police - 158
Emergency and ambulance system on the roads - 154
Ambulance - 155
Fire protection - 150

- is of interest to everyone planning to spend time in the mountains in December-April - the Carpathians, the High and Low Tatras; in May-September - enjoy natural beauties, go to excursion tours, go fishing and rafting on Slovak rivers.

Slovakia: where is the “country of caves and mineral springs”?

The location of Slovakia (the capital is Bratislava; the area of ​​the country is 49034 sq. km) is Central Europe. Landlocked Slovakia is surrounded by the Western Carpathians in the northeast and north. The most high point in the form of a 2650-meter peak Gerlakhovsky-Shtit, located in. Slovakia has common boundaries s (670 km), (90 km), (420 km), (90 km) and (200 km).

Slovakia consists of Žilina, Prešov, Košice, Trnava, Nitra, Bratislava, Trencin, Banskobystritsa regions.

How to get to Slovakia?

To get to from travelers will have to fly through, as a result of which the journey will last 6 hours, after - 14 hours, through the capital - 7.5 hours, after - 15 hours, through the Italian capital - more than 8.5 hours.

Tourists who need to be in will be offered to make a stop in the Austrian capital (passengers will have an 8.5-hour flight), in (the journey will take 7.5 hours), in the Czech capital (tourists will be in Kosice 6 hours 40 minutes after departure from Moscow), in (the journey will end 11.5 hours after boarding the first flight).

Those wishing to use the services of the train will reach the Slovak capital, Liptovsky Mikulas and Kosice from Kievsky railway station Moscow in about 42 hours.

Holidays in Slovakia

Those who decide to spend a vacation in Slovakia are advised to pay attention to Bratislava (famous for the castle, Bratislava Castle, SNP bridge, St. Martin's Cathedral, St. light and hydrotherapy, reflex and manual massage, electrotherapy, rehabilitation exercises), (the resort consists of 2 ski areas: the Nova Gola zone is focused on the pros, and Zagradishte is for beginners; the Fu Arena snowboard park is provided for snowboarders; Donovaly has 16 lifts , one of which - "Telemix Nova Gola" has a 1300-meter cable car), (famous for the castle of 1069, the House of the Executioner, the Church of St. Mary, the chapel of St. Michael, the Town Hall; if you wish, you can stay at the Ostrov campsite, located on the shores of Lake Vah, and also come to Trencin for the annual Pohoda music festival held here), waterfall Skok (its water stream, with a temperature of + 4-6˚C, falls from a 25-meter height; these scenic spots suitable for hiking, especially above the waterfall hiking trails with pointers).

Slovak beaches

  • beaches on the shores of the Zemplinska Shirava reservoir: on the local 12-kilometer beach there are bungalows, private villas, bars, points where you can rent a boat, tennis courts, mini-golf courses. Those who wish can go fishing, because bream, eel, carp, pike perch, pike are found in the reservoir.
  • beaches on the shores of the Senetsky Lakes: they are suitable for diving and fishing, and their equipment is represented by a water park, cottages, boarding houses, volleyball courts, sports equipment rentals.

Souvenirs from Slovakia

Those leaving Slovakia should not return to their homeland without Figaro chocolate, painted gingerbread, Tatranka cookies, pumpkin oil, sheep cheese, slivovitz, boletus, Janosik's hat, wickerwork, homespun rugs, "wollacks" (shepherd's crook).

natural conditions

Bratislava is located in the west of the Danubian lowland. To the north of the capital, Small Carpathian mountains. The city is located on the left bank of the Danube River near the confluence of the Morava River. Bratislava is surrounded by forests. A temperate continental climate prevails here. The seasons are pronounced. In winter, it is usually dry, the temperature is kept within + 2 ° C; in summer it is humid and warm - an average of + 21 ° C. About 500 mm falls annually: cages.

A feature of the geographical position of the capital in relation to the whole country is its border location. Usually the main city of the country is located in the center of the territory occupied by the state. With Bratislava, the situation is different: the opposite bank of the Danube belongs to Austria.

Population, language, religion

The bulk of the inhabitants of the capital are Slovaks (85%); many Hungarians (10%) and Czechs. In total, 450 thousand people live in the city.

The official language in the state is Slovak, the beginning of the formation of which dates back to the 40s of the 19th century. Latin is used for writing. The Hungarian language is often found, and Russian, Czech, German, and English are also widely spoken in the capital of the country.

In Bratislava, as in all of Slovakia, the Roman Catholic Church dominates. About 60% of the city's residents consider themselves Catholics. Approximately 6% of the population are followers of the Slovak Evangelical Church. However, many believers of other faiths live in the capital: those belonging to the Greek Catholic Church, Orthodox and Protestants in the Augsburg spirit.

History of development

On the site of the current Bratislava in the II-I centuries. BC e. were Celtic villages. However, the foundation of the city is traditionally considered the merit of Piso, the commander of the Roman emperor Tiberius (1st century AD). Obviously, the Romans rightly believed that it was here that it was necessary to build one of the strongholds of the Danube defensive line.

Unfortunately, exact evidence of a long Roman presence in the area of ​​modern Bratislava has not been found. Therefore, the mention of the commander Pison as the founder of the Slovak capital leads to the realm of legends. Apparently, under the heirs of Tiberius, the barbarians managed to push the imperial troops to the south.

The place for the founding of the city was chosen by the Romans very well. The Danube is a water artery that connects a number of European seams. In addition, a number of convenient land routes from the Northern and Western Europe to the Balkans and the Middle East. Thanks to the advantageous geographic location, which promoted trade, the city had to grow and develop rapidly, but this was prevented by the movement of huge human masses that soon began throughout Eurasia, rushing to the west. By the 5th century in the vicinity of Bratislava, the ancient Slavs established themselves, who a little later, at the final stage of the era of the Great Migration of Peoples, created Great Moravia - one of the largest European states early Middle Ages. It was then that the first mention of Bratislava appeared in written sources (IX century). It was a fortified point of a rapidly growing principality.

Great Moravia existed for several centuries. She fell under the blows of the Magyars (Hungarians). The decisive battle took place in 907 at the walls of Bratislava. The city was part of Hungary and became known as Pozsony. In the middle of the XII century. Pozsony received the status of a free royal city. At this time, the German colonization of the Danube lands occupied by the Slavs began. Just a century later, the influence of the Germans in the capital of Slovakia was so great that the city was renamed again and became known as Pressburg. However, he continued to remain under the rule of the Hungarian crown. Throughout the Middle Ages, Bratislava was one of the largest trade and craft centers of Eastern Europe. Here was one of the permanent residences of the Hungarian king Matthias Korvin. The fate of the city was strongly affected by the Ottoman expansion in the Balkans. In 1541, Buda, the capital of Hungary, fell. Bratislava became the throne city of the kingdom until 1784. There was also a religious center here: the residence of the Hungarian archbishops was located in the capital.

With the collapse of the feudal system in Bratislava, capitalist relations developed rapidly. However, further movement along the path of industrial progress was hampered by backwardness. state structure. After the transfer of the capital of Hungary to Buda, conquered from the Ottomans, Bratislava did not completely lose its significance as an administrative center. Here, until 1848, the Hungarian kings were crowned and the state assembly was located.

At the end of the XVIII century. Slavic national liberation movement began in the city. It was caused by increased oppression on the part of the Austrians and Hungarians. The processes of Germanization and Magyarization of the Slavic population in the 19th century. took on a very drastic form. In the 1820s in the Bratislava lyceum there was a department of national language and literature.

One of the significant episodes of the Napoleonic Wars, at the turn of the 19th century, is also connected with Bratislava. covering almost all of Europe. In 1805, peace was concluded in Pressburg between France and Austria. The latter was unable to continue hostilities and recognized its dependence on Napoleon. After the collapse of Austria-Hungary, caused by the defeat in the First World War, on October 28, 1918, the creation of the Czechoslovak Republic was announced, which united the lands inhabited by Czechs and Slovaks. On January 1, 1919, Bratislava became the administrative center of Slovakia as part of the new state.

Second World War seriously affected the city. In 1939-1945, during the Nazi occupation, Bratislava once again received the status of the capital, this time nominally, since the invaders established a puppet state on the territory of Slovakia, which melted without a trace after the victory of Soviet troops over Nazi Germany.

Czechoslovakia, after liberation, could not but take the socialist path of development. However, this did not happen immediately, but only in 1948, when the communists gained power. The Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (Czechoslovakia), which emerged on the political map of Europe on January 1, 1969, differed significantly from the state that preceded it.

It was not only a matter of the change in political course caused by the suppression of the Prague Spring. Czechoslovakia was a federal state, consisting of two republics. Bratislava received the status of the capital of the newly created Slovakia. During the socialist period of history, housing construction was widely carried out in the city. The neighborhoods of Ruzhinov and Petrzhalka were built. Bratislava became an industrial center. However, the activities of the main enterprises were highly dependent on Czech partners and partners from socialist countries. This led to negative consequences in the future.

It is worth focusing on the problem of interethnic relations. Even after the end of the Second World War and the federal reform, it was not fully resolved.

Of course, the situation in Czechoslovakia can by no means be compared with what it was in the era of the Habsburgs, but the Slovaks still felt left out. For a long time they were not recognized as a separate nation, even the existence of the Slovak language was denied. Independence within Czechoslovakia was not achieved immediately and with great difficulty. However, the most serious consequence of the latent (hidden) inter-ethnic confrontation was the attitude towards Slovakia as a kind of appendage of the Czech Republic, providing raw materials and food supplies. This was reflected in the fact that the standard of living of the population of Slovakia was lower than the standard of living of the Czechs.
Particularly strong dissatisfaction with the state of affairs existed in the circles of the intelligentsia. In the post-war years, Bratislava, as the largest city, was the center of the anti-Czech semi-underground opposition.

"Velvet Revolution", which took place in November 1989, eventually led to the peaceful fall of the communist regime. In 1990, Czechoslovakia was first transformed into the Czechoslovak Federal Republic (CFR), then into the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic (CSFR). The changes concerned not only the name of the state, but also the principles of the coexistence of two republics in it. The more industrially developed Czech Republic, which dominated the union, tried to prevent the collapse of the federation. However, this could not be avoided. In June 1992 parliamentary elections were held in the country. An impressive victory in Slovakia was won by the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (DZDS). In July, the Slovak Parliament adopted the Declaration of Independence. The authorities in Prague decided not to counteract the disintegration with military force. Moreover, the federal authorities contributed to the peaceful formation of two new republics - the Czech and Slovak.

January 1, 1993 Bratislava again - perhaps for the last time in its history - became the capital of an independent state.

cultural significance

The capital of Slovakia is the largest center of not only national culture, but also the culture of those countries that included Bratislava for a long time. Fortunately, many monuments of the past have been preserved for posterity. The streets and squares of the city make an indelible impression.
The historical center of the capital is crowned by the Castle located above the Danube, a castle that has been repeatedly rebuilt over 9 centuries. The last changes to its appearance were made in the 18th century. To the north and east of the Castle lies the Old Town (Stare Mesto), whose name speaks for itself. It is worth noting that Bratislava, which has changed its name many times, is characterized by a similar architectural feature. Many buildings of the capital were rebuilt, acquiring new features. This is especially noticeable in the case of numerous architectural monuments old town.

Such, for example, are the Michal Gates crowned with a tower. Their creation dates back to the 14th century, but the structure acquired its present form in the 18th century. Approximately at the same time, the facade of St. Martin's Cathedral, erected in the XIV-XV centuries, in the late Gothic era, was changed. The monastery of the Franciscan order began to be built in the 13th century, and the process continued for almost four hundred years. The architectural appearance of the old City Hall (XIII-XV centuries) was changed by the courtyard with arcades (1558) and the fountain (1572).
Among the medieval Gothic eclecticism, there are also examples of maintaining the purity of style. Such is the Church of the Order of the Clares (end of the 14th century), the Church of the Holy Trinity (beginning of the 18th century), the Church of St. Alzhbeta (mid-18th century), the palace of the aristocratic Esterhazy dynasty, the primate's palace (as the head of the city government of Bratislava was previously called). The latter are executed in the baroque and classic spirit.

Outside the Old Town, Bratislava also has quite a lot of architecturally interesting buildings, such as Art Nouveau buildings built about a century ago.
The leading cultural and educational institutions of the country are concentrated in Bratislava. Here is the Slovak Academy of Sciences, the Comenius University, founded in 1919, the Higher Technical School, the Academy of Fine Arts, established in 1949. There are City and National Museums. The Slovak National Gallery displays numerous paintings by old masters.

The cultural life of the city is determined by the performances of the National Theatre, founded in 1919.

Information for tourists

Bratislava is a major tourist center. In addition to the cultural and historical significance of the city, do not forget about the ski resorts. In the late 1990s little was known about them, but now they are rapidly increasing their popularity.

any special customs regulations not in Slovakia. The national currency is the Slovak crown. It is easy to exchange freely convertible currency. There are no restrictions on its import and export. In Bratislava, common types of credit cards are widely used.
The price level in the capital of Slovakia is lower than in others major cities Europe, but the level of service is quite high.

Hymn: "Nad Tatrou sa blueska"
Location Slovakia(dark green):
- in (light green and dark gray)
- in the European Union (light green) date of independence January 1, 1993 (from CSFR) Official language Slovak Capital Largest cities , Form of government parliamentary republic The president Zuzana Chaputova Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini Territory 127th in the world Total 49,034 km² % water surface 1,9 % Population Score (2019) ▲ 5 455 030 people (117th) Density 111 people/km² (88th) GDP (PPP) Total (2019) $203 billion (70th) Per capita $37,268 (39th) GDP (nominal) Total (2019) $112 billion (65th) Per capita $20,598 (40th) HDI (2018) ▲ 0.855 (very high; 38th) Names of residents Slovak, Slovak, Slovak Currency euro (EUR) Internet domain .sk, .eu (as EU member) ISO code SK IOC code SVK Telephone code +421 Time Zones CET (UTC+1, summer UTC+2) car traffic on right

Physical map of Slovakia

Slovakia(Slovak. Slovensko), official name - The Slovak Republic(Slovak. Slovenská republika) is a state in Central Europe. The population is 5,443,120 people (December 2017), the territory is 48,845 km². It ranks 112th in the world in terms of population and 127th in terms of territory.

Most of the believers (about 70% of the population) profess Catholicism.

Slovakia is a member of NATO and the EU. An industrial country with a dynamically developing economy. The volume of GDP for 2011 amounted to 127.111 billion US dollars (about 23,384 dollars per capita). Currency unit- Euro.

The independence of the country was proclaimed on January 1, 1993. Throughout history, the country's territory was part of many powers and state formations, from the State of Samo in the 7th century to Czechoslovakia in the 20th century. During the Second World War, there was a Slovak state dependent on the Third Reich, which in 1945 again became part of Czechoslovakia.

Etymology

The first written mention of Slovakia dates back to 1586. The name comes from the Czech word Slovaky; previous German forms were windischen landen And Windenland(XV century). self-name Slovenian(1791) comes from an older demonym for the Slovaks - Slovenia, which may indicate its origin before the 15th century. The original significance was geographical (rather than political) as Slovakia was part of the multinational Kingdom of Hungary and did not create a separate administrative unit during this period.

Story

Nitra Principality of the ancestors of the Slovaks, which existed in the 9th century

The Slavs settled the territory of Slovakia in the VI century, during the Great Migration of Nations. Slovakia was part of the center of the state of Samo in the 7th century, and later the Principality of Nitra was located on its territory. The Slavic state, known as Great Moravia, reached its highest development in the 9th century with the arrival of Cyril and Methodius and expansion under the leadership of Prince Svyatopolk I. Ultimately, Slovakia became part of the Kingdom of Hungary in the 11th-14th centuries, and then later was part of Austria-Hungary until its collapse in 1918. In the same year, Slovakia united with Subcarpathian Rus and the state of Czechoslovakia was formed.

In 1919, during the campaign to the north of the Hungarian Red Army, the Slovak Soviet Republic was formed for some time on part of the territory of Slovakia.

Due to the breakup of Czechoslovakia after the Munich Agreement of 1938, Slovakia became a separate republic that was controlled by Nazi Germany.

After World War II, Czechoslovakia was restored and fell under the influence of the Soviet Union from 1945.

At the same time, in Slovakia, the bodies of national self-government of the Slovaks that arose during the war - the Slovak National Council and local national committees - were retained, while the Czechs did not have such bodies (the so-called asymmetric national-state structure). Then, in October 1968, the Constitutional Law on the Federation was adopted, which entered into force on January 1, 1969, according to which the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (Czechoslovak Socialist Republic - as Czechoslovakia was officially called since 1960) was divided, like the USSR and the SFRY (Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) , into two republics that make up the federation - the Czech and Slovak socialist republics.

The end of socialist Czechoslovakia in 1989 during the peaceful Velvet Revolution also meant the end of Czechoslovakia as a whole state and led to the creation in March 1990 of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republics, and then, from January 1, 1993, two separate states - Slovakia and ("velvet divorce"). Slovakia became a member of NATO on March 29, 2004, the European Union on May 1, 2004, on December 21, 2007 it entered the Schengen zone, and on January 1, 2009 it entered the Euro zone.

Physical and geographical characteristics

Gerlachovsky Shtit

Slovakia is surrounded from the north and northeast mountain ranges Western Carpathians. They reach their highest height in the High Tatras, where the highest point of the country is located - the peak of Gerlakhovsky-Shtit (2655 m), the peaks of Krivan, Dumbier, whose height exceeds 1850 m. numerous rivers flow. The largest of them are Vag, Nitra and Gron. Although almost 80% of the territory of Slovakia is located at an altitude of 750 m above sea level, the country also has a fertile Middle Danube Lowland, located closer to the Danube in the region of Bratislava and Komarno, and is the country's breadbasket.

Water resources

The Danube River forms the southwestern border of the country. Many Carpathian rivers flowing in a southerly direction flow into it. The largest of the tributaries of the Danube are Vah, Nitra and Gron. In the east, the Carpathian rivers, such as Laborets, Torisa and Ondava, belong to the Tisza river basin - largest tributary Danube.

Climate

The climate of Slovakia has a pronounced continental character. Winter is cold and dry; summers are warm and humid. The largest number precipitation falls in the mountains. The annual precipitation exceeds 1000 mm in the mountains, while in the plains it is less than 500 mm per year. In Bratislava average temperature January −1°C, July +21°C. In the mountains, winters are colder and summers are cooler.

Flora and fauna

They occupy almost 40% of the country's territory. The southern slopes of the mountains are covered with broad-leaved (beech and oak) or mixed forests, while on northern slopes Coniferous forests grow, consisting mainly of spruce and fir. The country is dominated by broad-leaved species (53%), primarily beech (31%) and oak (10%), while spruce (29%) and fir (9%) are the most common among conifers. Higher in the mountains are alpine meadows.

In the mountain forests of Slovakia, deer, lynxes, wolves and bears are found, and from small animals - foxes, squirrels, weasels.

National parks

Slovak Paradise National Park

National parks are only part of the system of protected areas and objects, which is managed by the Ministry of the Environment. From 1949 to 2002, nine national parks were established:

  • Velka Fatra,
  • Mala Fatra,
  • Muranska Planina,
  • Low Tatras,
  • pienina,
  • Poloniny,
  • Slovak Karst,
  • Slovak Paradise,
  • Tatras.

Mineral resources

Relief of Slovakia

In Slovakia, oil, natural gas and brown coal are produced, which go to the needs of the economy. Oil covers 1% of domestic energy needs, gas - 3%, and brown coal - about 80%. The rest is compensated by imports from the Czech Republic. The country has reserves of uranium, coal and shale gas, but at present they are not being developed due to high cost. The country has large reserves of non-metallic materials. In particular, magnesite is being actively mined, which is exported and accounts for about 6% of world production. In the past, a significant amount of gold, silver, etc. was mined in Slovakia. At present, precious metals are mined in small quantities in the Hodros-Homre region.

State structure

The head of state in Slovakia is the president, who is directly elected by popular vote for a 5-year term. Most of the executive power is vested in the head of government, the prime minister, who is usually the leader of the party or coalition that wins the majority in parliamentary elections and is appointed by the president. The executive body is the Government of the Slovak Republic. The rest of the cabinet is appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister.

The highest legislative body of Slovakia is the 150-seat unicameral National Council of the Slovak Republic. Delegates are elected for a 4-year term on the basis of proportional representation.

Parliament can dismiss the president if three-fifths of the total number of deputies vote for it. The president can dissolve parliament if he fails to approve the government's program statement three times within a month after the election.

Name Decryption % Mandates Mandates
in the previous
convocation
Smer SD Course - Social Democracy 28,28 49 83
SAS Freedom and Solidarity 12,1 21 11
OĽaNO/NOVA Ordinary people and independent individuals / NOVA 11.02 19 16
SNS Slovak National Party 8,.64 15 -
ISNS People's Party - Our Slovakia 8.04 14 -
Sme Rodina We are a family - Boris Kollar 6,62 11 -
MOST-HOD Bridge 6,5 11 13
Siet" Net 5.6 10 -
KDH Christian Democratic Movement 4,94 - 16
SDK-DS Slovak Democratic and Christian Union 0,28 - 11

The constitutional oversight body is the Constitutional Court, which has jurisdiction over constitutional issues. 10 members of this court are approved by the president from several candidates presented by the parliament. The highest judicial authority is the Supreme Court, the courts of first instance are the regional courts, the lowest level of the judicial system is the district courts.

Political parties

Rights

  • Slovak National Party - nationalist, right-wing populist,
  • People's Party - Movement for a Democratic Slovakia - right-wing populist,
  • The People's Party - our Slovakia - is far-right.

centre-right

  • Ordinary people are conservative,
  • Slovak Democratic and Christian Union - Democratic Party - conservative,
  • Christian Democratic Movement - conservative,
  • The new majority is conservative,
  • The Liberal Party is conservative.

Centrists

  • Freedom and Solidarity (party) - liberal.

Left

  • Course - social democracy - social democratic,
  • Party of the Democratic Left - Social Democratic,
  • Communist Party of Slovakia - communist,
  • Union of Workers of Slovakia - left-wing populist,
  • 99% - civil voice - left-wing populist.

Out of the spectrum

  • "Bridge" - Hungarian national, for interethnic dialogue,
  • The Hungarian Coalition Party is the Hungarian national party.

Unions

The largest trade union center is the Confederation of Trade Unions of the Slovak Republic.

Administrative division

Administrative divisions of Slovakia

Slovakia is divided into 8 regions (NUTS-3 units). In 2002, each region received some autonomy.

  1. Bratislava region,
  2. Trnava region,
  3. Trencin region,
  4. Nitra region,
  5. Zhilinsky region,
  6. Banskobystritsky region,
  7. Presov Region,
  8. Kosice region.

The region is divided into several districts. There are currently 79 districts in Slovakia.

Economy

National Bank of Slovakia in Bratislava.

Slovakia is a developed industrial and agricultural country. A relatively developed diversified agriculture is based on a modern material and technical base and infrastructure.

In 2018, the minimum wage in Slovakia is 480 euros per month. The average salary in 2017 was 925 euros per month. In the Bratislava region, the average salary for 2017 was 1,527 euros per month. As of February 2018, the unemployment rate was 5.88%. From 1 January 2019, the minimum wage is 520 euros (gross) and 430.35 euros (net). The Keitz index (the ratio between the minimum and average wages in the country) in Slovakia as of 2019 (average 1106 euros and minimum 520 euros) is about 47%.

Advantages: increase in production, especially in the Bratislava area.

Tourism

Slovakia has significant tourism potential. Its nature, mountains, caves, ski resorts, castles and towns attract many tourists. In 2006, about 1.6 million tourists visited the country, and the most popular places became Bratislava and the High Tatras. Most tourists were from the Czech Republic (26%), followed by Poland (15%) and Germany (11%). Many citizens of the country travel abroad. For example, in 2012, the outbound tourist flow amounted to 3017 thousand people.

Automotive industry

By the time of the collapse of Czechoslovakia in the early 1990s, there was no car production on the territory of Slovakia. In Bratislava, there was only the Bratislava Automobile Plant, which produced components for Czech Skoda cars. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, thanks to the policy of attracting investments, the construction of automobile plants in the country by large foreign TNCs began. Plants were built by Volkswagen in Bratislava (on the premises of the Bratislava Automobile Plant), Peugeot in Trnava and Kia Motors in Zilina. According to OICA, in 2000, 182,000 cars were produced in Slovakia. In 2005, 218 thousand cars were produced in Slovakia. By 2010, with the commissioning of factories at full capacity, car production increased to 557 thousand units. Slovakia has become the world leader in car production per capita, with a population of 5.4 million people, almost 640 thousand cars were produced in 2011, most of which were exported to other European countries (the share of cars in the country's exports exceeded 25%).

International trade

Foreign trade of the republic is focused on the EU countries. The main export trading partners in 2017 were: Germany 20.7%, Czech Republic 11.6%, Poland 7.7%, France 6.3%, Italy 6.1%, Great Britain 6%, Hungary 6%, Austria 6 %; total exports amounted to 80.57 billion dollars, and the main positions were vehicles and spare parts 27%, equipment and electrical goods 20%, metallurgical machinery, furnaces and similar equipment 12%, iron and steel 4%. The main import trading partners in 2017 were: Germany 19.1%, Czech Republic 16.3%, Austria 10.3%, Poland 6.5%, Hungary 6.4%, South Korea 4.5%, Russia 4.5%; the total volume of imports amounted to 77.96 billion dollars, and the main positions were machinery and equipment 20%, vehicles and components 14%, power equipment 12%, fuel 9%.

Population

Number, resettlement

The population is 5.5 million people. Distributed fairly evenly throughout the area. High population density in the southwest, due to the fact that in that area the terrain is more suitable for agriculture.

Peoples of Slovakia

Hungarian minority (2011)

The majority of the inhabitants of Slovakia are ethnic Slovaks (85.8% according to the 2001 census). Hungarians - the largest national minority (9.7%), live mainly in the southern and eastern regions countries. Other ethnic groups include Gypsies, Czechs, Rusyns, Ukrainians, Germans, and Poles.

Religion

In general, Slovakia is a rather religious country, especially compared to its neighbor. The Slovak constitution guarantees freedom of religion. The majority of Slovak citizens (69%) are Catholics; the second largest group are Protestants (11%, Lutherans (mainly Slovaks) and Reformed (mainly Hungarians)), Greek Catholics (4%) and Orthodox (1%).

Languages

Official official language- Slovak, belonging to the group of Slavic languages. The Hungarian language has equal circulation in southern Slovakia, according to the laws of Slovakia it can be used as an official language along with Slovak in those regions where Hungarians make up over 21.7 percent of the population.

The native language of the majority of the inhabitants of Slovakia is the Slovak language: 78.6% of the inhabitants (4,240,453 people), according to the 2011 census. 9.4% of the population (508,714 people) called Hungarian their native language. Gypsy is native to 2.3% of the population (122,518 people). The Rusyn language is in fourth place in terms of the number of those who called it their native language - 1% of the population (55,469 people). Other languages ​​scored less than 1%.

culture

  • Music of Slovakia
  • Literature of Slovakia
  • Slovak National Theater

Armed forces

Slovak military police officer

The armed forces of Slovakia consist of ground forces and air force, air defense troops, border troops and civil defense troops. The army has 14,000 soldiers and officers. In 2004 Slovakia became a member of NATO. On August 1, 2005, compulsory military service was abolished, and a transition to a professional army took place. The military budget in 2009 was $1.35 billion. Slovakia takes part in UN peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan, and Kosovo and Metohija.

Public holidays

  • January 1 - Day of the formation of the Slovak Republic,
  • May 8 - Victory Day over Nazism,
  • July 5 - Day of St. Cyril and St. Methodius,
  • August 29 - Day of the Slovak National Uprising,
  • September 1 - Constitution Day of the Slovak Republic,
  • November 17 - Day of struggle against totalitarianism,
  • December 25 - Christmas,
  • in the spring, Easter is declared a public holiday, the date of which is determined every year in accordance with Catholic traditions.

see also

  • Moravian Slovakia

Notes

  1. World Atlas: Maximum detailed information/ Project leaders: A. N. Bushnev, A. P. Pritvorov. - Moscow: AST, 2017. - S. 18. - 96 p. - ISBN 978-5-17-10261-4.
  2. (indefinite) . www.imf.org.
  3. Report for Selected Countries and Subjects (indefinite) . www.imf.org.
  4. Report for Selected Countries and Subjects (indefinite) . www.imf.org.
  5. Report for Selected Countries and Subjects (indefinite) . www.imf.org.
  6. Human Development Indices and Indicators(English) . United Nations Development Program (2018). - Human Development Report on the website of the United Nations Development Program. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  7. Gorodetskaya I. L., Levashov E. A. Russian names of inhabitants: Dictionary-reference book. - M.: Russian dictionaries: Astrel: AST, 2003. - S. 266.
  8. Before 2009 - Slovak koruna
  9. http://chartsbin.com/view/edr
  10. Stav obyvateľstva v SR k 31. decembru 2017(words). Statistický úrad Slovenskej republiky.
  11. Ulicny, Ferdinand. Toponymum Slovensko - pôvod a obsah názvu (neopr.) // Historický časopis. - Historicý ústav SAV, 2014. - No. 3. - S. 548. - ISSN 0018-2575.
  12. At the same time, Slovaks distinguish Uhorsko(historical state) and Magarsko(modern state), while both of these toponyms refer to Hungary.
  13. Minimalna mzda 2018 (indefinite) . Minimalnamzda.sk
  14. Primerna mzda (indefinite) . www.minimalnamzda.sk. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  15. Nezamestnanosť ďalej klesá, bez práce je 5.88 percenta ľudí (indefinite) . ekonomika.sme.sk. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  16. Minimalna mzda 2019
  17. Votruba, Martin Regional Wealth (indefinite) . Slovak Studies Program. University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved May 12, 2010. Archived from the original on August 22, 2011.
  18. Turistov na Slovensku je čoraz viac. Prichádzajú turisti aj z Číny - Ammado.sk
  19. Archived copy (indefinite) (unavailable link). Retrieved 28 August 2012. Archived from the original on 9 October 2007.
  20. Trukhachev A. V., Ivolga A. G. Analysis of the influence of factors on inbound and outbound tourist flows on the example of individual countries // Modern problems of science and education. - 2014. - No. 5. - S. 369
  21. OICA 2000 statistics
  22. OICA 2005 statistics
  23. OICA 2010 statistics
  24. OICA 2011 statistics
  25. Slovakia according to the CIA handbook
  26. Slovakia in the CIA World Directory(English) . Retrieved October 30, 2010.
  27. Final results of the census in Slovakia in 2011(words). Retrieved 22 August 2012. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012.
  28. http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2010_06/20100610_PR_CP_2010_078.pdf

Links

  • Slovakia at the Open Directory Project (dmoz) Link Directory
  • Government official website
  • Official website of the president
  • Národná Rada - Official website of the National Council (country's parliament)
  • Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Moscow
  • Maps of Slovakia
  • SK TODAY News from Slovakia. Independent online publication. (English)
  • Krejci, Oskar: Geopolitics of the Central European Region. The view from Prague and Bratislava Bratislava: Veda, 2005. 494 p. (Czech) (unavailable link)

The content of the article

SLOVAKIA, Slovak Republic, a state in Central Europe, formed on January 1, 1993 after the collapse of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic (CSFR). From 1918 to 1992 inclusive - an integral part of Czechoslovakia; until 1918 - for almost nine centuries - part of Hungary. The area of ​​the country is 49,035 sq. km, population - 5.34 million people (1995). It borders in the north with Poland, in the east with Ukraine, in the south with Hungary, in the west with Austria and the Czech Republic. The capital is the city of Bratislava. see also CZECHOSLOVAKIA.

ECONOMY

Since 1990, Slovakia, which was part of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic, began the transition from a centrally planned economic system to a market economy.

Between 1990 and 1992, 9,500 small businesses were auctioned, mostly retail and service industries. By early 1993 there were approx. 16,000 private enterprises, of which approximately 2,000 were joint stock companies and 800 foreign-owned. Privatization of large and medium-sized state-owned enterprises in 1993 was carried out by issuing and selling vouchers.

In 1991, there was a slowdown in the economic development of the Slovak economy as a result of a sharp decrease in foreign trade, the transition to market relations and the almost complete absence of foreign investment. In 1992 the gross domestic product(GDP) of Slovakia fell by 30%, and by 1993 the unemployment rate exceeded 10%. Both agriculture and industry were affected. Agriculture has suffered significant losses due to high costs and a decrease in demand for food products associated with rising retail prices and a decrease in household incomes, as well as the cessation of government subsidies. In industry, the decline in output was especially large in the manufacturing industries.

A very serious problem for the Slovak economy was the conversion of the military industry. 35 machine-building enterprises, which were engaged in the production of military equipment for the Warsaw Pact countries, found themselves in a difficult situation. Since 1993, after the collapse of the CSFR, Slovakia continued the process of reforming the economy, revising the reform scenario in the direction of strengthening social support and state regulation.

In 1993, GDP amounted to 367.3 billion kroons, in 1994 - 385.0, in 1995 - 414.7 billion kroons. In terms of growth rates, the country was among the leaders in the transition economies of Central Europe, and in terms of the depth of economic reforms, it came out - in terms of the total points scored in the assessment of the adopted market measures - to fourth place after Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic. In 1996, the country achieved high rates of GDP growth (6.9%), a further increase in production in industry (2.5%), construction (3.7%), and agriculture (2.3%). There was a decrease in inflation (up to 5.9%), unemployment decreased slightly (up to 12.6%). The share of the private sector in the creation of GDP has noticeably increased (76% against 63% in 1995). The main source of economic growth was an increase in domestic consumption: with a decrease in the share of exports in GDP to 57.5%, the share of imports, on the contrary, increased reaching 68.1%.

Positive macroeconomic results, expressed for several years already by GDP growth, did not lead to a noticeable increase in standard of living the majority of the country's population.

Foreign trade and investment.

In 1989, 67% of Slovakia's exports went to the USSR and other Eastern European countries, and 27% to the European Union and other Western European countries. In the same year, 50% of all imports came from Eastern Europe and 32% from Western Europe. By 1993 the picture had changed: 53% of Slovakia's exports went to Western Europe and 35% to Eastern Europe, while 46% of all imports came from Western Europe and 42% from Eastern Europe. The main items of Slovak exports are semi-finished products for the manufacturing industry, machinery and products of the chemical industry. The main import items are machinery and different kinds fuel.

Foreign investment since 1990 has been less than might have been expected. By 1993 they had reached only 234 million dollars. The main investors are Germany, Austria and the USA. Already in 1996, there was a noticeable deterioration in the state of affairs in the financial-budgetary sphere and in the field of foreign trade. The state budget deficit in Slovakia increased to 4.4% of GDP (against 1.6% in 1995). The volume of mutual non-payments in the economic sphere, which in 1995 decreased by 32% compared with the previous year, increased by 16 billion crowns in 1996 and reached 102 billion crowns.

If in 1995 the trade balance was reduced to a small positive balance (1.79 billion kroons), then in 1996, in the conditions of a predominant increase in imports, a huge trade deficit of 64.5 billion kroons arose on the scale of the country. To limit the growth of the negative balance of trade and balance of payments, the Slovak government in July 1997 introduced a 7% import surcharge, covering more than 75% of all imported goods, and also took a number of other measures to reduce imports. In 1997, exports increased by 9.9%, while imports only by 4.5%.

In 1996, Slovakia's foreign debt increased from 5.8 to 7.8 billion dollars, and by the end of 1997 amounted to about 10.27 billion dollars; its growth trend did not stop in 1999. At the same time, its main part was the debt of enterprises and commercial banks.

Monetary system.

The monetary unit is the freely convertible Slovak krone. Inflation during this period ranged from 10 to 15% per year. By 1993, Slovakia's external debt amounted to 3.3 billion dollars. In 1997, inflation in the country, despite the slowdown in imports and the increase in some regulated prices, amounted to only 6.5-6.7%, slightly exceeding the figure of the previous year (5.8% ).

In 1996, the country's foreign exchange reserves grew, but their growth was significantly lower than the growth of Slovakia's external debt, which increased by $2 billion and reached $7.2 billion by the end of 1996 (of which the public debt was $1.7 billion). .). At the same time, Slovakia in terms of external debt per capita ($1,360) differs markedly from other Central European countries (for the Czech Republic, this figure is $2,300, for Hungary - $3,000).

STORY

The history of Slovakia is divided into four major periods: the period preceding the Hungarian conquest in the 10th century; the era of Hungarian rule until 1918; the Czechoslovak period (1918–1992) and the period of the independent Slovak Republic (since January 1, 1993). The ancestors of modern Slovaks inhabited the southern slopes of the Carpathians from about the 5th century BC. In the 9th century The Great Moravian State was created, which included both the Slovaks and their neighbors - the Czechs. Apostles of the Slavs Cyril and Methodius in the 9th century. converted the Slovaks to Christianity. At the beginning of the 10th c. during the invasion of the Hungarians, the Great Moravian state was destroyed. Slovakia, separated from the Czech and Moravian lands, came under the rule of the Hungarians.

Hungarian rule.

The country conquered by Hungary was populated mainly by peasants. Hungary behaved towards the Slovaks as a conquered people. In the 13th century The territory of Slovakia was subjected to a devastating invasion of the Mongols who invaded Hungary. Later, with the advent of immigrants (mainly from Germany), economic development Slovak lands. Cities grew, a class of Slovak burghers appeared. In the 13th-14th centuries. ties between Slovaks and Czechs were restored. The Hussite movement in the Czech Republic also affected Slovakia.

The result of the victory of the Turks near Mohacs in 1526 was the division of the Kingdom of Hungary into three regions: the central one under the rule of the Turks, Transylvania under the rule of local princes, and the so-called. Royal Hungary under the rule of the Habsburgs; The latter also included Slovakia. Slovakia occupied a central position in the Kingdom of Hungary, and Bratislava was the capital of the Habsburgs until the final expulsion of the Turks and the liberation of all of Hungary at the end of the 17th century. Protestantism spread in the region, but under the Habsburgs, the forces of the Catholic Counter-Reformation became more active.

The period of enlightened absolutism under Emperor Joseph II (reigned 1765-1790) was especially importance for the development of Slovakia. Although social reforms and religious tolerance had a favorable effect on Slovakia, the introduction of the German language in Hungary caused resentment among the local population, which in turn affected the Slovaks. The growth of Hungarian national consciousness contributed to the Slovak national revival; a similar movement took place among the Czechs. Slovak writers such as Jan Kollar and Josef Šafárik played an equally important role in both the Czech and Slovak revivals. Both wrote in classical Czech. Some writers began to use the Slovak dialect as a literary language. This was a reaction to the policy of Hungary, which in 1836 declared only the Hungarian language as an official language. In 1845, the Slovak writer and patriot Ludovit Štúr began publishing the first periodical in the Slovak language, the Slovak National Newspaper.

The patriotic upsurge and spread of revolutionary ideas in Hungary continued to have a stimulating effect on the Slovak patriotic movement. During the revolution of 1848, the program "Demands of the Slovak People" was developed - the first expression of the political demands of the Slovaks. The program called for the use of the Slovak language in schools, courts, local governments, as well as the election of the Slovak parliament on the basis of universal suffrage. This led to the confrontation between the Slovaks and the Hungarians; some Slovak revolutionaries moved to Prague. The defeat of the Hungarian revolution and the victory of the Austrian reaction did not improve the position of the Slovaks. In 1861, the "Memorandum of the Slovak Nation" was adopted, which contained the demand for local autonomy. The cultural and educational society "Matica Slovak" was founded.

The creation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1867) increased the dependence of the Slovaks on Budapest. The Hungarians, inspired by the idea of ​​uniting their part of the empire, pursued the Magyarization policy with great zeal. The Slovak Matica and Slovak higher educational institutions were closed, the Slovak language was allowed only in primary schools. Political discrimination against Slovaks continued, Slovak deputies were extremely rarely elected to the Hungarian parliament. There were no mechanisms for the formation of the Slovak elite; the role of political leader was often assumed by the clergy. On the eve of the First World War, Slovak patriots worked closely with other peoples of the Austro-Hungarian Empire; it was at this time that the idea of ​​creating a Czechoslovak state began to take shape.

During World War I, Czechs and Slovaks demanded a unified state. Slovak general Milan Stefanik, along with Czech leaders Tomas Masaryk and Eduard Beneš, spent the war years in the West seeking support from France and Britain. In Slovakia itself, the priest Andrei Glinka and Vavro Shrobar called for the creation of a new country; Milan Goggia became the spokesman for Czechoslovak and Slovak interests in Vienna. As soon as the independence movement gained momentum within Slovakia and abroad, the Slovaks in the United States took the initiative to sign an agreement with the Czechs, containing plans for the creation of a Czechoslovak state. The Pittsburgh Declaration of May 30, 1918, signed in the presence of Masaryk, did not have the status of an official document; it said that Slovakia should become an autonomous part of the new state with its own parliament, administration, judiciary, it was supposed to use the Slovak language as the official language.

Education in Czechoslovakia.

On October 28, 1918, the Czech National Council proclaimed the independence of Czechoslovakia in Prague, and on October 30, the Slovak National Council in Turchansky Sveti Martin (modern Martin) announced the separation of Slovakia from Hungary and the creation of the Czechoslovak state (the so-called Martin Declaration). The joint state was recreated on the basis of the unification of the two peoples after ten centuries of separation, but the question of a clear relationship between them remained open. In the constitutional debate, the centralist tendency won the victory, gaining the support of the majority of Czechs. Czechoslovakia was proclaimed a single and indivisible republic. The idea of ​​a single nation using a common language found support both in Prague and among part of the Slovak population. And yet, the centralist nature of the new republic did not suit many citizens of Slovakia, primarily supporters of the People's Party of Glinka, as well as Josef Tiso, who demanded complete autonomy for this part of the country and received 32% of the votes of the Slovaks in the elections of 1925. Some of the votes in Slovakia received also more moderate parties opposed to autonomy. Catholics played a leading role in more extremist movements.

As a result, the Slovak question became the central problem of the new state, and the antagonism and tension between Czechs and Slovaks often overshadowed the real achievements in the development of Slovakia. Some of its more moderate leaders held high positions in the Czechoslovak government.

In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, many Slovaks from among the extremist wing of the autonomists came forward with demands for complete separation from the Czechoslovak state. As a result of this agreement, the line for the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia prevailed; Hungary and Poland annexed parts of the territory of Slovakia. When Hitler captured Prague in March 1939, the German and Slovak Nazis created a separate Slovak state. His government was a Nazi dictatorship led by President Tiso. Later, Slovak troops were sent to the Soviet-German front to demonstrate support for the German invasion of the USSR.

During the war years, some Slovak leaders (Stefan Osuski, Juraj Slavik, and others) collaborated with the emigrant government of Czechoslovakia, headed by Beneš; a group of Slovak communists, who did not have much influence in Slovakia, launched an active activity in Moscow. In December 1943, the Slovak National Council was created, which became the head of the underground resistance movement, in which communist and non-communist forces participated. The Council opposed the Tiso regime, recognized the need to restore Czechoslovakia on the basis of an equal partnership between Czechs and Slovaks, and began preparing an armed uprising. It began in August 1944 in the region of Banska Bystrica under the leadership of communist partisans. Despite the help provided by the Soviet offensive from Poland, the Slovak partisans were routed by the superior German forces.

At the end of the war, the Slovak National Council took control of all of Slovakia. Using the slogans of Slovak nationalism, the communists tried to retain power, but in the 1946 elections, non-communist parties won 63% of the seats in the council. Then the communists changed their tactics, relying not on persuasion, but on violence; mass arrests began in the country. After the seizure of power by the communists in 1948, Slovakia for the first time received broad autonomy, which was subsequently curtailed in many respects. The sovereignty of Slovakia became one of the main goals of the liberation movement of 1968 in Czechoslovakia. Despite the August 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia by the armed forces of the Warsaw Pact countries, on October 30, 1968, a constitutional law was adopted establishing a federal state in Czechoslovakia. New law, which entered into force on January 1, 1969, granted broad powers to the Czech and Slovak regional administrations, established a bicameral national assembly, in one of the chambers of which Czechs and Slovaks had equal representation.

Demonstrations in November 1989 ended communist rule. In the Czech Republic, the Civil Forum (GF) movement emerged, and in Slovakia, the Public Against Violence (OPN) movement. The country received a new name - the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic. In the 1990 elections, the OPN and the Christian Democratic Movement (CDM) won the largest number of votes.

On the way to independence.

At the end of 1990, the federal parliament granted Slovakia the right to manage its own budget without resolving the issue of guarantees of its sovereignty. In 1991, federal, Czech and Slovak government circles held a series of meetings that discussed the issues of granting autonomy to Slovakia, but no agreement was reached. The OPN movement split, in particular on the issue of separatism, and in the 1992 elections a new organization of patriotic forces - the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (DZDS, founded in 1991) - won a majority of seats in the Slovak legislature. In June 1992, the leaders of the federal, Czech and Slovak governments came to an agreement on the peaceful division of Czechoslovakia. On January 1, 1993, two independent states emerged: Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic.

SLOVAK REPUBLIC AFTER 1993

After the registration of Slovakia as a sovereign political entity, the development of its political system characterized by processes of regrouping and polarization of forces. The initial period of the political history of the Slovak Republic is associated with the name of Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar. During his first term as prime minister (January 1993 - March 1994), Mečiar advocated gradual privatization. In addition, holding twice the post of prime minister, as well as important economic posts in the government, Meciar had a great influence on foreign policy, which led to an aggravation of relations with Hungary. Jozef Moravcik, who was previously Minister of Foreign Affairs in Meciar's government, made accusations against him and in early March 1994 Meciar did not receive support in the Slovak National Council when discussing the issue of a vote of confidence.

On March 16, Moravcsik was elected head of an interim coalition government, which included representatives of the following opposition parties: the Democratic Union (DU), the Party of the Left Democrats (PLD), the Christian Democratic Movement (HDD) and the National Democratic Party (NDP). However, the victory of Meciar's opponents turned out to be short-lived: the opposition did not have enough time to create a real alternative to Meciar. In September 1994, early parliamentary elections were scheduled.

The first national elections in Slovakia after its independence were held on September 30 - October 1, 1994. 18 parties and movements and 76% of all registered voters took part in them. The Movement for Democratic Slovakia by V. Meciar received the majority of votes. Bloc "Common Choice" (PLD, Social Democratic Party of Slovakia, Green Party, Movement of Agrarians) received 10.41% of the vote (18 mandates), Hungarian Coalition (Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement, Movement "Coexistence" and Hungarian Civic Party) - 10.18% (17 mandates), CDU - 10.08% (17 mandates), Democratic Union - 8.57% (15 mandates), Slovak Workers' Association - 7.34% (13 mandates), Slovak National Party - 5.4% (9 mandates).

The CPDS traces its origins to the Public Against Violence (OPN) movement that emerged after the Velvet Revolution. Meciar was one of the founders of the OPN and served as Minister of the Interior in the Slovak government in January-June 1990. During the debate about the future of Czechoslovakia in March 1991, Meciar experienced his first political defeat and was forced to resign as Prime Minister of Slovakia because he was accused of damaging Czech–Slovak relations with his position of complete autonomy for Slovakia. Meciar left the ranks of the OPN and organized the DZDS.

Meciar remained in power from 1994 until 1998. During this time, he became involved in a protracted struggle with President Michal Kovac, his former FZDS associate and presidential rival. On September 25–26, 1998, parliamentary elections were held in the country, in which 17 parties took part. In the struggle for power, Meciar was opposed by the opposition - the Slovak Democratic Coalition (SDC), which united five parties, including Christian conservatives, the Green Party and the Socialists; it was headed by Mikulas Dzurinda. KFOR received approx. 23% of the votes, and the parties that were in opposition to Meciar won about two-thirds of the seats in the national assembly (93 out of 150).

In addition, the Civil Accord Party (PGS), led by Rudolf Schuster, was represented in the national assembly; the centre-right Christian Democratic Party (CDA); Party of the Left Democrats (PLD), the successor of the Communist Party of Slovakia led by Josef Migas, which received 15% of the vote in the elections; the three-party Coalition of Hungarian Parties (KVP). Although the DZDS, led by Meciar, achieved the support of 27% of the votes, i.e. more than any other party, it has lost almost a quarter of its former electorate. DZDS's coalition partner, the Slovak Workers' Party (SWP), won only 1% of the vote, short of the 5% barrier required for parliamentary representation. The Slovak National Party (SNP), another member of the DZDS coalition, received 9% of the vote. Having received 57 seats in the national assembly (together with the SNP), Meciar was not re-elected to the post of prime minister.

In the spring of 1999, the political crisis in Slovakia was resolved due to the absence (since March 2, 1998) of the country's president: Michal Kovacs, elected by the parliamentary majority in 1993, came into conflict with the country's prime minister V. Meciar, left his post. Defeated in the parliamentary elections in September 1998, Meciar announced his retirement from the political scene, but after the Slovak parliament in January 1999 decided to hold direct popular presidential elections, he put forward his candidacy. Its support was the parliamentary opposition, mainly the DZDS, which received the largest number of votes (about 500,000 out of 3 million voters). The opponent was the mayor of Kosice, 65-year-old Rudolf Schuster, former chairman of the Slovak parliament in Czechoslovakia, a member of the central committee of the Communist Party of Slovakia. Shuster, the candidate of the government coalition, received in the second round of elections (May 30, 1999) 57% of the vote, while Meciar - 32%. The presidential elections strengthened the positions of the parliamentary majority, and also strengthened the country's pro-Western course in foreign policy: it was declared that it wanted to join NATO as quickly as possible (in the spring and summer of 1999, the government supported NATO during the military operation against Yugoslavia, providing airfields and transport communications to the countries of the West and refusing to provide air corridors for Russian aircraft) and to the European Union (tightening the monetary policy and curtailing trade ties with Russia and neighboring countries).

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