What is the capital of Slovakia?
Bratislava is Slovakia’s capital and largest city. Spread across both sides of the Danube River, Bratislava is the only country capital that touches two other countries: Hungary in the north and Austria to the west.
Bratislava was founded before the 10th century as the city of Pressburg, which dates back many years, and was once the capital of the Kingdom of Hungary.
Where is Slovakia?
Slovakia, not to be confused with the similar sounding country, Slovenia, is located in the very center of Europe, earning it the nickname “Country at the heart of Europe.”
What countries border Slovakia?
Slovakia is bordered by 5 other countries: the Czech Republic on its west, Poland to the north, Ukraine on the east, and Hungary and Austria on the south and southwest.
What are the administrative divisions of Slovakia?
Slovakia is divided into 8 regions, or krajov:
- Bratislava
- Trnava
- Trenčin
- Nitra
- Žilina
- Banská Bystrica
- Prešov
- Košice
Who are the political leaders of Slovakia?
President: Ivan Gasparovic
Prime Minister: Robert Fico
What currency is used in Slovakia?
Unlike its neighbor, the Czech Republic, Slovakia adopted the Euro and become part of the Eurozone on January 1, 2009.
What is the official language of Slovakia?
Slovakia’s official language is Slovak, which is similar and mostly mutually intelligible with Czech.
Languages from nearby countries are also commonly spoken as minority languages in Slovakia, like Hungarian and Czech.
When was Slovakia created?
While the modern territory of Slovakia has only been independent since January 1, 1993, when it split amicably from Czech Republic, Slovakia has a long and frequently changing history. The main area of modern Slovakia has been part of the following governments:
- Samo Empire (the first known political unit of the Slavs)
- Principality of Nitra (an independent polity as part of Great Moravia and Hungarian Kingdom)
- Great Moravia
- Kingdom of Hungary
- Austro-Hungarian Empire
- Czechoslovakia
- First Slovak Republic
What was the status of Slovakia during World War II?
While the Munich Agreement primarily dealt with the Sudentenland regions, which are located on the border regions of what is now the Czech Republic, big changes were also made to Slovakia. Slovakia became an autonomous region of Czechoslovakia, and the Vienna Award altered its borders by giving Hungary some of Slovakia’s southern territory. The Slovak Republic gained a degree of autonomy during World War II when it became the First Slovak Republic, which was a dependency of Nazi Germany from 1939 to 1945. When Slovakia was liberated in 1945, it was restored as part of Czechoslovakia until their split in 1993. Though at the time, the First Slovak Republic was recognized by many major powers, its legal existence was nullified at the same time the Munich Agreement was nullified, which also returned the territories that were given away to Hungary.
How is the relationship between Czech Republic and Slovakia since their split?
Czech Republic and Slovakia remain close partners after one of the friendliest divisions in history, continuing to conduct business between one another, along with Hungary and Poland. The two countries remain connected by their shared heritage and culture, facilitated by their similar and mutually intelligible language.
Initially, the Czech Republic had an easier time than Slovakia after the split, though they both joined the United Nations and European Union alongside one another. Both countries have greatly improved in the past few years, drawing many tourists every year to their historic sites and Central/Eastern European charm.