last edited Dec 11, 2019
Introduction to Slovakia
Location Map of Slovakia
Slovakia
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Quick Overview
In the heart of Europe, just over 1,000 km from France, Slovakia—until 1993 part of Czechoslovakia alongside neighboring Czech Republic—occupies the far northwest of the Carpathians. The country is largely made up of forests, mountainous terrain (the Tatras), and agricultural cereal-growing areas, particularly in the southwest plains bordering the Danube.
Key Facts
- Type of place: country.
- Location: in the heart of Central Europe, east of Czech Republic and south of Poland.
- Latitude/longitude: 48°08' N, 17°07' E.
- Local time:
- Capital: Bratislava.
- Nature of the state: parliamentary republic.
- Official language: Slovak.
- Currency: euro.
- Population: 5,445,040 inhabitants (2018).
- Area: 49,035 km².
- Density: 111 inhabitants/km².
- Highest point: Gerlach Peak (2,655 m).
- Lowest point: Bodrog River (94 m).
- Coastline: 0 km; no maritime access.
- Driving: on the right.
Tourism
Less well-known as a tourist destination than its Czech neighbor, Slovakia nonetheless boasts a rich cultural heritage, including several UNESCO-listed sites, as well as remarkable natural areas like the Tatra Mountains.
In 2016, 42,000 French travelers visited Slovakia, making France the 10th-largest source of visitors—far behind regional countries, particularly the Czech Republic, which accounts for a quarter of the 2 million tourists the destination now attracts annually (2.162 million in 2017).
Travel Essentials
- Destination: for beginner travelers.
- By air: France-Bratislava.
- Entry requirements: ID card or passport.
- Currency to bring: euros.
- Exchange rate:
- Backpacker daily budget:
- Best for accommodation: homestays, camping (if traveling by car), or small guesthouses.
- Best for getting around: car or a combination of bus and train.
- Risks: none in terms of health and very low in terms of security.
- Best period (climate/crowds/prices):
- Interests (out of ): Nature ; Adventure ; Culture ; Relaxation/Holidays .
Useful Addresses
Socio-Economic Statistics
- "Quality of life": 38/188 (rank in 2018)
- GDP per capita: $33,100 (2017)
- Average monthly income: ()
- Inflation: +1.3% (2017)
- "Official" unemployment: 8.1% (2017)
- Population below poverty line: 12.3% (2015)
- Life expectancy: 77.4 years (2018)
- Migration rate per 1,000 inhabitants: +0.1 (2017)
- Population growth: +0.02% (2018)
- Literacy rate: 100% (2017)
- Urban population: 53.7% (2018)
- Press freedom: 27/180 (rank in 2018)
- Political regime: flawed democracy (44/167 in 2018)
Sources: World Bank, Human Development Indicators, RSF, The Economist, The World Factbook