Slovakia - My Homeland

The official name is the Slovak Republic. It is a beautiful country situated in the heart of Europe, surrounded by Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria and the Ukraine. Slovakia has population of about 5 million people and they are mostly Slovaks living together with other minorities. The capital city is Bratislava.

Slovakia has a continental climate with hot summer and cold winters. The most severe winter is in the High Tatras and the warmest place is around Štúrovo. We have several important rivers but not very many lakes here. Slovakia is not very rich in natural resources and we have to import most of raw materials. The main industrial branches are iron and steel industry, production of man-made fibres, oil rafineries. Clothing and food industries are also very important. Southern and eastern lowlands are the main areas for agriculture.

The largest part of Slovakia is mountainous. The basic mountain chain is the Carpathians. The highest place in our country is the Gerlachovský Štít in the High Tatras, lowest place is the level of the River Bodrog. The southern part of Slovakia is formed by extensive lowlands – Zahorská, Podunajská and Výchoslovenská. It is an area between the Danube River and the Tatra mountains. Slovakia is rich in natural beauties. You can find here stately mountains with tarns, hills, marvellous valleys, carst formations, caves, mineral and thermal springs, deeps leafy and coniferous forests, ...
The High Tatras are the highest mountains and are visited by many Slovak and foreign tourists all the year round. The Lower Tatras, the Slovak Paradise are also beautiful and attractive. Although Slovakia is not very big country, it has a lot of natural beauties and monuments and sights which are being gradually discovered by foreigners. Our spas (Piešťany, Trenčianske Teplice) have had high reputation not only in our country. Tourists also like to see our mountains, caves, castles, fortresses (Devin, Krásna Hôrka, Trenčín).
The most popular sports in Slovakia are football and ice hockey and we have quite a number of good sportsmen for such a small country. Folk art has a long tradition in the Slovak Republic. There are so many kinds of regional national costumes that cannot be found anywhere else. Great number of folk dance groups has preserved beautiful Slovak folk songs and dances.
Slovak people are said to be nice and friendly, most of them hardworking people.

Slovakia is a country with many interests and rarities which are centralized on the relatively small place. And this is the Slovak primacy. All what its nature, country, its historic memories and single habitations hand, all interests and secrets, they are hidden would-be in a small box. They are treasures which are uncovered particularly people who are able to perceive them with their hearts.

The Slavic people arrived in the territory of present day Slovakia between the 5th - 6th century AD. Various parts of Slovakia belonged to Samo's Empire, the first known political unit of Slavs, Great Moravia (in 863 Byzantine brothers Constantine and Methodius came here to spread Slavonic language, religion and they made up hlaholics – first Slavic alphabet. Various parts of Slovakia belonged to Samo's Empire, the first known political unit of Slavs, Great Moravia, the Kingdom of Hungary, Habsburg-Austrian monarchy, Austria-Hungary, Czechoslovakia throughout history. Slovakia became independent on January 1, 1993 with the peaceful division of Czechoslovakia in the Velvet Divorce; it was with Czech Republic the last European country to become independent in the 20th century. Slovakia is a member of the EU and OECD and it joined the European Union in 2004 and will join the Eurozone on January 1st, 2009.

SLOVAK CUISINE: bryndzové halušky (national dish, boiled miniature flour & potato dumplings mixed with bryndza – a sheep cheese from Central Slovakia), roast goose with lokše (lokše = potato patties, meal favourite around wine harvest time), oštiepok & parenica (varieties of smoked sheep cheese), fine wines (The Bratislava region, Eastern Slovakia – Tokaj – a wine of Hungarian origin), several brands of beer, Slivovica (a plum brandy), Borovička (juniper brandy), typical Slovak restaurants where Slovak cuisine is featured are called koliba or salaš, and are usually furnished in tradition folk style.