Explore Slovakia

Location:
Slovakia

Currency:
Slovak koruna (SKK)

Communications:
The telephone code for Slovakia: + 421

About:
For centuries the Slovakian people were subjected to domination by stronger political entities, including the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Habsburg Empire.

In 1918 the Slovaks joined 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.

Farming, forestry, mining and manufacturing are important industries, as well as a flourishing tourism business. The country is two-thirds mountainous, and ski resorts in the Ore and Carpathian Mountains are growing in popularity.