Slovakia

Country Briefs: The land of rugged mountains particularly dominated by the Carpathian Mountains, abundant mineral resources with vast forests and pastures, Slovakia is attractive with its natural beauty, tradition and culture.

Slovakia is located in central part of Europe and is a border country to Czech Republic, Austria, Poland, Hungary and Ukraine. The land of more than five million people that spreads over an area of 49,036 square kilometers, Slovakia has a long and rich history associated with it.

Looking back over the years it is revealed that the Slavic population entered and settled in the region in 5^th century BC. In 7^th century Slovakia was the center of Samo’s empire. In 8^th century there arose a proto-Slovak state, known as the Principality of Nitra that soon became a part of the Great Moravian Empire.

At the onset of the 10^th century, around the Battle of Bratislava in 907, the Great Moravian Empire disintegrated and the ethnic Slovakia then included the northern area of what is Hungary today. During the 11^th and 14^th centuries Slovakia became a part of the Kingdom of Hungary and in 14^th century Slovakia extended to present-day north central and northeastern Hungary.

Around 16^th century the Ottoman Empire materialized its expansion plans and so it occupied the present-day Hungary and moved towards Slovakia. In 1536 Slovakia became the capital of the Ottomans but by the end of 18^th century Slovakia’s influence decreased.

In 1848-49 the Revolution, also known as the Spring of Nations took place. This revolution triggered countless changes in Europe in the first half of the 19^th century. As a result the Slovaks assisted the Austrians to individualize the Kingdom of Hungary within the Austrian monarchy. However this aim could not be accomplished.

From 1867 to 1918 Slovaks were under the Austro-Hungarian Empire. During this the Slovaks suffered atrocities at the hands of Magyarization, an ethnic assimilation policies implemented by the Hungarian authorities at various times. A paradigm instance of the Magyarisation oppression was the closing of all high schools as well as the Matica Slovenska (Slovakia’s public-law cultural and scientific institution based on issues revolving around the Slovak nation).

In 1918 Slovakia combined with the regions of Bohemia and adjoining Moravia to form Czechoslovakia but the Czechoslovakia republic did not last long. The 1938 Munich agreement between the major powers of Europe decided the fate of the Czech Republic in accordance with the Nazi Germany and so Slovakia became a separate republic that was to be governed by the Nazis. However the disintegration of Czechoslovakia was rectified during the Second World War and the country came under the influence of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact that was established in 1955 and dissolved in 1991.

In 1989 Czechoslovakia confronted the Velvet Revolution and this led to the overthrowing of the communist government there. But this time Czech Republic also did split in two successor states Slovakia and Czech Republic. After 1^st January 1993 Slovakia and Czech Republic went their own ways. This came to be known as the Velvet Divorce in the history of the world.

In 2204 Slovakia became a member of the European Union.

Slovakia Regions