Slovak Republic
LOCATION , AREA , INHABITATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE


 
 
I.ocation between 16°50'05" and 22°34'04" eastern longitude and 
between 47°43'54" and 49°36'52" northern latitude. 
Maximum length of the SR  428.9 km. 
Maximum width of the SR  196.7 km. 
Minimum width of the SR   77.6 km. 
 
State border    1670.0 km
  Hungary   668.6 km
  Poland   547.1 km
  Czech Republic   251.8 km
  Austria   106.6 km
  Ukraine     98.5 km

  The geographical centre of Slovakia:   Lubietovský Vepor - Hrb (1,255 m a.s.l.) north of the Poľana PLA.
  The geographical centre of Europe: The Church of St. John - Kremnické Bane towards Krahule.
 

Area (1997) all   49,034.55 km2
  agricultural land   24,446.34 km2 (49.86%)
  forest    19,963.73 km2 (40.71%)
  water        933.20 km2 ( 1.90%) 
  residential and other urban areas     3,691.38 km2 ( 7.53%). 

 
 Population growth  in 1784:  1,945,000 with an average growth of 16,098
   in 1997  5,373,810 (2.76 fold increase in 213 years). 

 
 
Population density (1997) 109.6 inhabitants per km2 (only 39.7 inhabitants per km2 in 1787). 
  Municipalities: There are 2,878 municipalities, with 136 towns,  in which 57.07% of the inhabitants of Slovakia were living in 1997 (1970 the figure was 41.4%); in 1873 there
                             were 3,646 municipalities, with 25 royal free towns and 227 small towns.
Principal towns:
1. Bratislava  452,288 inhabitants
 2.Košice 241,606 inhabitants
3. Prešov   93,147 inhabitants
4. Nitra   87,569 inhabitants
5. Žilina   86,811 inhabitants
6. Banská Bystrica    85,052 inhabitants
7. Trnava   70,202 inhabitants
8. Trenčín   59,039 inhabitants

Population centres of national and international importance:

Bratislava - Trnava Žilina - Martin
Nitra Banská Bystrica - Zvolen
Trenčín Košice - Prešov

  The most highly located municipality: Štrbské Pleso (1,355 metres a.s.l.).
Territorial division and administrative regions: first alre ady in 10. -13. century; since 1996 - 8 regions and 79 districts.
  The oldest Christian church: the foundations of a church in Nitra, from around 826; preserved preromanesque church in Kostoľany pod
                                                      Tríbečom (first half of  the 11t" century).
  Museums and galleries: 56 museums with 53 branches,18 galleries, (325 permanent expositions , 1237 exhibitions, 4 million visitors per year).
  Museum specialised in nature protection: the Slovak Museum of Nature Protection and Speleology in Liptovský Mikuláš (1930).
  Schools:  20 universities,196 gymnasia, 367 specialised high schools and 355 apprentice schools.
  Education:    universities - 7.8% of the SR population  secondary schools - 24.3% of the SR population.
  The oldest production enterprise still in operation: the State Mint in Kremnica, since 1328.
  Main airports: Bratislava, Košice, Poprad, Sliač, Piešťany, Žilina, Trenčín, Lučenec.
  Railway network: 3,673 km, of which 1,516 km is electrified and 1,024 is double-track (density 75 m per km2).
  Road network:17,867 km (density 364 m per kmz), 215 km of which is motorway.
  Length of ship navigation rivers:172 km.
  Main river ports: Bratislava, Komárno, Štúrovo.