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Slovakia, landlocked country of central Europe. It is roughly coextensive with the historic region of Slovakia, the easternmost of the two territories that from 1918 to 1992 constituted Czechoslovakia.
The short history of independent Slovakia is one of a desire to move from mere autonomy within the Czechoslovak federation to sovereigntyâa history of resistance to being called âthe nation after the hyphen.â Although World War II thwarted the Slovaksâ first vote for independence in 1939, sovereignty was finally realized on January 1, 1993, slightly more than three years after the Velvet Revolutionâthe collapse of the communist regime that had controlled Czechoslovakia since 1948.
Of course, the history of the Slovak nation began long before the creation of Czechoslovakia and even before the emergence of Slovak as a distinct literary language in the 19th century. From the 11th century, Hungary ruled what is now Slovakia, and the Slovaksâ ancestors were identified as inhabitants of Upper Hungary, or simply âthe Highlands,â rather than by their Slavic language. Despite the Hungariansâ drive to Magyarize the multiethnic population of their kingdom, by the 19th century the Slovaks had created a heavily mythologized identity, linking themselves with the 9th-century Slavic kingdom of Great Moravia. Because they lacked a national dynasty, patron saints, and a native aristocracy or bourgeoisie, their national hero became the 18th-century outlaw JĂĄnoĹĄĂk, sometimes called the Slovak Robin Hood.
Only in 1918, when World War I ended with Austria-Hungary on the losing side, did Slovakia materialize as a geopolitical unitâbut within the new country of Czechoslovakia. Although a critical stocktaking of the Czech-Slovak relationship shows more discord than harmony, there was one splendid moment when the two nations stood firmly together. This was in the summer of 1968, when the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia and crushed the Prague Spring, the period during which a series of reforms were implemented by Communist Party leader Alexander DubÄek, arguably the best-known Slovak in the world. Britannica QuizGeography Fun Facts
Today Slovakia has become increasingly infiltrated by modern industrial infrastructure, but it still offers breathtaking views of wine-growing valleys, picturesque castles, and historical cities. Its capital, Bratislava, eccentrically located in the extreme southwest of the country, has been known by several different namesâPozsony in Hungarian, Pressburg in German, and PreĹĄporok in Slovakâand for three centuries served as the capital of Hungary. In KoĹĄice, the second-largest Slovak city, there is an interesting symbiosis between its distinguished history and the harsh recent past: medieval streets run through the city centre, while the former East Slovakian Iron and Steel Works stands as a monument of communist industrialization. More-authentic Slovak culture survives in the cities of the central highlands and in the countryâs many villages.
Land
Slovakia is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, and Austria to the southwest. Its former federal partner, the Czech Republic, lies to the west.
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Relief
Ĺ trbskĂŠ Pleso, a popular lake in the High Tatra Mountains, Slovakia.
The Western Carpathian Mountains dominate the topography of Slovakia. They consist of a system of three regions of east-west-trending rangesâOuter, Central, and Innerâseparated by valleys and intermontane basins. Two large lowland areas north of the Hungarian border, the Little Alfold (called the PodunajskĂĄ, or Danubian, Lowland in Slovakia) in the southwest and the Eastern Slovakian Lowland in the east, constitute the Slovakian portion of the Inner Carpathian Depressions region.
Slovak Paradise National Park in the Slovak Ore Mountains, south-central Slovakia.
The Outer Western Carpathians to the north extend into the eastern Czech Republic and southern Poland and contain the Little Carpathian (Slovak: MalĂŠ Karpaty), JavornĂky, and Beskid mountains. Located roughly in the middle of the country, the Central Western Carpathians include Slovakiaâs highest ranges: the High Tatra (VysokĂŠ Tatry) Mountains, containing the highest point in the republic, GerlachovskĂ˝ Peak, at 8,711 feet (2,655 metres); and, to the south of them, the Low Tatra (NĂzke Tatry) Mountains, which reach elevations of about 6,500 feet (2,000 metres) (see Tatra Mountains). Farther to the south are the Inner Western Carpathian Mountains, which extend into Hungary and contain the economically important Slovak Ore (SlovenskĂŠ Rudohorie) Mountains.
Drainage
The Danube River at Bratislava, Slovakia.
Slovakia drains predominantly southward into the Danube (Dunaj) River system. The Danube and another major river, the Morava, form the republicâs southwestern border. The principal rivers draining the mountains include the VĂĄh, Hron, HornĂĄd, and Bodrog, all flowing south, and the Poprad, draining northward. Flows vary seasonally from the torrents of spring snowmelt to late-summer lows. Mountain lakes and mineral and thermal springs are numerous.
Soils
Slovakia contains a striking variety of soil types. The countryâs richest soils, the black chernozems, occur in the southwest, although the alluvial deposit known as Great Rye Island occupies the core of the Slovakian Danube basin. The upper reaches of the southern river valleys are covered with brown forest soils, while podzols dominate the central and northern areas of middle elevation. Stony mountain soils cover the highest regions.
Climate
Slovakiaâs easterly position gives it a more continental climate than that of the Czech Republic. Its mountainous terrain is another determining factor. The mean annual temperature drops to about 25 °F (â4 °C) in the High Tatras and rises to just above 50 °F (10 °C) in the Danubian lowlands. Average July temperatures exceed 68 °F (20 °C) in the Danubian lowlands, and average January temperatures can be as low as 23 °F (â5 °C) in mountain basins. The growing season is about 200 days in the south and less than half of that in the mountains. Annual precipitation ranges from about 22 inches (570 mm) in the Danubian plains to more than 43 inches (1,100 mm) in windward mountain valleys. Maximum precipitation falls in July, while the minimum is in January. Snow remains on the higher peaks into the summer months.
Plant and animal life
Although Slovakia is a small country, its varied topography supports a wide variety of vegetation. Agriculture and timber cutting have diminished the republicâs original forest cover, but approximately two-fifths of its area is still forested. Forestland is most extensive in the mountainous districts. The forests in the western Beskid Mountains on the Czech-Slovak border and those in central Slovakia near Ĺ˝iar nad Hronom are among the most endangered. The major forest types include the oak-grove assemblages of the PodunajskĂĄ Lowland, the beech forests of the lower elevations of the Carpathians, and the spruce forests of the middle and upper slopes. The highest elevations support taiga and tundra vegetation. The timberline runs at about 5,000 feet (1,500 metres). At these upper elevations, particularly in the Tatras, the tree cover below the timberline consists largely of dwarf pine. At about 7,500 feet (2,300 metres), alpine grasses and low-growing shrubs give way to lichens.
Slovakiaâs wildlife is abundant and diverse; Tatry (High Tatras) National Park shelters an exceptional collection of wild animals, including bears, wolves, lynx, wildcats, marmots, otters, martens, and minks. Hunting is prohibited in the parks, and some animals, such as the chamois, are protected nationwide. The forests and lowland areas support numerous game birds, such as partridges, pheasants, wild geese, and ducks. Raptors, storks, and other large birds are protected.
All information come from Encyclopedia Britannica