• Capital -- Bratislava
• Population -- 5,439,448
• Language -- Slovak
• GDP per capita($) -- 16,100
• Currency -- Slovak koruna (SKK)
• Year Joined EU -- 2004

• GDP($) -- 96,350,000,000
• GDP per capita($) -- 16,100
• GDP growth rate(%) -- 5.50
• Inflation(%) -- 2.70
• Unemployment(%) -- 11.70
• Imports($) -- 34,480,000,000
• Exports($) -- 32,390,000,000
• Military Spending($) -- 406,000,000
• Military Spending (% of GDP) -- 1.87

• Land Area (sq. km) -- 48,845
• about twice the size of New Hampshire
• Population growth rate(%) -- 0.15
• Infant Mortality (deaths per 1,000 live births) -- 7.26
• Life Expectancy -- 74.73
• Poverty --
• Migration -- 0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 popu

• ---

  * all data/material from the CIA World Fact Book 2006

Slovakia

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The dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the close of World War I allowed the Slovaks to join 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.

Slovakia has mastered much of the difficult transition from a centrally planned economy to a modern market economy. The DZURINDA government made excellent progress during 2001-04 in macroeconomic stabilization and structural reform. Major privatizations are nearly complete, the banking sector is almost completely in foreign hands, and the government has helped facilitate a foreign investment boom with business friendly policies such as labor market liberalization and a 19% flat tax. Foreign investment in the automotive sector has been strong. Slovakia's economic growth exceeded expectations in 2001-06 despite the general European slowdown. Unemployment, at an unacceptable 18% in 2003-04, dropped to 10.2% in 2006 but remains the economy's Achilles heel. Slovakia joined the EU on 1 May 2004.