In 2002, Slovakia was a Central European nation that had recently emerged from the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. The country was still in the process of transitioning to a market-based economy after decades of communist rule.
The Slovakian economy was largely dependent on the production of automobiles, steel and chemical products. Agriculture also played an important role in providing food for the population.
The government of Slovakia was committed to increasing economic growth and improving living conditions for its citizens. It implemented several reforms such as privatization, deregulation and tax cuts that sought to attract foreign investment and create jobs.
Education was free and compulsory for all children aged 6-15, while healthcare facilities were available throughout the country. Despite economic challenges, Slovakia had made significant progress since 2002 with rising incomes and improved access to basic services such as water, electricity and sanitation.
According to computerannals, Slovakia also had strong international ties with other European countries due to its membership in various international organizations such as NATO and the EU. This enabled it to benefit from regional trade networks as well as global markets.
Yearbook 2002
Slovakia. According to Countryaah website, national day of Slovakia is every July 17. Unemployment was close to 20% during the year, which caused many Slovak youths to apply abroad. A series of financial scandals broke out in the spring, where hundreds of thousands of Slovaks lost money in so-called pyramid schemes. The Slovak Nationalist Party on the right took advantage of the upset people’s opinion and demanded that the government keep the savers harmless. But the strained state budget prevented the government from intervening, despite the imminent election. The mood among the Slovaks eased somewhat when the country’s ice hockey national team won the World Cup gold for the first time in the spring.
Prior to the September parliamentary elections, there was widespread concern that Vladimír Mečiar and his party Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) would return to power. Mečiar’s authoritarian style and his lack of respect for democratic freedoms and rights have been condemned both at home and within the EU. There was a risk that the EU would not accept Slovakia as a member if Mečiar formed government and the US signaled that Slovakia’s future NATO membership could also be in danger.
Mečiars HZDS was the largest in the election with 19.5% of the vote. Prime Minister Mikulaš Dzurinda’s party Slovakia’s Democratic and Christian Union (SDKU) came in second place with 15%. Dzurinda, however, managed to gather support for a new middle-right coalition that isolated HZDS from power. The former government parties SDKU, the Hungarian Coalition Party and Christian Democratic KDH were now joined in the coalition by the newly formed business-friendly party New Citizens Alliance (ANO).
At the NATO Summit in Prague in November, Slovakia and six other states were invited as members of the military alliance from 2004. At the EU summit in Copenhagen in December, Slovakia, together with another nine countries, were accepted as new members of the EU from 2004. But first, EU membership will be approved in a referendum, which for Slovakia will be implemented in 2003.
Country data
Area: 49,035 km2 (world rank: 127)
Residents: 5,440,000
Population density: 111 per km2 (as of 2017, world rank: 116)
Capital: Bratislava (Pressburg)
Official languages: Slovak
Gross domestic product: 85.0 billion euros; Real growth: 3.4%
Gross national product (GNP, per resident and year): 16,610 US$
Currency: 1 euro (Euro) = 100 cents
Embassy
Hildebrandstr. 25, 10785 Berlin
Telephone 030 88926200,
Fax 030 88926222
www.mzv.sk/berlin
Government
Head of State: Andrej Kiska, Head of Government: Peter Pellegrini, Outside: Miroslav Lajcák
National Day: 1.9. (1992 Constitution Day)
Administrative structure
8 districts
State and form of government
Constitution of 1992/93
Republic
Parliament: National Council (Narodná rada) with 150 members, election every 4 years
Direct election of the head of state every 5 years (one-time re-election)
Right to vote from 18 J.
Population of: Slovaks, last census 2011: 5,397,036 residents.
80.7% Slovaks, 8.5% Hungarians, 2.0% Roma, 0.6% Czechs, 0.6% Ruthenians; Minorities of Ukrainians, Germans, Poles and others, Proportion of foreigners 2017: 1.3%
Cities (with population): (As of 2017) Bratislava (Pressburg) 429,564 inh., Kosice (Kaschau) 239,095, Presov (Eperies) 89,138, Zilina (Sillein) 80,978, Banská Bystrica (Neusohl) 78,484, Nitra (Neutra) 77,048, Trnava (Tyrnau) 65,382, Trencín (Trenschin) 55,537, Martin 54,978, Poprad (Deutschendorf) 51,486, Priedvidza (Priwitz) 46,408
Religions: 62% Catholics, 6% Evangelical Augsburg Church, 4% Greek Catholic, 2% Reformed Christian Church, 1% Orthodox and others; 13% without religion (status: 2006)
Languages: Slovak; Recognized minority languages: Hungarian, Romani, Ruthenian, Ukrainian, German, Czech, Polish, Bulgarian, Croatian, Yiddish
Employed by economic sector:
agriculture. 3%, industry 36%, business 61% (2017)
Unemployment (in% of all labor force): 2017: 8.1%
Inflation rate (in%): 2017: 1.4%
Foreign trade: Import: 73.3 billion euros (2017); Export: 74.8 billion euros (2017)
