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Slovakia, officially named the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of over five million and an area
of about 49,000 square
kilometres. The largest
city is
Bratislava,
its capital.
Slovakia is divided into 8 regions, each of which is named after its regional capital. The regions are subdivided into many districts. In the past, Slovakia had 79 districts, which are no longer part of the official administrative system, but the country has maintained them for different purposes.
In terms of economy and unemployment rate, the western regions are more prosperous than the east. Slovakia is best known for its pistine nature in the countryside: mountains make up two-thirds of its land, 40 percent of which is covered by forests.
The region of Bratislava is the country's smallest in terms of area, but its most densely settled and urbanised, with 296 inhabitants per square kilometre, about three times the Slovak average. Bratislava, the capital, had a population of 426,091, or 70 percent of the total inhabitants of the region. The Bratislava region is bordered by the Danube to the south and the Morava to the west. It consists of the Záhorie lowlands in the far west of the country and the Podunajská nížina (Danube lowlands) towards the Hungarian south, divided by the heavily forested Malé Karpaty (Small Carpathian mountains) range.
The south-west Trnava region is a strangely shaped body of land that encloses Bratislava region and borders on the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary. It is the second smallest region after Bratislava, and the smallest in terms of area.
The south-central Nitra region is Slovakia's agricultural heartland. Flatter and warmer than the rest of the country, its soil and terrain are best suited to farming.
The north-west Žilina region is a rugged area that borders on the Czech Republic and Poland. It includes no fewer than seven mountain ranges: the Tatry and Nízke tatry (Tatras and the Low Tatras), the Veľká and Malá Fatra (Greater and Lesser Fatras), the Chočské vrchy (Choč Mountains), the Javorníky and the Strážovské vrchy (Strážov Mountains). The region is also dominated by national parks
Banská Bystrica region, the country's largest in terms of area, lies in the southern part of Central Slovakia. With its extensive forests and hilly terrain, it is the least densely settled region.
The north-east Prešov region is Slovakia's most physically spectacular, but poor and sparsely settled as well. It borders on Poland and Ukraine, and contains five national parks. Less than half of the inhabitants of the region live in urban settings.
Košice region is a largely flat and poor area in the southeast of Slovakia bordering on Ukraine and Hungary. With a population of 773,000, it is the second largest region while with about one third of the total inhabitants of the region, the capital Košice is Slovakia's second largest city and is the industrial anchor of the east of the country.
The north-west Trenčín region is a relatively wealthy and developed part of Slovakia, bordering on the Czech Republic. It is hilly but not rugged, and has an unusually high (55 percent) proportion of inhabitants employed in industry, making it the second most heavily industrialised region after Bratislava.
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Slovak construction companies expect continued decline in activity in 2010
Published: 1 week ago
Construction companies operating in Slovakia expect the currently visible decline in the industry to continue over 2010. They expect that stabilisation and a return to growth in the sector will arrive only in 2011. This is based on the results of a quarterly analysis of the status of the Slovak construction industry prepared by CEEC Research company in cooperation with KPMG Slovensko and other companies that consisted of telephone interviews with a selected sample of 70 construction companies doing business in Slovakia.
Sheraton Hotel opens in Bratislava
Published: 2 weeks ago
Bratislava has another five-star hotel. On February 24, Sheraton Hotel opened its doors to guests as the first building operating within the new Eurovea centre on the north embankment of the Danube River. The whole centre, which consists of a shopping gallery, office space, apartments as well as a multiplex, will open later in March.
Residential real estate prices fall again in Q4 of 2009
Published: 3 weeks ago
The trend of falling prices in residential real estate continued over the fourth quarter of 2009. The average price per square metre of residential real estate in Slovakia was €1,297 in the fourth quarter, down 1.9 percent from the previous quarter and 12.3 percent year-on-year, the National Bank of Slovakia (NBS) reported, as cited by the SITA newswire. NBS monitors real estate prices together with the National Association of Real Estate Agencies (NARKS).
New Slovak Architecture
Published: 1 month ago
Slovakia has experienced a nonpareil construction boom during recent years. Skylines of Slovak cities and towns, and the general appearance of the countryside as well, have changed – with new skyscraper buildings erected, new residential areas constructed and old facilities torn down. Henrieta Moravčíková, the head of the Department of Architecture at the Institute of Construction and Architecture of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, has selected 101 buildings constructed or renovated between 1999 and 2009 to illustrate current trends and developments in Slovak architecture. Slovart publishing house published the Slovak-English book, titled New Slovak Architecture, at the end of 2009.
Real estate consultants: Banks must grease the wheels
Published: 1 month ago
Signs of revival appear but depend on GDP growth, realistic expectations and use of expertise
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Construction output shrinks
Published: 5 days ago, Compiled by Spectator staff
The output of Slovak construction companies continues its decline. After consecutive shrinkage over all months of 2009, except in August when output increased by a mere 0.1 percent year-on-year, the downward trend continued in January 2010 with construction output recorded as 8.1 percent less than January 2009, at €257.5 million, the Slovak Statistics Office reported on March 9. The poor development is ascribed to low demand for almost all kinds of construction projects, financing limitations and unfavourable weather conditions as well as some other persisting effects from the financial crisis.
More articles
- Commercial real estate developers adjust to current market conditions
- Clients should have full awareness of capabilities and risks
- Shopping centres still growing – so far
- Ready for shopping? Leave the city centre
- Sufficient office space is on the market
- Cross-border market attracts buyers
- Eurovea and River Park near completion
- Architecture awarded
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