| Slovakia is a landlocked country in Central Europe.
It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to
the south, Austria to the west and the Czech Republic to the northwest.
The Danube River flows along Slovakia's Hungarian border. Bratislava, Slovakia's
capital city, lies on the Danube.
Slovakia is divided into two distinct geographic
areas: the lowlands and the mountains. The lowlands in the south and east
occupy less than a third of the country. The areas near the Danube river
and its tributaries, including the Váh, are the most fertile lands.
Farms, vineyards, orchards and pastures cover much of southern Slovakia. |
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| The Carpathian mountains lie to the north. The
mountains are divided into three ranges by the rivers Váh and Hron.
The most spectacular range is the High Tatras. The highest peak of the
Tatras is Gerlachovský stít, at 2,655 metres. The western
part of the Tatras is dominated by Kriván, at 2,494 metres. The
Tatra Mountains are an important part of the Slovak identity. Slovakia's
national anthem, "There is Lightning over the Tatras," evokes the majestic
mountain range. |
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Did you know? |
| The
hill known as Krahule near the town of Kremnica, Slovakia, is the geographic
centre of Europe. |
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| The mountainous part of Slovakia has vast forests
of spruce, larch, maple, pine and oak. The forests are still largely untouched
by lumbering. The area is rich in mineral resources, including iron ore,
copper, silver and lignite. There are also numerous mineral springs, for
example, at Piestany and Trencianske Teplice.
Slovakia has a temperate climate. Rain falls
mainly in the summer, and there are often thunderstorms. The coldest month
is January with temperatures of -10°C to -15°C at night. The warmest
month is July with maximum day temperatures of about 32°C. Snow covers
the mountain regions for about a third of the year. The warmest regions
are the South Slovakian and East Slovakian lowlands. |
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| The largest city in the Slovak Republic is the
capital, Bratislava, with a population of 450,000. Other large cities are
Kosice, Presov, Banská Bystrica and Nitra.
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Did you know? |
| The
national emblem of Slovakia is a red Gothic shield with a silver double
cross mounted on the central peak of three blue mountains, which represent
the three ranges of the Carpathian mountains (Tatra, Fatra, Matra). |
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