Slovakia

Slovak Republic

Land of the first Slavic Christian mission, Slovakia came late to statehood but quickly to the euro.

Back to the map See the statistics Debates Related news

Heritage

It was in Great Moravia, on today's Slovak territory, that Cyril and Methodius created the Glagolitic alphabet in 863 and translated the liturgy into Slavonic: Europe's first vernacular liturgy, authorised by Rome a millennium before Vatican II.

History

Ninth-century Great Moravia was the first West Slavic state and the setting of the Byzantine mission of Cyril and Methodius. After its collapse the territory was integrated into the kingdom of Hungary for nearly a thousand years; Bratislava, as Pressburg, served as the Hungarian capital after Mohács.

The nineteenth-century national awakening, carried by Ľudovít Štúr, codified the Slovak language. In 1918 Slovakia entered Czechoslovakia; a Reich satellite state existed briefly from 1939 to 1945 before the return to the federation.

The peaceful separation of 1 January 1993 created the Slovak Republic. The country joined NATO and the Union in 2004, the Schengen area in 2007 and the euro in 2009 — the first Visegrád country to take that step.

Milestones

863 Christianisation

Mission of Cyril and Methodius

The two brothers from Thessalonica create the Glagolitic alphabet and the first Slavic liturgy.

907 Middle Ages

End of Great Moravia

The first West Slavic state collapses; the territory passes to Hungary for a thousand years.

1536 Renaissance and Reformations

Pressburg, capital of Hungary

After Mohács, Bratislava becomes capital and coronation city of the Hungarian kingdom.

1843 Early modern period

Codification of Slovak

Ľudovít Štúr fixes the literary standard, a precondition of modern nationhood.

1944 Contemporary period

Slovak National Uprising

One of the largest armed revolts against the Axis in occupied Europe.

1993 Contemporary period

Independence of Slovakia

On 1 January the Slovak Republic is born of a negotiated, peaceful separation.

1993 Contemporary period lead actor

Velvet Divorce

Czechia and Slovakia separate peacefully on 1 January, a rare case in Europe.

2004 European construction took part

The big bang enlargement

Ten states, eight of them formerly communist, join the Union: the continent’s division ends.

2009 European construction

Euro adoption in Slovakia

The first Visegrád economy to join the euro area.

Political landscape

Results of the June 2024 European election and their translation into European Parliament groups.

PS — Progresívne Slovensko 6
Smer — Smer — sociálna demokracia 5
Republika — Republika 2
KDH — Kresťanskodemokratické hnutie 2

Distribution of European seats

Renew Europe Group 6
Non-attached Members 5
Europe of Sovereign Nations Group 2
Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) 2

Related news

All news →

Debates

Whole forum →

No discussion open yet.

The state in numbers

All the statistics →
Public debt, % of GDP 60.6 % 1.0 % GDP per head (EU = 100) 75.8 0.6 Government spending, % of GDP 47.5 % 0.7 % Total tax burden, % of GDP 36.1 % 0.6 % Prisoners per 100,000 people 150.6 28.5