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General Information Area: 49,034 sq km (18,933 sq miles). Population: 5,395,324 (1999). Population Density: 110.0 per sq km. Capital: Bratislava. Population: 616,982 (1999). GEOGRAPHY: The Slovak Republic is situated in Central Europe, sharing frontiers with the Czech Republic, Austria, Poland, Hungary and Ukraine. Mountains, lowlands, canyons, lakes, cave formations, forests and meadows provide many examples of Slovakia’s year-round natural beauty. Slovakia is a small country but its terrain varies impressively from lowlands to mountain ranges. Almost a half of the country is taken up by the Carpathian Arc, a range of mountains stretching across the north. The smaller ranges include the Lesser Carpathians, White Carpathians, Malá (Lesser) Fatra, Vel’ká (Greater) Fatra, High and Low Tatras and the Slovenské rudohorie Mountains (Slovak Ore Mountains). Government: Republic since 1993. Head of State: President Rudolf Schuster since 1999. Head of Government: Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda since 1998. Language: The official language is Slovak. Hungarian, Ruthenian, Ukrainian and German are spoken by ethnic minorities. English is also spoken. Religion: The majority is Roman Catholic. Protestant churches comprise the remainder with Reformed, Lutheran, Methodist and Baptist denominations. There is also a Jewish minority. There is a Greek Orthodox minority in Eastern Slovakia. Time: GMT + 2 (GMT + 1 from last Sunday in October to last Saturday in March). Electricity: Generally 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Round two-pin plugs are in use. Lamp fittings are normally of the screw type. Telephone IDD is available. Country code: 421. Outgoing international code: 00. There are public telephone booths, including special kiosks for international calls. Surcharges can be quite high on long-distance calls from hotels. Dial 158 (police), 155 (ambulance service), 150 (fire brigrade) or 154 (emergency road service). Mobile telephone GSM 1800/900. Main network providers include Eurotel Bratislava (website: www.eurotel.sk) and Orange (website: www.orange.sk). Coverage extends over the whole country, with the exception of remote areas. Internet ISPs include Euro Web (website: www.euroweb.sk). There are Internet cafes in main towns. Telegram Facilities are available in all main towns and hotels. Services are available 24 hours at Kolárska 12 (centre of Bratislava) and next to the main railway station in Predstanicné námestie. Post There are Poste Restante services available. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1800. Press The Slovak Spectator, Slovakia’s English-language newspaper, is published bi-weekly; Slovak Foreign Trade is published monthly by the Slovak Chamber of Commerce. BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies: From time to time these change. BBC (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice): MHz 17.64 12.10 9.410 6.195 Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov): MHz 15.21 11.82 9.760 1.197 From www.columbusguides.com, Copyright © 2004 Highbury Columbus Travel Publishing Terms and Conditions apply.