Country name
conventional long form: Slovak Republic
conventional short form: Slovakia
local long form: Slovenska Republika
local short form: Slovensko

Data code LO

Government type parliamentary democracy

National capital Bratislava

Administrative divisions 8 departments (kraje, singular - kraj); Banskobystricky, Bratislavsky, Kosicky, Nitriansky, Presovsky, Trenciansky, Trnavsky, Zilinsky

Independence 1 January 1993 (from Czechoslovakia)

National holiday Slovak Constitution Day, 1 September (1992); Anniversary of Slovak National Uprising, 29 August (1944)

Constitution ratified 1 September 1992, fully effective 1 January 1993

Legal system civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to comply with the obligations of Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory

Suffrage 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
chief of state: President Michal KOVAC (since 2 March 1993); note - leaves office 2 March 1998; first round of voting for his replacement occurred 29 January 1998
head of government: Prime Minister Vladimir MECIAR (since 12 December 1994)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president elected by National Council for a five-year term; election last held 8 February 1993 (next to be held March 1998); following National Council elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president
election results: Michal KOVAC elected president; percent of parliamentary vote - NA

Legislative branch unicameral National Council of the Slovak Republic or Narodna Rada Slovensky Repubiky (150 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 30 September-1 October 1994 (next to be held 26-27 September 1998)
election results: percent of vote by party - HZDS 35%, SDL 10.4%, Hungarian coalition (Hungarian Christian Democrats, Hungarian Civic Party, Coexistence) 10.2%, KDH 10.1%, DU 8.6%, ZRS 7.3%, SNS 5.4%; seats by party - governing coalition 83 (HZDS 61, ZRS 13, SNS 9), opposition 67 (SDL 18, Hungarian coalition 17, KDH 17, DU 15)

Judicial branch Supreme Court, judges are elected by the National Parliament; Constitutional Court

Political parties and leaders Movement for a Democratic Slovakia or HZDS [Vladimir MECIAR, chairman]; Party of the Democratic Left or SDL [Jozef MIGAS, chairman]; Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement or MKDH [Bela BUGAR]; Hungarian Civic Party or MOS [Laszlo A. NAGY, president]; Coexistence [Miklos DURAY, chairman]; Christian Democratic Movement or KDH [Jan CARNOGURSKY, chairman]; Democratic Union or DU [Jozef MORAVCIK, chairman]; Association of Slovak Workers or ZRS [Jan LUPTAK, chairman]; Slovak National Party or SNS [Jan SLOTA, chairman]; Slovak Green Alternative or SZA [Zora LAZAROVA, chairwoman]; Farmers' Party of Slovakia or RSS [Pavel DELINGA, chairman], note - Pavel DELINGA was elected chairman of New Agrarian Party or NAS in November 1997 which emerged from a merger of the Slovak Farmer's Party or RSS and the Farmers Movement of the Slovak Republic or HPS; Social Democratic Party of Slovakia or SSDS [Jaroslav VOLF, chairman]; Party of Greens in Slovakia or SZS [Zdeuka TOTHORA, chairman]; Democratic Party or DS [Jan LANGOS, chairman]; Slovak Democratic Coalition or SDK (includes KDH, DS, DU, SSDS, SZS) [Mikulas DZURINDA]

Political pressure groups and leaders Party of Entrepreneurs and Businessmen of Slovakia; Christian Social Union; Confederation of Trade Unions or KOZ; Metal Workers Unions or KOVO and METALURG; Association of Employers of Slovakia; Association of Towns and Villages or ZMOS

International organization participation Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CCC, CE (guest), CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NSG, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Branislav LICHARDUS
chancery: (temporary) Suite 250, 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 965-5161
FAX: [1] (202) 965-5166

Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Ralph R. JOHNSON
embassy: Hviezdoslavovo Namestie 4, 81102 Bratislava
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [42] (7) 533-0861, 533-3338
FAX: [42] (7) 533-5439

Flag description three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red superimposed with the Slovak cross in a shield centered on the hoist side; the cross is white centered on a background of red and blue

NOTE: The information regarding Slovakia on this page is re-published from the 1998 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Slovakia Government 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Slovakia Government 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.