20 Interesting Facts about Slovakia

• Location and Borders: Slovakia is located in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest.
• Square: The country covers an area of approximately 49,035 square kilometers.
• National Currency: The currency of Slovakia is the Euro (EUR). Slovakia adopted the Euro on January 1, 2009, replacing the Slovak koruna.

Interesting Facts about Slovakia:

1. About eighty percent of Slovakia’s territory is situated at an elevation of over 800 meters, with the Tatras being its main decoration and highest point.
2. Approximately ninety percent of Slovaks have a secondary education, one of the highest rates in the European Union, alongside Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia.
3. Slovakia is home to around two hundred castles and fortresses, many of which have peaceful and charming courtyards perfect for exploration.
4. The official national language, Slovak, belongs to the Slavic language family and is somewhat similar to Russian.
5. The majority of Slovakia’s population is Catholic (60%), while the Orthodox Church constitutes only 0.7%, with the rest being small communities of other religions. There is also a Jewish religious group.
6. Slovakia does not have a traditional Santa Claus. Instead, New Year’s celebrations are marked by a devilish carnival rather than the customary Christmas tree dance.
7. The Church of St. James in Slovakia houses the largest wooden altar in the world, measuring over eighteen meters in height and more than six meters in width.
8. Due to its geographical location, Slovakia is a center for many tourist routes, including European combined tours.
9. In the 19th century, eighty-five percent of Czechs spoke German, with only fifteen percent speaking Czech.
10. Slovakia is a world leader in car production per capita, with factories from Volkswagen, Peugeot, Kia, and others spread across the country.
11. The average salary differs between the eastern and western regions of Slovakia, approximately seven hundred euros. In comparison, the average salary in the Czech Republic is nine hundred eighty euros.
12. The small town of Štúrovo is conveniently located in western Slovakia on the picturesque Danube River. It is situated on the border with Hungary and even connected by a bridge to Esztergom, Hungary.
13. Slovakia and Poland have the largest average household sizes in the European Union, each with 3.1 persons per household.
14. Slovakia has a remarkable place known to smokers worldwide – the Lingo Bar, which boasts the largest collection of lighters in the country, with around four thousand exhibits.
15. The first example of outsourcing in animation was the American cartoon “Tom and Jerry,” with many episodes from the 1960s being animated in Prague by the Czechoslovak studio “Brothers in Trick.”
16. On January 1, 1993, Slovakia became independent from Czechoslovakia and simultaneously adopted its own constitution.
17. Slovakia has fourteen major breweries, with the oldest being the Pilsner Brewery in Vienna, founded in the 15th century.
18. Only two cities in Slovakia have populations of over one hundred thousand people: the capital, Bratislava, with 430,000 residents, and Košice, with 355,000 residents.
19. The Slovak landscape includes beautiful natural formations like the Slovak Paradise National Park, known for its stunning gorges, caves, and waterfalls.
20. Slovakia is famous for its traditional folk music and dance, including the vibrant and colorful “fujara” and “kontra” music styles.