Official name: Slovak Republic
Area: 49.035 sq. km (18.933 sq. miles)
The capital: Bratislava (population: 452.288 )
Population: 5.395.000 (population census in 1999)
Population density: 109.9 inhabitants per sq. km
Official language: Slovak

Nationalities:
Slovak (86 %), Hungarian (10 %), Roma, Czech, Ruthenian, German, Polish, Ukrainian

Religion:
Roman Catholic (60 %), Greek Catholic, Lutheran, Russian Orthodox, Calvinist, Jewish

Electricity:
220 V/50 Hz, two-pole socket with safety pin

Location:
The Slovak Republic lies in Central Europe. The country´s geography is characterized by major differences in the height above sea. Central and northern Slovakia is a mountainous region, which is covered by the Carpathians. Southern and eastern Slovakia is a lowland region, being an important agricultural area of the country. The Danube River connects Slovakia with Vienna and Budapest, the Rhine-Main channel, and the Black sea ports.

Borders:
Hungary (679 km), Poland (597.5 km), Czech Republic (265 km), Austria (127.2 km), Ukraine (98 km)

Climate:
The Slovak Republic lies in the mild zone with continental climate and with
distinctive rotation of seasons. The average daily temperature is -2 °C in winter, 21 °C in summer. The coldest month is January; the warmest months are July and August. In average, the snow keeps up in the highest locations 130 days a year.

Time Zone: 1 hour ahead of GMT, the summer time, which lasts from March to October is 2 hours ahead of GMT, as in most European countries.

Currency:
EURO

Foreign currency (including travellers cheques) can be exchanged at exchange offices, main hotels, all banks, road border crossings, as well as major travel agencies.

Telephone: Direct international telephone calls can be made to most countries in the world. IDD is available. Country code: 421. Outgoing international code: 00+the code of the appropriate state + area code + telephone/fax number

Home and foreign calls are enabled by public telephones functioning on coins or cards. Telephone calls on significant numbers (see lower) are free of charge. Emergency centres offer permanent service including aid on car accidents and repair all vehicle types.

Important telephone numbers:

Police:....................................................................155
Medical emergency:....................................................158
Fire emergency:........................................................150
Telegrams:..............................................................127
Telephone information service:......................................1181
International telephone information service:......................1181
Road emergency:(ASA Slovakia)....................................18124

These numbers operate throughout Slovakia.

National and public holidays:

January, 1st       - New Year's Day, Establishment of the Slovak Republic
January, 6th       - Three Magi, Orthodox Christmas
March, April         - Good Friday Easter Monday
May, 1st              - May Day
May,8th               - Victory Day - The End of the second World War
July, 5th              - The Holiday of St. Cyril and St. Method
August, 29th       - The Slovak National Uprising anniversary
September, 1st    - The Constitution Day
September, 15th  - Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows
November,1st      - All Saints' Day
November, 17th   - Day of Fight for Freedom and Democracy
December, 24th   - Christmas Eve
December, 25th-26th - Christmas Holidays

All shops and institutions are closed on national holidays.

Credit cards:
Major credit cards (American Express, Diners Club, VISA and Eurocard/Mastercard) and debit cards (Maestro and Visa Electron) may be used to withdraw cash from ATMs of major banks (VUB, Tatra Banka, Slovenska Sporitelna) and for payments in hotels, restaurants, shops and petrol stations. Credit cards can also be used to obtain cash. Check with your credit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other available services.

Travellers cheques:
Thomas Cook, American Express and Visa travellers cheques are accepted in most major banks (VÚB, TatraBanka, Slovenská Sporitežňa) and at exchange offices. Bank commissions are at least 1% of the nominal cheque value. To avoid additional charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in US Dollars, Pounds Sterling or Euros.

Eurocheque: These must be used with a cheque guarantee card and may be cashed up to a maximum of 6500 Sk per cheque. Up to 10 cheques may be presented at once.
Currency restrictions:

The import and export of local and foreign currency is permitted up to the equivalent of 150.000 Sk. All currency must be declared.

Passports and visas:
PASSPORT: It is requiered to have a valid passport for the duration of stay in Slovakia or for 2 months from the date of expiration, if an entry visa is required. Citizens of the Czech Republic, Germany and Switzerland can enter Slovakia just with a valid national ID card.

VISAS: Required by all nationals except the following:
(a) nationals of the UK for stays of up to 180 days;
(b) nationals of other EU countries for stays of up to 90 days (except nationals of Italy for up to 30 days);
(c) nationals of Canada, Estonia, Hungary, Israel, Korea (Rep. of), Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malaysia, Poland, Slovenia, New Zealand, Andorra, Aruba and Chile for stays up to 90 days;
(d) nationals of Iceland, Malta, Monaco, Norway, Switzerland for up to 3 months
(e) nationals of Bulgaria, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Romania, San Marino, South Africa, USA and Vatican City for up to 30 days;
(e) nationals of Singapore and Hong Kong for up to 14 days;
(f) nationals of the Czech Republic for an unlimited period.

PLEASE NOTICE: It is impossible to obtain an entry visa upon an arrival to the Bratislava Airport or any other port of entry to Slovakia. PLease contact the nearest Slovak Embassy for visa information.

Important customs rules

The following duty-free items can be imported to Slovakia:

Tobacco products: 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50cigars or 250 g tobacco or a combination in the respective amount
Alcoholic beverages:1 l of spirits, 2 l of wine
Petrol: maximum reserve of 10 l
Perfumes: 50 g
Eau-de-toilette: 250 ml
Drugs: according to personal need
Gifts and other items up to the value of 175,- EUR
Home animals can be transported only with the respective veterinary permission
Weapons : with the covering letter only

On leaving the country approximately the same rules apply. Objects of art and historical value need a license and custom duty.

Accommodation
There are more than 1,000 hotels in Slovakia [hotel guide- www.travelguide.sk], and the number of private lodging facilities is increasing. The hotels are classified in accordance with the international standards from one-star to five-star - according to their equipment and services offered. Tourists may also stay in private lodgings, guesthouses, quarters and camps. There are many small villages in the mountains and below with well-equipped family houses, partly serving as lodgings for tourists. In holiday resorts, visitors can select lodging from many individual cottages.

Shopping - opening hours
Most shops are open on Mondays-Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Smaller shops have lunch breaks. Big storehouses and shopping centres are open to 7 p.m. or to 9 p.m. The hyper-markets TESCO (Banska Bystrica, Bratislava, Kosice, Nitra, Trnava) trade net is open non-stop. Basic food can be bought in smaller shops (Večierka), which are open seven days a week and also during the nights.

Gastronomy
Gastronomy shows the influence of the narrow contact with the neighbouring countries. European meals, home specialities and foreign meals are available. In Bratislava they offer unlimited choice, including kosher food, French meals, as well as the "smorgasbord". Motorests and original "tchardas" present all kinds of regional specialities - from Slovak cooking in the north of the country to Hungarian and fish meals in the Danubian region in the southern part of the country.