25.

Slovakia My
Homeland

Slovakia - The Heart of

Europe

The Slovak Republic an independent state

in Central Europe
population - about 5 million people (including
Slovaks and minorities - Hungarian, Czech,
German, Polish, Ukrainian and Romany
the official language The Slovak language
the capital city - Bratislava (700,000
inhabitants)
bordered by Hungaria, The Czech Republic,
Austria, Poland, Ukraine
natural borders made by rivers (The
Moravia, The Danube), mountains (The
Carphatians, The High Tatras)
has one of the most spectacular scenery, old
towns, cities, castles, caves and spa
resorts in Europe

The Map of Slovak

Regions

The Flag of Slovakia

The current form of
the flag
of Slovakia was
adopted by Slovakia's
Constitution, which
came into force on 3
September 1992
The flag - uses the
white, blue and red
colours with the
national coat of arms

The Anthem of The Slovak

Republic

Nad Tatrou sa blska

(English: Lightning Over the Tatras)
is the national anthem of Slovakia. The origins of
the anthem are in the Central European
activism of the 19th century
main themes are a storm over
the Tatra mountains that symbolized danger to
the Slovaks, and a desire for a resolution of the
threat
it used to be particularly popular during the 18481849 insurgencies
During the days of the Czechoslovakia the
anthem was played in many Slovak towns at
12:00 noon.
this tradition ceased to exist after the two nations
split.
Nad Tatrou sa blska is now performed mainly
at special events, including sporting events

History of Slovakia
Slovakia is a very young
state. In the past it used
to be a part of
Czechoslovakia
Since the separation
from the Czech
Republic on January
1st, 1993 Slovakia has
been an independent
state

Government
the Slovak republic is a
democratic state
the government is divided
into 3 branches:
the legislative =
represented by the
Parliament
the executive =
represented by the
President and the
government
the judicial =
represented by the courts

Geography
Slovakia is a mountainous country
natural beauties of The High Tatras,
The Low Tatras, The Great Fatra,
The Small Fatra, The Slovak
Paradise and The Slovak Karst
The highest peak of Slovakia is
Gerlach (2655m high).
there are fertile lowlands in the south
of Slovakia where mainly wheat and
corn are grown.
there are also large vineyards in this
area
the climate is mostly continental
the warmest months are July and
August

Industry
the Slovak Republic is an
industrial country
the most important
industries are the
engineering industry,
chemical industry, food
and textile industry,
metallurgy, car industry
the greatest conglomerate
in Slovakia is The U.S.
Steel corporation in Koice
- aca

Places of Interest

Slovakia can be divided into 3 main parts: Western

Slovakia, Central Slovakia and Eastern Slovakia
The High Tatras are great for hill-walking, mountainclimbing, skiing and winter sports and relaxation wonderful views of the surrounding mountains but
also excellent climate for healing respiratory diseases
The Tatra National Park, there are about 1,500
species of plants, including the oldest protected flower
of Slovakia - the edelweiss - plesnivec
the fauna of the High Tatras includes bears, lynx
(rys), wild cats, otters (vydry), eagles (orly),
chamois (kamzk), marmot (svi) and others
The Slovak Paradise is a romantic and picturesque
region
There are many rocks, caves, wild and deep ravines
(priepasti), waterfalls, vast plains (rozahl plne) and
ridges (horsk hrebene) with fascinating views of the
area

The Dobinsk Ice Cave - one of the largest and

most beautiful ice caves in the world. It is the oldest
ice cave in Europe.
Ochtinsk Aragonit Cave: There are only 3 aragonite
caves in the world and one of them is in Slovakia.
many thermal springs and spas - healing various
diseases: Bardejov, Slia, ts, Dudince, Pieany,
Trenianske Teplice, Star Smokovec and many more
Levoa in the Spi region is famous for The Church
of St. James. There is the biggest woodcarved Gothic
altar in the world. The altar was made by Master Paul.
The Spi Castle - the largest castle in Central Europe
the largest medieval castle in Central Europe built in
the 12th century. It has been included into The
UNESCO World Heritage List
Betliar Chateau is in Gemer region. It was built as a
hunting chateau - has a great collection of furniture,
ceramics, porcelain, glass, weapons and a large
library. There is a beautiful park around the chateau.
Geyser in Herany is the only cold-water geyser in
Europe

Activities which tourists can

do in Slovakia

= have a quiet time in the forests;

= go hang-gliding, hiking or skiing in the
mountains
= go horseriding
= spend the night at the campfire;
= fly off the top of a mountain on a hang glider
or parachute
= have a rest in a comfortable hotel with its own
swimming pool and sauna
= have a romantic float down the rivers;
= relax and get healed in spas, mineral springs;
= visit beautiful caves, castles, monuments;
= attend a music festival (of folk, pop or country
music)
= see interesting folk architecture

Slovak people
Slovaks are said to be hospitable,
hardworking and willing to help
others. Foreigners appreciate the
close relationships Slovaks have
within their families. On the other
hand, some nations often say that
Slovaks underestimate
themselves (ovce)
Slovaks are also famous for being
patriots, they have a positive
attitude to their country. In spite of
that there have been several
waves of emigration in the history