*Singapore, Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, People's Defense Force, Police Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 853,440; fit for military service 629,055 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $1.7 billion, 4% of GDP (1990 est.)
*Slovakia, Geography
Location:
Eastern Europe, between Hungary and Poland
Map references:
Ethnic Groups in Eastern Europe, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
48,845 km2
land area:
48,800 km2
comparative area:
about twice the size of New Hampshire
Land boundaries:
total 1,355 km, Austria 91 km, Czech Republic 215 km, Hungary 515 km, Poland
444 km, Ukraine 90 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none; landlocked
International disputes:
Gabcikovo-Nagymaros Dam dispute with Hungary; unresolved property issues
with Czech Republic over redistribution of former Czechoslovak federal
property; establishment of international border between the Czech Republic
and Slovakia
Climate:
temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters
Terrain:
rugged mountains in the central and northern part and lowlands in the south
Natural resources:
brown coal and lignite; small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganese ore;
salt; gas
Land use:
arable land:
NA%
permanent crops:
NA%
meadows and pastures:
NA%
forest and woodland:
NA%
other:
NA%
Irrigated land:
NA km2
Environment:
severe damage to forests from "acid rain" caused by coal-fired power
stations
Note:
landlocked
*Slovakia, People
Population:
5,375,501 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.51% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
14.59 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
9.47 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
10.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
72.39 years
male:
68.18 years
female:
76.85 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.99 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Slovak(s)
adjective:
Slovak
Ethnic divisions:
Slovak 85.6%, Hungarian 10.8%, Gypsy 1.5% (the 1992 census figures
underreport the Gypsy/Romany community, which could reach 500,000 or more),
Czech 1.1%, Ruthenian 15,000, Ukrainian 13,000, Moravian 6,000, German
5,000, Polish 3,000
Religions:
Roman Catholic 60.3%, atheist 9.7%, Protestant 8.4%, Orthodox 4.1%, other
17.5%
Languages:
Slovak (official), Hungarian
Literacy:
total population:
NA%
male:
NA%
female:
NA%
Labor force:
2.484 million
by occupation:
industry 33.2%, agriculture 12.2%, construction 10.3%, communication and
other 44.3% (1990)
*Slovakia, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Slovak Republic
conventional short form:
Slovakia
local long form:
Slovenska Republika
local short form:
Slovensko
Digraph:
LO
Type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Bratislava
Administrative divisions:
4 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) Bratislava,
Zapadoslovensky, Stredoslovensky, Vychodoslovensky
Independence:
1 January 1993 (from Czechoslovakia)
Constitution:
ratified 3 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 Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) and
to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory
National holiday:
Slovak National Uprising, August 29 (1944)
Political parties and leaders:
Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement, Vojtech BUGAR; Christian Democratic
Movement, Jan CARNOGURSKY; Movement for a Democratic Slovakia, Vladimir
MECIAR, chairman; Party of the Democratic Left, Peter WEISS, chairman;
Slovak National Party, Ludovit CERNAK, chairman; Coexistence, Miklos DURAY,
chairman; Party of Conservative Democrats, leader NA
Other political or pressure groups:
Green Party; Democratic Party; Social Democratic Party in Slovakia; Movement
for Czech-Slovak Accord; Freedom Party; Slovak Christian Union; Hungarian
Civic Party
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Elections:
President:
last held 8 February 1993 (next to be held NA 1998); results - Michal KOVAC
elected by the National Council
National Council:
last held 5-6 June 1992 (next to be held NA June 1996); results - Movement
for a Democratic Slovakia 37%, Party of the Democratic Left 15%, Christian
Democratic Movement 9%, Slovak National Party 8%, Hungarian Christian
Democratic Movement/Coexistence 7%; seats - (150 total) Movement for a
Democratic Slovakia, 74, Party of the Democratic Left 29, Christian
Democratic Movement 18, Slovak National Party 15, Hungarian Christian
Democratic Movement/Coexistence 14
Executive branch:
president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Council (Narodni Rada)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
*Slovakia, Government
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Michal KOVAC (since 8 February 1993)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Vladimir MECIAR (since NA), Deputy Prime Minister Roman KOVAC
(since NA)
Member of:
BIS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICFTU, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM
(observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NACC, NAM (guest), NSG, PCA, UN (as of 8
January 1993), UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOSOM, UNPROFOR, UPU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Charge d'Affaires Dr. Milan ERBAN chancery:
3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 363-6315 or 6316
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Elect Eleanor SUTTER
embassy:
Hviczdoslavovo Namestie 4, 81102 Bratislava
mailing address:
use embassy street address
telephone:
427 330 861
Flag:
three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red superimposed with
a crest with a white double cross on three blue mountains