Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 5.1% (FY98/99)
Transnational Issues
Disputes—international: two islands in dispute with Malaysia
Illicit drugs: transit point for Golden Triangle heroin going to the US, Western Europe, and the Third World; also a money-laundering center
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@Slovakia ————
Introduction
Background: After centuries under foreign rule, mainly by Hungary, the Slovaks joined with their neighbors to form the new nation of Czechoslovakia in 1918. Following the chaos of World War II, Czechoslovakia became a communist nation within Soviet-ruled Eastern Europe. Soviet influence collapsed in 1989, and Czechoslovakia once more was an independent country turning toward the West. The Slovaks and the Czechs agreed to separate peacefully on 1 January 1993. Slovakia has experienced more difficulty than the Czech Republic in developing a modern market economy.
Geography
Location: Central Europe, south of Poland