Flag of Slovakia

Slovakia is a central European state, surrounded by the Czech Republic, from which it split in 1993, Poland, Ukraine, Hungary and Austria.

It is a parliamentary republic, member of the European Union since 2004, and is administratively divided into 8 regions (kraje; singular : kraj) : Banskobystricky, Bratislavsky, Kosicky, Nitriansky, Presovsky, Trenciansky, Trnavsky, Zilinsky. With an area of 48,845 km2, and a population of 5.5 million inhabitants (2009), Slovakia’s capital Bratislava (former Pressburg). Other major cities : Kosice, Presov, Komarno, Nove Zamky, Zvolen, Banska Bystrica, etc.