Slovakia

HISTORY

The Celts started to settle in the area that is now Slovakia around 450 BC.

The Roman Empire established many outposts along the Danube river. Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor from 161 to 180, wanted to create a new Roman province called Marcomannia in what is now Slovakia.

Slovakia was settled in the 5th to 6th centuries by Slavs and it was occupied by the Magyars in the 10th century becoming part of a kingdom of Hungary.

A significant decline in the population resulted from the invasion of the Mongols in 1241 and the subsequent famine.

In medieval times the area of the present-day Slovakia was characterized by the construction of numerous stone castles. Today, Slovakia has the highest number of castles and chateaux per person in the world, with 180 castles and 425 chateaux in a population of 5.4 million.

Bojnice Castle By Peter1170

The first written mention of name Slovakia was in 1586.  Linguist and Catholic priest Anton Bernolák was the author of the first ever literary language of Slovaks in the late eighteenth century. His language was the basis for the activities of the Slovenské učené tovarišstvo (Slovak Educated Brotherhood), established in 1792 in Trnava.

The world's oldest known smiley was on a 1635 Slovakian document, indicating the writer's happiness with the state of the Chamberlain of Trenčín's financial records.

Matica slovenská, Slovakia's public-law cultural and scientific institution focusing on topics around the Slovak nation, was established in Martin on August 4, 1863. This all-nation cultural institution was established as a result of the Slovak national efforts to lay the foundations of Slovak science, libraries and museums. The anniversary of the 1863 establishment of Matica slovenská on August 4 is locally known as Deň Matice Slovenskej, a Remembrance Day in Slovakia.

The creation of a dual monarchy, Austria-Hungary in 1867, enabled the Hungarian government to initiate a policy of suppressing the teaching of languages other than the Hungarian language in state schools. During this time, a nationalist movement arose among Slovakians.

A Slovak volunteers' corp during the fight for independence from the Kingdom of Hungary

The Martin Declaration of October 30, 1918 marked Slovakia's exit from the Kingdom of Hungary and the start of its union with the newly-created Czechoslovakia.

Slovakia was a puppet state under German domination between 1939-45, and was abolished as an administrative division in 1949.

Czechoslovakia was peacefully dissolved in what is dubbed by media as the Velvet Divorce in 1992, resulting in the creation of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The national flag of Slovakia is a horizontal tricolour of white, blue, and red. The flag is 2:3 in ratio. The white stripe is at the top, the blue stripe is in the middle, and the red stripe is at the bottom. The flag has a coat of arms in the center, which is a double cross on three hills. 

The Slovak flag was first used in the 19th century, during the Slovak National Revival. It was officially adopted as the national flag of Slovakia on September 3, 1992, when Slovakia declared its independence from Czechoslovakia.

Slovakia has been a member of the European Union since 2004 and its official currency is the Euro.

FUN SLOVAKIA FACTS

Slovakia has no access to the ocean. It is bordered by Austria in the southwest, Hungary in the south, Ukraine in the east, Poland in the north and Czech Republic in the northwest.

It's capital and chief city is Bratislava, which is located in the extreme southwest of Slovakia. It is the only capital of the world that borders with other two countries - Austria and Hungary, and also lies not far from the Czech Republic border.

The midpoint of Europe is a Slovak village, Kremnické Bane.

Slovakia is noted for its mountainous nature, with the Carpathian Mountains in the north and various lowlands mostly in the south. The highest mountain range are the Tatra mountains with the highest peak, the Gerlachov Peak (2,655 metres or 8,711 feet). Kriváň (2,495 metres or 8,186 feet), is the country's symbol on 1,2 and 5 euro cents.

Kriváň By Achernar 

The Slovak constitution guarantees a freedom of religion. The majority of Slovaks are Roman Catholics (69%).

Slovakian women marry, on average, at 24 — the youngest in the EU.

Slovakia is the world’s largest per-capita car producer with a total of 1,040,000 cars manufactured in the country in 2016 alone. The motor vehicle industry represents 43% of Slovakia's industrial output, and a quarter of its exports.

Slovakia's national dish is bryndzové halusky, a kind of gnocchi noodles with bacon and sheep’s cheese. Žinčica, a drink made of sheep milk whey, is traditionally drunk with this meal

Bryndzové Halušky with bacon. By Gregory finster

In Slovakia, cole slaw is known as ameriška solata, or “American salad.”

Source Daily Mail