Slovakia is a landlocked Central European country with mountainous regions in the north and flat terrain in the south. [1] During much of the Holocene, Slovakia was much more forested than today. [1] Decline of the forest occurred in as consequence of the Valachian colonization and the development of mining in the territory. [1]
Land use:
agricultural land: 40.1%
arable land: 28.9%; permanent crops: 0.4%; permanent pasture: 10.8%
forest: 40.2%
other: 19.7% (2011 est.)
Natural resources:
Lignite, small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganese ore; salt; arable land
Natural Hazards:
Flooding
Environment-international agreements:
Party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling.
Signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Slovakia lies between 49°36'48" and 47°44'21" northern latitude and 16°50'56" and 22°33'53" eastern longitude.
The northernmost point is near Beskydok, a mountain on the border with Poland near the village of Oravská Polhora in the Beskids. The southernmost point is near the village of Patince on the Danube on the border with Hungary. The westernmost point is on the Morava River near Záhorská Ves on the Austrian border. The easternmost point is close to the summit of Kremenec, a mountain near the village of Nová Sedlica at the meeting point of Slovak, Polish, and Ukrainian borders.
The highest point is at the summit of Gerlachovský štít in the High Tatras, 2,655 m (8,710.6 ft), the lowest point is the surface of the Bodrog River on the Hungarian border at 94 m (308.4 ft).
The country's area is 48,845 km2 (18,859 sq mi). 31% is arable land, 17% pastures, 41% forests, 3% cultivated land. The remaining 8% is mostly covered with human structures and infrastructure, and partly with rocky mountain ridges and other unimproved land. [2]
Slovakia borders Poland in the north - 547 km (339.9 mi), Ukraine in the east - 98 km (60.9 mi), Hungary in the south - 679 km (421.9 mi), Austria in the south-west - 106 km (65.9 mi), and the Czech Republic in the north-west - 252 km (156.6 mi) for a total border length of 1,672 km (1,038.9 mi). [3]
The village of Veľké Slemence (Ukrainian: Mali Slementsi/Малі Селменці, Hungarian: Szelmenc) is an anomaly, as it is a village with a majority of Hungarians, but it is split between Slovakia and Ukraine. [4]
There are 9 national parks in Slovakia, covering 6.5% of the Slovak land surface. [5]
| Name | Established | Area (km2) |
|---|---|---|
| Tatra National Park | 1949 | 738 |
| Low Tatras National Park | 1978 | 728 |
| Veľká Fatra National Park | 2002 | 404 |
| Slovak Karst National Park | 2002 | 346 |
| Poloniny National Park | 1997 | 298 |
| Malá Fatra National Park | 1988 | 226 |
| Muránska planina National Park | 1998 | 203 |
| Slovak Paradise National Park | 1988 | 197 |
| Pieniny National Park | 1967 | 38 |
The Tatra Mountains, with 29 peaks higher than 2,500 metres (8,202 feet) AMSL, are the highest mountain range in the Carpathian Mountains. The Tatras occupy an area of 750 square kilometres (290 sq mi), of which the greater part 600 square kilometres (232 sq mi) lies in Slovakia. They are divided into several parts.
To the north, close to the Polish border, are the High Tatras which are a popular hiking and skiing destination and home to many scenic lakes and valleys as well as the highest point in Slovakia, the Gerlachovský štít at 2,655 metres (8,711 ft) and the country's highly symbolic mountain Kriváň. To the west are the Western Tatras with their highest peak of Bystrá at 2,248 metres (7,375 ft) and to the east are the Belianske Tatras, smallest by area.
Separated from the Tatras proper by the valley of the Váh river are the Low Tatras, with their highest peak of Ďumbier at 2,043 metres (6,703 ft).
The Tatra mountain range is represented as one of the three hills on the coat of arms of Slovakia.
Slovakia has hundreds of caves and caverns under its mountains, of which 30 are open to the public. [6] Most of the caves have stalagmites rising from the ground and stalactites hanging from above. There are currently five Slovak caves under UNESCO's World Heritage Site status. They are Dobšiná Ice Cave, Domica, Gombasek Cave, Jasovská Cave and Ochtinská Aragonite Cave. Other caves open to the public include Belianska Cave, Demänovská Cave of Liberty, Demänovská Ice Cave or Bystrianska Cave.
Most of the rivers arise in the Slovak mountains. Some only pass through Slovakia, while others make a natural border with surrounding countries (more than 620 kilometres [390 mi]). For example, the Dunajec (17 kilometres [11 mi]) to the north, the Danube (172 kilometres [107 mi]) to the south or the Morava (119 kilometres [74 mi]) to the West. The total length of the rivers on Slovak territory is 49,774 kilometres (30,928 mi).
The longest river in Slovakia is the Váh (403 kilometres [250 mi]), the shortest is the Čierna voda. Other important and large rivers are the Myjava, the Nitra (197 kilometres [122 mi]), the Orava, the Hron (298 kilometres [185 mi]), the Hornád (193 kilometres [120 mi]), the Slaná (110 kilometres [68 mi]), the Ipeľ (232 kilometres [144 mi], forming the border with Hungary), the Bodrog, the Laborec, the Latorica and the Ondava.
The biggest volume of discharge in Slovak rivers is during spring, when the snow melts from the mountains. The only exception is the Danube, whose discharge is the greatest during summer when the snow melts in the Alps. The Danube is the largest river that flows through Slovakia. [7]
The Slovak climate lies between the temperate and continental climate zones with relatively warm summers and cold, cloudy and humid winters. Temperature extremes are between −41 and 40.3 °C (−41.8 and 104.5 °F) although temperatures below −30 °C (−22 °F) are rare. The weather differs from the mountainous north to the plains in the south.
The warmest region is Bratislava and Southern Slovakia where the temperatures may reach 30 °C (86 °F) in summer, occasionally to 39 °C (102 °F) in Hurbanovo. During night, the temperatures drop to 20 °C (68 °F). The daily temperatures in winter average in the range of −5 °C (23 °F) to 10 °C (50 °F). During night it may be freezing, but usually not below −10 °C (14 °F).
In Slovakia, there are four seasons, each season (spring, summer, autumn and winter) lasts three months. The dry continental air brings in the summer heat and winter frosts. In contrast, oceanic air brings rainfalls and reduces summer temperatures. In the lowlands and valleys, there is often fog, especially in winter.
Spring starts with 21 March and is characterised by colder weather with an average daily temperature of 9 °C (48 °F) in the first weeks and about 14 °C (57 °F) in May and 17 °C (63 °F) in June. In Slovakia, the weather and climate in the spring are very unstable.
Summer starts on 22 June and is usually characterised by hot weather with daily temperatures exceeding 30 °C (86 °F). July and August are the warmest months with temperatures up to about 37 to 40 °C (99 to 104 °F), especially in regions of southern Slovakia - in the urban area of Komárno, Hurbanovo or Štúrovo. Showers or thunderstorms may occur because of the summer monsoon called Medardova kvapka (Medard drop - 40 days of rain). Summer in Northern Slovakia is usually mild with temperatures around 25 °C (77 °F) (less in the mountains).
Autumn in Slovakia starts on 23 September and is mostly characterised by wet weather and wind, although the first weeks can be very warm and sunny. The average temperature in September is around 14 °C (57 °F), in November to 3 °C (37 °F). Late September and early October is a dry and sunny time of year (so-called Indian summer).
Winter starts on 21 December with temperatures around −5 to −10 °C (23 to 14 °F). In December and January, it is usually snowing, these are the coldest months of the year. At lower altitudes, snow does not stay the whole winter, it changes into the thaw and frost. Winters are colder in the mountains, where the snow usually lasts until March or April and the night temperatures fall to −20 °C (−4 °F) and colder. [8]
| Climate data for Bratislava (1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 19.8 (67.6) | 19.1 (66.4) | 25.0 (77.0) | 30.3 (86.5) | 33.4 (92.1) | 36.3 (97.3) | 38.2 (100.8) | 39.3 (102.7) | 34.0 (93.2) | 30.0 (86.0) | 21.3 (70.3) | 17.9 (64.2) | 39.3 (102.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 2.7 (36.9) | 5.1 (41.2) | 10.3 (50.5) | 16.7 (62.1) | 21.8 (71.2) | 24.9 (76.8) | 27.5 (81.5) | 27.0 (80.6) | 21.7 (71.1) | 15.6 (60.1) | 8.2 (46.8) | 3.3 (37.9) | 15.4 (59.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −0.4 (31.3) | 1.2 (34.2) | 5.5 (41.9) | 11.0 (51.8) | 16.0 (60.8) | 19.1 (66.4) | 21.3 (70.3) | 20.7 (69.3) | 15.9 (60.6) | 10.4 (50.7) | 4.9 (40.8) | 0.7 (33.3) | 10.5 (50.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −3.4 (25.9) | −2.3 (27.9) | 1.3 (34.3) | 5.4 (41.7) | 10.2 (50.4) | 13.4 (56.1) | 15.4 (59.7) | 15.0 (59.0) | 11.0 (51.8) | 6.1 (43.0) | 1.8 (35.2) | −1.9 (28.6) | 6.0 (42.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −24.6 (−12.3) | −20 (−4) | −15.1 (4.8) | −4.4 (24.1) | −2 (28) | 3.0 (37.4) | 7.0 (44.6) | 5.0 (41.0) | −2.0 (28.4) | −8 (18) | −12 (10) | −20 (−4) | −24.6 (−12.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 39 (1.5) | 37 (1.5) | 38 (1.5) | 34 (1.3) | 55 (2.2) | 57 (2.2) | 53 (2.1) | 59 (2.3) | 55 (2.2) | 38 (1.5) | 54 (2.1) | 46 (1.8) | 565 (22.2) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 10.7 (4.2) | 5.7 (2.2) | 1.6 (0.6) | 0.2 (0.1) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.2 (0.1) | 1.8 (0.7) | 4.0 (1.6) | 24.2 (9.5) |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 83 | 78 | 71 | 64 | 67 | 66 | 64 | 65 | 73 | 78 | 83 | 85 | 73 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 65.1 | 81.9 | 151.9 | 204.0 | 263.5 | 270.0 | 275.9 | 269.7 | 207.0 | 142.6 | 60.0 | 46.5 | 2,038.1 |
| Average ultraviolet index | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Source: Pogodaiklimat.ru, [9] Climatemps [10] and Weather Atlas [11] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Košice, Slovakia (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1980−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 13.1 (55.6) | 16.5 (61.7) | 23.2 (73.8) | 28.7 (83.7) | 31.7 (89.1) | 34.6 (94.3) | 38.0 (100.4) | 36.1 (97.0) | 34.1 (93.4) | 26.6 (79.9) | 22.4 (72.3) | 13.3 (55.9) | 38.0 (100.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 1.0 (33.8) | 3.7 (38.7) | 9.9 (49.8) | 16.5 (61.7) | 21.2 (70.2) | 24.8 (76.6) | 26.6 (79.9) | 26.8 (80.2) | 21.2 (70.2) | 14.8 (58.6) | 8.1 (46.6) | 1.8 (35.2) | 14.7 (58.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −2.6 (27.3) | −0.4 (31.3) | 4.5 (40.1) | 9.6 (49.3) | 14.6 (58.3) | 17.5 (63.5) | 19.3 (66.7) | 19.1 (66.4) | 14.8 (58.6) | 9.4 (48.9) | 3.0 (37.4) | −1.3 (29.7) | 9.0 (48.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −4.8 (23.4) | −3.5 (25.7) | 0.0 (32.0) | 5.0 (41.0) | 9.6 (49.3) | 13.2 (55.8) | 14.8 (58.6) | 14.6 (58.3) | 10.1 (50.2) | 5.3 (41.5) | 1.2 (34.2) | −3.3 (26.1) | 5.2 (41.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −25.9 (−14.6) | −22.3 (−8.1) | −16.4 (2.5) | −7.2 (19.0) | −2.0 (28.4) | 2.9 (37.2) | 5.6 (42.1) | 1.2 (34.2) | 0.3 (32.5) | −7.5 (18.5) | −13.5 (7.7) | −19.2 (−2.6) | −25.9 (−14.6) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 25.7 (1.01) | 26.8 (1.06) | 23.6 (0.93) | 42.4 (1.67) | 69.4 (2.73) | 87.5 (3.44) | 93.5 (3.68) | 66.5 (2.62) | 50.1 (1.97) | 51.1 (2.01) | 40.2 (1.58) | 36.1 (1.42) | 612.9 (24.12) |
| Average precipitation days | 12.7 | 10.8 | 9.0 | 10.8 | 13.3 | 13.4 | 12.9 | 9.7 | 10.7 | 11.0 | 11.9 | 14.2 | 140.4 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 78 | 72 | 59 | 51 | 51 | 55 | 53 | 53 | 53 | 61 | 76 | 82 | 62 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 67 | 86 | 166 | 204 | 266 | 259 | 282 | 258 | 216 | 153 | 68 | 47 | 2,072 |
| Source 1: World Meteorological Organisation [12] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Danish Meteorological Institute (humidity and sun 1931–1960) [13] [14] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Hurbanovo | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 13.4 (56.1) | 20.8 (69.4) | 25.7 (78.3) | 30.0 (86.0) | 33.4 (92.1) | 34.8 (94.6) | 40.3 (104.5) | 38.0 (100.4) | 33.4 (92.1) | 27.6 (81.7) | 23.2 (73.8) | 19.0 (66.2) | 40.3 (104.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 1.6 (34.9) | 4.8 (40.6) | 10.6 (51.1) | 16.6 (61.9) | 21.7 (71.1) | 24.7 (76.5) | 26.8 (80.2) | 26.2 (79.2) | 22.3 (72.1) | 16.3 (61.3) | 8.4 (47.1) | 3.2 (37.8) | 15.3 (59.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −1.5 (29.3) | 1.0 (33.8) | 5.4 (41.7) | 10.7 (51.3) | 15.6 (60.1) | 18.7 (65.7) | 20.2 (68.4) | 19.5 (67.1) | 15.5 (59.9) | 10.2 (50.4) | 4.7 (40.5) | 0.4 (32.7) | 10.0 (50.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −4.7 (23.5) | −2.5 (27.5) | 0.9 (33.6) | 5.0 (41.0) | 9.6 (49.3) | 12.7 (54.9) | 13.8 (56.8) | 13.5 (56.3) | 10.1 (50.2) | 5.4 (41.7) | 1.4 (34.5) | −2.5 (27.5) | 5.2 (41.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −23.0 (−9.4) | −22.4 (−8.3) | −21.4 (−6.5) | −5.3 (22.5) | −1.8 (28.8) | 2.2 (36.0) | 4.5 (40.1) | 4.5 (40.1) | −1.7 (28.9) | −1.6 (29.1) | −14.1 (6.6) | −21.0 (−5.8) | −23.0 (−9.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 33.9 (1.33) | 34.0 (1.34) | 26.6 (1.05) | 38.8 (1.53) | 55.3 (2.18) | 60.8 (2.39) | 50.7 (2.00) | 37.0 (1.46) | 38.9 (1.53) | 32.2 (1.27) | 53.7 (2.11) | 39.8 (1.57) | 521.7 (20.54) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 6.9 | 6.4 | 5.9 | 6.4 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 7.1 | 6.8 | 5.6 | 5.0 | 7.8 | 7.5 | 82.0 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 83 | 79 | 72 | 65 | 66 | 68 | 66 | 69 | 74 | 76 | 82 | 85 | 74 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 61.9 | 85.0 | 134.3 | 178.8 | 229.0 | 237.4 | 259.4 | 236.8 | 184.3 | 143.7 | 69.1 | 51.6 | 1,871.3 |
| Source: NOAA [15] OGIMET [16] | |||||||||||||
Slovakia signed the Rio Convention on Biological Diversity on 19 May 1993, and became a party to the convention on 25 August 1994. [17] It has subsequently produced a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, which was received by the convention on 2 November 1998. [18]
The biodiversity of Slovakia comprises animals (such as annelids, arthropods, molluscs, nematodes and vertebrates), fungi (Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Chytridiomycota, Glomeromycota and Zygomycota), micro-organisms (including Mycetozoa), and plants. The geographical position of Slovakia determines the richness of the diversity of fauna and flora. More than 11,000 plant species have been described throughout its territory, nearly 29,000 animal species and over 1,000 species of protozoa. Endemic biodiversity is also common. [19]
Slovakia is located in the biome of temperate broadleaf and mixed forests and terrestrial ecoregions of Pannonian mixed forests and Carpathian montane conifer forests. [20] As the altitude changes, the vegetation associations and animal communities are forming height levels (oak, beech, spruce, scrub pine, alpine meadows and subsoil). Forests cover 44% of the territory of Slovakia. [21] The country had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 4.34/10, ranking it 129th globally out of 172 countries. [22] In terms of forest stands, 60% are broadleaf trees and 40% are coniferous trees. The occurrence of animal species is strongly connected to the appropriate types of plant associations and biotopes. [19]
Over 4,000 species of fungi have been recorded from Slovakia. [23] [24] Of these, nearly 1,500 are lichen-forming species. [25] Some of these fungi are undoubtedly endemic, but not enough is known to say how many. Of the lichen-forming species, about 40% have been classified as threatened in some way. About 7% are apparently extinct, 9% endangered, 17% vulnerable, and 7% rare. The conservation status of non-lichen-forming fungi in Slovakia is not well documented, but there is a red list for its larger fungi. [26]
Hungary is a landlocked country in the southeastern region of Central Europe, bordering the Balkans. Situated in the Pannonian Basin, it has a land area of 93,030 square km, measuring about 250 km from north to south and 524 km from east to west. It has 2,106 km of boundaries, shared with Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia to the south and southwest, Slovenia to the west and southwest, and Austria to the west.
Lithuania is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. The most populous of the Baltic states, Lithuania has 262 km (163 mi) of coastline consisting of the continental coast and the "Curonian Spit" coast. Lithuania's major warm-water port of Klaipėda lies at the narrow mouth of Curonian Lagoon, a shallow lagoon extending south to Kaliningrad and separated from the Baltic sea by Curonian Spit, where Kuršių Nerija National Park was established for its remarkable sand dunes.
With an area of 238,397 km2 (92,046 sq mi), Romania is the twelfth-largest country in Europe. It is a Balkan country located at the crossroads of Eastern and Southeast Europe. It's bordered on the Black Sea, the country is halfway between the equator and the North Pole and equidistant from the westernmost part of Europe—the Atlantic Coast—and the most easterly—the Ural Mountains. Romania has 3,195 kilometres (1,985 mi) of border. Republic of Moldova and Ukraine lies to the east, Bulgaria lies to the south, and Serbia and Hungary to the west by the Pannonian Plain. In the southeast, 245 kilometres (152 mi) of sea coastline provide an important outlet to the Black Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's mostly mountainous territory spans about 49,000 square kilometres (19,000 sq mi), hosting a population exceeding 5.4 million. The capital and largest city is Bratislava, while the second largest city is Košice.
Portugal is a coastal nation in western Europe, located at the western end of the Iberian Peninsula, bordering Spain. The Portuguese territory also includes a series of archipelagos in the Atlantic Ocean, which are strategic islands along the North Atlantic. The extreme south is not too far from the Strait of Gibraltar, leading to the Mediterranean Sea. In total, the country occupies an area of 92,090 square kilometres (35,560 sq mi) of which 91,470 square kilometres (35,320 sq mi) is land and 620 square kilometres (240 sq mi) water.
The Tatra Mountains, Tatras, or Tatra, are a series of mountains within the Western Carpathians that form a natural border between Slovakia and Poland. They are the highest mountains in the Carpathians. The Tatras are distinct from the Low Tatras, a separate Slovak mountain range further south.
Austria is a predominantly mountainous country in Central Europe, approximately between Germany, Italy and Hungary. It has a total area of 83,871 square kilometres (32,383 sq mi).
Poprad is a city in northern Slovakia at the foot of the High Tatra Mountains, famous for its picturesque historic centre and as a holiday resort. It is the biggest town of the Spiš region and the tenth largest city in Slovakia, with a population of approximately 50,000.
Piešťany is a town in Slovakia. It is located in the western part of the country within the Trnava Region and is the seat of its own district. It is the biggest and best known spa town in Slovakia and has around 28,000 inhabitants.
Martin is a city in northern Slovakia, situated on the Turiec river, between the Malá Fatra and Veľká Fatra mountains, near the city of Žilina. The population numbers approximately 54,000, which makes it the ninth-largest city in Slovakia. It is the center of the Turiec region and the District of Martin.
Liptovský Hrádok is a town in northern Slovakia, in the region of Liptov.
The High Tatras or High Tatra Mountains, are a mountain range along the border of northern Slovakia in the Prešov Region, and southern Poland in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. They are a range of the Tatra Mountains chain.
Tatra National Park is a national park located in the Tatra Mountains in Tatra County, in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship in central-southern Poland. The park is headquartered in the town of Zakopane.
Tourism in Slovakia offers natural landscapes, mountains, caves, medieval castles and towns, folk architecture, spas and ski resorts.
Veľké Lovce is a town and municipality in the Nové Zámky District in the Nitra Region of south-west Slovakia. Veľké Lovce is home to 2,079 people according to the 2004 census.
Hurbanovo is a town and large municipality in the Komárno District in the Nitra Region of south-west Slovakia. In 1948, its Slovak name was changed to Hurbanovo, named after Slovak writer Jozef Miloslav Hurban.
Bratislava, the capital city of Slovakia, is situated in Central Europe and it is located in the extreme south-west within Slovakia. The city borders Austria in the west and Hungary in the south making it the only national capital in the world to border two foreign countries. The state border with the Czech Republic is only 62 km (39 mi) distant. Bratislava lies on the foothills of the Little Carpathians mountains and the city straddles both banks of the Danube River. The city has a total area of 367.58 km2 (141.92 sq mi), making it the second largest city in Slovakia by area. Geomorphologically the city covers the southern tip of the Záhorie Lowland, the entire range of the Devín Carpathians, small westernmost part of the Pezinok Carpahians and the northern tip of the Danubian Lowland.
Bratislava, historically known as Pressburg (Preßburg), is the capital and largest city of Slovakia and the fourth largest of all cities on Danube river. Officially, the population of the city is about 475,000; however, some sources estimate it to be more than 660,000—approximately 140% of the official figures. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia at the foot of the Little Carpathians, occupying both banks of the River Danube and the left bank of the River Morava. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital to border two sovereign states.
Germany is a country in Central and Western Europe that stretches from the Alps, across the North European Plain to the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. It is the second-most populous country in Europe after Russia, and is seventh-largest country by area in the continent. The area of Germany ranked 63rd and covers 357,021 km2 (137,847 sq mi), consisting of 349,223 km2 (134,836 sq mi) of land and 7,798 km2 (3,011 sq mi) of waters, smaller than Japan but larger than Republic of the Congo.
Poland is a country that extends across the North European Plain from the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south to the sandy beaches of the Baltic Sea in the north. Poland is the fifth-most populous country of the European Union and the ninth-largest country in Europe by area. The territory of Poland covers approximately 312,696 km2 (120,733 sq mi), of which 98.52% is land and 1.48% is water. The Polish coastline was estimated at 770 km (478 mi) in length. Poland's highest point is Rysy, at 2,500 m (8,202 ft).
This article incorporates public domain material from The World Factbook. CIA.
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