Slovakia Geography

Slovakia Geography

The Slovakia is located in Central Europe and borders the Czech Republic, Austria, Poland, Hungary and the Ukraine. The Slovak Republic is a small country which is characterized by its rural diversity. Mountains,Lakes, Gorges, forests and meadows offer natural attractions in their most original form.

Part of Slovakia is dominated by the Carpathian Mountains, which run through the north and correspond to a low mountain range. Within this region there are other mountain formations, the best known are the Little and White Carpathians, Malá and Vel’ká Fatra, the High and Low Tatras and the Slovak Ore Mountains.

The capital of Slovakia is Bratislava. The history of the Danube city goes back to the time of the Celts and Romans. So it comes up with buildings from numerous stylistic epochs. The “venerable castle” dates back to the 10th century and has already been destroyed and rebuilt several times. It offers a wonderful view of the old part of the city with its picturesque alleys.

In terms of population, Slovakia is in the middle of Europe with almost 5.5 million people. But since independence, the development of the population has stagnated somewhat. Nevertheless, the average age is still 35.5 years. This means that the population of Slovakia is quite young compared to the rest of Europe.
The ethnic composition of Slovakia is also quite diverse. Mostly Slovaks live here, they make up almost 86 percent of the population, but Hungarians, Roma, Czechs and Russians also live in Slovakia. In addition, a small group of Ukrainians and Germans live in this beautiful country. This mix makes for an interesting and diverse culture in Slovakia.

Slovakia Geography

The Slovak Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The Slovakiab ordered to the west by the Czech Republic, to the north by Poland, to the east by Ukraine, to the south by Hungary and to the south-west by Austria. The total area of ​​Slovakia is 49,035 square kilometers. The longest north-south extension is 180 kilometers, and that from west to east is 400 kilometers.

About 58% of Slovakia is characterized by hill country, 41% by lowlands or plains and only one percent by high mountains. The approximately 1,300-kilometer-long Carpathian Arch, which continues the Eastern Alps from Bratislava and extends over southern Poland and the Ukraine to Romania, is decisive for the Slovak mountain world. The Slovak Carpathians are made up of several mountain ranges divided by gorges and river valleys. The High Tatras Although it is the smallest high mountain range in the world in terms of area, it is also the most popular mountain range in Slovakia because of its over 2,500 meter high peaks and the variety of landscapes with different types of rock and countless picturesque mountain lakes. The Gerlsdorfer Spitze, the highest mountain in Slovakia at 2,655 meters, rises here. The High Tatras, together with the Belaner Tatras, form the Eastern Tatras, which differ from the Western Tatras, which are criss-crossed with vast mountain meadows and alpine pastures, in terms of height, rock diversity and rugged peaks.

In contrast, the Slovak Ore Mountains, with an area of ​​around 4,000 square kilometers, are the largest mountains in the country. The Slovak Karst region, which is under nature protection, is located herewith beautiful caves and bizarre rock formations. The Slovak Karst is the largest karst area in Central Europe. To the north of the Karst there is a “wild and romantic” forest area with gorges, waterfalls and grandiose rocky outcrops, which bears the characteristic name “Slovak Paradise”.

The lowlands of Slovakia are characterized by fertile loess soils and a dry, mild climate. The predominantly agriculturally used level is in the Danube lowlands in the south, the Eastern Slovakian lowlands in the southern part of Eastern Slovakia and in the Záhorská plain structured in the extreme west. In the Danube lowlands there are some swamps, wet meadows and alluvial forests, which have been placed under nature protection because of their rich species population, due to the wide network of side arms of the river. Together with its largest and longest tributary, the Little Danube, the Danube encloses the so-called Schüttinsel, the largest river island in Europe. In the East Slovakian Plain, the landscape characterized by meadows and wetlands continues with one exception: it is the hilly region of the Zempliner Mountains, on the slopes of which the famous Tokaj grows.

The Danube is the most important river in Slovakia and with its total length of 2,888 kilometers the second longest river in Europe. It flows through Slovak territory for only 172 kilometers and forms the natural border with Hungary. Many of the 360 ​​or so Slovak lakes are used as reservoirs to generate energy. However, their functions also extend to regulating the water level of rivers, supplying drinking water and fish farming. The largest reservoirs in Slovakia are the Orava reservoir, the Zemplinska sirava, the Liptov reservoir and the Velká domasa. As a result of the volcanic activity during the Tertiary, a large number of mineral and thermal springs emerged all over the country, which were already used as medicinal baths in ancient times.

Slovakia climate

According to bridgat, Slovakia lies in the transition area between temperate and continental climates. The summers are relatively warm, the winters cold and strong cloudy and wet. The territory of Slovakia can be divided into three climatic zones:

Climate of the lowlands
The average annual temperature is 8-10 ° C. The average temperature of the warmest month reaches 19 – 20 ° C, in the coldest month -3 ° C. It is the typical climate of the capital Bratislava and Košice.

Basin climate
The annual average temperature is between 5 and 8.5 ° C. The average temperature of the warmest month is between 15 and 18.5 ° C, the average temperature of the coldest month is between -3 and -6 ° C. This climate can be found in almost all basins in Slovakia. It is the typical climate of the cities of Poprad and Slia ?.

High altitude climate
The average annual temperature is less than 5 ° C. The average temperature of the warmest month is less than 15 ° C and the average temperature of the coldest month is less than -5 ° C.

Slovakia Geography