from metallurgical plants
presents human health risks; acid rain damaging forests

Environment - international agreements:
party to : Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulphur 94,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol

Geography - note: landlocked

@Slovakia:People

Population: 5,387,665 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 21% (male 588,511; female 563,090)
15-64 years : 68% (male 1,802,132; female 1,831,119)
65 years and over: 11% (male 233,476; female 369,337) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.12% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 10.37 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 9.58 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years : 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.91 years
male : 69.11 years
female: 76.9 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.34 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Slovak(s)
adjective: Slovak

Ethnic groups: Slovak 85.7%, Hungarian 10.7%, Gypsy 1.5% (the 1992
census figures underreport the Gypsy/Romany community, which could
reach 500,000 or more), Czech 1%, Ruthenian 0.3%, Ukrainian 0.3%,
German 0.1%, Polish 0.1%, other 0.3%

Religions: Roman Catholic 60.3%, atheist 9.7%, Protestant 8.4%,
Orthodox 4.1%, other 17.5%

Languages: Slovak (official), Hungarian

Literacy: NA

@Slovakia:Government

Country name:
conventional long form : Slovak Republic
conventional short form: Slovakia
local long form: Slovenska Republika
local short form: Slovensko

Data code: LO

Government type: parliamentary democracy

National capital: Bratislava

Administrative divisions: 4 departments (kraje, singular - kraj)
Bratislava, Zapadoslovensky, Stredoslovensky, Vychodoslovensky
note: an article in the Slovakian press mentions there are 8
departments named Bratislava, Banska Bystrica, Kosice, Nitra, Presov,
Trnava, Trencin, and Zilina

Independ