65 years and over: 11% (male 234,377; female 365,719) (July 1996
est.)

Population growth rate: 0.34% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 12.62 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 9.35 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 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: 0.64 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.95 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 10.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.01 years
male: 69.01 years
female: 77.21 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.65 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Slovak(s)
adjective: Slovak

Ethnic divisions: 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

Government
----------

Name of country:
conventional long form: Slovak Republic
conventional short form: Slovakia
local long form: Slovenska Republika
local short form: Slovensko

Data code: LO

Type of government: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Bratislava

Administrative divisions: 4 departments (kraje, singular - kraj)
Bratislava, Zapadoslovensky, Stredoslovensky, Vychodoslovensky

Independence: 1 January 1993 (from Czechoslovakia)

National holiday: Slovak Constitution Day, 1 September (1992)

Constitution: ratified 1 September 1992, fully effective 1 January
1993

Legal system: civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to
comply with the obligations of Organization on Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal
theory

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Michal KOVAC (since 8 February 1993) was
elected for a five-year term by the National Parliament; election
last held 8 February 1993 (next to be held NA 1998)
head of government: Prime Minister Vladimir MECIAR (since 12
December 1994) was appointed by the president
cabi