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

Independence: 1 January 1993 (from Czechoslovakia)
National holiday: Anniversary of Slovak National Uprising, August 29 (1944)

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 Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) 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); election last held 8 February 1993 (next to be held NA 1998); results - Michal KOVAC elected by the National Council
head of government: Prime Minister Jozef MORAVCIK (since 16 March 1994)
cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister

Legislative branch: unicameral
National Council (Narodni Rada): elections last held 5-6 June 1992 (next to be held 31 September-1October 1994); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (150 total) Movement for a Democratic Slovakia 55, Party of the Democratic Left 28, Christian Democratic Movement 18, Slovak National Party 9, National Democratic Party 5, Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement/Coexistence 14, Democratic Union of Slovakia 16, independents 5

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Movement for a Democratic Slovakia, Vladimir MECIAR, chairman; Party of the Democratic Left, Peter WEISS, chairman; Christian Democratic Movement, Jan CARNOGURSKY; Slovak National Party, Jan SLOTA, chairman; Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement, Vojtech BUGAR; National Democratic Party - New Alternative, Ludovit CERNAK, chairman; Democratic Union of Slovakia, Jozef MORAVCIK, chairman; Coexistence Movement, Miklos DURAY, chairman
Other political or pressure groups: Green Party; Social Democratic Party in Slovakia; Freedom Party; Slovak Christian Union; Hungarian Civic Party
Member of: BIS, CCC, CE (guest), CEI, CERN, COCOM (cooperating), CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NACC, NSG, PCA, UN (as of 8 January 1993), UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMUR, UNPROFOR, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Bravislav LICHARDUS
chancery: (temporary) Suite 330, 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: (202) 965-5161
FAX: (202) 965-5166
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassdor Theodore RUSSELL
embassy: Hviezdoslavovo Namesite 4, 81102 Bratislava
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [42] (7) 330-861
FAX: [42] (7) 335-439

Flag: three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red superimposed with the Slovak cross in a shield centered on the hoist side; the cross is white centered on a background of red and blue

NOTE: The information regarding Slovakia on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Slovakia Government 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Slovakia Government 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.