Slovakia

The Slovak Republic is situated in Central Europe, sharing frontiers with the Czech Republic, Austria, Poland, Hungary and Ukraine. Mountains, lowlands, canyons, lakes, cave formations, forests and meadows provide many examples of Slovakia's year-round natural beauty. Slovakia is a small country but its terrain varies impressively from lowlands to mountain ranges. Almost a half of the country is taken up by the Carpathian Arc, a range of mountains stretching across the north. Every historical period and century has left behind monuments in the Slovak Republic which are admired by the world.

The cultural roots and language of the Slovak Republic can be traced back to the ninth century. However, its history has not always been one of subjugation. Bratislava, formerly Pressburg, was the capital of Hungary from 1536 to 1783 and many Austro-Hungarian Empire monarchs, including Maria Theresa in the 18th century, were crowned at St Martin's Cathedral in Bratislava. With the end of World War I and the Austro-Hungarian Empire came the birth of Czechoslovakia in 1918. The independent Slovak republic was founded in 1993.