People of Slovakia

With a population larger than 5 million, SLOVAKIA is an Eastern European country of which the northern border is defined by the Carpathian Mountains. While there are some towns like Čadca and Skalica in valleys situated alongside the mountain range, almost all of the population lives in more southern parts of Slovakia. Likewise, the fertile Danube River Valley area in Southern Slovakia is a center of population. The capital, Bratislava, is located besides the western border with Austria near the Danube River.

Ethnicity, Languages, and Religion
Slovakia is mainly a homogeneous country, which means that a vast majority of people belong to the same ethnicity. According to the Statistics Section in the Hammond World Atlas (Sixth Edition), 86% of the population is of Slovakian ethnicity, followed by Hungarian at 11% and Roma at 2%. The remaining 1% of course belongs to ethnicities with very small populations in Slovakia. The official language is Slovak, while Hungarian is also spoken - mainly by Hungarians living in Slovakia, of course! Christianity is the dominant religion; around 60% are Roman Catholics, 8% are Protestants, and 4% worship the Orthodox tradition.

***Source for Percentages: Hammond World Atlas, Sixth Edition. Hammond World Atlas Corporation, 2010.