Slovakia is a sovereign country in Central Europe, in the wider region of Europe. Its full official name is Slovak Republic. Its seat of government is Bratislava.
The population is about 5.4 million, placing it 120th of 250 by population — between Norway above it and Ireland below. Among the 6 entries in Central Europe it ranks 5th by area and 5th by population.
It covers 49,037 km², which ranks it 132nd of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Costa Rica and just ahead of the Dominican Republic. That makes it a little larger than Denmark.
Slovakia on the map
Plotted on a globe it falls at 48.7° north, 19.5° east, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 5,418 km from the equator, in what geographers would call temperate latitudes.
Follow that same latitude east or west and you reach Kazakhstan and Saint Pierre and Miquelon — places that share its distance from the equator but little else.
It borders 5 neighbours: Austria, Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Ukraine. The largest of them by area is Ukraine, which is also the most populous. Together those neighbours hold about 104.1 million people.
This is one of the world's landlocked countries. That is true of 45 of the 250 entries here, and it means every shipment in or out has to cross someone else's border first. 3 of its neighbours, Austria, Czechia and Hungary, are landlocked too. You can see the full picture on the landlocked countries page.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
How crowded Slovakia is, and what is spoken there
Density comes out at around 111 people per square kilometre, which makes it more crowded than the typical entry on this list. Half the entries in this dataset fall below roughly 90 per square kilometre.
Officially it is monolingual: Slovak. It shares that with Czechia.
The demonym is Slovak, so residents are Slovaks.
Against Europe as a whole it is the 25th most populous of 53 entries, and it accounts for 7.4% of everyone living in Central Europe.
The practical details for Slovakia
It uses the Euro (€, EUR). Another 37 entries use the same currency — Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria and Croatia among them — so exchange rates move for reasons that have nothing to do with Slovakia.
The top-level domain is .sk. Calls from overseas start with +421. In ISO terms it is sk in two letters and SVK in three.
If a quiz asks for the capital of Slovakia, the answer is Bratislava.
Slovakia is one of the 193 UN member states in this dataset. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Neighbouring countries
Slovakia shares borders with 5 countries:
Fun facts about Slovakia
- Slovak is official here and in 1 other entry worldwide.
- Websites based there use the .sk domain.
- Within Central Europe it is the 5th largest of 6.
- In land area it is a little larger than Denmark.
- Kazakhstan and Saint Pierre and Miquelon sit at almost the same latitude, on the far side of the globe.
- It lies about 5,418 km from the equator, in temperate latitudes.
Slovakia — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Slovakia?
- The capital of Slovakia is Bratislava.
- Is Slovakia a country?
- Yes. Slovakia is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
- What is the population of Slovakia?
- Slovakia has a population of about 5.4 million, which makes it the 120th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Norway sits just above it and Ireland just below.
- How big is Slovakia?
- Slovakia covers 49,037 km², ranking 132nd of 250 by land area. That makes it a little larger than Denmark.
- Where is Slovakia located?
- Slovakia is in Central Europe, part of Europe. Its reference coordinates are 48.7° north and 19.5° east, roughly 5,418 km from the equator in temperate latitudes.
- What language is spoken in Slovakia?
- The official language of Slovakia is Slovak. It is also official in 1 other entry on this list.
- Is Slovakia landlocked?
- Yes. Slovakia has no sea coast, which makes it one of 45 landlocked entries in this dataset. Everything it imports or exports by sea has to cross a neighbour's territory first, and that transit dependency is a well-documented drag on trade costs.
- What currency does Slovakia use?
- Slovakia uses the Euro, written € (currency code EUR). It is shared with 37 other entries.
- Which countries border Slovakia?
- Slovakia borders 5 countries: Austria, Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Ukraine. Ukraine is the largest of them by area.
