Official country name is The Slovak Republic. The largest city is capital,Bratislava. The second largest city is Košice.President is Ivan Gasparovič. Slovakia is a member state of the European Union, NATO, UN, OECD, WTO, UNESCO and other international organizations.
Slovakia borders the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south.
On January 1, 1993 Slovakia became an independent nation-state, recognized by the United Nations and its member states. Although some aspects of the society already had a unique national character, namely the language, many of the customs, laws and conventions were still deeply influenced by past rulers: Czechs, Hungarians and the Austrian Habsburgs. However the deep traditions, some dating back hundreds of years, of the Slovak people underlie the apparent nascency of the Slovak Republic.
Typical Slovak food is not exactly light and healthy but it´s very tasty. People like eating:
1.Potato dumplings with sauce of sheep´s cheese and bacon
2.Thick potato pancakes
3.Pork schnizels with potato salad
4.Fried cheese served with chips (French fries) and tartar sauce
5.Goulash served with a sort of steamed bread
6.Pankes filled with chocolate, cottage cheese or jam and topped with cream
 
National Flag:
Three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red superimposed with the Slovak emblem (a cross Lorraine atop 3 hills in a shield; the cross is white centered on a background of red and blue) centered on the hoist side.
Slovak Culture:
The development of Slovak culture reflects the country's rich folk tradition, in addition to the influence of broader European trends. The impact of centuries of cultural repression and control by foreign governments is also evident in much of Slovakia's art, literature, and music.
There are 12 state scientific libraries in Slovakia, 473 libraries affiliated with universities and institutions of higher learning, and 2600 public libraries. The University Library in Bratislava, founded in 1919, contains more than 2 million volumes and is the country's most important library. The Slovak National Library (1863), located in Martin, includes a collection of materials relating to Slovak culture.
Slovakia is also home to more than 50 museums. The Slovak National Museum (founded in 1893), located in Bratislava, contains exhibits on Slovak history, archaeology, and musicology, and is probably the country's best-known museum. Other museums include the Slovak National Gallery (1948), also in Bratislava; the Slovak National Uprising Museum (1955), located in Banská Bystrica; and the Museum of Eastern Slovakia (1872), in Kosice.
 
Geography:
The Slovak landscape is noted primarily for its mountainous nature, with the Carpathian Mountains extending across most of the northern half of the country. Amongst these mountain ranges are the high peaks of the Tatra mountains. To the north, close to the Polish border, are the High Tatras which are a popular skiing destination and home to many scenic lakes and valleys as well as the highest point in Slovakia, the Gerlachovský štít at 2,655 metres (8,711 ft), and the country's highly symbolic mountain Kriváň.
Major Slovak rivers are the Danube, the Váh and the Hron. The Tisa marks the Slovak-Hungarian border for only 5 km (3.1 mi).
The Slovak climate lies between the temperate and continental climate zones with relatively warm summers and cold, cloudy and humid winters. The area of Slovakia can be divided into three kinds of climatic zones and the first zone can be divided into two sub-zones.