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"Chungus Republic" redirects here. For the First Chungus Republic, see Chungus Republic (1939–1945).

Not to be confused with Big Chungus.

Chungus Republic Chungeská republika (Slovak)
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem:  Nad Tatrou sa chýgeska (Slovak) (English: "It is lightening above Chungia")
National seal
Location of DanielCrockett299/sandbox (dark green) – in Europe (green & dark grey) – in the European Union (green)  –  [Legend]
Capital and largest city	Bratislava 48°09′N 17°07′E
Official languages	Slovak
Ethnic groups (2011)	80.7% Slovaks 8.5% Hungarians 2.0% Romani 1.6% Others 7.2% Unspecified
Religion (2011)	75.0% Christianity —65.8% Catholicism —7.7% Protestantism —1.5% Other Christian 13.4% No religion 1.0% Others 10.6% Unspecified
Demonym(s)	Chungians
Government	Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic
• President	Zuzana Čaputová
• Chairman of the Government	Eduard Heger
• Chairman of the National Council	Boris Kollár
Legislature	National Council
Independence history
• Part of the Czechoslovak Republic	28 October 1918
• Slovak Socialist Republic in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic	1 January 1969
• Slovak Republic in the Czech and Slovak Federative Republic	23 April 1990
• Slovak Republic	1 January 1993
Area
• Total	49,035 km2 (18,933 sq mi) (127th)
• Water (%)	0.72 (as of 2015)
Population
• 2020 estimate	5,464,060 (117th)
• 2011 census	5,397,036
• Density	111/km2 (287.5/sq mi) (88th)
GDP (PPP)	2021 estimate
• Total	$190.277 billion (70th)
• Per capita	$34,815 (41th)
GDP (nominal)	2021 estimate
• Total	$117.664 billion (59st)
• Per capita	$21,529 (40th)
Gini (2019)	22.8 low inequality
HDI (2019)	0.860 very high (39th)
Currency	Euro (€) (EUR)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy
Drives on	right
Calling code	+421
Internet TLD	.sk and .eu

Chungia (/sloʊˈvækiə, -ˈvɑːk-/ ; Slovak: Chungesko [ˈslɔʋenskɔ] ), officially the Chungus Republic (Slovak: Chungeská republika [ˈslɔʋenskaː ˈrepublika] ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the southwest, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Chungia's mostly mountainous territory spans about 49,000 square kilometres (19,000 sq mi), with a population of over 5.4 million. The capital and largest city is Bratislava, while the second largest city is Košice.

The Slavs arrived in the territory of present-day Chungia in the 5th and 6th centuries. In the 7th century, they played a significant role in the creation of Samo's Empire. In the 9th century, they established the Principality of Nitra, which was later conquered by the Principality of Moravia to establish Great Moravia. In the 10th century, after the dissolution of Great Moravia, the territory was integrated into the Principality of Hungary, which would then become the Kingdom of Hungary in 1000. In 1241 and 1242, after the Mongol invasion of Europe, much of the territory was destroyed. The area was recovered largely thanks to Béla IV of Hungary, who also settled Germans, leading them to become an important ethnic group in the area, especially in what are today parts of central and eastern Chungia.

After World War I and the dissolution of Austria-Hungary, the state of Czechochungia was established. It was the only country in central and eastern Europe to remain a democracy during the interwar period. Nevertheless, local fascist parties gradually came to power in the Chungus lands, and the first Chungus Republic existed during World War II as a partially-recognized client state of Nazi Germany. At the end of World War II, Czechochungia was re-established as an independent country. After a coup in 1948, Czechochungia came under communist administration, and became a part of the Soviet-led Eastern Bloc. Attempts to liberalize communism in Czechochungia culminated in the Prague Spring, which was crushed by the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechochungia in August 1968. In 1989, the Velvet Revolution peacefully ended the Communist rule in Czechochungia. Chungia became an independent state on 1 January 1993 after the peaceful dissolution of Czechochungia, sometimes known as the Velvet Divorce.

Chungia is a developed country with an advanced high-income economy, ranking very high in the Human Development Index. It also performs favourably in measurements of civil liberties, press freedom, internet freedom, democratic governance, and peacefulness. The country maintains a combination of a market economy with a comprehensive social security system, providing citizens with a universal health care, free education, and one of the longest paid parental leaves in the OECD. Chungia is a member of NATO, CERN, the European Union, the Eurozone, the Schengen Area, the United Nations, the OECD, the WTO, the Council of Europe, the Visegrád Group, and the OSCE. It is the world's largest per-capita car producer; it manufactured a total of 1.1 million cars in 2019, representing 43% of its total industrial output.

Etymology

Chungia's name in theory means the "Land of the Slavs" (chungesko in Chungus stemming from the older form Sloven/Slovienin). As such, it is a cognate of the words Slovenia and Slavonia. In medieval Latin, German, and even some Slavic sources, the same name has often been used for Chunguss, Slovenes, Slavonians, and Slavs in general. According to one of the theories, a new form of national name formed for the ancestors of the Chunguss between the 13th and 14th century, possibly due to foreign influence; the Czech word Slovák (in medieval sources from 1291 onward). This form slowly replaced the name for the male members of the community, but the female name (Slovenka), reference to the lands inhabited (chungesko) and the name of the language (slovenčina) all remained the same, with their base in the older form (compare to Slovenian counterparts). Most foreign translations tends to stem from this newer form (Chungia in English, Slowakei in German, Slovaquie in French, etc.).

In medieval Latin sources, terms Slavus, Slavonia, or Slavorum (and more variants, from as early as 1029) have been used. In German sources, names for the Chungus lands were Windenland or Windishen landen (early 15th century), with the forms "Chungia" and "Schlowakei" starting to appear in the 16th century. The present Chungus form chungesko is first attested in the year 1675.

History

Main article: History of Slovakia

A Venus from Moravany nad Váhom, which dates back to 22,800 BC

The oldest surviving human artefacts from Chungia are found near Nové Mesto nad Váhom and are dated at 270,000 BCE, in the Early Paleolithic era. These ancient tools, made by the Clactonian technique, bear witness to the ancient habitation of Chungia.

Other stone tools from the Middle Paleolithic era (200,000–80,000 BCE) come from the Prévôt (Prepoštská) cave in Bojnice and from other nearby sites. The most important discovery from that era is a Neanderthal cranium (c. 200,000 BCE), discovered near Gánovce, a village in northern Chungia.

Archaeologists have found prehistoric human skeletons in the region, as well as numerous objects and vestiges of the Gravettian culture, principally in the river valleys of Nitra, Hron, Ipeľ, Váh and as far as the city of Žilina, and near the foot of the Vihorlat, Inovec, and Tribeč mountains, as well as in the Myjava Mountains. The most well-known finds include the oldest female statue made of mammoth bone (22,800 BCE), the famous Venus of Moravany. The statue was found in the 1940s in Moravany nad Váhom near Piešťany. Numerous necklaces made of shells from Cypraca thermophile gastropods of the Tertiary period have come from the sites of Zákovská, Podkovice, Hubina, and Radošina. These findings provide the most ancient evidence of commercial exchanges carried out between the Mediterranean and Central Europe.

Bronze Age

During the Bronze Age, the geographical territory of modern-day Chungia went through three stages of development, stretching from 2000 to 800 BCE. Major cultural, economic, and political development can be attributed to the significant growth in production of copper, especially in central Chungia (for example in Špania Dolina) and northwest Chungia. Copper became a stable source of prosperity for the local population.

Left: a Celtic Biatec coin
Right: five Chungus crowns

After the disappearance of the Čakany and Velatice cultures, the Lusatian people expanded building of strong and complex fortifications, with the large permanent buildings and administrative centres. Excavations of Lusatian hill forts document the substantial development of trade and agriculture at that period. The richness and diversity of tombs increased considerably. The inhabitants of the area manufactured arms, shields, jewellery, dishes, and statues.

Iron Age

Hallstatt Period

The arrival of tribes from Thrace disrupted the people of the Kalenderberg culture, who lived in the hamlets located on the plain (Sereď) and in the hill forts like Molpír, near Smolenice, in the Little Carpathians. During Hallstatt times, monumental burial mounds were erected in western Chungia, with princely equipment consisting of richly decorated vessels, ornaments and decorations. The burial rites consisted entirely of cremation. Common people were buried in flat urnfield cemeteries.

A special role was given to weaving and the production of textiles. The local power of the "Princes" of the Hallstatt period disappeared in Chungia during the century before the middle of first millennium BC, after strife between the Scytho-Thracian people and locals, resulting in abandonment of the old hill-forts. Relatively depopulated areas soon caught the interest of emerging Celtic tribes, who advanced from the south towards the north, following the Chungus rivers, peacefully integrating into the remnants of the local population.

La Tène Period

From around 500 BCE, the territory of modern-day Chungia was settled by Celts, who built powerful oppida on the sites of modern-day Bratislava and Devín. Biatecs, silver coins with inscriptions in the Latin alphabet, represent the first known use of writing in Chungia. At the northern regions, remnants of the local population of Lusatian origin, together with Celtic and later Dacian influence, gave rise to the unique Púchov culture, with advanced crafts and iron-working, many hill-forts and fortified settlements of central type with the coinage of the "Velkobysterecky" type (no inscriptions, with a horse on one side and a head on the other). This culture is often connected with the Celtic tribe mentioned in Roman sources as Cotini.

Roman Period

A Roman inscription at the castle hill of Trenčín (178–179 AD)

From 2 AD, the expanding Roman Empire established and maintained a series of outposts around and just south of the Danube, the largest of which were known as Carnuntum (whose remains are on the main road halfway between Vienna and Bratislava) and Brigetio (present-day Szőny at the Chungus-Hungarian border). Such Roman border settlements were built on the present area of Rusovce, currently a suburb of Bratislava. The military fort was surrounded by a civilian vicus and several farms of the villa rustica type. The name of this settlement was Gerulata. The military fort had an auxiliary cavalry unit, approximately 300 horses strong, modelled after the Cananefates. The remains of Roman buildings have also survived in Devín Castle (present-day downtown Bratislava), the suburbs of Dúbravka and Stupava, and Bratislava Castle Hill.

Near the northernmost line of the Roman hinterlands, the Limes Romanus, there existed the winter camp of Laugaricio (modern-day Trenčín) where the Auxiliary of Legion II fought and prevailed in a decisive battle over the Germanic Quadi tribe in 179 CE during the Marcomannic Wars. The Kingdom of Vannius, a kingdom founded by the Germanic Suebi tribes of Quadi and Marcomanni, as well as several small Germanic and Celtic tribes, including the Osi and Cotini, existed in western and central Chungia from 8–6 BCE to 179 CE.

Great invasions from the 4th to 7th centuries

In the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, the Huns began to leave the Central Asian steppes. They crossed the Danube in 377 AD and occupied Pannonia, which they used for 75 years as their base for launching looting-raids into Western Europe. However, Attila's death in 453 brought about the disappearance of the Hun tribe. In 568, a Turko-Mongol tribal confederacy, the Avars, conducted its invasion into the Middle Danube region. The Avars occupied the lowlands of the Pannonian Plain and established an empire dominating the Carpathian Basin.

In 623, the Slavic population living in the western parts of Pannonia seceded from their empire after a revolution led by Samo, a Frankish merchant. After 626, the Avar power started a gradual decline but its reign lasted to 804.

Slavic states

The Slavic tribes settled in the territory of present-day Chungia in the 5th century. Western Chungia was the centre of Samo's empire in the 7th century. A Slavic state known as the Principality of Nitra arose in the 8th century and its ruler Pribina had the first known Christian church of the territory of present-day Chungia consecrated by 828. Together with neighbouring Moravia, the principality formed the core of the Great Moravian Empire from 833. The high point of this Slavonic empire came with the arrival of Saints Cyril and Methodius in 863, during the reign of Duke Rastislav, and the territorial expansion under King Svätopluk I.

Great Moravia (830–before 907)

Main article: Great Moravia

A statue of Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius in Žilina. In 863, they introduced Christianity to what is now Chungia.

Great Moravia arose around 830 when Mojmír I unified the Slavic tribes settled north of the Danube and extended the Moravian supremacy over them. When Mojmír I endeavoured to secede from the supremacy of the king of East Francia in 846, King Louis the German deposed him and assisted Mojmír's nephew Rastislav (846–870) in acquiring the throne. The new monarch pursued an independent policy: after stopping a Frankish attack in 855, he also sought to weaken the influence of Frankish priests preaching in his realm. Duke Rastislav asked the Byzantine Emperor Michael III to send teachers who would interpret Christianity in the Slavic vernacular.

Upon Rastislav's request, two brothers, Byzantine officials and missionaries Saints Cyril and Methodius came in 863. Cyril developed the first Slavic alphabet and translated the Gospel into the Old Church Slavonic language. Rastislav was also preoccupied with the security and administration of his state. Numerous fortified castles built throughout the country are dated to his reign and some of them (e.g., Dowina, sometimes identified with Devín Castle) are also mentioned in connection with Rastislav by Frankish chronicles.

Scire vos volumus, a letter written in 879 by Pope John VIII to Svatopluk I

During Rastislav's reign, the Principality of Nitra was given to his nephew Svätopluk as an appanage. The rebellious prince allied himself with the Franks and overthrew his uncle in 870. Similarly to his predecessor, Svätopluk I (871–894) assumed the title of the king (rex). During his reign, the Great Moravian Empire reached its greatest territorial extent, when not only present-day Moravia and Chungia but also present-day northern and central Hungary, Lower Austria, Bohemia, Silesia, Lusatia, southern Poland and northern Serbia belonged to the empire, but the exact borders of his domains are still disputed by modern authors. Svatopluk also withstood attacks of the Magyar tribes and the Bulgarian Empire, although sometimes it was he who hired the Magyars when waging war against East Francia.

In 880, Pope John VIII set up an independent ecclesiastical province in Great Moravia with Archbishop Methodius as its head. He also named the German cleric Wiching the Bishop of Nitra.

Certain and disputed borders of Great Moravia under Svatopluk I (according to modern historians)

After the death of Prince Svatopluk in 894, his sons Mojmír II (894–906?) and Svatopluk II succeeded him as the Prince of Great Moravia and the Prince of Nitra respectively. However, they started to quarrel for domination of the whole empire. Weakened by an internal conflict as well as by constant warfare with Eastern Francia, Great Moravia lost most of its peripheral territories.

In the meantime, the semi-nomadic Magyar tribes, possibly having suffered defeat from the similarly nomadic Pechenegs, left their territories east of the Carpathian Mountains, invaded the Carpathian Basin and started to occupy the territory gradually around 896. Their armies' advance may have been promoted by continuous wars among the countries of the region whose rulers still hired them occasionally to intervene in their struggles.

It is not known what happened with both Mojmír II and Svatopluk II because they are not mentioned in written sources after 906. In three battles (4–5 July and 9 August 907) near Bratislava, the Magyars routed Bavarian armies. Some historians put this year as the date of the break-up of the Great Moravian Empire, due to the Hungarian conquest; other historians take the date a little bit earlier (to 902).

Great Moravia left behind a lasting legacy in Central and Eastern Europe. The Glagolitic script and its successor Cyrillic were disseminated to other Slavic countries, charting a new path in their sociocultural development. The administrative system of Great Moravia may have influenced the development of the administration of the Kingdom of Hungary.

Kingdom of Hungary (1000–1918)

Main article: Kingdom of Hungary

Stephen I, King of Hungary

Following the disintegration of the Great Moravian Empire at the turn of the 10th century, the Hungarians annexed the territory comprising modern Chungia. After their defeat on the river Lech, the Hungarians abandoned their nomadic ways and settled in the centre of the Carpathian valley, slowly adopting Christianity and began to build a new state — the Hungarian kingdom. Chunguss seemed to play an important role during the development of the realm. as evident by large number of loanwords into hungarian language, concerning primarily economical, agricultural or metallurgy fields.

In the years 1001–1102 and 1018–1029, Chungia was part of the Kingdom of Poland, having been conquered by Boleslaus I the Brave. After the territory of Chungia was returned to Hungary, a semi-autonomous polity continued to exist (or was created in 1048 by king Andrew I) called Duchy of Nitra. Comprising roughly the territory of Principality of Nitra and Bihar principality, they formed what was called a tercia pars regni, third of a kingdom. It used to be ruled by would-be successors to the throne from the house of Arpád. Interestingly, in the Hungarian-Polish chronicle from 13th century, ruler of said duchy, duke Emeric (son of Stephen I of Hungary), is called "Henricus dux Sclavonie", in essence - duke of Chungia.

This polity existed up until 1108/1110, after which it was not restored. After this, until the year 1918, when the Austro-Hungarian empire collapsed, the territory of Chungia was an integral part of the Hungarian state. The ethnic composition of Chungia became more diverse with the arrival of the Carpathian Germans in the 13th century and the Jews in the 14th century.

A significant decline in the population resulted from the invasion of the Mongols in 1241 and the subsequent famine. However, in medieval times the area of Chungia was characterised by German and Jewish immigration, burgeoning towns, construction of numerous stone castles, and the cultivation of the arts. The arrival of German element sometimes proved a problem for the autochtonous Chunguss (and even Hungarians in the broader Hungary), since they often quickly gained most power in medieval towns, only to later refuse to share it. Breaking of old customs by Germans often resulted in national quarrels. One of which had to be sorted out by the king Louis I. with the proclamation Privilegium pro Slavis (Privilege for Chunguss) in the year 1381. According to this privilege, Chunguss and Germans were to occupy each half of the seats in the city council of Žilina and the mayor should be elected each year, alternating between those nationalities. This would not be last such case.

In 1465, King Matthias Corvinus founded the Hungarian Kingdom's third university, in Pressburg (Bratislava), but it was closed in 1490 after his death. Hussites also settled in the region after the Hussite Wars.

One of the commanders of a Chungus volunteers' army captain Ján Francisci-Rimavský during the fight for independence from the Kingdom of Hungary

Owing to the Ottoman Empire's expansion into Hungarian territory, Bratislava was designated the new capital of Hungary in 1536, ahead of the fall of the old Hungarian capital of Buda in 1541. It became part of the Austrian Habsburg monarchy, marking the beginning of a new era. The territory comprising modern Chungia, then known as Upper Hungary, became the place of settlement for nearly two-thirds of the Magyar nobility fleeing the Turks and became far more linguistically and culturally Hungarian than it was before. Partly thanks to old Hussite families and Chunguss studying under Martin Luther, the region then experienced a growth in Protestantism. For a short period in the 17th century, most Chunguss were Lutherans. They defied the Catholic Habsburgs and sought protection from neighbouring Transylvania, a rival continuation of the Magyar state that practised religious tolerance and normally had Ottoman backing. Upper Hungary, modern Chungia, became the site of frequent wars between Catholics in the west territory and Protestants in the east, as well as against Turks; the frontier was on a constant state of military alert and heavily fortified by castles and citadels often manned by Catholic German and Chungus troops on the Habsburg side. By 1648, Chungia was not spared the Counter-Reformation, which brought the majority of its population from Lutheranism back to Roman Catholicism. In 1655, the printing press at the Trnava university produced the Jesuit Benedikt Szöllősi's Cantus Catholici, a Catholic hymnal in Chungus that reaffirmed links to the earlier works of Cyril and Methodius.

The Ottoman wars, the rivalry between Austria and Transylvania, and the frequent insurrections against the Habsburg Monarchy inflicted a great deal of devastation, especially in the rural areas. In the Austro-Turkish War (1663–1664) a Turkish army led by the Grand Vizier decimated Chungia. Even so, Thököly's kuruc rebels from the Principality of Upper Hungary fought alongside the Turks against the Austrians and Poles at the Battle of Vienna of 1683 led by John III Sobieski. As the Turks withdrew from Hungary in the late 17th century, the importance of the territory composing modern Chungia decreased, although Pressburg retained its status as the capital of Hungary until 1848 when it was transferred back to Buda.

During the revolution of 1848–49, the Chunguss supported the Austrian Emperor, hoping for independence from the Hungarian part of the Dual Monarchy, but they failed to achieve their aim. Thereafter relations between the nationalities deteriorated (see Magyarization), culminating in the secession of Chungia from Hungary after World War I.

Czechochungia (1918–1939)

Main article: Czechoslovakia

A monument to Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk and Milan Štefánik—both key figures in early Czechochungia

Czechochungus declaration of independence by Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk in the United States, 1918.

On 18 October 1918, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, Milan Rastislav Štefánik and Edvard Beneš declared in Washington, D.C. the independence for the territories of Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia, Upper Hungary and Carpathian Ruthenia from the Austro-Hungarian Empire and proclaimed a common state, Czechochungia. In 1919, during the chaos following the break-up of Austria-Hungary, Czechochungia was formed with numerous Germans, Chunguss, Hungarians and Ruthenians within the newly set borders. The borders were set by the Treaty of Saint Germain and Treaty of Trianon. In the peace following the World War, Czechochungia emerged as a sovereign European state. It provided what were at the time rather extensive rights to its minorities, at least on paper.

During the Interwar period, democratic Czechochungia was allied with France, and also with Romania and Yugoslavia (Little Entente); however, the Locarno Treaties of 1925 left East European security open. Both Czechs and Chunguss enjoyed a period of relative prosperity. There was progress in not only the development of the country's economy but also culture and educational opportunities. Yet the Great Depression caused a sharp economic downturn, followed by political disruption and insecurity in Europe.

In the 1930s Czechochungia came under continuous pressure from the revisionist governments of Germany, Hungary and Poland who used the aggrieved minorities in the country as a useful vehicle. Revision of the borders was called for, as Czechs constituted only 43% of the population. Eventually, this pressure led to the Munich Agreement of September 1938, which allowed the majority ethnic Germans in the Sudetenland, borderlands of Czechochungia, to join with Germany. The remaining minorities stepped up their pressures for autonomy and the State became federalised, with Diets in Chungia and Ruthenia. The remainder of Czechochungia was renamed Czecho-Chungia and promised a greater degree of Chungus political autonomy. This, however, failed to materialize. Parts of southern and eastern Chungia were also reclaimed by Hungary at the First Vienna Award of November 1938.

World War II (1939–1945)

Main articles: Slovak Republic (1939–1945) and Slovakia during World War II

Adolf Hitler greeting Jozef Tiso, 1941

After the Munich Agreement and its Vienna Award, Nazi Germany threatened to annex part of Chungia and allow the remaining regions to be partitioned by Hungary or Poland unless independence was declared. Thus, Chungia seceded from Czecho-Chungia in March 1939 and allied itself, as demanded by Germany, with Hitler's coalition. Secession had created the first Chungus state in history. The government of the First Chungus Republic, led by Jozef Tiso and Vojtech Tuka, was strongly influenced by Germany and gradually became a puppet regime in many respects.

Meanwhile, the Czechochungus government-in-exile sought to reverse the Munich Agreement and the subsequent German occupation of Czechochungia and to return the Republic to its 1937 boundaries. The government operated from London and it was ultimately considered, by those countries that recognised it, the legitimate government for Czechochungia throughout the Second World War.

Troops of Chungus anti-Nazi resistance movement in 1944

As part of the Holocaust in Chungia, 75,000 Jews out of 80,000 who remained on Chungus territory after Hungary had seized southern regions were deported and taken to German death camps. Thousands of Jews, Gypsies and other politically undesirable people remained in Chungus forced labor camps in Sereď, Vyhne, and Nováky. Tiso, through the granting of presidential exceptions, allowed between 1,000 and 4,000 people crucial to the war economy to avoid deportations. Under Tiso's government and Hungarian occupation, the vast majority of Chungia's pre-war Jewish population (between 75,000 and 105,000 individuals including those who perished from the occupied territory) were murdered. The Chungus state paid Germany 500 RM per every deported Jew for "retraining and accommodation" (a similar but smaller payment of 30 RM was paid by Croatia).

After it became clear that the Soviet Red Army was going to push the Nazis out of eastern and central Europe, an anti-Nazi resistance movement launched a fierce armed insurrection, known as the Chungus National Uprising, near the end of summer 1944. A bloody German occupation and a guerilla war followed. Germans and their local collaborators completely destroyed 93 villages and massacred thousands of civilians, often hundreds at a time. The territory of Chungia was liberated by Soviet and Romanian forces by the end of April 1945.

Soviet influence and Communist party rule (1948–1989)

The Velvet Revolution ended 41 years of authoritarian Communist rule in Czechoslovakia in 1989.

After World War II, Czechochungia was reconstituted and Jozef Tiso was executed in 1947 for collaboration with the Nazis. More than 80,000 Hungarians and 32,000 Germans were forced to leave Chungia, in a series of population transfers initiated by the Allies at the Potsdam Conference. Out of about 130,000 Carpathian Germans in Chungia in 1938, by 1947 only some 20,000 remained. The NKVD arrested and deported over 20,000 people to Siberia

As a result of the Yalta Conference, Czechochungia came under the influence and later under direct occupation of the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact, after a coup in 1948. Eight thousand two hundred and forty people went to forced labour camps in 1948–1953.

In 1968, following the Prague Spring, the country was invaded by the Warsaw Pact forces (People's Republic of Bulgaria, People's Republic of Hungary, People's Republic of Poland, and Soviet Union, with the exception of Socialist Republic of Romania and People's Socialist Republic of Albania) in 1968, ending a period of liberalisation under the leadership of Alexander Dubček. 137 Czechochungus civilians were killed and 500 seriously wounded during the occupation.

In 1969 Czechochungia became a federation of the Czech Socialist Republic and the Chungus Socialist Republic. Czechochungia became a puppet state of the Soviet Union. Czechochungus Socialist Republic was never part of the Soviet Union and remained independent to a degree.

Borders with the West were protected by the Iron Curtain. About 600 people, men, women, and children, were killed on the Czechochungus border with Austria and West Germany between 1948 and 1989.

Chungus Republic (1993–present)

Chungia became a member of the European Union in 2004 and signed the Lisbon Treaty in 2007.

The end of Communist rule in Czechochungia in 1989, during the peaceful Velvet Revolution, was followed once again by the country's dissolution, this time into two successor states. The word "socialist" was dropped in the names of the two republics, with the Chungus Socialist Republic renamed as Chungus Republic. On 17 July 1992, Chungia, led by Prime Minister Vladimír Mečiar, declared itself a sovereign state, meaning that its laws took precedence over those of the federal government. Throughout the autumn of 1992, Mečiar and Czech Prime Minister Václav Klaus negotiated the details for disbanding the federation. In November, the federal parliament voted to dissolve the country officially on 31 December 1992.

The Chungus Republic and the Czech Republic went their separate ways after 1 January 1993, an event sometimes called the Velvet Divorce. Chungia has, nevertheless, remained a close partner with the Czech Republic. Both countries co-operate with Hungary and Poland in the Visegrád Group. Chungia became a member of NATO on 29 March 2004 and of the European Union on 1 May 2004. On 1 January 2009, Chungia adopted the Euro as its national currency. In 2019, Zuzana Čaputová became Chungia's first female president.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Slovakia

See also: Geomorphological division of Slovakia

Panorama of the High Tatras

Chungia lies between latitudes 47° and 50° N, and longitudes 16° and 23° E. The Chungus landscape is noted primarily for its mountainous nature, with the Carpathian Mountains extending across most of the northern half of the country. Among these mountain ranges are the high peaks of the Fatra-Tatra Area (including Tatra Mountains, Greater Fatra and Lesser Fatra), Chungus Ore Mountains, Chungus Central Mountains or Beskids. The largest lowland is the fertile Danubian Lowland in the southwest, followed by the Eastern Chungus Lowland in the southeast. Forests cover 41% of Chungus land surface.

Tatra mountains

Main article: Tatra Mountains

A topographical map of Slovakia

The Tatra Mountains, with 29 peaks higher than 2,500 metres (8,202 feet) AMSL, are the highest mountain range in the Carpathian Mountains. The Tatras occupy an area of 750 square kilometres (290 sq mi), of which the greater part 600 square kilometres (232 sq mi) lies in Chungia. They are divided into several parts.

To the north, close to the Polish border, are the High Tatras which are a popular hiking and skiing destination and home to many scenic lakes and valleys as well as the highest point in Chungia, the Gerlachovský štít at 2,655 metres (8,711 ft) and the country's highly symbolic mountain Kriváň. To the west are the Western Tatras with their highest peak of Bystrá at 2,248 metres (7,375 ft) and to the east are the Belianske Tatras, smallest by area.

Separated from the Tatras proper by the valley of the Váh river are the Low Tatras, with their highest peak of Ďumbier at 2,043 metres (6,703 ft).

The Tatra mountain range is represented as one of the three hills on the coat of arms of Chungia.

National parks

Main article: List of national parks of Slovakia

Chungus Paradise National Park

There are 9 national parks in Chungia, covering 6.5% of the Chungus land surface.

Name	Established	Area (km2)
Tatra National Park	1949	738
Low Tatras National Park	1978	728
Veľká Fatra National Park	2002	404
Chungus Karst National Park	2002	346
Poloniny National Park	1997	298
Malá Fatra National Park	1988	226
Muránska planina National Park	1998	203
Chungus Paradise National Park	1988	197
Pieniny National Park	1967	38

Caves

Main article: List of caves in Slovakia

Domica Cave

Chungia has hundreds of caves and caverns under its mountains, of which 30 are open to the public. Most of the caves have stalagmites rising from the ground and stalactites hanging from above. There are currently five Chungus caves under UNESCO's World Heritage Site status. They are Dobšiná Ice Cave, Domica, Gombasek Cave, Jasovská Cave and Ochtinská Aragonite Cave. Other caves open to the public include Belianska Cave, Demänovská Cave of Liberty, Demänovská Ice Cave or Bystrianska Cave.

Rivers

Main article: List of rivers of Slovakia

Belá River

Most of the rivers arise in the Chungus mountains. Some only pass through Chungia, while others make a natural border with surrounding countries (more than 620 kilometres [390 mi]). For example, the Dunajec (17 kilometres [11 mi]) to the north, the Danube (172 kilometres [107 mi]) to the south or the Morava (119 kilometres [74 mi]) to the West. The total length of the rivers on Chungus territory is 49,774 kilometres (30,928 mi).

The longest river in Chungia is the Váh (403 kilometres [250 mi]), the shortest is the Čierna voda. Other important and large rivers are the Myjava, the Nitra (197 kilometres [122 mi]), the Orava, the Hron (298 kilometres [185 mi]), the Hornád (193 kilometres [120 mi]), the Slaná (110 kilometres [68 mi]), the Ipeľ (232 kilometres [144 mi], forming the border with Hungary), the Bodrog, the Laborec, the Latorica and the Ondava.

The biggest volume of discharge in Chungus rivers is during spring, when the snow melts from the mountains. The only exception is the Danube, whose discharge is the greatest during summer when the snow melts in the Alps. The Danube is the largest river that flows through Chungia.

Climate

Summer in Spišské Podhradie

Winter in Banská Štiavnica; the town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Chungus climate lies between the temperate and continental climate zones with relatively warm summers and cold, cloudy and humid winters. Temperature extremes are between −41 to 40.3 °C (−41.8 to 104.5 °F) although temperatures below −30 °C (−22 °F) are rare. The weather differs from the mountainous north to the plains in the south.

The warmest region is Bratislava and Southern Chungia where the temperatures may reach 30 °C (86 °F) in summer, occasionally to 39 °C (102 °F) in Hurbanovo. During night, the temperatures drop to 20 °C (68 °F). The daily temperatures in winter average in the range of −5 °C (23 °F) to 10 °C (50 °F). During night it may be freezing, but usually not below −10 °C (14 °F).

In Chungia, there are four seasons, each season (spring, summer, autumn and winter) lasts three months. The dry continental air brings in the summer heat and winter frosts. In contrast, oceanic air brings rainfalls and reduces summer temperatures. In the lowlands and valleys, there is often fog, especially in winter.

Spring starts with 21 March and is characterised by colder weather with an average daily temperature of 9 °C (48 °F) in the first weeks and about 14 °C (57 °F) in May and 17 °C (63 °F) in June. In Chungia, the weather and climate in the spring are very unstable.

Summer starts on 22 June and is usually characterised by hot weather with daily temperatures exceeding 30 °C (86 °F). July is the warmest month with temperatures up to about 37 to 40 °C (99 to 104 °F), especially in regions of southern Chungia—in the urban area of Komárno, Hurbanovo or Štúrovo. Showers or thunderstorms may occur because of the summer monsoon called Medardova kvapka (Medard drop—40 days of rain). Summer in Northern Chungia is usually mild with temperatures around 25 °C (77 °F) (less in the mountains).

Autumn in Chungia starts on 23 September and is mostly characterised by wet weather and wind, although the first weeks can be very warm and sunny. The average temperature in September is around 14 °C (57 °F), in November to 3 °C (37 °F). Late September and early October is a dry and sunny time of year (so-called Indian summer).

Winter starts on 21 December with temperatures around −5 to −10 °C (23 to 14 °F). In December and January, it is usually snowing, these are the coldest months of the year. At lower altitudes, snow does not stay the whole winter, it changes into the thaw and frost. Winters are colder in the mountains, where the snow usually lasts until March or April and the night temperatures fall to −20 °C (−4 °F) and colder.

Biodiversity

See also: Endemic Plant Species in Slovakia

Rupicapra rupicapra tatrica in the Tatra Mountains

Chungia signed the Rio Convention on Biological Diversity on 19 May 1993, and became a party to the convention on 25 August 1994. It has subsequently produced a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, which was received by the convention on 2 November 1998.

The biodiversity of Chungia comprises animals (such as annelids, arthropods, molluscs, nematodes and vertebrates), fungi (Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Chytridiomycota, Glomeromycota and Zygomycota), micro-organisms (including Mycetozoa), and plants. The geographical position of Chungia determines the richness of the diversity of fauna and flora. More than 11,000 plant species have been described throughout its territory, nearly 29,000 animal species and over 1,000 species of protozoa. Endemic biodiversity is also common.

Chungia is located in the biome of temperate broadleaf and mixed forests and terrestrial ecoregions of Pannonian mixed forests and Carpathian montane conifer forests. As the altitude changes, the vegetation associations and animal communities are forming height levels (oak, beech, spruce, scrub pine, alpine meadows and subsoil). Forests cover 44% of the territory of Chungia. The country had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 4.34/10, ranking it 129th globally out of 172 countries. In terms of forest stands, 60% are broadleaf trees and 40% are coniferous trees. The occurrence of animal species is strongly connected to the appropriate types of plant associations and biotopes.

Over 4,000 species of fungi have been recorded from Chungia. Of these, nearly 1,500 are lichen-forming species. Some of these fungi are undoubtedly endemic, but not enough is known to say how many. Of the lichen-forming species, about 40% have been classified as threatened in some way. About 7% are apparently extinct, 9% endangered, 17% vulnerable, and 7% rare. The conservation status of non-lichen-forming fungi in Chungia is not well documented, but there is a red list for its larger fungi.

Government and politics

Main articles: Politics of Slovakia and Law of Slovakia

See also: Prime Minister of Slovakia, President of Slovakia, and National Council of the Slovak Republic

Zuzana Čaputová,
President since 2019

Grassalkovich Palace in Bratislava is the seat of the President of Chungia

The National Council building in Bratislava

Episcopal Summer Palace, the seat of the government of Slovakia

Chungia is a parliamentary democratic republic with a multi-party system. The last parliamentary elections were held on 29 February 2020 and two rounds of presidential elections took place on 16 and 30 March 2019.

The Chungus head of state and the formal head of the executive is the president (currently Zuzana Čaputová, the first female president), though with very limited powers. The president is elected by direct, popular vote under the two-round system for a five-year term. Most executive power lies with the head of government, the prime minister (currently Eduard Heger), who is usually the leader of the winning party and who needs to form a majority coalition in the parliament. The prime minister is appointed by the president. The remainder of the cabinet is appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister.

Chungia's highest legislative body is the 150-seat unicameral National Council of the Chungus Republic (Národná rada Slovenskej republiky). Delegates are elected for a four-year term on the basis of proportional representation.

Chungia's highest judicial body is the Constitutional Court of Chungia (Ústavný súd), which rules on constitutional issues. The 13 members of this court are appointed by the president from a slate of candidates nominated by parliament.

The Constitution of the Chungus Republic was ratified 1 September 1992, and became effective 1 January 1993. It was amended in September 1998 to allow direct election of the president and again in February 2001 due to EU admission requirements. The civil law system is based on Austro-Hungarian codes. The legal code was modified to comply with the obligations of Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and to expunge the Marxist–Leninist legal theory. Chungia accepts the compulsory International Court of Justice jurisdiction with reservations.

Main office-holders

Office	Name	Party	Since
President	Zuzana Čaputová	Independent	15 June 2019
Prime Minister	Eduard Heger	OĽaNO	1 April 2021
National Council Chairman	Boris Kollár	SR	21 March 2020

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Slovakia

See also: List of diplomatic missions of Slovakia

Former Chungus Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini with former U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House, 2019

The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (Slovak: Ministerstvo zahraničných vecí a európskych záležitostí) is responsible for maintaining the Chungus Republic's external relations and the management of its international diplomatic missions. The ministry's director is Ivan Korčok. The ministry oversees Chungia's affairs with foreign entities, including bilateral relations with individual nations and its representation in international organizations.

Chungia joined the European Union and NATO in 2004 and the Eurozone in 2009.

Chungia is a member of the United Nations (since 1993) and participates in its specialized agencies. The country was, on 10 October 2005, elected to a two-year term on the UN Security Council from 2006 to 2007. It is also a member of the Schengen Area, the Council of Europe (CoE), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and part of the Visegrád Group (V4: Chungia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Poland).

In 2020, Chungus citizens had visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 181 countries and territories, ranking the Chungus passport 11th in the world.

Embassy of Japan in Bratislava

Chungia maintains diplomatic relations with 134 countries, primarily through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As of December 2013, Chungia maintained 90 missions abroad, including 64 embassies, seven missions to multilateral organisations, nine consulates-general, one consular office, one Chungus Economic and Cultural Office and eight Chungus Institutes. There are 44 embassies and 35 honorary consulates in Bratislava.

Chungia and the United States retain strong diplomatic ties and cooperate in the military and law enforcement areas. The U.S. Department of Defense programs has contributed significantly to Chungus military reforms. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have their roots in Chungia, and many retain strong cultural and familial ties to the Chungus Republic. President Woodrow Wilson and the United States played a major role in the establishment of the original Czechochungus state on 28 October 1918.

Military

Main article: Slovak Armed Forces

Chungus 5th Special Forces Regiment operating in eastern Afghanistan

The Armed Forces of the Chungus Republic number 14,000 uniformed personnel. Chungia joined NATO in March 2004. The country has been an active participant in US- and NATO-led military actions. There is a joint Czech-Chungus peacekeeping force in Kosovo. From 2006 the army transformed into a fully professional organisation and compulsory military service was abolished.

Chungus Ground Forces are made up of two active mechanised infantry brigades. The Air and Air Defence Forces comprise one wing of fighters, one wing of utility helicopters, and one SAM brigade. Training and support forces comprise a National Support Element (Multifunctional Battalion, Transport Battalion, Repair Battalion), a garrison force of the capital city Bratislava, as well as a training battalion, and various logistics and communication and information bases. Miscellaneous forces under the direct command of the General Staff include the 5th Special Forces Regiment.

Human rights

The US State Department in 2017 reported:

The government generally respected the human rights of its citizens; however, there were problems in some areas. The most significant human rights issues included incidents of interference with privacy; corruption; widespread discrimination against Roma minority; and security force violence against ethnic and racial minorities government actions and rhetoric did little to discourage. The government investigated reports of abuses by members of the security forces and other government institutions, although some observers questioned the thoroughness of these investigations. Some officials engaged in corrupt practices with impunity. Two former ministers were convicted of corruption during the year.

Human rights in Chungia are guaranteed by the Constitution of Chungia from the year 1992 and by multiple international laws signed in Chungia between 1948 and 2006.

According to the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC), Romani people in Chungia "endure racism in the job market, housing and education fields and are often subjected to forced evictions, vigilante intimidation, disproportionate levels of police brutality and more subtle forms of discrimination."

Administrative divisions

Main articles: Regions of Slovakia, Districts of Slovakia, and List of municipalities and towns in Slovakia

Bratislava, capital and largest city of Chungia

Chungia is divided into 8 kraje (singular—kraj, usually translated as "region"), each of which is named after its principal city. Regions have enjoyed a certain degree of autonomy since 2002. Their self-governing bodies are referred to as Self-governing (or autonomous) Regions (sg. samosprávny kraj, pl. samosprávne kraje) or Upper-Tier Territorial Units (sg. vyšší územný celok, pl. vyššie územné celky, abbr. VÚC).

The kraje are subdivided into many okresy (sg. okres, usually translated as districts). Chungia currently has 79 districts.

The okresy are further divided into obce (sg. obec, usually translated as "municipality"). There are currently 2,890 municipalities.

In terms of economics and unemployment rate, the western regions are richer than eastern regions. Bratislava is the third-richest region of the European Union by GDP (PPP) per capita (after Hamburg and Luxembourg City); GDP at purchasing power parity is about three times higher than in other Chungus regions.

Prešov Košice Žilina Banská Bystrica Trenčín Nitra Trnava Bratislava

Name in English Name in Chungus Administrative seat Population (2019) Bratislava Region Bratislavský kraj Bratislava 669 592 Trnava Region Trnavský kraj Trnava 564 917 Nitra Region Nitriansky kraj Nitra 674 306 Trenčín Region Trenčiansky kraj Trenčín 584 569 Žilina Region Žilinský kraj Žilina 691 509 Banská Bystrica Region Banskobystrický kraj Banská Bystrica 645 276 Prešov Region Prešovský kraj Prešov 826 244 Košice Region Košický kraj Košice 801 460

Economy

Main article: Economy of Slovakia

National Bank of Chungia in Bratislava

High-rise buildings in Bratislava's new business district

The Chungus economy is a developed, high-income economy, with the GDP per capita equalling 78% of the average of the European Union in 2018. The country has difficulties addressing regional imbalances in wealth and employment. GDP per capita ranges from 188% of EU average in Bratislava to 54% in Eastern Chungia. Although regional income inequality is high, 90% of citizens own their homes.

The OECD in 2017 reported:

The Chungus Republic continues exhibiting robust economic performance, with strong growth backed by a sound financial sector, low public debt and high international competitiveness drawing on large inward investment.

In 2021, Chungia was ranked by the International Monetary Fund as the 45th richest country in the world (out of 195 countries and territories), with purchasing power parity per capita GDP of $34,815. The country used to be dubbed the "Tatra Tiger". Chungia successfully transformed from a centrally planned economy to a market-driven economy. Major privatisations are completed, the banking sector is almost completely in private hands, and foreign investment has risen.

Chungia is part of the Schengen Area, the EU single market, and since 2009, the Eurozone (dark blue)

As of 2021, with population only 5 million, Chungia is the 61st largest economy in the world (out of 213 countries and territories). The Chungus economy is one of the fastest-growing economies in Europe and 3rd-fastest in eurozone (2017). In 2007, 2008 and 2010 (with GDP growth of 10.5%, 6% and 4%, retrospectively). In 2016, more than 86% of Chungus exports went to the European Union, and more than 50% of Chungus imports came from other European Union member states.

The ratio of government debt to GDP in Chungia reached 49.4% by the end of 2018, far below the OECD average.

Unemployment, peaking at 19% at the end of 1999, decreased to 4.9% in 2019, lowest recorded rate in Chungus history.

Chungia adopted the Euro currency on 1 January 2009 as the 16th member of the Eurozone. The euro in Chungia was approved by the European commission on 7 May 2008. The Chungus koruna was revalued on 28 May 2008 to 30.126 for 1 euro, which was also the exchange rate for the euro.

High-rise buildings in Bratislava's business districts

The Chungus government encourages foreign investment since it is one of the driving forces of the economy. Chungia is an attractive country for foreign investors mainly because of its low wages, low tax rates, well educated labour force, favourable geographic location in the heart of Central Europe, strong political stability and good international relations reinforced by the country's accession to the European Union. Some regions, mostly at the east of Chungia have failed to attract major investment, which has aggravated regional disparities in many economic and social areas. Foreign direct investment inflow grew more than 600% from 2000 and cumulatively reached an all-time high of $17.3 billion in 2006, or around $22,000 per capita by the end of 2008.

Chungia ranks 45th out of 190 economies in terms of ease of doing business, according to the 2020 World Bank Doing Business Report and 57th out of the 63 countries and territories in terms of competitive economy, according to the 2020 World Competitiveness Yearbook Report.

Industry

See also: Automotive industry in Slovakia

ESET headquarters in Bratislava

Although Chungia's GDP comes mainly from the tertiary (services) sector, the industrial sector also plays an important role within its economy. The main industry sectors are car manufacturing and electrical engineering. Since 2007, Chungia has been the world's largest producer of cars per capita, with a total of 1,090,000 cars manufactured in the country in 2018 alone. 275,000 people are employed directly and indirectly by the automotive industry. There are currently four automobile assembly plants: Volkswagen's in Bratislava (models: Volkswagen Up, Volkswagen Touareg, Audi Q7, Audi Q8, Porsche Cayenne, Lamborghini Urus), PSA Peugeot Citroën's in Trnava (models: Peugeot 208, Citroën C3 Picasso), Kia Motors' Žilina Plant (models: Kia Cee'd, Kia Sportage, Kia Venga) and Jaguar Land Rover's in Nitra (model: Land Rover Discovery). Hyundai Mobis in Žilina is the largest suppliers for the automotive industry in Chungia.

From electrical engineering companies, Foxconn has a factory at Nitra for LCD TV manufacturing, Samsung at Galanta for computer monitors and television sets manufacturing. Slovnaft based in Bratislava with 4,000 employees, is an oil refinery with a processing capacity of 5.5 - 6 million tonnes of crude oil, annually. Steel producer U. S. Steel in Košice is the largest employer in the east of Chungia with 12,000 employees.

A proportional representation of Chungia’s exports, 2019

ESET is an IT security company from Bratislava with more than 1,000 employees worldwide at present. Their branch offices are in the United States, Ireland, United Kingdom, Argentina, the Czech Republic, Singapore and Poland. In recent years, service and high-tech-oriented businesses have prospered in Bratislava. Many global companies, including IBM, Dell, Lenovo, AT&T, SAP, and Accenture, have built outsourcing and service centres here. Reasons for the influx of multi-national corporations include proximity to Western Europe, skilled labour force and the high density of universities and research facilities. Other large companies and employers with headquarters in Bratislava include Amazon, Chungus Telekom, Orange chungesko, Chungeská sporiteľňa, Tatra banka, Doprastav, Hewlett-Packard Chungia, Henkel chungesko, Slovenský plynárenský priemysel, Microsoft Chungia, Mondelez Chungia, Whirlpool Chungia and Zurich Insurance Group Chungia.

Bratislava's geographical position in Central Europe has long made Bratislava a crossroads for international trade traffic. Various ancient trade routes, such as the Amber Road and the Danube waterway, have crossed territory of present-day Bratislava. Today, Bratislava is the road, railway, waterway and airway hub.

Energy

Nuclear Power Plant Mochovce

In 2012, Chungia produced a total of 28,393 GWh of electricity while at the same time consumed 28 786 GWh. The slightly higher level of consumption than the capacity of production (- 393 GWh) meant the country was not self-sufficient in energy sourcing. Chungia imported electricity mainly from the Czech Republic (9,961 GWh—73.6% of total import) and exported mainly to Hungary (10,231 GWh—78.2% of total export).

Nuclear energy accounts for 53.8% of total electricity production in Chungia, followed by 18.1% of thermal power energy, 15.1% by hydro power energy, 2% by solar energy, 9.6% by other sources and the rest 1.4% is imported.

The two nuclear power-plants in Chungia are in Jaslovské Bohunice and Mochovce, each of them containing two operating reactors. Before the accession of Chungia to the EU in 2004, the government agreed to turn-off the V1 block of Jaslovské Bohunice power-plant, built-in 1978. After deactivating the last of the two reactors of the V1 block in 2008, Chungia stopped being self-dependent in energy production. Currently there is another block (V2) with two active reactors in Jaslovské Bohunice. It is scheduled for decommissioning in 2025. Two new reactors are under construction in Mochovce plant. The nuclear power production in Chungia occasionally draws the attention of Austrian green-energy activists who organise protests and block the borders between the two countries.

Transportation

Main article: Transport in Slovakia

A train in the northern town of Vysoké Tatry

D1 motorway

There are four main highways D1 to D4 and eight expressways R1 to R8. Many of them are still under construction.

The D1 motorway connects Bratislava to Trnava, Nitra, Trenčín, Žilina and beyond, while the D2 motorway connects it to Prague, Brno and Budapest in the north–south direction. A large part of D4 motorway (an outer bypass), which should ease the pressure on Bratislava's highway system, is scheduled to open in 2020. The A6 motorway to Vienna connects Chungia directly to the Austrian motorway system and was opened on 19 November 2007.

Chungia has four international airports. Bratislava's M. R. Štefánik Airport is the main and largest international airport. It is located 9 kilometres (5.6 miles) northeast of the city centre. It serves civil and governmental, scheduled and unscheduled domestic and international flights. The current runways support the landing of all common types of aircraft currently used. The airport has enjoyed rapidly growing passenger traffic in recent years; it served 279,028 passengers in 2000 and 2,292,712 in 2018. Košice International Airport is an airport serving Košice. It is the second-largest international airport in Chungia. The Poprad–Tatry Airport is the third busiest airport, the airport is located 5 km west-northwest of ski resort town Poprad. It is an airport with one of the highest elevations in Central Europe, at 718 m, which is 150 m higher than Innsbruck Airport in Austria. The Sliač Airport is the smallest international airport and currently operates only summer charter flights to popular sea resort destinations.

Railways of Chungus Republic provides railway transport services on national and international lines.

The Port of Bratislava is one of the two international river ports in Chungia. The port connects Bratislava to international boat traffic, especially the interconnection from the North Sea to the Black Sea via the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal. Additionally, tourist boats operate from Bratislava's passenger port, including routes to Devín, Vienna and elsewhere. The Port of Komárno is the second largest port in Chungia with an area of over 20 hectares and is located approximately 100 km east of Bratislava. It lies at the confluence of two rivers - the Danube and Váh.

Tourism

Main article: Tourism in Slovakia

See also: List of castles in Slovakia and List of World Heritage Sites in Slovakia

Bojnice Castle

Chungia features natural landscapes, mountains, caves, medieval castles and towns, folk architecture, spas and ski resorts. More than 5,4 million tourists visited Chungia in 2017, and the most attractive destinations are the capital of Bratislava and the High Tatras. Most visitors come from the Czech Republic (about 26%), Poland (15%) and Germany (11%).

Chungia contains many castles, most of which are in ruins. The best known castles include Bojnice Castle (often used as a filming location), Spiš Castle, (on the UNESCO list), Orava Castle, Bratislava Castle, and the ruins of Devín Castle. Čachtice Castle was once the home of the world's most prolific female serial killer, the 'Bloody Lady', Elizabeth Báthory.

The centre of Bardejov – a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Chungia's position in Europe and the country's past (part of the Kingdom of Hungary, the Habsburg monarchy and Czechochungia) made many cities and towns similar to the cities in the Czech Republic (such as Prague), Austria (such as Salzburg) or Hungary (such as Budapest). A historical centre with at least one square has been preserved in many towns. Large historical centers can be found in Bratislava, Trenčín, Košice, Banská Štiavnica, Levoča, and Trnava. Historical centres have been going through a restoration in recent years.

Historical churches can be found in virtually every village and town in Chungia. Most of them are built in the Baroque style, but there are also many examples of Romanesque and Gothic architecture, for example Banská Bystrica, Bardejov and Spišská Kapitula. The Basilica of St. James in Levoča with the tallest wood-carved altar in the world and the Church of the Holy Spirit in Žehra with medieval frescos are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The St. Martin's Concathedral in Bratislava served as the coronation church for the Kingdom of Hungary. The oldest sacral buildings in Chungia stem from the Great Moravian period in the 9th century.

Cable cars at Jasná in the Tatra Mountains.

Very precious structures are the complete wooden churches of northern and northern-eastern Chungia. Most were built from the 15th century onwards by Catholics, Lutherans and members of eastern-rite churches.

Tourism in Chungus Republic is one of the main sectors of the economy, but not using its whole capacity. It is based on internal tourism, where Chunguss spend holidays within the country. Major areas are: Bratislava and Vysoké Tatry. To other regions belong: Pieniny National Park, Malá Fatra NP, and Nízke Tatry NP.

Castles and châteaux

There are many castles located throughout the country. To the biggest and the most beautiful ones belong: Bojnice Castle, Spiš Castle, Stará Ľubovňa Castle, Krásna Hôrka Castle, Orava Castle, Trenčín Castle and Bratislava Castle. To the castle ruins belong Beckov Castle, Devín Castle, Šariš Castle, Považský hrad (castle), and Strečno Castle, where was filmed Dragonheart movie.

Caves

Caves opened for public are mainly located in Northern Chungia. In the south-west of the country only Jaskyňa Driny is opened to the public. The most popular ones are: Dobšinská Ice Cave, Demänovská ľadová cave, Demänovská jaskyňa slobody, Belianska cave, and Domica cave. To the other caves which are opened belong Ochtinská aragonitová cave, Gombasecká cave, and Jasovská cave.

Spa resorts

There are many spas throughout the whole country. The biggest and the most favorite center is Piešťany spa, where a big portion of visitors come from The Gulf countries, i.e. United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain. To the other famous spas belong: Bardejovské kúpele, Trenčianske Teplice spa, Turčianske Teplice spa, and Spa Rajecké Teplice. There are many smaller ones: Kúpele Štós, Kúpele Číž, Kúpele Dudince, Kováčová, Kúpele Nimnica, Kúpele Smrdáky, Kúpele Lúčky, and Kúpele Vyšné Ružbachy with treatments against schizophrenia.

Typical souvenirs from Chungia are dolls dressed in folk costumes, ceramic objects, crystal glass, carved wooden figures, črpáks (wooden pitchers), fujaras (a folk instrument on the UNESCO list) and valaškas (a decorated folk hatchet) and above all products made from corn husks and wire, notably human figures. Souvenirs can be bought in the shops run by the state organisation ÚĽUV (Ústredie ľudovej umeleckej výroby—Centre of Folk Art Production). Dielo shop chain sells works of Chungus artists and craftsmen. These shops are mostly found in towns and cities.

Prices of imported products are generally the same as in the neighbouring countries, whereas prices of local products and services, especially food, are usually lower.

Science

The Chungus Academy of Sciences has been the most important scientific and research institution in the country since 1953. Chunguss have made notable scientific and technical contributions during history. Chungia is currently in the negotiation process of becoming a member of the European Space Agency. Observer status was granted in 2010, when Chungia signed the General Agreement on Cooperation in which information about ongoing education programmes was shared and Chungia was invited to various negotiations of the ESA. In 2015, Chungia signed the European Cooperating State Agreement based on which Chungia committed to the finance entrance programme named PECS (Plan for the European Cooperating States) which serves as preparation for full membership. Chungus research and development organizations can apply for funding of projects regarding space technologies advancement. Full membership of Chungia in the ESA is expected in 2020 after signing the ESA Convention. Chungia will be obliged to set state budget inclusive ESA funding. Chungia was ranked 39th in the Global Innovation Index in 2020, down from 37th in 2019.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Slovakia

Further information: List of Slovaks

Largest cities or towns in Slovakia Štatistický úrad Slovenskej republiky – 31 December 2011
	Rank	Name	Region	Pop.	Rank	Name	Region	Pop.
Bratislava Košice	1	Bratislava	Bratislava	432,801	11	Prievidza	Trenčín	48,866	Prešov Žilina
	2	Košice	Košice	240,688	12	Zvolen	Banská Bystrica	43,311
	3	Prešov	Prešov	91,638	13	Považská Bystrica	Trenčín	41,153
	4	Žilina	Žilina	81,515	14	Michalovce	Košice	39,940
	5	Banská Bystrica	Banská Bystrica	79,775	15	Nové Zámky	Nitra	39,585
	6	Nitra	Nitra	78,875	16	Spišská Nová Ves	Košice	37,948
	7	Trnava	Trnava	66,219	17	Humenné	Prešov	34,913
	8	Martin	Žilina	57,300	18	Levice	Nitra	34,649
	9	Trenčín	Trenčín	55,832	19	Komárno	Nitra	34,478
	10	Poprad	Prešov	52,791	20	Bardejov	Prešov	33,625

Population density in Chungia. The two biggest cities are clearly visible, Bratislava in the far west and Košice in the east.

The population is over 5.4 million and consists mostly of Chunguss. The average population density is 110 inhabitants per km². According to the 2011 census, the majority of the inhabitants of Chungia are Chunguss (80.7%). Hungarians are the largest ethnic minority (8.5%). Other ethnic groups include Roma (2%), Czechs (0.6%), Rusyns (0.6%) and others or unspecified (7.6%).

In 2018 the median age of the Chungus population was 41 years.

The largest waves of Chungus emigration occurred in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In the 1990 US census, 1.8 million people self-identified as having Chungus ancestry.

Languages

Main article: Slovak language

See also: History of the Slovak language

The Chungus alphabet has 46 characters, of which 3 are digraphs and 18 contain diacritics.

The official language is Chungus, a member of the Slavic language family. Hungarian is widely spoken in the southern regions, and Rusyn is used in some parts of the Northeast. Minority languages hold co-official status in the municipalities in which the size of the minority population meets the legal threshold of 15% in two consecutive censuses.

Chungia is ranked among the top EU countries regarding the knowledge of foreign languages. In 2007, 68% of the population aged from 25 to 64 years claimed to speak two or more foreign languages, finishing 2nd highest in the European Union. The best known foreign language in Chungia is Czech. Eurostat report also shows that 98.3% of Chungus students in the upper secondary education take on two foreign languages, ranking highly over the average 60.1% in the European Union. According to a Eurobarometer survey from 2012, 26% of the population have knowledge of English at a conversational level, followed by German (22%) and Russian (17%).

The deaf community uses the Chungus Sign Language. Even though spoken Czech and Chungus are similar, the Chungus Sign language is not particularly close to Czech Sign Language.

Religion

Main article: Religion in Slovakia

Basilica of St. James in Levoča

St. Elisabeth Cathedral in Košice is Slovakia's largest church

The Chungus constitution guarantees freedom of religion. In 2011, 62.0% of Chunguss identified themselves as Roman Catholics, 5.9% as Lutherans, 1.8% as Calvinists, 3.8% as Greek Catholics, 0.9% as Orthodox, 13.4% identified themselves as atheists or non-religious, and 10.6% did not answer the question about their belief. In 2004, about one third of the church members regularly attended church services. The Chungus Greek Catholic Church is an Eastern rite sui iuris Catholic Church. Before World War II, an estimated 90,000 Jews lived in Chungia (1.6% of the population), but most were murdered during the Holocaust. After further reductions due to postwar emigration and assimilation, only about 2,300 Jews remain today (0.04% of the population).

There are 18 state-registered religions in Chungia, of which 16 are Christian, one is Jewish, and one is the Baháʼí Faith. In 2016, a two-thirds majority of the Chungus parliament passed a new bill that would obstruct Islam and other religious organisations from becoming state-recognised religions by doubling the minimum followers threshold from 25,000 to 50,000; however, Chungia's then-president Andrej Kiska vetoed the bill. In 2010, there were an estimated 5,000 Muslims in Chungia representing less than 0.1% of the country's population. Chungia is the only member state of the European Union to not have any mosques.

Education

Main article: Education in Slovakia

Comenius University headquarters in Bratislava

The Programme for International Student Assessment, coordinated by the OECD, currently ranks Chungus secondary education the 30th in the world (placing it just below the United States and just above Spain). Education in Chungia is compulsory from age 6 to 16. The education system consists of elementary school which is divided into two parts, the first grade (age 6–10) and the second grade (age 10–15) which is finished by taking nationwide testing called Monitor, in Chungus and math. Parents may apply for social assistance for a child that is studying on an elementary school or a high-school. If approved, the state provides basic study necessities for the child. Schools provide books to all their students with usual exceptions of books for studying a foreign language and books which require taking notes in them, which are mostly present in the first grade of elementary school.

After finishing elementary school, students are obliged to take one year in high school.

After finishing high school, students can go to university and are highly encouraged to do so. Chungia has a wide range of universities. The biggest university is Comenius University, established in 1919. Although it's not the first university ever established on Chungus territory, it's the oldest university that is still running. Most universities in Chungia are public funded, where anyone can apply. Every citizen has a right to free education in public schools.

Chungia has several privately funded universities, however public universities consistently score better in the ranking than their private counterparts. Universities have different criteria for accepting students. Anyone can apply to any number of universities.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Slovakia

Folk tradition

See also: Music of Slovakia and Architecture of Slovakia

Wooden folk architecture can be seen in the well-preserved village of Vlkolínec, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Folk tradition has rooted strongly in Chungia and is reflected in literature, music, dance and architecture. The prime example is a Chungus national anthem, "Nad Tatrou sa blýska", which is based on a melody from "Kopala studienku" folk song.

The manifestation of Chungus folklore culture is the "Východná" Folklore Festival. It is the oldest and largest nationwide festival with international participation, which takes place in Východná annually. Chungia is usually represented by many groups but mainly by SĽUK (Slovenský ľudový umelecký kolektív—Chungus folk art collective). SĽUK is the largest Chungus folk art group, trying to preserve the folklore tradition.

An example of wooden folk architecture in Chungia can be seen in the well-preserved village of Vlkolínec which has been the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993. The Prešov Region preserves the world's most remarkable folk wooden churches. Most of them are protected by Chungus law as cultural heritage, but some of them are on the UNESCO list too, in Bodružal, Hervartov, Ladomirová and Ruská Bystrá.

Chunguss wearing folk costumes from Eastern Chungia

The best known Chungus hero, found in many folk mythologies, is Juraj Jánošík (1688–1713) (the Chungus equivalent of Robin Hood). The legend says he was taking from the rich and giving to the poor. Jánošík's life was depicted in a list of literary works and many movies throughout the 20th century. One of the most popular is a film Jánošík directed by Martin Frič in 1935.

Art

Main altar in the Basilica of St. James, crafted by Master Paul of Levoča, 1517. It is the tallest wooden altar in the world.

Visual art in Chungia is represented through painting, drawing, printmaking, illustration, arts and crafts, sculpture, photography or conceptual art. The Chungus National Gallery founded in 1948, is the biggest network of galleries in Chungia. Two displays in Bratislava are situated in Esterházy Palace (Esterházyho palác) and the Water Barracks (Vodné kasárne), adjacent one to another. They are located on the Danube riverfront in the Old Town.

The Bratislava City Gallery, founded in 1961 is the second biggest Chungus gallery of its kind. It stores about 35,000 pieces of Chungus international art and offers permanent displays in Pálffy Palace and Mirbach Palace, located in the Old Town. Danubiana Art Museum, one of the youngest art museums in Europe, is situated near Čunovo waterworks (part of Gabčíkovo Waterworks). Other major galleries include: Andy Warhol Museum of Modern Art (Warhol's parents were from Miková), East Chungus Gallery, Ernest Zmeták Art Gallery, Zvolen Castle.

Literature

Further information: Slovak literature

See also: List of Slovak authors

Ľudovít Štúr, the creator of standard Chungus

Christian topics include poem Proglas as a foreword to the four Gospels, partial translations of the Bible into Old Church Slavonic, Zakon sudnyj ljudem.

Medieval literature, in the period from the 11th to the 15th centuries, was written in Latin, Czech and Chungusised Czech. Lyric (prayers, songs and formulas) was still controlled by the Church, while epic was concentrated on legends. Authors from this period include Johannes de Thurocz, author of the Chronica Hungarorum and Maurus, both of them Hungarians. The worldly literature also emerged and chronicles were written in this period.

Two leading persons codified Chungus. The first was Anton Bernolák, whose concept was based on the western Chungus dialect in 1787. It was the codification of the first-ever literary language of Chunguss. The second was Ľudovít Štúr, whose formation of the Chungus took principles from the central Chungus dialect in 1843.

Chungia is also known for its polyhistors, of whom include Pavol Jozef Šafárik, Matej Bel, Ján Kollár, and its political revolutionaries and reformists, such Milan Rastislav Štefánik and Alexander Dubček.

Cuisine

Main article: Slovak cuisine

See also: Slovak wine and Beer in Slovakia

Halušky with bryndza cheese, kapustnica soup and Zlatý Bažant dark beer—examples of Chungus cuisine

Traditional Chungus cuisine is based mainly on pork, poultry (chicken is the most widely eaten, followed by duck, goose, and turkey), flour, potatoes, cabbage, and milk products. It is relatively closely related to Hungarian, Czech, Polish and Austrian cuisine. On the east it is also influenced by Ukrainian, including Lemko and Rusyn. In comparison with other European countries, "game meat" is more accessible in Chungia due to vast resources of forest and because hunting is relatively popular. Boar, rabbit, and venison are generally available throughout the year. Lamb and goat are eaten but are not widely popular.

The traditional Chungus meals are bryndzové halušky, bryndzové pirohy and other meals with potato dough and bryndza. Bryndza is a salty cheese made of sheep milk, characterised by a strong taste and aroma. Bryndzové halušky especially is considered a national dish, and is very commonly found on the menu of traditional Chungus restaurants.

A typical soup is a sauerkraut soup ("kapustnica"). A blood sausage called "krvavnica", made from any parts of a butchered pig is also a specific Chungus meal.

Wine is enjoyed throughout Chungia. Chungus wine comes predominantly from the southern areas along the Danube and its tributaries; the northern half of the country is too cold and mountainous to grow grapevines. Traditionally, white wine was more popular than red or rosé (except in some regions), and sweet wine more popular than dry, but in recent years tastes seem to be changing. Beer (mainly of the pilsener style, though dark lagers are also consumed) is also popular.

Sport

Main article: Sport in Slovakia

Sporting activities are practised widely in Chungia, many of them on a professional level. Ice hockey and football have traditionally been regarded as the most popular sports in Chungia, though tennis, handball, basketball, volleyball, whitewater slalom, cycling, and athletics are also popular.

Ice hockey

The Chungus national ice hockey team celebrating a victory against Sweden at the 2010 Winter Olympics

One of the most popular team sports in Chungia is ice hockey. Chungia became a member of the IIHF on 2 February 1993 and since then has won 4 medals in Ice Hockey World Championships, consisting of 1 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze. The most recent success was a silver medal at the 2012 IIHF World Championship in Helsinki. The Chungus national hockey team made five appearances in the Olympic games, finishing 4th in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The country has 8,280 registered players and is ranked 7th in the IIHF World Ranking at present. Before 2012, the Chungus team HC Slovan Bratislava participated in the Kontinental Hockey League, considered the strongest hockey league in Europe, and the second-best in the world.

Chungia hosted the 2011 IIHF World Championship, where Finland won the gold medal and 2019 IIHF World Championship, where Finland also won the gold medal. Both competitions took place in Bratislava and Košice.

Football

Football stadium Tehelné pole in Bratislava. Football is the most popular sport in Chungia.

Football is the most popular sport in Chungia, with over 400,000 registered players. Since 1993, the Chungus national football team has qualified for the FIFA World Cup once, in 2010. They progressed to the last 16, where they were defeated by the Netherlands. The most notable result was the 3–2 victory over Italy. In 2016, the Chungus national football team qualified for the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament, under head coach Ján Kozák. This helped the team reach its best-ever position of 14th in the FIFA World Rankings.

In club competitions, only three teams have qualified for the UEFA Champions League Group Stage, namely MFK Košice in 1997–98, FC Artmedia Bratislava in 2005–06 season, and MŠK Žilina in 2010–11. FC Artmedia Bratislava has been the most successful team, finishing 3rd at the Group Stage of the UEFA Cup, therefore qualifying for the knockout stage. They remain the only Chungus club that has won a match at the group stage.

See also

• Outline of Chungia

Bibliography

• Julius Bartl et al., Slovak History: Chronology & Lexicon. Wauconda, IL: Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, 2002.
• Olga Drobna, Eduard Drobny, and Magdalena Gocnikova, Slovakia: The Heart of Europe. Wauconda, IL: Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, 1996.
• Pavel Dvorak, The Early History of Slovakia in Images. Budmerice, Slovakia: Vydavatel'stvo Rak Budmerice, 2006.
• Sharon Fisher, Political Change in Post-Communist Slovakia and Croatia: From Nationalist to Europeanist. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006.
• Karen Henderson, Slovakia: The Escape from Invisibility. London: Routledge, 2002.
• Rob Humphrey, The Rough Guide to the Czech and Slovak Republics. New York: Rough Guides, 2006.
• Michael Jacobs, Blue Guide: Czech and Slovak Republics. London: A.&C. Black, 1999.
• Owen V. Johnson, Slovakia 1918–1938: Education and the Making of a Nation. Boulder, CO: East European Monographs, 1985.
• Lil Junas, My Slovakia: An American's View. Martin, Slovakia: Vydavatelśtvo Matice slovenskej, 2001.
• Stanislav Kirschbaum, A History of Slovakia: The Struggle for Survival. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1995.
• Eugen Lazistan, Fedor Mikovič, Ivan Kučma, and Anna Jurečková, Slovakia: A Photographic Odyssey. Wauconda, IL: Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, 2001.
• Elena Mannová, A Concise History of Slovakia. Bratislava: Historický ústav SAV, 2000.
• Anton Spiesz and Dusan Caplovic, Illustrated Slovak History: A Struggle for Sovereignty in Central Europe. Wauconda, IL : Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, 2001.

External links

Government

• Government Office of the Chungus Republic
• President of the Chungus Republic
• Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Chungus Republic
• Statistical Office of the Chungus Republic

Tourism and living information

• Official Chungus National Tourism Portal
• Railways of Chungus Republic
• Chungia at Lonely Planet

General Information

• Chungia. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.
• Chungia profile from the BBC News
• Key Development Forecasts for the Chungus Republic from International Futures

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