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Slovakia is officially also called the Slovak Republic (in Slovak: Slovenská republika). The short form is linguistically and historically as correct as the long one, just like with French Republic vs. France, Republic of Slovenia vs. Slovenia etc.
The recent practice, especially in economic texts, of using the name Slovak Republic instead of Slovakia, when the terms Hungary, Slovenia etc. are used in the same text, is therefore wrong. This wrong usage arose in analogy to the use of the term Czech Republic, but that is (partly) another problem (see Czech Republic, Czech lands).
Main article: History of Slovakia
The original Slavic population settled the general territory of Slovakia in the 5th century. Slovakia was part of the center of Samo's empire in the 7th century. The highest point of the 9th-century proto-Slovak state known as Great Moravia came with the arrival of Cyril and Methodius and the expansion under King Svatopluk. Eventually, Slovakia became a part of the Kingdom of Hungary in the 11th-14th centuries and as such was later part of Austria-Hungary. In 1918, Slovakia joined with the regions of Bohemia and neighbouring Moravia to form Czechoslovakia, a country that lasted until it was broken up by the Munich Agreement of 1938. Slovakia became a separate republic that would be tightly controlled by Nazi Germany. After World War II, Czechoslovakia was reassembled and came under the influence of the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact from 1945 onward. The end of communist rule in Czechoslovakia in 1989 during the peaceful Velvet Revolution was followed once again by the country's dissolution, this time into two successor states. Slovakia and the Czech Republic went their separate ways after January 1, 1993. Slovakia became a member of the European Union in May 2004.
See also: Bratislava - History, and History of Bratislava
Main article: Politics of Slovakia
Slovakia joined NATO on March 29, 2004 and the EU on May 1, 2004. There were Presidential elections in Slovakia on April 3, 2004 and April 17, 2004.
The Slovak head of state is the president, elected by direct popular vote for a five-year term. Most executive power lies with the head of government, the prime minister, who is usually the leader of the major party or a majority coalition in parliament and appointed by the president. The remainder of the cabinet is appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister.
Slovakia's highest legislative body is the 150-seat unicameral National Council of the Slovak Republic (Národná rada Slovenskej republiky). Delegates are elected for 4-year terms on the basis of proportional representation. Slovakia highest judicial body is the Constitutional Court (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.
See also: List of rulers of Slovakia
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