Part 750

Population growth rate: 0.12% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 10.37 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 9.58 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years : 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.91 years male : 69.11 years female: 76.9 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.34 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality: noun: Slovak(s) adjective: Slovak

Ethnic groups: Slovak 85.7%, Hungarian 10.7%, Gypsy 1.5% (the 1992 census figures underreport the Gypsy/Romany community, which could reach 500,000 or more), Czech 1%, Ruthenian 0.3%, Ukrainian 0.3%, German 0.1%, Polish 0.1%, other 0.3%

Religions: Roman Catholic 60.3%, atheist 9.7%, Protestant 8.4%, Orthodox 4.1%, other 17.5%

Languages: Slovak (official), Hungarian

Literacy: NA

@Slovakia:Government

Country name: conventional long form : Slovak Republic conventional short form: Slovakia local long form: Slovenska Republika local short form: Slovensko

Data code: LO

Government type: parliamentary democracy

National capital: Bratislava

Administrative divisions: 4 departments (kraje, singular - kraj) Bratislava, Zapadoslovensky, Stredoslovensky, Vychodoslovensky note: an article in the Slovakian press mentions there are 8 departments named Bratislava, Banska Bystrica, Kosice, Nitra, Presov, Trnava, Trencin, and Zilina

Independence: 1 January 1993 (from Czechoslovakia)

National holiday: Slovak Constitution Day, 1 September (1992); Anniversary of Slovak National Uprising, 29 August (1944)

Constitution: ratified 1 September 1992, fully effective 1 January 1993

Legal system: civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to comply with the obligations of Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Michal KOVAC (since 8 February 1993) head of government : Prime Minister Vladimir MECIAR (since 12 December 1994) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president elected by National Council for a five-year term; election last held 8 February 1993 (next to be held March 1998); following National Council elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president election results: Michal KOVAC elected president; percent of parliamentary vote - NA

Legislative branch: unicameral National Council of the Slovak Republic or Narodna Rada Slovensky Repubiky (150 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 30 September-1 October 1994 (next to be held by October 1998) election results: percent of vote by party - HZDS 35%, SDL 10.4%, Hungarian coalition (Hungarian Christian Democrats, Hungarian Civic Party, Coexistence) 10.2%, KDH 10.1%, DU 8.6%, ZRS 7.3%, SNS 5.4%; seats by party - governing coalition 83 (HZDS 61, ZRS 13, SNS 9), opposition 67 (SDL 18, Hungarian coalition 17, KDH 17, DU 15)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are elected by the National Parliament

Political parties and leaders: Movement for a Democratic Slovakia or HZDS [Vladimir MECIAR, chairman]; Party of the Democratic Left or SDL [Jozef MIGAS, chairman]; Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement or MKDH [Vojtech BUGAR]; Hungarian Civic Party or MOS [Laszlo A. NAGY, president]; Coexistence [Miklos DURAY, chairman]; Christian Democratic Movement or KDH [Jan CARNOGURSKY, chairman]; Democratic Union or DU [Jozef MORAVCIK, chairman]; Association of Slovak Workers or ZRS [Jan LUPTAK, chairman]; Slovak National Party or SNS [Jan SLOTA, chairman]; Slovak Green Alternative or SZA [Zora LAZAROVA, chairwoman]; Farmers' Party of Slovakia or RSS [Pavel DELINGA, chairman]; Social Democratic Party of Slovakia or SSDS [Jaroslav WOLF, chairman]; Party of Greens in Slovakia or SZS [Jozef POKORNY, chaiman]; Democratic Party or DS [Jan LANGOS, chairman]