President: Ivan Gasparovic Prime minister-elect: Robert Fico
Population
28,047,938
5,483,088
Life Expectancy
74.080 years
76.030 years
Capital City
Caracas
Bratislava
Largest city
Maracaibo (population: 2,225,000)
Bratislava (population: 423,737)
Human Development Index
0.826
0.872
GDP per capita
$12,700 US
$23,600 US
Literacy Rate
93%
99.6%
Corruption Perception Index
1.9
5
Percentage of Women in Parliament
18.6%
19.3%
Wealthiest Citizens
Gustavo Cisneros & family ($3.8bn US)
NA
Unemployment Rate
8.200%
13.500%
Death Penalty
Abolished
Abolished
Political System
federal republic
parliamentary democracy
Independence date
5 July 1811 (from Spain)
1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia)
Religions
nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2%
Roman Catholic 68.9%, Protestant 10.8%, Greek Catholic 4.1%, other or unspecified 3.2%, none 13% (2001 census)
Languages
Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects
Slovak (official) 83.9%, Hungarian 10.7%, Roma 1.8%, Ukrainian 1%, other or unspecified 2.6% (2001 census)
Exports
petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures
vehicles 25.9%, machinery and electrical equipment 21.3%, base metals 14.6%, chemicals and minerals 10.1%, plastics 5.4% (2004)
External Debt
$89,600,000,000 $
$72,940,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
bolivars (VEB) per US dollar - 2.147 (2008 est.), 2,147 (2007), 2,147 (2006), 2,089.8 (2005), 1,891.3 (2004) note: On 1 January 2008 Venezuela revalued its currency with 1000 old bolivares equal to 1 new bolivar
Slovak koruny (SKK) per US dollar - 21.05 (2008 est.), 24.919 (2007), 29.611 (2006), 31.018 (2005), 32.257 (2004) note: on 1 January 2009 Slovakia adopted the euro as legal tender
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.200%
1.080%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
6
Location
Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana
