Geography and Environment of Slovakia

Slovakia, located in the very heart of Europe, has an area of 18,859 square miles (48,845 square kilometers). The terrain includes the high Carpathian Mountains (The Tatras) in the north, the low Carpathian mountains in the center, the foothills to the west, and the Danube River Basin in the south. Slovakia is mostly mountainous; approximately 80% of the territory is 750 meters or more above sea level. The highest point is Gerlachovský Peak, 2,655 meters above sea level. Slovakia is a land of beautiful, wide valleys, which were created by the Váh, Nitra, and Hron Rivers. Most of the land is drained by the Danube, the largest river in Slovakia, which empties into the Black Sea, and its tributaries (Morava, Váh, Hron and others). The Dunajec River drains a smaller part of Slovakia; it is a tributary of the Visla, which empties into the Baltic Sea. The longest river in Slovakia is the Váh, which is 242 miles (390 kilometers). In the eastern part of the country lie the woodlands of the Carpathian Mountains. The breadbasket of Slovakia, the Podunajska Plain, lies further south along the Danube River. In the woodland regions oak, birch and spruce grow abundantly up to the tree line. Mountain pine and alpine vegetation grow above the tree line. Because the country lies on the crossroads of several different plant systems, unique flora abound. The entire territory of Slovakia is rich in fauna and most animal species live in the mountainous woodland regions.

Detailed geography