Slovakia
Slovakia is a parliamentary democracy and a republic in Central Europe. It borders Poland in the north, Hungary in the south, Austria and the Czech Republic to the west and Ukraine to the east. It is a EU member with over five million inhabitants. The capital city of Slovakia is Bratislava.
The present-day territory of Slovakia was settled by Celtic tribes in around 450 BC. The Celts built heavily fortified structures in Bratislava and Liptov, which were known as oppida. The first use of writing in the area is seen in silver coins with the names of Celtic kings. After 6 AD the Roman Empire established a network of outposts on the banks of the Danube. Slovakia was occupied by the Germanic kingdom of Vannius from 20 to 50 AD. It was settled by Slavs in the 400s. Slovakia became part of the Hungarian kingdom in the 11th century after the Great Moravian Empire disintegrated. It remained part of this kingdom until the 14th century. At this time Slovakia had a powerful economy and thriving culture, resulting in an important political status. more