Slovakia
POPULATION 5,422,366
ROMAN CATHOLIC 68.9 percent
EVANGELICAL (LUTHERAN) 6.9 percent
GREEK CATHOLIC 4.1 percent
REFORMED 2.0 percent
NOT AFFILIATED 13.0 percent
OTHER 5.1 percent
Country Overview
Introduction
Located in central Europe, the Slovak Republic is bordered by Poland and the Czech Republic to the north, Austria to the west, Hungary to the south, and Ukraine to the east. Since the eighth and ninth centuries Christianity has played a crucial role in the history and culture of Slovakia, and it continues to form an integral part of Slovak national identity.
Formerly part of Hungary, Slovakia became a constituent republic of Czechoslovakia in 1918. Between 1948 and 1989 it was ruled by a Communist regime, which systematically tried to eliminate religion from the country. The independent Slovak Republic was created in 1993 after the "velvet" dissolution of Czechoslovakia. According to the 2001 census, more than 83 percent of the population is Christian.
Religious Tolerance
Historically in Slovakia there has been mutual toleration among religious groups. For centuries the Slovaks have lived in central Europe together with the Czechs, Austrians, and Hungarians. It was religion that united these nations in a multinational monarchy, Austria-Hungary, from 1867 to 1918. Today signs of ecumenism in Slovakia include the activities of the Ecumenical Council of Churches, as well as occasional common prayers and a search for shared pursuits among various denominations.
This is a free page. This page contains 201 words. This
article contains 2,656 words (approx. 9 pages at 300
words per page).
Read the rest of this Article with our Slovakia Access Pass.
