INTRODUCTION Our Slovak Republic Is Small And Young . . 5 Map of Slovakia . . 6 The Slovak Republic . . 8 People . . 8 Government . . 8 History . . 10 Government and Political Conditions . . 11 Economy . . 12 National Security . . 14 Foreign Relations . . 15 HISTORY Early History . . 16 Great Moravian Empire /833 - 906/ . . 16 Medieval Dynastic States /907 - 1200/ . . 18 Later Middle Ages /1200 - 1310/ . . 19 Golden Age And The Rise Of Nationalism /1310 - 1526/ . . 20 Turkish Menace And Confessional Struggles /1526 - 1740/ . . 21 Enlightened Absolutism And National Revival /1740 - 1848/ . . 25 Revolution, Reaction And /Constitutional/ Dualism /1848 - 1914/ . . 27 World War I. And Creation Of The Czechoslovak State /1914 - 1918/ . . 30 First Czechoslovak Republic /1919 - 1938/ . . 32 From Wall Street Crash To Munich /1929 - 1938/ . . 36 Protectorate And The Slovak State /1939 - 1948/ . . 38 From Democracy To Communism /1945 - 1948/ . . 42 From Gottwald To Dubcek /1948 - 1967/ . . 43 Reaction And The Stagnation /1969 - 1989/ . . 47 Velvet Revolution And The Velvet Divorce /1989 - 1992/ . . 48 Dissolution Of Czechoslovakia . . 52 History Of The Slovak Republic . . 59 History Of Slovakia Shortly . . 62 REGIONS Bratislava Is The Capital Of Slovakia . . 64 Region Of Bratislava . . 76 Region Of Nitra . . 80 Region Of Trnava . . 86 Region Of Trencin . . 92 Region Of Zilina . . 98 Region Of Banska Bystrica . . 104 Region Of Presov . . 110 Region Of Kosice . . 116 MICROREGIONS Our High Tatras: The Alps Without The Crowds . . 122 The Beautiful Orava Area . . 134 Liptov: The Fantastic Nature . . 140 The Horehronie Area: To The Legendary Kral'ova Hol'a . . 146 Kysuce: A Favourable Location . . 150 The Picturesque Turiec . . 154 Povazie Is About The Vah River . . 158 The Low Tatras Mountains . . 162 Vihortat Is A Typical Forest Area . . 168 The Poloniny National Park . . 174 Zemplin Is The Lively Area . . 178 The Pearls Of Gemer . . 182 The Small Carpathians Area: A Celebration Of Wine . . 188 Zahorie, The West Frontier Of Slovakia . . 194 The Myjava Area Is The Birthplace Of Slovak National Conciousness . . 200 NATURE Geography Of Slovakia . . 204 Fauna Of Slovakia . . 210 Flora Of Slovakia . . 214 National Parks And Protected Landscape Areas . . 218 Primeval Forests . . 226 Felling Our Future? . . 228 SOCIETY Slovak Society . . 234 Slovakia And Slovaks . . 236 National Minorities In Slovakia . . 238 Jews In Slovakia . . 252 Rusyns Of Slovakia . . 262 Carpathian Germans And Slovakia . . 270 Religion In Slovakia . . 276 Catholics In Our National Life . . 282 Eastern Model Of Faith Is More Resistant To Ailments . . 288 The Liturgical Life Of The Evangelical Church . . 294 Education In Slovakia . . 302 The Slovak Cultural Society: Matica Slovenska . . 310 CULTURE Cultural Heritage Of Slovakia . . 316 Slovak Folk Culture . . 328 Slovak Literature . . 346 Slovak Film . . 370 Slovak Theatre . . 394 Slovak Opera . . 404 Slovak Visual Arts - Painting . . 414 TRADITION Slovak Customs And Traditions . . 432 Fasiangy Traditions . . 446 Easter In Slovakia . . 448 Easter In Drahovce . . 452 Easter By The Quiet Stream . . 458 Whips And Water . . 464 Easter Eggs - "Kraslice" . . 466 Christmas In Slovakia: Blessedly In Hand . . 468 How The Christmas Tradition Originated? . . 474 The Prayer At The Christmas Table . . 476 The Rituals Of The Christmas Days . . 478 Traditional Christmas Meal . . 482 Traditional Easter Meal . . 484 Traditional Slovak Wedding . . 486 Slovak Folk Costumes . . 489 History Of Crafts In Slovakia . . 492 Traditional Woodwork . . 496 Traditional Bell Production . . 499 Tinkers Of Slovakia . . 500 Pearls Of Folk Architecture . . 504 Oldest Wooden Church . . 510 Meals Of Our Forefathers . . 512 PEOPLE List Of Major Slovaks . . 574 Byzantine Messengers . . 584 Ludovit Stur: Father Of Slovak Language . . 586 Our Great Stefanik . . 588 The Rise And Fall Of Alexander Dubcek . . 598 Slovaks Abroad . . 618 Slovaks In America . . 621 First Slovaks In America . . 626 Eminent Americans With Roots In Slovakia . . 628 Slovaks In Canada . . 638 Our Bradlo In Canada . . 641 The Citizen Of The World, The King From Slovakia . . 650 Carleton D. Gajdusek: The Way To Nobel Prize . . 660 Eugene A. Cernan: The Last Man On The Moon . . 666 Igor Bella: The First Slovak In Space . . 670 Our Science In Space . . 674 10 major Slovak Inventors . . 678 Baron Kempelen And.His Chess-playing Machine . . 681 Pioneer In The Field Of Wireless Transmission . . 682 Two Ikaros From Slovakia . . 688 One Of His Students Was Albert Einstein . . 692 In The Pantheon Of World Science . . 693 Rescuer Of London, Father Of GPS Ivan Alexander Getting . . 694 Slovak Woman On The Computer Olympia: Ruzena Bajcsy . . 698 Our Genius Andy Warhol . . 704 Star With The Heart: Paul Newman . . 710 Goodness Of John Dopyera . . 716 Koloman Sokol In The Desert . . 718 Masterpiece Of Art Albin Brunovsky . . 722 Great Haban Bizmayer . . 726 Juraj Jakubisko Has Been Described As A Slovak Fellini . . 728 Story Of Elizabeth Bathory . . 731 Juraj Janosik: Truth Or Legend? . . 735 Dusan Samuel Jurkovic: The Father Of Bradlo . . 739 Poet Laureate Of The Slovak Nation: P.O.Hviezdoslav . . 745 Caplovic Family In Slovak Cultural History . . 748 Who Was John Slezak . . 752 The Vrba-Wetzler Report . . 754 We Root For Our Sportsmen From All Our Hearts . . 758