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Geography
The Slovak Republic is situated in Central Europe, sharing frontiers
with the Czech Republic, Austria, Poland, Hungary and Ukraine. Mountains,
lowlands, canyons, lakes, cave formations, forests and meadows provide
many examples of Slovakia's year-round natural beauty.
The capital, Bratislava, is the political, economic and cultural
center of the country. Slovakia's total area is 49,035 sq km. The
country's maximum length from east to west is about 416 km. and
its maximum width from north to south is about 208 km. The Danube
River, located in the southwest, forms part of Slovakia's border
with Hungary.
The country is divided informally into the three regions of Western
Slovakia, Central Slovakia, and Eastern Slovakia, corresponding
to administrative divisions
Climate
Slovakia has a continental climate, with four distinct seasons.
Winters are typically cold and dry, while summers tend to be hot
and humid.
The average daily temperature range in Bratislava is -3° to 2° C
(27° to 36° F) in January and 16° to 26° C (61° to 79° F) in July;
temperatures tend to be cooler in the mountains. Bratislava receives
an average of about 650 mm (about 26 in) of precipitation annually.
In areas of high altitude, snow is often present for as many as
130 days each year.
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