• The country is 49,000 square kilometres, about two-thirds the size of Scotland or slightly more than twice the size of Wales.
• The population is approximately 5.4 million, of whom only 11.5% is over the age of 65
• Slovakia has the fastest growing economy in the region, is a member of the European Union, and is set to adopt the Euro as its currency from 1st January 2009.
• According to the World Bank, Slovakia had the fastest transforming business environment in the world last year, and comparisons are already being drawn with the Republic of Ireland's economic transformation in the 1990s.
• In July 2006, as leader of the Direction – Social Democracy party, Robert Fico became Prime Minister and vowed to promote increased foreign investment in Slovakia.
• Slovakia has borders with
  • Austria
  • Czech Republic
  • Hungary
  • Poland
  • Ukraine
• The official language is Slovak, but English is widely spoken by the younger generation.
• The capital city, Bratislava, has a population of approximately 430,000
• As a former part of Czechoslovakia, Slovakia has a great deal in common with the Czech Republic. Whilst the latter is well known, no doubt due to the popularity of its capital Prague, Slovakia has been a little slower to emerge. But Bratislava is fast becoming an international city and the scenic beauty of the mountain areas is at last being appreciated by the European (and beyond) ski set.
• KIA has recently announced a new motor car factory in Slovakia where they will build 600,000 cars and 300,000 engines (for Hyundai) each year.
• Sony and Samsung have expanded their production capacity for LCD televisions, making Slovakia the largest producer in Europe.
• Volkswagen has been producing the Porsche Cayenne model in Slovakia for two years and is expanding the capacity.
• The Peugeot factory will produce 180,000 cars this year.
• Dell and IBM are currently hiring more than 2,000 people locally for call centres.
• Bratislava is close to the Austrian border, positioned on the Danube River within 40 miles of Vienna. Indeed, some low cost airlines service Vienna from Bratislava because of the lower landing charges.
• Like Prague, Bratislava is becoming a fashionable location for Stag Weekends.

www.viceroyinvest.com

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