10 things you didn't know about Slovakia.1 Became independent in 1993, with the dissolution of Czechoslovakia The dissolution of Czechoslovakia refers to the dissolution of the former country of Czechoslovakia into the nations of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, which took effect on January 1 1993. , in what was known as the 'Velvet Divorce'. 2 The capital Bratislava borders both Austria and Hungary - the only capital city in the world that borders two countries. 3 The international anthem anthem [ultimately from antiphon], short nonliturgical choral composition used in Protestant services, usually accompanied and having an English text. The term is used in a broader sense for "national anthems" and for the Latin motets still used occasionally in is called 'Nad Tatrou sa blyska' or 'Lightning over the Tatras'. 4 The country takes up 48,845 square miles - 1,501 less than England. 5 Slovakiaonly adopted the Euro currency at the start of 2009 - the 16th European member to do so. 6 Their national dish is 'Bryndzove Halusky' - a mixture of potato dumplings with sheep cheese and bacon. 7 Dr Jozef Venglos, former Aston Villa and Celtic manager, is a native. 8 Former France and Middlesbrough midfielder Christian Karembeu's wife, and former Wonderbra model, Adriana, is also Slovakian-born. 9 The country's most famous club side is Slovan Bratislava - the only one to ever win a European competition (Cup Winners' Cup in 1969). 10 Ice Hockey ice hockey: see hockey, ice. ice hockey Game played on an ice rink by two teams of six players on skates. The object is to drive a puck (a small, hard rubber disk) into the opponents' goal with a hockey stick, thus scoring one point. is the most popular sport in Slovakia - they were world champions in 2002. |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion