Regions of Slovakia
Encyclopedia
Since 1949 Slovakia
has been divided into a number of kraj
e (singular kraj; usually translated as "Regions" with capital R). Their number, borders and functions have been changed several times. There are currently eight regions of Slovakia and they correspond to the EU
's NUTS
3 level of local administrative unit
s. Each kraj consists of okres
y (counties). There are currently 79 Districts
.
(Slovak: župy
or stolice). This was the case when present-day Slovakia was part of:
In 1928–1939 (and formally also 1945–1948) Slovakia as a whole formed the administrative unit "Slovak land" (Krajina slovenská) within Czechoslovakia.
Each kraj was named after its principal city.
Note: The kraje were abolished from July 1, 1969 to December 28, 1970 and reintroduced then.
has been subdivided into 8 kraje since:
Since 2002, Slovakia is divided into 8 samosprávne kraje (self-governing regions), which are called by the Constitution vyššie územné celky (Higher Territorial Units), abbr. VÚC. The territory and borders of the self-governing regions are identical with the territory and borders of the kraje. Therefore, the word "kraj" can be replaced by "VÚC" or "samosprávny kraj" in each case in the above list. The main difference is that organs of samosprávne kraje are self-governance
, with an elected chairperson and
assembly, while the organs of kraje are appointed by the government.
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
has been divided into a number of kraj
Kraj
A kraj is the highest-level administrative unit in the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic. For lack of other English expressions, the Slavic term is often translated as "province", "region", or "territory", although it actually approximately means " country", or " countryside"...
e (singular kraj; usually translated as "Regions" with capital R). Their number, borders and functions have been changed several times. There are currently eight regions of Slovakia and they correspond to the EU
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
's NUTS
Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics
The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics or Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics is a geocode standard for referencing the subdivisions of countries for statistical purposes...
3 level of local administrative unit
Local administrative unit
Generally, a local administrative unit is a low level administrative division of a country, ranked below a province, region, or state. Not all countries describe their locally governed areas this way, but it can be descriptively applied anywhere to refer to counties, municipalities, etc.In the...
s. Each kraj consists of okres
Okres
Okres refers to administrative entities in the Czech Republic and Slovakia...
y (counties). There are currently 79 Districts
Districts of Slovakia
An okres is an administrative unit in Slovakia. It is inferior to a Region and superior to a municipality.-Characteristics:Several districts form a "Region"...
.
Name
The term "Region" should not be confused with:- the general (i.e. non-administrative) term "region" (Slovak: región) as it is used for example in the articles List of traditional regions of Slovakia or List of tourism regions of Slovakia
- the 4 "regions" (Slovak: regióny or oblasti or zoskupenia krajov) that correspond to the NUTSNomenclature of Territorial Units for StatisticsThe Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics or Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics is a geocode standard for referencing the subdivisions of countries for statistical purposes...
2 level, i.e. groups of several kraje, used by the EurostatEurostatEurostat is a Directorate-General of the European Commission located in Luxembourg. Its main responsibilities are to provide the European Union with statistical information at European level and to promote the integration of statistical methods across the Member States of the European Union,...
for statistical purposes. These are:- Bratislavský krajBratislava RegionThe Bratislava Region is one of the administrative regions of Slovakia. Its capital is Bratislava. It is the smallest of the eight regions of Slovakia.-Geography:...
SK 01 (Bratislava Region) comprises only this single kraj - Západné Slovensko SK 02 (Western Slovakia) = Trnavský krajTrnava RegionThe Trnava Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions.-Geography:It is located in the middlewest part of Slovakia and forms a territorial band between the Bratislava Region and the rest of Slovakia, between Austrian and Czech borders in the north and Hungarian border in the south...
+ Trenčiansky krajTrencín RegionThe Trenčín Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions. It consists of 9 districts .-Geography:It is located in the north-western Slovakia, has an area of 4,502 km² and a population of 600,386 . The Danubian Lowland reaches the region to Nové Mesto nad Váhom and Partizánske areas...
+ Nitriansky krajNitra RegionThe Nitra Region is one of the administrative regions of Slovakia.-Geography:This region with a long history is situated in the southwest of Slovakia, mostly in the eastern part of the Danubian Lowland. It is divided into two sub-units: the Danubian Flat in the south-west, with eastern part of the... - Stredné Slovensko SK 03 (Central Slovakia) = Žilinský krajŽilina RegionThe Žilina Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions and consists of 11 districts .-Geography:It is located in northern Slovakia and has an area of 6,804 km² and a population of 694,763 . The whole area is mountainous, belonging to the Western Carpathians...
+ Banskobystrický krajBanská Bystrica RegionThe Banská Bystrica Region is one of the Slovak regions in the country of Slovakia in Europe.-Geography:It is located in the central part of Slovakia and has an area of 9,455 km². The region is prevailingly mountains, with several ranges within the area. The highest of them are the Low Tatras... - Východné Slovensko SK 04 (Eastern Slovakia) = Prešovský krajPrešov RegionThe Prešov Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions. It consists of 13 districts.-Geography:It is located in north-eastern Slovakia and has an area of 8,975 km². The region has diverse types of landscapes occurring in Slovakia, but mostly highlands and hilly lands dominate the...
+ Košický krajKošice RegionThe Košice Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions. It consists of 11 districts .-Geography:It is located in the southern part of eastern Slovakia and covers an area of 6,752 km²...
- Bratislavský kraj
Before 1949
Historically, Slovakia was not divided into kraje, but into countiesComitatus (Kingdom of Hungary)
A county is the name of a type of administrative units in the Kingdom of Hungary and in Hungary from the 10th century until the present day....
(Slovak: župy
Župa
A Župa is a Slavic term, used historically among the Southern and Western branches of the Slavs, originally denoting various territorial and other sub-units, usually a small administrative division, especially a gathering of several villages...
or stolice). This was the case when present-day Slovakia was part of:
- Great MoraviaGreat MoraviaGreat Moravia was a Slavic state that existed in Central Europe and lasted for nearly seventy years in the 9th century whose creators were the ancestors of the Czechs and Slovaks. It was a vassal state of the Germanic Frankish kingdom and paid an annual tribute to it. There is some controversy as...
(cca. 9th century) - the Kingdom of HungaryKingdom of HungaryThe Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
(cca. 11th / 12th century 1918) - CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
(the župy existed 1918 1928) - the WWII Slovak Republic (the župy existed 1940 1945)
In 1928–1939 (and formally also 1945–1948) Slovakia as a whole formed the administrative unit "Slovak land" (Krajina slovenská) within Czechoslovakia.
Kraje December 24, 1948/January 1, 1949 – June 30, 1960
- Bratislavský kraj (Bratislava Region)
- Banskobystrický kraj (Banská Bystrica Region)
- Košický kraj (Košice Region)
- Nitriansky kraj (Nitra Region)
- Prešovský kraj (Prešov Region)
- Žilinský kraj (Žilina Region)
Each kraj was named after its principal city.
Kraje July 1, 1960 – December 19, 1990
- Stredoslovenský kraj (Central Slovak Region)
- Východoslovenský kraj (Eastern Slovak Region)
- Západoslovenský kraj (Western Slovak Region)
- BratislavaBratislavaBratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
(before March 22 1968 part of the Západoslovenský kraj, afterwards a partly separate entity; from January 1971 a separate kraj)
Note: The kraje were abolished from July 1, 1969 to December 28, 1970 and reintroduced then.
Kraje since July 24, 1996
After a period without kraje and without any equivalent (1990–1996), the kraje were reintroduced in 1996. As for administrative division, SlovakiaSlovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
has been subdivided into 8 kraje since:
- Bratislavský kraj (Bratislava RegionBratislava RegionThe Bratislava Region is one of the administrative regions of Slovakia. Its capital is Bratislava. It is the smallest of the eight regions of Slovakia.-Geography:...
) (capital BratislavaBratislavaBratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
) - Trnavský kraj (Trnava RegionTrnava RegionThe Trnava Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions.-Geography:It is located in the middlewest part of Slovakia and forms a territorial band between the Bratislava Region and the rest of Slovakia, between Austrian and Czech borders in the north and Hungarian border in the south...
) (capital TrnavaTrnavaTrnava is a city in western Slovakia, 47 km to the north-east of Bratislava, on the Trnávka river. It is the capital of a kraj and of an okres . It was the seat of a Roman Catholic archbishopric . The city has a historic center...
) - Trenčiansky kraj (Trenčín RegionTrencín RegionThe Trenčín Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions. It consists of 9 districts .-Geography:It is located in the north-western Slovakia, has an area of 4,502 km² and a population of 600,386 . The Danubian Lowland reaches the region to Nové Mesto nad Váhom and Partizánske areas...
) (capital TrenčínTrencínTrenčín is a city in western Slovakia of the central Váh River valley near the Czech border, around from Bratislava. It has a population of more than 56,000, which makes it the ninth largest municipality of the country and is the seat of the Trenčín Region and the Trenčín District...
) - Nitriansky kraj (Nitra RegionNitra RegionThe Nitra Region is one of the administrative regions of Slovakia.-Geography:This region with a long history is situated in the southwest of Slovakia, mostly in the eastern part of the Danubian Lowland. It is divided into two sub-units: the Danubian Flat in the south-west, with eastern part of the...
) (capital NitraNitraNitra is a city in western Slovakia, situated at the foot of Zobor Mountain in the valley of the river Nitra. With a population of about 83,572, it is the fifth largest city in Slovakia. Nitra is also one of the oldest cities in Slovakia and the country's earliest political and cultural center...
) - Žilinský kraj (Žilina RegionŽilina RegionThe Žilina Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions and consists of 11 districts .-Geography:It is located in northern Slovakia and has an area of 6,804 km² and a population of 694,763 . The whole area is mountainous, belonging to the Western Carpathians...
) (capital ŽilinaŽilinaŽilina is a city in north-western Slovakia, around from the capital Bratislava, close to both the Czech and Polish borders. It is the fourth largest city of Slovakia with a population of approximately 85,000, an important industrial center, the largest city on the Váh river, and the seat of a...
) - Banskobystrický kraj (Banská Bystrica RegionBanská Bystrica RegionThe Banská Bystrica Region is one of the Slovak regions in the country of Slovakia in Europe.-Geography:It is located in the central part of Slovakia and has an area of 9,455 km². The region is prevailingly mountains, with several ranges within the area. The highest of them are the Low Tatras...
) (capital Banská BystricaBanská BystricaBanská Bystrica is a key city in central Slovakia located on the Hron River in a long and wide valley encircled by the mountain chains of the Low Tatras, the Veľká Fatra, and the Kremnica Mountains. With 81,281 inhabitants, Banská Bystrica is the sixth most populous municipality in Slovakia...
) - Prešovský kraj (Prešov RegionPrešov RegionThe Prešov Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions. It consists of 13 districts.-Geography:It is located in north-eastern Slovakia and has an area of 8,975 km². The region has diverse types of landscapes occurring in Slovakia, but mostly highlands and hilly lands dominate the...
) (capital PrešovPrešovPrešov Historically, the city has been known in German as Eperies , Eperjes in Hungarian, Fragopolis in Latin, Preszów in Polish, Peryeshis in Romany, Пряшев in Russian and Пряшів in Rusyn and Ukrainian.-Characteristics:The city is a showcase of Baroque, Rococo and Gothic...
) - Košický kraj (Košice RegionKošice RegionThe Košice Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions. It consists of 11 districts .-Geography:It is located in the southern part of eastern Slovakia and covers an area of 6,752 km²...
) (capital KošiceKošiceKošice is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary...
)
| Nr. | Region | Pop. | Area (km²) | Density |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bratislava Bratislava Region The Bratislava Region is one of the administrative regions of Slovakia. Its capital is Bratislava. It is the smallest of the eight regions of Slovakia.-Geography:... |
603,699 | 2,052.6 | 294.11 |
| 2 | Trnava Trnava Region The Trnava Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions.-Geography:It is located in the middlewest part of Slovakia and forms a territorial band between the Bratislava Region and the rest of Slovakia, between Austrian and Czech borders in the north and Hungarian border in the south... |
554,172 | 4,172.2 | 132.76 |
| 3 | Trenčín Trencín Region The Trenčín Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions. It consists of 9 districts .-Geography:It is located in the north-western Slovakia, has an area of 4,502 km² and a population of 600,386 . The Danubian Lowland reaches the region to Nové Mesto nad Váhom and Partizánske areas... |
600,386 | 4,501.9 | 133.36 |
| 4 | Nitra Nitra Region The Nitra Region is one of the administrative regions of Slovakia.-Geography:This region with a long history is situated in the southwest of Slovakia, mostly in the eastern part of the Danubian Lowland. It is divided into two sub-units: the Danubian Flat in the south-west, with eastern part of the... |
708,498 | 6,343.4 | 111.69 |
| 5 | Žilina Žilina Region The Žilina Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions and consists of 11 districts .-Geography:It is located in northern Slovakia and has an area of 6,804 km² and a population of 694,763 . The whole area is mountainous, belonging to the Western Carpathians... |
694,763 | 6,808.4 | 102.04 |
| 6 | Banská Bystrica Banská Bystrica Region The Banská Bystrica Region is one of the Slovak regions in the country of Slovakia in Europe.-Geography:It is located in the central part of Slovakia and has an area of 9,455 km². The region is prevailingly mountains, with several ranges within the area. The highest of them are the Low Tatras... |
657,119 | 9,454.8 | 69.50 |
| 7 | Prešov Prešov Region The Prešov Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions. It consists of 13 districts.-Geography:It is located in north-eastern Slovakia and has an area of 8,975 km². The region has diverse types of landscapes occurring in Slovakia, but mostly highlands and hilly lands dominate the... |
798,596 | 8,974.5 | 88.98 |
| 8 | Košice Košice Region The Košice Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions. It consists of 11 districts .-Geography:It is located in the southern part of eastern Slovakia and covers an area of 6,752 km²... |
771,947 | 6,751.9 | 114.33 |
Since 2002, Slovakia is divided into 8 samosprávne kraje (self-governing regions), which are called by the Constitution vyššie územné celky (Higher Territorial Units), abbr. VÚC. The territory and borders of the self-governing regions are identical with the territory and borders of the kraje. Therefore, the word "kraj" can be replaced by "VÚC" or "samosprávny kraj" in each case in the above list. The main difference is that organs of samosprávne kraje are self-governance
Self-governance
Self-governance is an abstract concept that refers to several scales of organization.It may refer to personal conduct or family units but more commonly refers to larger scale activities, i.e., professions, industry bodies, religions and political units , up to and including autonomous regions and...
, with an elected chairperson and
assembly, while the organs of kraje are appointed by the government.
See also
- Districts of SlovakiaDistricts of SlovakiaAn okres is an administrative unit in Slovakia. It is inferior to a Region and superior to a municipality.-Characteristics:Several districts form a "Region"...
- Counties of Slovakia
- Flags of Slovak Regions
- ISO 3166-2:SKISO 3166-2:SKISO 3166-2:SK is the entry for Slovakia in ISO 3166-2, part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization , which defines codes for the names of the principal subdivisions of all countries coded in ISO 3166-1.Currently for Slovakia, ISO 3166-2 codes are...