Discover Slovakia

Dear delegates,

Congratulations!You are about to participate on an Internation Train the Trainers seminar in Slovakia - a

country situated in the centre of Europe. It’s a three day conference for students and recent graduates (both AIESEC and non-AIESEC members) who want to improve their managerial, communication, presentation and training skills.

You will have the opportunity to meet trainers & delegates from different countries. For more info, check out our website www.ittts.sk or our ITtTS 2013 wiki.

In these pages you will find some useful information about the country you are about to visit!

In order to avoid complications and to make your experience as pleasant as possible read this booklet. So...

Welcome to Slovakia!

Yours,

AIESEC in SLOVAKIA

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Table of contentsGeneral information

About SlovakiaWork Culture

Language Money

GeographyCulture

TravellingAIESEC in Slovakia

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• Official Name: SLOVAKIA (SLOVAK REPUBLIC)• Capital City: BRATISLAVA (population 450 000) Other major cities: KOŠICE (230 000), PREŠOV (85 000), BANSKA BYSTRICA (65 000), ŽILINA (65 000), • Population: 5 400 000• Independence Date: 1.1.1993• Religion: ROMAN CATHOLICISM• EU Accession: 1.4.2004• Currency: EURO ( 1 eur = 100 cents)• Government: PARLIAMENTARY REPUBLICo Prime Minister: Robert Ficoo President: Ivan Gašparovič• Language: SLOVAK• Emergency numbers: 158 – POLICE, 155 – AMBULANCE 150 – FIREBRIGADE • Electricity: 220 Volts• Calling code: +421• Internet domain (TLD): .sk• Time Zone: CET (GMT+1)

General Information

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HistoryPresent-day Slovakia was settled by Slavic tribes around the 5th century. They were politically united in the Moravian empire in the 9th century. Later on Slovaks fell under Hungarian control from the 10th century up until 1918. When the Habsburg-ruled empire collapsed in 1918 following World War I, the Slovaks joined the Czech lands of Bohemia, Moravia, and part of Silesia to form the new joint state of Czechoslova-kia. During World War II Slovakia became a puppet state. The country was liberated from the Germans by the Soviet army in the spring of 1945, and Slovakia was restored to its prewar status and rejoined to a new Czechoslovakian state. After the Communist Party took power in Feb. 1948, Slovakia was again subjected to a centralized Czech-dominated government, and antagonism between the two republics developed. In 1969, the country became a federation of the Slovak Socialist Republic and the Czech Socialist Republic. Nearly 42 years of Communist rule for Slovakia ended when democratic political reform began. However, with the demise of Communist power, a strong Slovak national-ist movement resurfaced, and the rival relationship between the two states in-creased. By the end of 1991, discussions between Slovak and Czech political leaders turned to whether the Czech and Slovak republics should continue to coexist within the federal structure or be divided into two independent states.

About Slovakia

EconomySlovakia’s economy increasingly resembles that of a so-called developed country. With the highest sustained GDP growth in the European Union, reporting 10.4% in 2007 and the highest rating from V4 countries, the Slovak economy is considered a tiger economy known as the Tatra Tiger. Slovakia has been a EU member state since 2004 and it has adopted the euro currency at the beginning of 2009. Its capital,Bratislava, is the largest financial centre in Slovakia. Unemployment has fallen considerably, although long-term unemploy-ment remains stubbornly high. In the long term, improving education outcomes, in-cluding by reducing the impact of socioeconomic background on outcomes, will be central to sustaining high economic growth and social cohesion. GDP per capita at purchasing power parity was $22,600 in 2008, which is 70% of the EU average. Cur-rently, worldwide crisis has had some kind of impact on national economy, unemploy-ment has risen a bit (13.1%), but according to numerous analytics economy reached a bottom already in last year and this year is about to grow again.

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Work CulturePower distanceEach country has some kind of hierarchy within society, which is determined by pow-er distance i.e. kind of cultural difference of statuses between employer and employee, salary difference between them and so on. Power distance i.e. difference in society is quite considerable in Slovakia, however not so awfully huge. For sure within companies you can easily recognize who is the boss and who is a subordinate employee, but massive majority of employers do not behave like kings with humiliating impact on employ-ees. Absolute most of employers care about employee` satisfaction, opinions or recom-mendations. Is Slovakia a masculine or feminine country?Briefly said, Slovakia is somewhere in be-tween. It is neither a pure masculine coun-try, nor a pure feminine one, we can rather find it somewhere in the middle within these two dimensions. Women have eman-cipated largely in society, they might have

leadership positions either in society or in companies without any problems or preju-dices. Equality within society between man and woman in Slovakia is absolutely normal; it is not influenced by religion or politics at all. Individualism or Collectivism?Slovak people are said to be very hospita-ble and kind. For our culture collectivism is typical, that is noticeable also in companies. People tend to employ their relatives, they tend to find some friends in work place who they could spend leisure time with. A lot of people do not strictly separate work and private life relationships, they do not think so individually.What about religion?Most of Slovak people are roman Catholics, however religion does not play the most important role in our lives. Churches are situated everywhere in cities, even each vil-lage must have one. The most religious are predominately older people, younger gen-eration has mostly other priorities.

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The Slovak language (slovenský jazyk, slovenčina) not to be confused with Slovenian, is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages (together with Czech, Polish, Silesian, Kashubian, and Sorbian). Slovak is spoken in Slovakia by 5 million people also in the United States (500,000), the Czech Republic (320,000), Serbia (60,000), Ireland (30,000), Romania (22,000), Hungary (20,000), Poland (20,000), Canada (20,000), Croatia (5,000), Australia, Austria, Ukraine, and Bulgaria.

Language

English  Expressions   Slovak  Expressions  Hi!   Ahoj!  Čau!  

Good  morning!   Dobré  ráno!  Good  evening!   Dobrý  večer!  

Welcome!  (to  greet  someone)   Vitaj!  (formal:  Vitajte)  How  are  you?   Ako  sa  máš?  (formal:  Ako  sa  máte?)  

I'm  fine,  thanks!   Mám  sa  dobre,  ďakujem.  And  you?   A  ty?  (formal:  A  vy?)  

Good/  So-­‐So.   Dobré  /  Ani  (zlé),  ani  (dobré)  

Thank  you  (very  much)!   Ďakujem  (veľmi  pekne)!  

You're  welcome!  (for  "thank  you")   Nemáš  za  čo  !  (  formal:  Nemáte  za  čo!)  

Hey!  Friend!   Hej!  Priateľu  (Kámo)!  

I  missed  you  so  much!   Veľmi  si  mi  chýbal/+a  feminine)!  

What's  new?   Čo  nové?  

Nothing  much   Nič  nové  

Good  night!   Dobrú  noc!  

See  you  later!   Tak  zatiaľ!  

Good  bye!   Dovidenia  

 

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Asking  for  Help  and  Directions  

I'm  lost   Som  stratený  (feminine  :  Som  stratená)  

Can  I  help  you?   Môžem  vám  pomôcť  ?  

                                       Can  you  help  me?   Môžeš  (formal  :  môžete)  mi  pomôcť?  

Where  is  the  (bathroom/  pharmacy)?   Kde  je  (kúpeľňa  /  lekáreň)?  

Go  straight!  then  turn  left/  right!   Choïte  rovno!  Potom  dolava/doprava!  

I'm  looking  for  john.   Hl’adám  Johna.  

One  moment  please!   Moment,  prosím!  

Hold  on  please!  (phone)   Počkajte,  prosím!  

How  much  is  this?   Koľko  to  stojí?  

Excuse  me  ...!  (to  ask  for  something)   Prepáčte...!  

Excuse  me!  (  to  pass  by)   Pardón!  

Come  with  me!   Poď  so  mnou  !  

                                                                           Slovak  letter   English  pronounciation   Numbers   Slovak  Translation  

Ľ,  ľ   Lh  (soft  L)   1   Jeden    

Š,  š   Sh  (e.g.  show)   2   Dva  

Č,  č   Ch  (e.g.  cheap)   3   Tri  

Ť,  ť   Th  (soft  T)   4   Štyri  

Ž,  ž   J,  (e.g.  journal)   5   Päť  

Á,  Í,  É,  Ú,  Ó,  Ĺ,     (Long  vowels)   6   Šesť  

Ň,  ň   Nh  (soft  N)   7   Sedem  

Ô,  ô   Uo     8   Osem  

Ä,  ä   E     9   Desať    

 

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The official currency of Slovakia is EURO and one euro is made up of 100 CENTS. Size of each note depends on its value – the higher the value, the bigger the size. Special sign of Euro are coins backsides of which represent each EU country. As you can see coins below, Slovak national emblems are double cross, castle and mountains. Traditional EU symbol is a bridge embodying freedom and connection of all EU member countries!

First of all what is necessary to highlight is price level in Slovakia. Generally, Slovakia is considered as a country, where prices are pretty low, especial-ly compared to western EU countries. It is very difficult to generalize normal daily or monthly spending, as everybody is different with miscellaneous demands and expectations. Please bear in mind that below stated prices are averaged and might differ a bit depending on particular selling place. Prices are in Euro incl. VAT.

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Money

Currency   Country   Exchange  rate  

 AUD   Australia   1,56    CAD   Canada   1,49    DKK   Denmark   7,53    GBP   United  Kingdom   0,88    HRK   Croatia   7,36          CHF   Switzerland   1,49  

       NOK   Norway   8,23    PLN   Poland   4,06    SEK   Sweden   10,23    USD   USA   1,44  

 

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Product   Price  (Eur)   Product   Price  (Eur)  

Bread   1,10 Milk  (1  l)   1,20

Beer  –  bottle  (0,5  l)1   0,40   Eggs  (10)   1,40

Beer  –  can  (0,5  l)   0,55   Ham  (1  kg)   5  –  8  

Butter   2,20 Juice  (1  l)   0,70

Chicken   5,30 Candies   0,60

Mineral  water  (1  L)   0,70 Flour  (1  kg)   0,60

Apples  (kg)   1,20 Sugar  (1  kg)   1,20

 

GOING  OUT  (in  Eur)  

Cheap  Meal   3,10   Movie  ticket   6-­‐8

Expensive  Meal   8,50 Ski  pass  (whole  day)   16  

Draught  Beer  (0,5  l)   1,20 Hockey  Ticket   4  

Kofola2  (0,5  l)   1   Ice-­‐cream   0,50

Shot  (vodka,  liquer)   1,10 Caffe   1,20

 

                                                                                                 1 Price includes value of bottle, which is refundable in shops 2 Non-alcohol beverage, very popular in Slovakia, close similarity with Pepsi or Coca Cola

Cigarettes   3,20 Postcard   0,2  

Newspaper   0,50 Magazine   2  

Mobile  Phone  Card1   10   Flat  monthly  rent   100-­‐250  

Bank  account  opening   0   Cheapest  hostel   3-­‐4  

 

                                                                                                 1 Price includes initial phone credit

Going out

Other Stuff

Basic groceries

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GeographySlovakia is a landlocked country in central Europe with mountainous regions in the north and flatlands in the south.The landscape of Slovakia is very mountainous, with the Carpathian Mountains extending accross most of the northern half of the country. In the north there are the High Tatras, a popular skiing destination with a lot of scenic lakes and valleys and the highest peak in the country, the Gerlach peak. Major rivers are the Danube which flows through Bratislava, Váh and Hron. The river Tisa creates a natural border between

Slovakia and Hungary. The weather in Slovakia changes throughout the year as there are four season in this country. Summers are generally warm with temperatures up to 35 degrees celsius and winters are cold, cloudy and humid with temperatures often below zero. There are four different types of climate in Slovakia mostly due to the mountains. There is the Danubian Lowlands climate, Eastern Slovak Lowlands climate, the climate of basins and the climate of mountains and villages of Orava and Spiš.

 

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CultureArtArt has a great tradition in Slovakia. Many works of art are displayed in museums throughout the country. There are also many theatres in Slovakia, for example the Slova National Theatre in Bratislava or the Andrej Bagara Theatre in Nitra. The best known slovak hero is Juraj Jánošík, an outlaw who took money from the rich and gave it to the poor. A lot of ballads and poems were written about him by slovak writers.SportThe national sport of Slovakia is ice hockey, therefore the hockey championship is always the most important sports event of the year. Slovakia has a lot of famous hockey and footbal players which most of people interested in there sports should know.CuisineSlovak food reflects the agricultural roots of the country. People usually worked all day therefore the biggest meal of the day was lunch which was always quite heavy. The most common ingredients are meat

(especially pork and chicken), potatoes, dumplings, various dairy products and cabbage. Different types of sausages and cheeses are very popular. Bryndzové halušky - potato dumpling with sheep cheese- are considered to be the national dish along with kapustnica - a soup made from sour cabbage.FolkloreSlovak folklore is very diverse. Tradinional slovak music, dances and handicraft are a great pride of our nation. The traditional folk costumes are very colorful and some-times heavily embroidered. They differ a little bit in all the regions. There are a lot of artistic groups in Slovakia that are keeping the traditions and they perform on numer-ous folk festivals.Another thing worth mentioning are the castles. Slovakia has many of them and they are definitely worth visiting. There are two castles in Bratislava - the Bratislava Castle which is one of the landmarks of the city and the Devín Castle - a beautiful ancient ruin of a medieval castle.

TravellingIf you travel by bus - you can find the schedule on www. cp.sk - you ask for tickets in the bus - the average cost is 0,05 eur/km - it takes 7-9 hours to get from west to eastIf you travel by train - you can find the schedule on www. cp.sk - you have to buy tickets in advance on the train station or on the internet - the average cost is 0,04 eur/km - it takes 5-7 hours to get from west to east

Places to seeBratislavaThe capital of the country and its cultural and business centre. There are 2 castles and lots of museums and a few theatres in the city and a beautiful old town.

CastlesBratislava castle, Devín castle, Spiš castle, Trenčín castle, Bojnice castle, Liptov castle,Červený kameň castle, Kežmarok castle...

Wooden churchesThese churches are one of the most interest-ing monuments you might see in Slovakia. They were constructed just from wood with no nails. Four churches in the Prešov re-gion belong to the UNESCO world heritage list. Another UNESCO site is the village of Vlkolínec with original wooden houses.

National parksSlovakia has 9 beautiful national parks. In them you may find unspoilt nature with lots of gorges and waterfalls.

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AIESEC in Slovakia came into existence already long time ago dur-ing comunism ages. After the velvet revolution held in 1989 i.e. collapse of comunistic regime AIESEC experienced large extension. Up to now, we have 6 local committees nationwide in Slovakia. During these years we have been working much, resulting into numerous awesome achievements. Nowadays we have around 300 members. If you have already decid-ed to come to Slovakia, it is our great pleasure and we promise that we will do everything to make your stay in Slovakia as comfortable, unforgettable and satisfactory as possible. If you are just considering, whether to come, we hope that this boolet will help you to make the right decision!

AIESEC in Slovakia