Slovakia

Country Information:

The capital of Slovakia is Bratislava. There are approximately 5.5 million people living here, and the majority of Slovaks practice Roman Catholicism. The official language of Slovakia is Slovak, with Hungarian and Roma as minority languages. 

Since 2007, Slovakia has been the world’s largest producer of cars per capita, producing over a million cars per year. With production of more than million cars in 2016, Slovakia was 20th largest producer of cars in the world, and 7th largest in the E.U.

Jim’s Perspectives:

In 2009, while studying in Poland with my MBA classmates from the University of Tennessee, my friend Mike Zelinsky set up a meeting for a few colleagues and me to visit a Dover Company car part factory outside of Kosice, Slovakia.

 After returning back to Poland, a few days later we again drove through Slovakia while touring the region.

Visitors to the country will enjoy the natural beauty of Slovakia. With nine national parks, travelers should be sure to visit High Tatras. High Tatras is the biggest national park in Slovenia and is a hub of hiking and winter sports. Also of interest are the Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance architecture located in Bratislava. History buffs would enjoy historic sites such as Devin Castle, Michael’s Gate, and the Slavin monument.

Finland

Helsinki, Finland: Jim and Susan in 1992, sitting at the statue & flowers in front of the White Cathedral Country Information: Finland gained independence in 1917. The capital is Helsinki. About 5.5 million people live here and the official language is Finnish...

Iceland

At the Blue Lagoon Spa, 2015 Spectacular scene of waterfall on the Golden Triangle tour   Country Information: The capital of Iceland is Reykjavik, a beautiful city with rooftops in various vibrant colors. About 350,000 people live here and the main language is...

Jordan

Spectacular sunset over Petra Beautiful sunset falling on Petra Country Information: The capital of Jordan is Amman. About 8 million people live here, and the official language is Arabic. Most inhabitants are Muslim, with about 92 percent Sunni and 1 percent Shia or...