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.

São Tomé and Príncipe

Typical streetscape in São Tomé Country Information: São Tomé and Príncipe is a volcanic chain close to the equator off the coast of western Africa.. The capital is São Tomé and the country’s population is about 250,000 people. The primary language is Portuguese, and...

Latvia

Riga has a wonderful downtown vibe; imposing St. Peter's church in the central square Country Information: Latvia, founded in 1918, the capital is Riga and the country’s population is about 2.1 million. The official language is Latvian and the dominant religion is...

Côte d’Ivoire

The Côte d'Ivoire, or the Ivory Coast is beautiful! About 22.7 million people live here (2015) and the capital is Yamoussoukro. The Côte d'Ivoire is a religiously secular country, with roughly equal split between Islamic and Christian followers. The official language...