The High Tatras (Vysoke Tatry)
The High Tatras (Vysoke Tatry) are mountains situated in the northern part of Slovakia, on the border with Poland.
It is the smallest alpine mountain range in the world, although it is also considered a part of the larger Carpathian range.
The High Tatras were created about 60 milions years ago heaving up the granite massif above the level of the surrounding land.
It gained its current appearance by the glacier activity 2 mil. years ago.
It was declared to be the first Slovak national park (TANAP) and in together with the polish part of the Tatras mountains declared by the UNESCO to be the "Biospheric reservation of the Tatras".
The jewel of the High Tatras is Mount Krivan (2,495 m) and its famous curved profile is an important symbol in Slovak art and culture.
A visit to the High Tatras is very affordable when compared to other parts of Europe.
Slovakia (Slovensko)
Slovakia is a country in Central Europe. Its territory spans about 49,000 square kilometers and its population comprising mostly ethnic Slovaks is over 5 million. The official language is Slovak, a member of the Slavic language family. The Slavs arrived in the territory of present-day Slovakia in the 5th and 6th centuries. In the 10th century, the territory was integrated into the Kingdom of Hungary, which later became the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After World War I and the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Slovaks and Czechs established Czechoslovakia. Slovakia became an independent state on 1 January 1993 after the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia.Slovakia is a high-income advanced economy. The country joined the European Union in 2004 is a member of the Schengen Area, NATO and the United Nations.
