Visegrad countries

Czech republic

Capital: Prague

Area: 78,864 sq km

Population: 10,211,000 (as of 2004)

Population by ethnic composition: Czech (90.42%), Moravian and Silesian (3.83%), Slovak (1.89%), Polish (0.51%), German (0.38%), Roma (0.11%), Hungarians, Ukrainians, Ruthenians, Russians, Greeks, and others (2.86%)

Currency: Czech koruna

Average wage: CZK 22,328 (€878)

Unemployment rate: 6.3 percent (as of June 2009)

Hungary

Capital: Budapest

Area: 93,036 sq km

Population: 9,981,334 (as of 2006 est.)

Population by ethnic composition: Hungarians 92.3%; Germans, 200-220,000; Slovaks, 100-110,000; Croats, 80-90,000; Romanians, 25,000; Serbs, 5,000; Slovenes, 5,000; Polish, 10,000; Greeks, 3,000; Armenians, 1,500; Bulgarians, 3,000; Ruthenians, 6,000; Ukrainians, 2,000. The Roma population is estimated at 400-600,000.

Currency: Hungarian forint

Average wage: HUF 201,667 (€752)

Unemployment rate: 10.3 percent (as of June 2009)

Poland

Capital: Warsaw

Area: 312,685 sq km

Population: 38,605,000 (as of 2003)

Population by ethnic composition: Poles (circa 97.8%); other ethic groups (about 1 million people in all): Germans, Ukrainians, Belarussians, Lemkos, Roma, Lithuanians, Slovaks, Russians, Jews, Armenians, Tartars, Czechs and Karaims

Currency: Polish złoty

Average wage: PLN 3,289 (€800.6)

Unemployment rate: 8.2 percent (as of June 2009)

Slovakia

Capital: Bratislava

Area: 49,035 sq km

Population: 5,439,448 (estimated as of 2006)

Population by ethnic composition: Slovak (85.8%), Hungarian (9.7%), Roma (1.7%), Czech (0.8%), Ruthenian, Ukrainian, Russian, German, Polish and others (2%)

Currency: euro (until 2009, Slovak koruna)

Average wage: €710.45

Unemployment rate: 11.7 percent (as of June 2009)

Source: www.visegradgroup.eu and The Slovak Spectator databases

The piece is part of the Visegrad Countries Special, prepared by The Slovak Spectator with the support of the International Visegrad Fund. For more information on cooperation between the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia please see the following document.