STREDNI SLOVENSKO

(SlovakCentral Slovakia) Czech Stredoslovensk kraj (region), central Slovakia. It is bordered by Zpadn Slovensko kraj on the southwest, the Czech Republic on the northwest, Poland to the north, Vchodn Slovensko kraj to the east, and Hungary to the south. Stredn Slovensko kraj is dominated by mountain ranges rising from the Slovak Ore Mountains in the south to Slovakia's highest range, the High Tatras, in the northeast. Lowlands occur only in the south, in the valleys of the Ipel and Rimava rivers. Two major interior valleys are formed by the Vh and Hron rivers, which flow east to west between the High and Low Tatra ranges. Agriculture is limited to about one-sixth of the kraj's land area, mostly in the southern valleys where wheat, barley, rye, corn (maize), grapes, tobacco, and vegetables are grown. Southern Stredn Slovensko kraj and the Vh River valley are Slovakia's main sheep-raising areas. The northern valleys produce potatoes, oats, flax, and animal fodder. In the mountains, an alpine economy, with dairy cattle, sheep, and goat pasturing, predominates. About half of the kraj is forested, with spruce dominant in the higher northern mountains and beech, oak, and fir in the southern ranges. Lumbering is a major industry in the kraj, and there are paper mills at Ruzomberok, Harmanec, Zilina, and Martin. Bansk Bystrica is the regional capital. Mining is also important. Minerals extracted include magnesite in the Rimavsk Sobota okres (district) and at Lucenec; copper, lead, zinc, and silver at Bansk tiavnica; antimony at Dbrava; mercury at Malachov; and perlite (glass sand) and gold at Kremnica. Limestone is quarried in the Vh valley and around Bansk Bystrica and Tisovec. Brown coal (lignite) is mined at Novak-Handlov and at Ptor-Modr Kamen. Hydroelectric power, produced by a series of dams on the Vh and Orava rivers, is Stredn Slovensko kraj's main energy source. Most industry is concentrated in the Vh and Orava river valleys; Dubnica nad Vhom, Pchov, Povazk Bystrica, Zilina, Martin, Istebn, Ruzomberok, Liptovsk Mikul, and Liptovsk Hrdok are major centres, with machinery and appliances, chemicals, steel, electronics, synthetic-rubber, textile, and food-processing industries. Centres in the Hron River valley include Ziar nad Hronem, with aluminum works; Zvolen, with an oil refinery and transport-equipment, food-processing, and building-materials plants; Bansk Bystrica, with electronics, cement, textile, and food-processing plants; and Slovensk L'upca, with chemical works. On the Rimava River are Hnt'a and Tisovec, with chemical works and stone quarries, and Kokava nad Rimavicou, with glassworks. Tourism is important in the northern mountains, where mineral-water spas, winter sports, and fishing are major attractions. Natural parks in the Demnovsk valley and the Slov Rocks have caves and scenic rock formations, respectively. Bansk Bystrica has a winter and summer sports stadium. Martin is a traditional Slovak cultural centre; the Slovak National Museum and Library are located there. The population of the kraj is mostly Slovak, with a small Hungarian minority. Area 6,943 square miles (17,982 square km). Pop. (1991 prelim.) 1,609,806.