Slovak

people

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 23, 2026

Quick Summary

The Slovak people are a West Slavic group whose language is closely related to Czech and Polish. Historically, the area of modern Slovakia was part of Great Moravia before being incorporated into the Kingdom of Hungary for nearly a thousand years, known as Upper Hungary. The Slovak language, officially recognized in Slovakia, was codified in the mid-19th century based on central Slovak dialects. The population of Slovakia is estimated to be over 5.4 million. Roma people also reside in Slovakia, among other Slavic-speaking lands in central Europe.12345

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

8 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Czech Republic
Ethnic groups
A small Slovak minority remains from the Czechoslovakian federal period. An even smaller Polish population exists in northeastern Moravia, and some Germans still live in northwestern Bohemia. Roma constitute a still smaller but distinct minority, having resisted assimilation for the most part.
Read More
A small Slovak minority remains from the Czechoslovakian federal period. An even smaller Polish population exists in northeastern Moravia, and some Germans still live in northwestern Bohemia. Roma constitute a still smaller but distinct minority, having resisted assimilation for the most part.
Read More

Slovakia
Ethnic groups
…of Slovakia’s population are ethnic Slovaks. Hungarians, concentrated in the southern border districts, form the largest minority, making up less than one-tenth of the republic’s population. Small numbers of Czechs, Germans, and Poles live throughout the country, while Ruthenians (Rusyns) are concentrated in the east and northeast. There is a…
Read More
…of Slovakia’s population are ethnic Slovaks. Hungarians, concentrated in the southern border districts, form the largest minority, making up less than one-tenth of the republic’s population. Small numbers of Czechs, Germans, and Poles live throughout the country, while Ruthenians (Rusyns) are concentrated in the east and northeast. There is a…
Read More