| Regions of Slovakia Kraje Slovenska | |
|---|---|
| Category | Unitary state |
| Location | Slovak Republic |
| Number | 8 Regions |
| Populations | 556,000 (Trnava) – 831,000 (Prešov) |
| Areas | 2,052.6 km2 (792.5 sq mi) (Bratislava) – 9,454.8 km2 (3,650.5 sq mi) (Banská Bystrica) |
| Government |
|
| Subdivisions | |
Since 1949 (except 1990–1996),Slovakia has been divided into a number ofkraje (singularkraj; usually translated as "Regions" with capital R).[1] Their number, borders and functions have been changed several times. There are eight regions of Slovakia and they correspond to theEU'sNUTS 3 level of local administrative units. Each kraj consists ofokresy (counties or districts), which are further divided intoobce (municipalities). There are 79districts.
After a period without kraje and without any equivalent (1990–1996), the kraje were reintroduced in 1996. As for administrative division, Slovakia has been subdivided into 8 kraje since 31 December 2024:[2][3]
| Flag | Arms | Region | Capital | Population(2024) | Area(km2) | Density | NUTS level 3 | Seats in Regional Council |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  | Bratislava | Bratislava | 736,385 | 2052.60 | 2052.60 | SK010 | 50 |
 |  | Trnava | Trnava | 565,900 | 4146.28 | 136.48 | SK021 | 40 |
 |  | Trenčín | Trenčín | 565,572 | 4501.81 | 125.63 | SK022 | 47 |
 |  | Nitra | Nitra | 665,600 | 6343.73 | 104.92 | SK023 | 54 |
 |  | Žilina | Žilina | 686,063 | 6808.44 | 100.76 | SK031 | 57 |
 |  | Banská Bystrica | Banská Bystrica | 611,124 | 9453.97 | 64.64 | SK032 | 49 |
 |  | Prešov | Prešov | 810,008 | 8972.79 | 90.27 | SK041 | 62 |
 |  | Košice | Košice | 778,799 | 6754.32 | 115.30 | SK042 | 57 |
| Total | 5,419,451 | 49,033.98 | 110.52 | 416 | ||||
Since 2002, Slovakia is divided into 8samosprávne kraje (self-governing regions), which are called by the Constitutionvyššie územné celky (Higher Territorial Units), abbr. VÚC. The territory and borders of the self-governing regions are identical with the territory and borders of the kraje. Therefore, the word "kraj" can be replaced by "VÚC" or "samosprávny kraj" in each case in the above list. The main difference is that organs of samosprávne kraje areself-governing, with an elected chairperson and assembly, while the organs of kraje are appointed bythe government.
The term "Region" (Slovak:kraj) should not be confused with:
Historically, Slovakia was not divided into kraje, but intocounties (Slovak:župy orstolice). This was the case when present-day Slovakia was part of:
In 1928–1939 (and formally also 1945–1948), Slovakia as a whole formed the administrative unit "Slovak land" (Krajina slovenská) within Czechoslovakia.
Each kraj was named after its principal city.
Note: The kraje were abolished from 1 July 1969, until 28 December 1970, when they were reintroduced.
 | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(October 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
There are also other regions in Slovakia, which do not correspond to historical counties:
| Region | Former County part | Former County |
|---|---|---|
| Kysuce | northern | Žilina |
| Záhorie | western | Nitra |
| Bratislava | ||
| Podpoľanie [sk] | southern | Zvolen |
| Zamagurie | northern | Spiš |
 |
|---|
Legislature |
|
|
