Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of 426,000, the country's largest city. Bratislava is in the south-west of Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two other countries.
Bratislava is the political, cultural, and economic centre of Slovakia. It is the seat of the Slovak presidency, the parliament, and the government. It is also home to several universities, museums, theatres, galleries and other important economic, cultural, and educational institutions. The headquarters of many of Slovakia's large businesses and financial institutions are in Bratislava as well.
Bratislava is situated in southwest Slovakia, within the Bratislava Region. Its location on the borders with Austria and Hungary makes it the only national capital that borders two countries. It is only 62 kilometres (38.5 mi) from the border with the Czech Republic and only 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) from the Austrian capital Vienna.
The city has a total area of 367.58 square kilometres (141.9 sq mi), making it the second-largest city in Slovakia by area (after the township of Vysoké Tatry). Bratislava straddles the Danube River, which crosses the city from the west to the south-east. The Middle Danube basin begins at DevÃn Gate in western Bratislava. Other rivers are the Morava River, which forms the north-western border of the city and enters the Danube at DevÃn, the Little Danube, and the Vydrica, which enters the Danube in the borough of Karlova Ves.
The Carpathian mountain range begins in city territory with the Little Carpathians (Malé Karpaty). The Záhorie and Danubian lowlands stretch into Bratislava. The city's lowest point is at the Danube's surface at 126 metres (410 ft) AMSL, and the highest point is DevÃnska Kobyla at 514 metres (1,690 ft). The average altitude is 140 metres (460 ft). |
