In 1993, the former Republic of Czechoslovakia was divided into two independent countries, the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. Topographic mapping of Slovakia has been undertaken both by the Military Topographic Service and by the Authority of Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre of the Slovak Republic (Úrad Geodézie, Kartografie a Katastra Slovenskej Republiky (ÚGKKSR)), Bratislava. The former publishes maps for military use which have been based on the Soviet 1942 system. ÚGKKSR, however, is responsible for geodesy, cartography and cadastral survey for civilian purposes. It also controls the work of three regional cadastral offices and of the Research Institute of Geodesy and Cartography in Bratislava. It has published a range of topographic map series whose specification differs from the Soviet model, and which mainly use the so-called S-JTSK co-ordinate system.
The ÚGKKSR topographic series are all on a conformal conic projection (Krovak projection), Bessel ellipsoid. The series are in most respects similar to those described for the Czech Republic. The most detailed is the 1:10,000 scale basic map (Základná mapa – ZM10) which covers the country in 2,820 sheets, and is printed in five colors. This was completed in 1986 and a systematic revision program put in place in 1981, which by 1999 was 90 percent complete. The 1:25,000 scale series is in 475 sheets, of which about two-thirds have so far been published. This is a five-color map with 5 m contours. Publication began in 1973, but a new edition was initiated in 1995. The 1:50,000 scale series is a six-color map, complete in 137 sheets and kept under continuous revision. Contours are at 10 m intervals. A new series of district maps covering the Republic in 72 sheets at this scale has also been started. This series lacks contours, but includes boundaries of national parks and protected areas. The 1:100,000 scale series is produced by reduction from 1:50,000 with very little generalization and is complete in 41 sheets printed in eight colors. The 1:200,000 scale map covers the Republic in 13 sheets, and is in six colors with 50 m contours. A special 1:10,000 scale city map series (MM10) was started in 1983, based on the topographic series. Thirty-four towns and cities have been mapped and are available in a full seven-color version and a simpler four-color variant intended for the addition of thematic data.
Soviet military topographic mapping of Slovakia is available at the following scales: 1:1,000,000 (4 sheets, complete coverage, published 1979-1990); 1:500,000 (5 sheets, complete coverage, published 1978-1989); 1:200,000 (20 sheets, complete coverage, published 1972-1986); 1:100,000 (56 sheets, complete coverage, published 1976-1991); 1:50,000 (185 sheets, complete coverage, published 1975-1995) and city (1:10,000) topographic mapping of 11 major cities from Banska Bystrica to Zilina published between 1970 and 1987. These products are available in print, digital raster and digital vector GIS formats from East View Geospatial.
Beginning in 1995, the creation of a Fundamental database for GIS (AIS GKK) has been in progress by scanning and vectorizing the 1:10,000 scale basic map.
Geological mapping is now the responsibility of Geologická Sluzba Slovenskej Republiky (GSSR) which was established in 1996 by merging the former Dionyz Stύr Institute of Geology with two other Slovakian institutions, Geofond, Bratislava and Slovenska Geologia at Spisska Nova Ves. GSSR’s remit is geological research and prospecting, the maintenance of a geological information system for the country and the distribution of information through the medium of geological maps and publications. Particular attention is also paid to hydrogeology (for assessing and protecting the quality of groundwater and thermal springs), to engineering geology, and to problems of sub-soil contamination and the disposal of waste. Maps are prepared in support of all these themes. The most detailed geological series is at 1:25,000 scale, but only a few sheets have been published. A more extensive cover is available at 1:50,000 scale. This is a series of regional maps, published in varying sizes, usually with an English legend, and with explanatory texts. At 1:200,000 scale, there is geological cover from the Czechoslovakia series, a 10-sheet hydrogeological map cover, completed in 1988, and an engineering geological atlas in 14 sheets. A new general geological map at 1:500,000 scale was published in 1996, and a 1:1,000,000 scale version in 1998.
The Geographical Institute of the Slovakian Academy of Sciences (Geograficky Ústav Slovenskej Academie VED (SAV) has published a number of 1:50,000 scale geomorphological maps of individual areas. It has also been preparing a 1:100,000 scale series of land cover maps using SPOT imagery as part of the CORINE program. A small scale Corine land cover tourist map has also been published. The text on the reverse describes the landscape and land cover of Slovakia and the nature of the CORINE project.
As in the Czech Republic, there are several variations on these standard topographic series, including a 1:50,000 Water management map by the Ministry of Agriculture, and a road map version maintained by the Ministry of Transport, Posts and Telecommunications. Map sheets based on administrative units are also published at scales of 1:50,000, 1:100,000 and 1:200,000.
Small scale general and administrative maps are published by ÚGKKSR at scales of 1:500,000 and 1:1,000,000.
For cadastral purposes, there is a basic large scale monochrome map (ZMVM) compiled at scales of 1:1,000, 1:2,000 or 1:5,000 for the whole territory, and now partly prepared in digital format. This, and other large scale variants, are used to create the complete 1:5,000 scale State map (SMO5) with contour intervals ranging from one to 5 m and printed in two colors.
Slovenská Kartografia (SK), Bratislava, was formerly the principal government publisher of educational and general and tourist maps for the public. In 1992, the company was privatized and lost its important educational market. Subsequently, most of its tourist market appears to have been captured by Vojensky Kartograficky Ústav (VKÚ), and the Military Topographic Service. VKÚ produces and distributes a new series of 1:50,000 scale maps for touring and hiking, covering all of the Republic in 42 sheets. Their numbering (101-142) is an extension to the numbering of the tourist series of the Czech Republic prepared jointly by VKÚ and the Czech Tourist Club. VKÚ is also publishing a number of maps of Slovakian cities at scales of 1:10,000, 1:15,000 or 1:20,000, and local area maps at 1:50,000 and 1:100,000 scale designed for motorists and cyclists. It is keen to exploit its map databases for production of further popular products.
MAPA Slovakia is a private map publisher in Bratislava producing a variety of city, motoring and tourist maps and atlases. Tourist and general purpose maps of the Slovak Republic have also been published by several foreign publishing houses, including Cartographia (badged by HarperCollins) Kummerly and Frey (K+F), GeoCenter and Michelin.
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