Bratislava, << BRAH tih slah vuh, >> or Pressburg (pop. 409,100), is the capital and largest city of Slovakia. It lies on the Danube River 35 miles (56 kilometers) east of Vienna, Austria. Railway and river traffic meet at Bratislava. Factories there make chemicals, cloth, machinery, and petroleum products. Bratislava’s landmarks include St. Martin’s Cathedral, in the downtown area; and Bratislava Castle, which overlooks the city from a hill nearby. Bratislava is the home of Comenius University.
Bratislava was chartered in 1291. It served as the capital of Hungary from 1536 to 1683. In 1918, the city became the capital of Slovakia, a province of the new nation of Czechoslovakia. In 1968, Bratislava was named the capital of the Slovak Socialist Republic of Czechoslovakia. In 1993, Slovakia became an independent country. Bratislava remained the capital of the country.
