The Poland–Slovakia border is the

international border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders ...

between

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is divided into Voivodeships of Poland, sixteen voivodeships and is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union (EU), with over 38 mill ...

and

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the ...

and has formally existed since 1 January 1993, following the

dissolution of Czechoslovakia The dissolution of Czechoslovakia ( cs, Rozdělení Československa, sk, Rozdelenie Česko-Slovenska) took effect on December 31, 1992, and was the self-determined split of the federal republic of Czechoslovakia into the independent countries ...

into two independent states. Before the dissolution of

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

, its eastern border with Poland was practically identical to the present day border between Poland and Slovakia, with minor corrections made in later years. The length of the Poland–Slovakia border is

Course of the border

The border with Slovakia runs from Jaworzynka Trzycatek through the Zwardońska Pass, Wielka Racza, Wielki Rycea, the Glinka Pass,

Pilsko Pilsko is the second highest mountain, , in the Żywiec Beskids (Oravské Beskydy in Slovakia) mountain range, on the border between Poland and Slovakia. It is a hiking destination in summer and a skiing area in winter. The name Pilsko is frequ ...

Babia Góra Babia Góra (in Polish), or Babia hora (in Slovak), literally Old Wives' or Witches' Mountain, is a massif situated on the border between Poland and Slovakia in the Western Beskid Mountains. The name is also applied to the culmination of th ...

Chyżne Chyżne is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Jabłonka, within Nowy Targ County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland, close to the border with Slovakia. It lies approximately south of Jabłonka, west of Nowy Targ, a ...

, crosses the Orava valley, the main ridge of the

Tatra Mountains The Tatra Mountains (), Tatras, or Tatra (''Tatry'' either in Slovak () or in Polish () - '' plurale tantum''), are a series of mountains within the Western Carpathians that form a natural border between Slovakia and Poland. They are the h ...

, runs along the Białka valley, along the

Dunajec The Dunajec (); Goral dialects: ''Dónajec'') is a river running through northeastern Slovakia and southern Poland. It is also regarded as the main river of the Goral Lands. It is a right tributary of the Vistula River. It begins in Nowy Targ at t ...

valley, through the

Pieniny The Pieniny (sometimes also the PieninsSzafer, Władysław. 2013. ''The Vegetation of Poland: International Series of Monographs in Pure and Applied Biology''. Warsaw: Pergamon Press, pp. 156, 388. or the Pienin Mountains,Griffiths, Graham C. D. ...

, the

Poprad Poprad (; hu, Poprád; german: Deutschendorf) is a city in northern Slovakia at the foot of the High Tatra Mountains, famous for its picturesque historic centre and as a holiday resort. It is the biggest town of the Spiš region and the te ...

valley, through

Muszyna Muszyna is a town in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, southern Poland. Population: 4,989 (2006). It is a railroad junction, located near border with Slovakia, with trains going into three directions - towards Nowy Sącz, Krynica-Zdrój and southwards, ...

, the Tylicka Pass, the

Dukla Pass The Dukla Pass ( sk, Dukliansky priesmyk, pl, Przełęcz Dukielska, hu, Duklai-hágó, cz, Dukelský průsmyk; 502 m AMSL) is a strategically significant mountain pass in the Laborec Highlands of the Outer Eastern Carpathians, on the border ...

and the

Łupków Pass Łupków Pass or Lupkov Pass ( pl, Przełęcz Łupkowska, sk, Lupkovský priesmyk) is a significant mountain pass in the Carpathian Mountains on the border between Poland and Slovakia, and close to the western border of Ukraine. Its highest ...

, to the

Uzhok pass Uzhok Pass ( ua, Ужоцький перевал, hu, Uzsoki-hágó) is a mountain pass in the north-eastern Carpathian Mountains in Ukraine through the Vodorazdel'nyy backbone. It located on a ridge at high. It is located on the border of Str ...

History

When the

Slovak Republic Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the ...

was established on March 14, 1939, under the auspices of

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

, the Czechoslovakia–Poland border ceased to exist. In its place appeared the first Czechia-Poland border for the

Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia; cs, Protektorát Čechy a Morava; its territory was called by the Nazis ("the rest of Czechia"). was a partially annexed territory of Nazi Germany established on 16 March 1939 following the German oc ...

, the Poland–Slovakia border, and a new Hungary–Poland border. The first Poland–Slovakia border began west of the Mały Połom mountain (Trojačka) at above sea level, then ran east through the Vel mountain. Polom ( m above sea level), south of the Jablunkov Pass, north of Czacy and Czarna, then through Wielka Racza,

, crossed the Orava valley and the main ridge of the Tatras. Then it ran through the Białka valley along the Dunajec Valley, through the Pieniny Mountains, through the Poprad valley, through Muszynę and ended its course at the top of Czernin (Černina) ( m above sea level) in the vicinity of Łupków, where the tripartite borders of the

Second Polish Republic The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 1918 and 1939. The state was established on 6 November 1918, before the end of the First World ...

, the Slovak Republic and the

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephe ...

were located. The Poland–Slovakia border survived in fact until 28 September 1939, when it became the Nazi Germany–Soviet Union border, and formally until 1958, because only on June 13, 1958, the governments of the

Polish People's Republic The Polish People's Republic ( pl, Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL) was a country in Central Europe that existed from 1947 to 1989 as the predecessor of the modern Republic of Poland. With a population of approximately 37.9 million nea ...

and the

Czechoslovak Socialist Republic The Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, ČSSR, formerly known from 1948 to 1960 as the Czechoslovak Republic or Fourth Czechoslovak Republic, was the official name of Czechoslovakia from 1960 to 29 March 1990, when it was renamed the Czechoslovak ...

signed an agreement solving border disputes.

2005 adjustment

Pursuant to an agreement between the Republic of Poland and the Slovak Republic drawn up in Lubovla on 29 July 2002 and ratified on 17 October 2005,Agreement between the Republic of Poland and the Slovak Republic on changes in the state border and approval of border documentation
/ref> Near the observation tower on the Dukla Pass in the area of the Polish town of Barwinek and the Slovakian town of Vyšný Komárnik, Slovakia gave up of territory, and Poland handed over territory of the same area (the change was dictated by the inability to restore the common border road to its previous state; built in 1958 to allow Slovak tourists to see the places of fighting. After correction, the border runs the middle of the road) on the

Dunajec river The Dunajec (); Goral dialects: ''Dónajec'') is a river running through northeastern Slovakia and southern Poland. It is also regarded as the main river of the Goral Lands. It is a right tributary of the Vistula River. It begins in Nowy Tar ...

in the vicinity of the Polish towns

Sromowce Niżne Sromowce Niżne is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Czorsztyn, within Nowy Targ County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland, close to the border with Slovakia. It lies approximately south-east of Maniowy, east of Now ...

and Sromowce Wyżne and the Slovak towns of

Červený Kláštor Červený Kláštor () is a small village and municipality in the far north Kežmarok District in the Prešov Region of northern Slovakia, near the Polish border, in the Zamagurie region. History A Camaldolese monastery was established on thi ...

and

Spišská Stará Ves Spišská Stará Ves (german: Alt(en)dorf; hu, Szepesófalu or hu, Ófalu; pl, (Stara) Spiska Wieś; la, Antiqua Villa; Goral: Golembarg) is a small town and urban municipality in Kežmarok District in the Prešov Region of north Slovakia. ...

, part of the unnamed island with an area of surrendered to Slovakia, and Slovakia gave way to part of the island of Nokiel with the same area (the change was dictated by the lack of possibility to settle border marks in the right places, due to the shape change of the island). In the area of the Polish town of

Jaworzynka is a village in Gmina Istebna, Cieszyn County in Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland. The village is situated in Beskid Śląski mountain range, near to the borders with the Czech Republic and Slovakia, in the historical region of Cieszyn ...

and the Slovakian town of Skalité, Poland withdrew from of territory, and Slovakia withdrew territory of the same area (the change was dictated by the residents' requests - after 1953 a road was crossed there several times across the border, causing many difficulties in access to plots on both sides, now the border runs the middle of the road). In total, Poland has transferred to Slovakia, and vice versa territories with an area of (nearly ).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Poland-Slovakia border European Union internal borders Borders of Poland Borders of Slovakia International borders

Course of the border

History

2005 adjustment

See also

References