The City of Košice

In terms of size and importance, the Slovak city of Košice is on the secon place right behind the capital Bratislava. It is located in the east of Slovakia, not far from the border to Hungary (12 miles), the Ukraine (50 miles), and Poland (55 miles).

The advantages of such a location, not far from the borders of three different countries, and being located alongside important national and international transportation routes, are great conditions for good economic ties. They are even more strengthened by the railroad junction and the international airport.

The city is located in the Košická Kotlina basin, formed by the wide valley of the river Hornád and surrounded by the remote slopes of the Slovak Ore Mountains to the west and the Slanské Hills to the east. The city center lies 227 yards above sea level. In Košice there is a moderately warm climate, with average temperatures of 66 °F in July and 26 °F in January.

The city, composed of five administrative units, is the administration center for the region Košice. As an independent legal body, the city is divided into 22 districts, each with its own local administration. General special responsibilities, as well as administrative and organizational responsibilities, lie with the municipal authorities in Košice, which have to cooperate with the urban districts. The city of Košice is governed by a major and the city council. Every city district has their own elected council and council president.

Košice has a very strong economic background and offers workplaces for the city’s population, as well as for the inhabitants of the surrounding region. The biggest local employer is the steel company U.S. Steel Košice. The majority of the registered population has a job in the industrial sector. The fields of education and transportation are equally strongly represented.

The average age is 35.31 years, which has given Košice the reputation as the “city of the young”. The education system is present everywhere in the city. There are 10 grammar secondary schools, 4 trade academies and 15 specialized schools in the fields of industrial technology, agriculture, public health and art. Furthermore the city hosts the Pavol Jozef Šafárik University with four different schools at which you can complete your academic degree.