Žilina

	Žilina
	City
Flag	Coat of arms
Country	Slovakia
Region	Žilina
District	Žilina
Tourism region	Horné Považie
Rivers	Váh, Rajčanka, Kysuca
Center	Andrej Hlinka Square
- elevation	342 m (1,122 ft)
- coordinates	49°13′22″N 18°44′24″E / 49.22278°N 18.74°E
Area	80.03 km² (30.9 sq mi)
Population	85,302 (2009-05-31)
- urban	108,114
- metro	159,729
Density	1,066 /km² (2,761 /sq mi)
First mentioned	1208
Mayor	Igor Choma
Timezone	CET (UTC+1)
- summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	010 01
Area code	+421-41
Car plate	ZA
	Location in Slovakia
	Wikimedia Commons: Žilina
	Statistics: MOŠ/MIS
	Website: www.zilina.sk

Coordinates: 49°13′22″N 18°44′24″E / 49.22278°N 18.74°E

Žilina (German: Sillein, Hungarian: Zsolna) is a city in northwestern Slovakia.

Geography [change]

The city is located in the northwestern Slovakia, at the confluence of Váh, Kysuca and Rajčanka rivers. It is surrounded by numerous mountains ranges, for example Lesser Fatra, Strážov Mountains and many others.

History [change]

People have lived here since the Neolithic age. The Slavs started to move here in the 5th century. German colonists started to live here since the 13th century. When the Hussites burned the city down, it declined it for some time. It regained its position in the 19th century, when it became an important railway junction. Today, it is the fifth largest town in Slovakia and the third most important industrial centre in Slovakia.

Sights [change]

The centre of the city is the Mariánske námestie, with the city hall, baroque statue of the Virgin Mary and so on. Other sights include:

The Budatín Castle
Wooden church of St. George (one of the few outside north-eastern Slovakia)
Church of St. Stephen the King
Orthodox synagogue

Economy [change]

Žilina is the main industrial and business centre of the Váh river. The biggest employer is the Kia Motors company, which invested here 1 billion dollars and created 3000 work positions.