World Esperanto speakers meet in Nitra

Approximately 1300 Esperantists from 60 countries met in the western Slovak town of Nitra at the world Esperanto congress which opened on Sunday. Each year the conference takes place in a different country, with it being held in Slovakia for the very first time. According to Peter Baláž, the preparatory committee chairman, Slovakia is a country with a very small percentage of Esperanto speakers; however, Slovak Esperantists are among the most active. The history of Esperanto dates back to the 19th century. Polish doctor Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof came up with the idea of creating an international language. The congress is to continue until next Saturday, July 30