Prievidza was captured by troops of the Soviet 40th Army. Since the end of the war, the population has grown enormously from 5,000 inhabitants to around 53,000 inhabitants, as industry grew. Prievidza became the home of many miners and workers that found employment in the coal mines, the power station and the chemical factory in the nearby town of Nováky. Geography Prievidza lies at an altitude of above sea level and covers an area of . The city is situated very near the smaller but more famous town of Bojnice, actually sharing the public transport system. The valley of the Nitra River, in which the city lies, is surrounded by mountain ranges on all sides, in the west Strážov Mountains, in the north Malá Fatra, in the east Žiar and in the south Vtáčnik. Prievidza is the eleventh largest city in Slovakia. It is located around south of Žilina, km east of the regional capital Trenčín and km from Bratislava (by road). Climate Prievidza lies in the north temperate zone and has a continental climate with four distinct seasons. It is characterized by a significant variation between hot summers and cold, snowy winters. On 21 July 2022, a maximum temperature of was registered in Prievidza. Demographics According to the 2001 census, the town had 53,097 inhabitants. 96.65% of inhabitants were Slovaks, 0.95% Czechs, 0.48% Hungarian and 0.29% Roma and Germans. The religious make-up was 61.91% Roman Catholics, 29.01% people with no religious affiliation and 2.29% Lutherans. Education In the city are placed 12 kindergartens, 8 primary schools or elementary schools and 8 middle schools or high schools consisting of two gymnasiums, one commercial/business academy and five secondary professional schools. Faculty of Management Science & Informatics University of Žilina has in Prievidza branch providing bachelor's degree study. Sport Basketball is the most popular and successful sport in city. BC Prievidza won 2 titles in former men Czechoslovak Basketball League (1989, 1993) and after dissolution of Czechoslovakia 4 titles in men Slovak Basketball League (1994, 1995, 2012, 2016). Volleyball club VK Prievidza won 2 titles (2018, 2019) in top Slovakia Men's Volleyball League. Football also has long tradition in city. Footballers such as Martin Škrtel, Juraj Kucka, Patrik Hrošovský or Dávid Hancko were raised in local football club Baník. From Prievidza are also ice hockey players such as Andrej Sekera or Martin Štajnoch. Sports teams in Prievidza Basketball – BC Prievidza –