regions became autonomous in 2002, it is governed by the Žilina Self-Governing Region. Demographics The population density in the region is (2020-06-30/-07-01). The largest towns are Žilina, Martin, Liptovský Mikuláš, Ružomberok, Čadca and Dolný Kubín . The level of urbanization is relatively low, with about 50% of the population living in the towns, with the Námestovo District having the lowest urbanization in the whole of Slovakia, only 15%. According to the 2001 census, there were 692,332 inhabitants in the region, almost wholly Slovaks (97.5%), with small minorities of Czechs (<1%) and Roma (<0.5%). Economy From the stagnation in the 1990s the region now enjoys relative prosperity. The main employers are industry and tourism. The river Váh valley, which runs across the entire region, forms a strong industrial base with wood pulp and engineering factories as well as Volkswagen and Kia plants in Žilina and Martin. Politics Current governor of Žilina region is Erika Jurinová (OĽaNO) - first woman in this office in Slovakia. She won with 32 %. In election 2022 was elected also regional parliament : Parliamentary groups were formed after the elections. Their status in August 2022 is as follows : Administrative divisions The region is divided into 11 districts. There are 315 municipalities in the region of which 18 are towns. Notes References External links Žilinský samosprávny kraj Official website Regions of Slovakia