Slovenia

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Slovenia's Information


Capital	Ljubljana
Languages	Slovenian (official) 91.1%, Serbo-Croatian 4.5%, other or unspecified 4.4%, Italian (official, only in municipalities where Italian national communities reside), Hungarian (official, only in municipalities where Hungarian national communities reside) (2002 census)
Ethnic Groups	Slovene 83.1%, Serb 2%, Croat 1.8%, Bosniak 1.1%, other or unspecified 12% (2002 census)
Religion	Catholic 57.8%, Muslim 2.4%, Orthodox 2.3%, other Christian 0.9%, unaffiliated 3.5%, other or unspecified 23%, none 10.1% (2002 census)
Government	Parliamentary republic
Independance	25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)
Area	20,273.00 km²
Water Area	122.00 km²
Land Area	20,151.00 km²
Population	1,978,029.00 A fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations; pockets in the mountainous northwest exhibit less density than elsewhere
Location	south Central Europe, Julian Alps between Austria and Croatia
No. Bordering Countries	4
Bordering Countries	Austria 299 km, Croatia 600 km, Hungary 94 km, Italy 218 km
GDP(PPP)	$68,350,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$33,100.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are Germany, Italy, and Austria.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, and food.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are Germany, Italy, and Austria.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include machinery, manufactured goods, and chemicals.
Climate	Tropical monsoon; few temperature and weather extremes
Terrain	A short southwestern coastal strip of Karst topography on the Adriatic; an alpine mountain region lies adjacent to Italy and Austria in the north; mixed mountains and valleys with numerous rivers to the east

Where is Slovenia?

Located in south Central Europe, Slovenia has a 1,211.00 km border with Austria (299 km), Croatia (600 km), Hungary (94 km) and Italy (218 km). It has a 47.00 km coastline. Slovenia and Croatia have both claimed sovereignty over Piranski Bay and four villages, ever since the breakup of Yugoslavia.

Slovenia’s capital and most populous city is Ljubljana, located in the central portion of the country in a geographical area known as the Ljubljana Basin. With a current population of 279,756 this historic city has experienced a significant growth in population over the years. With a past in that includes occupation by both Fascist and Nazi troops during World War II the city later became the capital of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia before the country gained its independence in 1991. Popular landmarks in the city include Ljubljana Castle, a former medieval fortress, and the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation, built in 1646. The city has an oceanic climate that is characterized by warm summers and moderately cold temperatures in the winter.

Geography

Slovenia has a mean elevation of 492 m above sea level.

It has a tropical monsoon climate with few temperate extremes. Its terrain is mixed, with mountains, valleys, and lowlands.

Population

Slovenia has a population of 1,978,029 making it the 147th largest in the world. The country has a fairly evenly distributed population.

Slovenian is the official and most widely spoken language. The major ethnic group is Slovene. The majority of the population identifies as Roman Catholic.

The official language of Slovenia is Slovene or Slovenian. This language is spoken by a large majority of Slovenian residents with an estimated total of two million plus speakers. Slovene is part of the Indo-European linguistic family with roots in Slavic and Balto-Slavic traditions. The native alphabet includes eight vowels and twenty one consonants. Some 87.8% of Slovenian residents cite Slovene as being their mother tongue. Minority languages in the country include Croatian, Serbian, and Serbian-Croatian. Because of Slovenia’s geographical proximity to Italy the nation’s population includes a minority of residents from Italian backgrounds. This portion of the Slovenian population is protected under national language laws. Useful phrases in Slovene include a greeting of, “Živjo or Zdravo”

Government

Slovenia is an independent country. It gained independence when Yugoslavia dissolved in 1991. Its constitution was last ratified in 1991.

The government of Slovenia uses a parliamentary system and operates as a constitutional republic. The country, which is divided into 211 municipalities, elects both the legislature and president. The business of running the country takes place in the Slovenia Parliament Building in the city of Ljubljana, the nation’s capital. Two of the members of the 90 member National Assembly are elected by Slovenia’s Italian and Hungarian minority groups.

Economy

Factoring in Purchasing Power Parity, Slovenia's GDP is $68,350,000,000.00 (USD) with $33,100.00 (USD) per capita. This makes it the 98th largest economy and its citizens the 55th richest in the world. The currency of Slovenia is the Euro (EUR).

Its major export partners are Germany, Italy, and Austria. Its main exports are manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, and food. Its major import partners are Germany, Italy, and Austria. Its major imports include machinery, manufactured goods, and chemicals.

Flag

As Slovenia is one of Europe’s many Slavic countries, it’s not surprising that the nation’s flag features the traditional three horizontal bands of white, red, and blue. During World War II the country was part of Yugoslavia and at that time its flag featured a red star positioned in the center. In order to reflect the changing political environment of the state after Slovenia gained its independence, the flag underwent another transformation that saw the Slavic colors remain but in place of the red star a coat of arms designed by Marko Poga?nik was added. Although controversial, this emblem includes a stylized depiction of the nation’s highest peak Mount Triglav.