Slovenia

Full name of country: Republic of Slovenia

Region: Europe

Official language: Slovenian (Italian and Hungarian have official status in certain municipalities)

Population: 2,097,893 (2024 est.)

Nationality: Slovene(s) (noun), Slovenian (adjective)

Land area: 20,151 sq km (7,780 sq miles)

Water area: 122 sq km (47 sq miles)

Capital: Ljubljana

National anthem: "Zdravljica" (A Toast), by France Preseren/Stanko Premrl

National holiday: Independence Day/Statehood Day, June 25 (1991)

Population growth: -0.1% (2024 est.)

Time zone: UTC +1

Flag: The Slovenian flag features three equal and horizontal stripes of white (top), blue (middle), and red (bottom). The Slovenian coat of arms is emblazoned on the upper hoist (left) side of the white and blue stripe. The coat of arms features Mount Triglav, with blue waves in the foreground symbolizing the Adriatic Sea and Slovenian rivers. Three stars arranged in an inverted triangle hang above Mount Triglav.

Independence: June 25, 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

Government type: parliamentary republic

Suffrage: 18 years of age

Legal system: civil law system

The Republic of Slovenia is a Central European nation formed in 1991 after the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. Located on the Adriatic Sea, Slovenia is bordered on the south and east by Croatia (another former Yugoslav republic), on the west by Italy, and by Hungary and Austria on the north.

The Slovenes are a southern Slavic people with historically close ties to Western Europe, partly from centuries of Austrian rule. Since independence, Slovenia has joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU). Tourists visit Slovenia to enjoy Adriatic coast resorts, winter sports in the country's mountains, and more cosmopolitan attractions in Ljubljana, the capital.

Note: unless otherwise indicated, statistical data in this article is sourced from the CIA World Factbook, as cited in the bibliography.

People and Culture

Population: Slovenia is a heavily developed country with a well-developed infrastructure. The country ranked 22 out of 193 countries and territories on the 2022 United Nations Human Development Index, based on 2022 data. The population is distributed evenly between rural and urban areas, with an urban population of 56.1 percent in 2023. Besides the capital of Ljubljana, Maribor, and Celje are the main cities.

Slovenia's population is largely Slovene (around 83.1 percent), but there are sizeable Serbian, Croatian, Bosniak, Italian, and Hungarian minorities. There is also a small Romani (Roma) minority in Slovenia. There are no special protections for the Izbrisani (meaning "erased"), immigrants from the other former Yugoslav republics who essentially became stateless after the breakup of Yugoslavia. Under a 2003 ruling by the Constitutional Court, Slovenia must offer citizenship to all such persons who were living in Slovenia when the country declared independence.

Many Slovenes live in the surrounding countries. Italy in particular has a substantial Slovene population. Southwestern Austria, Croatia, and Hungary also have sizeable numbers of Slovene inhabitants. All four nations recognize the Slovenes as a protected minority, with additional rights. Many Slovenes have also immigrated to the Americas.

The Slovenes are predominantly Roman Catholic, though the Protestant Reformation made strong inroads during the sixteenth century and the Bible was translated into Slovenian. The 2019 census listed 69 percent of the population as Roman Catholic, with sizeable minorities of Eastern Orthodox (4 percent) and other Christian groups (less than 1 percent). There is also a substantial Muslim population (3 percent). Around 17 percent of the population follow other religions or have no declared religion, while 4 percent identify as nonreligious.

Slovenian, the official language, is a South Slavic language spoken by approximately 2.4 million people around the world. There are numerous dialects, including the German-influenced "Windisch" dialect of southwestern Austria. Besides German, Serbo-Croatian has influenced the Slovenian language. The nineteenth-century nationalist movement helped strengthen the use of Slovenian as a national language. In the twentieth century, Slovenian served as one of Yugoslavia's official languages. Approximately 4.5 percent of Slovenes also speak Serbo-Croatian. Italian and Hungarian are also official languages in municipalities where large Italian and Hungarian communities reside.

Indigenous People: Illyrian and Celtic peoples were the earliest settlers of what is now Slovenia. In the first century BCE, the Romans conquered the region and named it Illyricum. The Slovenes settled there during the sixth century, following the fall of Rome. Though they established small states of their own, they came under German domination, and from the fourteenth century onward were ruled by the Austrian Hapsburgs.

Education: Slovenia has a well-developed educational system and high literacy rate (estimated at 99.7 percent by the late 2015). During the 1990s, Slovenia began reforming the communist-era educational system to increase flexibility and choice. Nine years of schooling (basic education) are compulsory, from the ages of six to fifteen. Preschool is available but is not required.

After completing early secondary education at age fifteen, students have several options. They can attend four-year general secondary schools known as gimnazije ("gymnasiums") to prepare for further studies, either at a university or a technical school. The final examination, which also serves as a university entrance examination, is known as the Matura.

Higher education is either academic or professional. Postcommunist Slovenia has both private and public institutions of higher learning. The University of Ljubljana, the country's oldest, was founded in 1919 but traces its history back to academies established in the sixteenth century. The University of Maribor was founded during the communist era. The University of Primorska, established in 2003, represents the country's newer institutions of learning. Students who complete their undergraduate studies obtain a diploma leading to the first postgraduate degree of "specialist." This may be followed by the master's degree and the doctorate.

Health Care: Slovenia's health care system is administered by the Ministry of Health. In 2024 the average life expectancy at birth was estimated to be 82.02 years. All citizens are required to have a certain amount of health insurance. A nonprofit organization, the Mutual Health Insurance Company, was established in 1999 to provide voluntary health insurance to cover additional medical costs.

There are approximately 3.28 doctors and 4.4 hospital beds per 1,000 inhabitants (2018–19 estimates). One of the ways many Slovenes stay healthy is by visiting spas. Rogaska Slatina is the nation's oldest, dating back to the late sixteenth century and offering mineral waters and exercise facilities.

Food: Slovenian cookery is basically Slavic but has strong influences from Italy, Austria, and Hungary. Many citizens and visitors enjoy dumplings stuffed with ingredients such as meat, cheese, or fruit. Italy has contributed risotto, Austria the Wiener schnitzel, and Hungary its famous goulash. Seafood dishes are common in the coastal regions.

Many Slovenes also enjoy wine, which has been made in the region since Roman times. Beer is also popular. As a way to preserve traditional culture against Western-style fast food, many Slovenes have joined the so-called "slow food movement," involving leisurely, multicourse dinners with family and friends.

Arts & Entertainment: Slovenian culture is a mix of the traditional and the modern, merging folk traditions with wider European and global influences. In the musical world, for example, Slovenian folk music competes with punk and other pop-music genres.

Among the most influential writers in Slovenian history is the nineteenth-century Romantic and nationalist poet France Prešeren (1800–1849), whose legacy is honored with an annual holiday. Through his poetry, he helped develop Slovenian as a modern literary language. The country's national anthem is taken from a verse from one of his poems. Contemporary Slovenian poetry and other literature is characterized by movements such as postmodernism.

Most of Slovenia's extensive mass media is privately owned. The constitution protects freedom of the press, and Slovenia has reformed media laws to prevent monopolies and ensure transparency.

Sports, particularly soccer (football) and basketball and winter sports such as skiing, are popular in Slovenia. The country has also distinguished itself in international gymnastics competition. Gymnast Leon Štukelj (1898–1999) is one of Slovenia's greatest sports figures, having competed in three Olympics and several World Championships and won eight gold medals.

Holidays: Slovenia's national holiday is Statehood Day (June 25). Independence Day is celebrated on December 26. Prešeren Day (February 8) is a cultural holiday honoring poet France Prešeren. The Day of Uprising Against Occupation (April 27) commemorates the Slovenian fight against the Nazi occupation of World War II.

Reflecting the nation's religious heritage, several Christian holidays are on the official calendar. These include Assumption Day (August 15), Reformation Day (October 31), and All Souls' Day (November 1), in addition to holidays such as Christmas and Easter.

Environment and Geography

Topography: Slovenia is largely a country of hills and mountains, particularly in the north, where mountain chains include the Julian Alps, the Dinarides, Kamnik-Savinja Alps, the Pohorje, and Karavanke Mountains. The highest point is at the peak of Mount Triglav, which rises 2,864 meters (9,396 feet) above sea level.

The eastern part of the country is covered by the Pannonian plain. There is also a vast plain known as the Kras Plateau, located between Ljubljana and the Italian border. This region includes limestone caves and underground rivers. Much of the country is covered by forests.

The country has a small (about 47 kilometers/29 miles) coastline along the Adriatic Sea, running from Italy to Croatia. The longest river is the Sava, which runs for 221 kilometers (137 miles) and drains into the Danube. Other rivers are the Drava (another Danube tributary) and the Kolpa (on the Croatian border).

Natural Resources: Slovenia has many rich resources, including extensive mineral deposits, timber forests, and fertile land. Minerals include energy resources such as lignite coal, and important industrial materials such as uranium, lead and zinc. The rivers provide extensive hydropower.

The country's rapid industrialization during the communist era caused extensive environmental damage to the country, including acid rain.

Plants & Animals: Slovenia has rich and diverse flora and fauna, especially in the mountains and forests, with sizable preserved forested areas. Species in lower-lying regions include beech, linden, and oak. The linden, or lime tree, is particularly beloved as a national symbol. Mountain forests typically consist of pine, fir, and spruce. Many beautiful wildflowers grow in the mountain regions, including gentians such as the edelweiss.

Slovenia is home to many large game animals, such as deer and boar, as well as medium-sized carnivores such as the fox, lynx, and European wild cat. Large carnivores are somewhat rare, though several hundred brown bears live in Slovenia. Among the country's most famous domesticated species are the Lipizzaner trained horses, raised in the town of Lipica.

Climate: Slovenia's climate is generally moderate. There are three main climatic regions: alpine in the northern mountains, Mediterranean along the coast, and continental in the eastern part of the country. In the alpine regions, summers are pleasant and winters are cold. The coastal regions are warm in summer and generally mild in winter. The eastern Continental region has the most noticeable seasonal changes, with hot summers and cold winters.

In general, winter temperatures range from –2 to 0 degrees Celsius (28 to 32 degrees Fahrenheit), with an average summer temperature of about 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit).

Slovenia, like other countries, had also been experiencing effects of climate change such as rising temperatures; scientists argued that climate change was at least partly responsible for massive, damaging flooding that occurred in the country in 2023 following particularly heavy rainfall.

Economy

Slovenia is one of the most prosperous parts of the former Yugoslavia and the former Eastern Bloc. Since the end of communism, the Slovenian government has worked to privatize the economy and promote foreign investment. Since World War II, Slovenia's economy has become increasingly industrialized, though agriculture remains important.

Slovenia joined the European Union (EU), a move which required extensive economic and monetary reforms, in 2004, the same year it transitioned from borrower to donor with the World Bank. It joined the Eurozone in 2007 and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2012. In 2023 the gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated at U$102.036 billion, with an estimated per capita GDP of US$48,100

Industry Slovenia has moved toward an industrial and service-based economy. Major industries include heavy manufacturing (such as automobiles), metallurgy and smelting, electronics manufacturing, chemicals processing, wood products, textiles, and machine tools.

Slovenia trades mainly with Germany, Italy, Austria, Croatia, France, China, and Switzerland. There are three ports (Izola, Koper, and Piran), all located on the Adriatic Sea.

Agriculture: Agriculture remains a small part of the Slovenian economy. The main agricultural activity is raising livestock (cattle, sheep, and poultry). Crops such as potatoes, hops, wheat, sugar beets, corn, and grapes are also grown.

Tourism: Slovenia has actively promoted tourism since the downfall of communism, though the Balkan Wars hurt business. In the twenty-first century, the travel and tourism industry began to emerge as a growing sector of the economy, with many visitors come from other parts of the former Yugoslavia, as well as from neighboring countries such as Italy.

Ljubljana, an ancient city with Roman origins, offers historic sites as well as cosmopolitan entertainment. A popular attraction is the Lipizzaner Stallion stud farm in Lipica, where the famous Lipizzaner trained horses are bred.

Government

From the Middle Ages until World War I, the Slovenes were ruled by the Austrian Hapsburg dynasty. After the Austro-Hungarian Empire fell in 1918, the Slovenes joined with the Serbs and Croats to form an independent state, known from 1929 onward as the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The kingdom collapsed during World War II, as the result of the Nazi occupation (1941–45). The royal government-in-exile lost power to the Communists after the war.

During the Communist era, Slovenia was part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, but the Slovenes found themselves increasingly unhappy in what they saw as a federation dominated by Serbs and Croats. A secession movement grew during the late 1980s, and Slovenia declared its independence on June 25, 1991; a ten-day war within Yugoslavia was almost without casualties, as Yugoslavia withdrew its military forces quickly after resistance from Slovenia. The country received recognition from the European Community in 1992, and joined the EU and NATO in 2004.

Slovenia's head of state is the popularly elected president, who serves a five-year term. The head of government is the prime minister, who is elected by the National Assembly. Members of the cabinet, the Council of Ministers, are nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly.

The Slovenian parliament has two houses. The larger body, the National Assembly (Drzavni Zbor), has ninety members who are elected every four years. Representation is ensured for the country's ethnic minorities; the Italians and Hungarians each receive one seat. The National Assembly is responsible for all legislation. The National Council (Drzavni Svet) has forty members and serves as an advisory body, with members elected by an electoral college to five-year terms. It represents various interest groups and professional organizations.

Slovenia's highest courts are the Supreme Court and the nine-member Constitutional Court. Judges of the Constitutional Court are nominated by the president and appointed by the National Assembly for one nine-year term. The country's eleven-member Judicial Council recommends candidates to the National Assembly, who then appoints them to indefinite terms of office.

Slovenia has no regional governments; administration beneath the national level is handled entirely by municipalities and urban municipalities. Municipal governments (mayors and councilors) are elected every four years by popular vote.

Interesting Facts

• The name of Slovenia's former currency prior to the adoption of the euro, the tolar, has the same origin as the United States dollar. Both derive from the thaler, a historic European silver coin first minted during the Renaissance.
• The name of Mount Triglav, the country's tallest mountain, means "three heads."
• Former US First Lady Melania Trump was born in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, and studied at the University of Ljubljana.
• In 2020 Slovenian cyclists Tadej Pogačar and Primož Roglič finished in first and second place, respectively, in the Tour de France race. It was the first time the famous event was won by a Slovenian.
• Slovenians elected a woman to serve as president for the first time in 2022.

Bibliography

Human Development Report 2021/2022. United Nations Development Programme 13 Mar,2024, hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2021-22pdf‗1.pdf. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.

"Slovenia." The World Bank, 2024, data.worldbank.org/country/slovenia. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.

"Slovenia." The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 2 Jan. 2025, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/slovenia/. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.