Background: In 1918 the Slovenes joined the Serbs and Croats in
forming a new nation, renamed Yugoslavia in 1929. After World War II,
Slovenia became a republic of the renewed Yugoslavia, which though
communist, distanced itself from Moscow's rule. Dissatisfied with the
exercise of power of the majority Serbs, the Slovenes succeeded in
establishing their independence in 1991. Historical ties to Western
Europe, a strong economy, and a stable democracy make Slovenia a leading
candidate for future membership in the EU and NATO.
Government type: parliamentary
democratic republic
Capital: Ljubljana
Currency: 1 tolar (SIT) = 100 stotins
Geography of Slovenia
Location: Southeastern Europe, eastern Alps bordering the Adriatic Sea, between
Austria and Croatia
Geographic coordinates: 46 00 N, 15 00 E
Area:
total: 20,253 sq km
land: 20,253 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Land boundaries:
total: 1,334 km
border countries: Austria 330 km, Croatia 670 km, Italy 232 km, Hungary 102 km
Coastline: 46.6 km
Climate: Mediterranean climate on the coast, continental climate with mild to
hot summers and cold winters in the plateaus and valleys to the east
Terrain: a short coastal strip on the Adriatic, an alpine mountain region
adjacent to Italy and Austria, mixed mountain and valleys with numerous rivers to the east.
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Triglav 2,864 m
Natural resources: lignite coal, lead, zinc, mercury, uranium, silver,
hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 12%
permanent crops: 3%
permanent pastures: 24%
forests and woodland: 54%
other: 7% (1996 est.)
Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: flooding and earthquakes
Environment - current issues: Sava River polluted with domestic and industrial
waste; pollution of coastal waters with heavy metals and toxic chemicals; forest damage
near Koper from air pollution (originating at metallurgical and chemical plants) and
resulting acid rain.
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol
People of Slovenia
The majority of Slovenia's population is Slovene (over 87%). Hungarians
and Italians have the status of indigenous minorities under the Slovenian
Constitution, which guarantees them seats in the National Assembly. Most
other minority groups, particularly those from the former Yugoslavia,
immigrated after World War II for economic reasons. Slovenes are
predominantly Roman Catholic, though the country also has a small number of
Protestants, Orthodox Christians, Muslims, and Jews. Slovene is a Slavic
language, written in the Roman script.
Population: 2,011,070 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.09%
15-64 years: 69.61%
65 years and over: 14.3%
Population growth rate: 0.14%
Birth rate: 9.32 births/1,000 population
Death rate: 9.98 deaths/1,000 population
Net migration rate: 2.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population
Infant mortality rate: 4.51 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.08 years
male: 71.2 years
female: 79.17 years
Total fertility rate: 1.28 children born/woman
Nationality:
noun: Slovene(s)
adjective: Slovenian
Ethnic groups: Slovene 88%, Croat 3%, Serb 2%, Bosniak 1%, Yugoslav
0.6%, Hungarian 0.4%, other 5% (1991)
Religions: Roman Catholic 68.8%, Uniate Catholic 2%, Lutheran 1%,
Muslim 1%, atheist 4.3%, other 22.9%
Languages: Slovenian 91%, Serbo-Croatian 6%, other 3%
SOURCES: The World Factbook, U.S. Department of State |