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Slovenia in brief |
| For more information please contact our info centerSee also: Getting in Slovenia See also: Border formalities |
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Area: 20,273 km2
Population: 2,008,516 (30.6.2006)
Capital city: Ljubljana
Language: Slovene; also Italian and Hungarian in nationally mixed areas
Currency: euro (since 1 January 2007)
Important dates:
- Independence - 25 June 1991
-Member of EU - 1 May 2004
-Introduction of the euro - 1 January 2007
The Republic of Slovenia lies at the heart of Europe, where the Alps face the Pannonian plains and the Mediterranean meets the mysterious Karst. To the north is Austria; Hungary is to the east; Croatia to the south and Italy to the west.
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| Geographical characteristics, climate |
 The Republic of Slovenia lies at the heart of Europe, where the Alps and the Mediterranean meet the Pannonian plains and the mysterious Karst.
In Slovenia, the sun shines approximately 2,000 hours per year. And there is plenty of snow in winter. The average temperatures are -2°C in January and 21°C in July.
Green is the dominant colour. There are many woods and forests in Slovenia – covering more than half of the country – and numerous preserved and protected plant and animal species. In one of the last primeval forests of the Kocevje area, it is possible to hike through for days without ever emerging onto the plain.
As a small, beautiful and picturesque country, Slovenia makes a great tourist destination. You can ski in the morning and surrender yourself to the luxury of the Adriatic Sea in the afternoon.
Slovenia has 46.6 km of sea coast - one inch per inhabitant.
 The highest mountain is called Triglav - the name meaning "three-heads" - and it is 2864m high. The mountain is a true national symbol, featured on the national coat of arms and the flag.
It is very easy to get here as the country is connected with the rest of the world by a modern highway network, railway system, international airport and seaports.
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| Geography |
Geographical division of Slovenia: 
Alps: 42.1% of territory
Dinaric Alps: 28.1% of territory
Pannonian Plain: 21.2% of territory
Mediterranean: 8.6% of territory
Highest peak:
Mt. Triglav: 2,864 metres
Largest protected natural area:
Triglav National Park, 83,807 ha
Largest karst cave:
Postojna Cave: 19.5 km
Largest lake:
Cerknica Lake (intermittent): 26 km2
Longest river: Sava - 221 km
Slovenia is situated in Central Europe and covers an area of 20,273 km2 (that's half the size of Switzerland). It has borders with Italy (280 km), Austria (318 km), Croatia (670 km) and Hungary (102 km).
Relief
Four major European geographic regions meet in Slovenia: the Alps, the Dinaric area, the Pannonian plain and the Mediterranean.
The coastline is only 46.6 km long, but there are 26,000 kilometres of rivers and streams, some 7,500 fresh water springs, including several hundred of first class therapeutic mineral springs.
Landscape
 Forests cover half the territory; Slovenia is the third most forested country in Europe, right after Finland and Sweden. Remnants of primeval forests are still to be found, the largest in the Kocevje area. Bears, which can no longer be found north of this region, still live in these forests, and it also is possible to encounter a wolf or a lynx.
Grassland covers 5,593 km2 of the country, and fields and gardens 2,471 km2. There are also 363 km2 of orchards and 216 km2 of vineyards.
Climate
Most of Slovenia has a continental climate with cold winters and warm summers. The average temperatures are -2°C in January and 21°C in July. The average rainfall is 1000 mm for the coast, up to 3500 mm for the Alps, 800mm for the Southeast and 1400 mm for central Slovenia.
Biodiversity
Slovenia is home to more than 15,000 animal species and 3,200 plant species.
Environmental protection
Approximately 11% of Slovenia's territory is specially protected; the largest area with such a regime is the Triglav National Park with a surface area of 848 km2. The Škocjan Caves were entered on the world heritage list at UNESCO in 1986, and the Secovlje saltpans and Cerknica Lake are included on the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.
Slovenia's Treasures
The Slovenian Sea
Presentation of some interesting parts, like Secovlje saltpans, Strunjan Nature Reserve, Cape Madona Nature Monument, etc.
Waters of Slovenia
Slovenian rivers, lakes, waterfalls, mineral and thermal waters.
Karst and Kras
A comprehensive paper about Karst investigations in Slovenia.
The Return of the Wildcat
Short article about reintroducing the wildcat (lynx) to the Kocevje forests.
Lipizzaner Horse
An article about this unique, proud and dignified horse.
Pearls of the Floral Wealth of Slovenia
Learn about 20 endemic plants; pictures and detailed descriptions
Secovlje Saltpans
The first wetland in Slovenia to be included in the Ramsar list of wetlands of international importance.
Beekeeping in Slovenia - Homeland of Carniolan Bee
This page contains some links to Slovene Beekeeping sources, like Museum of Apiculture in Radovljica, etc.
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Holidays |
1 st and 2 nd January |
New Year |
8 th February |
Prešeren Day, Slovenian Cultural Holiday |
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Easter Sunday and Monday |
27 th April |
Day of Uprising Against Occupation |
1 st and 2 nd May |
May Day Holiday |
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Whit Sunday |
25 th June |
Statehood Day |
15 th August |
Assumption Day |
17 th August |
Day of Slovenes in Prekmurje Incorporated into the Mother Nation * |
15 th September |
Day of Restoration of the Primorska Region to the Motherland * |
31 st October |
Reformation Day |
1 st November |
All Saints Day |
23 rd November |
Rudolf Maister Day * |
25 th December |
Christmas |
26 th December |
Independence and Unity Day |
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| History, some Important Milestones: |
250,000 BC |
The first evidence of human habitation on the territory of the present-day Slovenia |
120,000 to
33,000 BC |
Remains from the early Stone Age - the Palaeolithic |
3,900 BC |
Pile dwellings on the Ljubljana Marshes |
4th and 3rd century BC |
The arrival of Celts; the Noricum kingdom |
circa 10 BC: |
The Roman Empire |
5th and 6th century AD |
Invasions by the Huns and Germanic tribes |
6th century AD |
The Slavic ancestors of present-day Slovenia first settle in the area. |
7th century |
The Slavic Duchy of Carantania, the first Slovenian state |
745 |
Carantania becomes part of the Frankish empire; the Slavs convert to Christianity and gradually lose their independence |
around 1000 |
The Freising manuscripts , the first known writings in the Slovene and Slavic dialect in Latin script |
14th century to 1918 |
All the Slovenian regions pass into the possession of the Habsburgs, later the Austro-Hungarian monarchy; in 1456, the Celje counts become extinct - this was the last Slovenian feudal dynasty |
1550 and 1584 |
The Reformation brings literacy, the first printed book in 1550 and in 1584 the first Slovene translation of the Bible |
1918 |
Formation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes |
1945 |
Federal Peoples' Republic of Yugoslavia (officially declared on 29 November 1945) |
April 1990 |
First democratic elections |
23 December 1990 |
88.5% of voters in a referendum vote in favour of an independent Slovenia |
25 June 1991 |
Slovenia officially declares its independence |
15 January 1992 |
The EU officially recognises Slovenia's independence |
22 May 1992 |
Slovenia becomes a member of the UNO |
1 February 1999 |
Association Agreement with the EU comes into effect |
29 March 2004 |
Slovenia becomes a member of NATO |
May 2004 |
Slovenia becomes a member of the EU |
1 January 2007 |
Slovenia introduced euro |
1 January - 30 June 2008 |
Slovenian Presidency of the EU 2008 |
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Slovenia and the World |
Slovenia’s membership of international organisations and regional initiatives:
United Nations (UN), 1992
OSCE, 1992
World Health Organisation (WHO), 1992
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 1992
International Monetary Fund, 1993
World Trade Organisation (WTO), 1995
NATO, 2004
EU, 2004Slovenia strives for the preservation of its national identity and a simultaneous openness to the world. In international relations it advocates peaceful conflict resolution, stronger co-operation and trust and respect for human rights. Slovenia lies at the heart of one of Europe's ethnic crossroads. Throughout history the territory of present-day Slovenia has been an important transitional zone in Europe, and thus continually subject to cultural, economic and political domination by centres of civilization outside its ethnic territory. From the time of their earliest settlement here in the 6th century, the Slovenes have had to struggle for living space and to safeguard their cultural, political and economic existence with more populous Germanic, Latin, Magyar and Slavic peoples. In this struggle the Slovenes lost nearly two-thirds of the territory they originally settled. After the independence the Government recognised EU membership as one of the country's priorities. Membership negotiations began in March 1998 and were concluded in December 2002.
A referendum was held in Slovenia on 23 March 2003, at which 89% voted in favour of the country entering the EU. Slovenia joined the European Union on 1st May 2004. Slovenia has one Commissioner in the European Commission, and seven Slovenian parliamentarians were elected to the European parliament at the elections on 13 June 2004. Slovenia pays special attention to the position of the Hungarian and Italian minorities in Slovenia as well as to the Slovenian minorities living in the neighbouring countries. The Slovenian Constitution, adopted in 1992, guarantees special rights to members of the Italian and Hungarian minorities living in Slovenia.
Today Slovenian minorities live in most of the neighbouring countries: Italy, Austria and Hungary. The rights of the Slovenian ethnic minority in Austria are set forth in the Federal Contract on the Restructuring of an Independent and Democratic Austria. The rights of the Slovenian minority in Italy and of Italians in Slovenia are set forth in a Special Status, included in the London Memorandum of Agreement (accepted in 1954), as well as in the Osimo Agreements (signed in 1974). /More information in the background information: 25th Anniversary of the Osimo Agreements, November 2000 /
The question of the Slovenian ethnic minority in Hungary and of Hungarians in Slovenia is dealt with in the 1992 accredited agreement on ensuring the special rights of the Slovenian ethnic minority and of the Hungarian ethnic population in Slovenia. Slovenia co-operates with its neighbours within the framework of quadrilateral links; it also works alongside other Central European states within the Central European Initiative (CEI) and Regional Partnership and contributes to stabilisation of South Eastern Europe within the Stability Pact. On 16 May 2007 the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) invited Slovenia to start the process of its accession to the OECD.
Slovenia is the first new Member State to hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union during the first half of 2008 (Slovenian EU Presidency 2008 ). For more information about Slovenia’s membership of international organisations and political cooperation between Slovenia and other countries please check the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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| Source of information: Slovenian Tourist Board |
Slovenian Embassy in Canberra ACT Australia |
| Request more information Escorted Tours Main Page |
Book a Tour About Slovenia |
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