The Republic of Slovenia is located in Central Europe. The small country is crossed by transit roads from north to south and from east to west. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast and Croatia to the south.
The varied landscape is characterized by mountains, woods and rivers. The main port on the 47 kilometer long Adriatic coast is Koper. The capital Ljubljana lies on the banks of the Ljubljanica. Its history goes back to the age of the Roman Empire. The walls and foundations of two Roman villas from this period bear witness to this. The second largest city is Maribor on the Drava River. Richly decorated baroque buildings adorn the university town.
In the Julian and Steiner Alps, hiking trails invite you to explore the wonderful landscape.
In winter the region is ideal for skiing. The most popular winter sports locations are Kranjska Gora, Planica, which is known for its good ski jumps, and Bovec in the Socatal.
When Slovenia declared itself independent, it not only became a member of the EU as a former republic of Yugoslavia, but was also the only one of the ten states to switch to the euro as a means of payment. Since then, Slovenia has been regarded as a model country whose development has been positive. The introduction of the euro opened up uncomplicated trade routes for the Slovenian economy.
The economy of Slovenia is mixed. In addition to services and tourism, agriculture is also an important economic factor in the country. In Slovenia in particular, the market was shaken immediately after independence. The number of farms decreased steadily. The problem at the time was also that hardly any farmers were younger than 45 years of age. In animal husbandry there was an even higher average age. In order to counteract the extinction of farms, the state provided some support.
Best time to travel to Slovenia
Every season in Slovenia has its advantages. Of the snow can stay in the mountains until the end of June or even July, but spring is a good time to travel in the plains and valleys of Slovenia. However, it can get quite humid in May and June. At this time the days are getting longer, the theater and entertainment venues are in full swing, the prices are still off-season and there are not too many holidaymakers on the way.
The summer (mid-June to September) is an ideal time for hiking and camping, but it is difficult to get the tourist season, accommodation in Ljubljana and the coast are without advance booking.
In September it is already off-season again, you can find fresh fruit and vegetables everywhere and the tourist crowds have already withdrawn. In the Adriatic, swimming is still possible in September, but most campsites will be closed from mid-October. The fall is for hiking and climbing well suited (although the October and November can be rainy).
The winter (December to March) is in Slovenia skiing season. It can be very cold and often quite gloomy away from the mountains. During this time, museums and other sights in Slovenia are closed or have limited opening times. Skiers should keep in mind that there are school holidays in Slovenia between Christmas and New Years and late February. The vacation spots in the mountains are correspondingly full during these times.
Slovenia – key data
Area: 20,273 km² (of which land: 20,151 km², water: 122 km²)
Population: 2.0 million (July 2011 estimate, CIA). Composition: Slovenes 83.1%, Serbs 2%, Croats 1.8%, Bosniaks 1.1%, other or no information 12% (2002 census)
Population density: 99 residents per km²
Population growth: -0.163% per year (2011, CIA)
Capital: Ljubljana (278,638 residents, 2007)
Highest point: Triglav, 2,864 m
Lowest point: Adriatic Sea, 0 m
Form of government: Slovenia has been a republic since 1991. The Slovenian constitution dates from the same year; the last constitutional amendment was made in 2000. The Slovenian Parliament consists of two chambers: the National Assembly (90 members) and the National Council. Slovenia has been independent from what was then Yugoslavia since June 25, 1991. Slovenia has been a member since May 1, 2004 European Union (ME).
Management : 210 Municipality: Ajdovščina (Haidenschaft), Beltinci (Fellsdorf), Benedikt, Bistrica ob Sotli, Bled (Veldes), Bloke, Bohinj (Wochein), Borovnica (Franzdorf), Bovec (Flitsch), Braslov? E), Brda, Brezovica (Bresowitz), Bre ice (Rann), Cankova, Celje (Cilli), Cerklje na Gorenjskem, Cerknica (Zirknitz), Cerkno, Cerkvenjak,? Renšovci, Črna na Koroškem (Schwarzenbach),? Rnomelj (Tschernembel), Destrnik, Diva? A (Waatsche), Dobje, Dobrepolje, Dobrna, Dobrova-Polhov Gradec, Dobrovnik, Dol pri Ljubljani, Dolenjske Toplice, Dom ale (Domschale), Dornava, Dra goše, Dravograd (Unterdrauburg), Duplek, Gorenja vas-Poljane, Gorisnica, Gornja Radgona (Oberradkersburg), GornjiCityŠalovci, Šempeter-Vrtojba, Šen? Ur, Šentilj, Šentjernej, Šentjur pri Celju, Škocjan (St. Kanzian), Škofja Loka (Bischoflack), Škofljica, Šmarje pri Jelšah, Šmartno pri Litiji, Šmartno ob Paki, Šoštanj, Štore, Tare, Tišina, Tolmin (Tolmein), Trbovlje (Trifail), Trebnje, Trnovska vas, Trzin, Tr i? (Neumarktl), Turnišče, Velenje (Wöllan), Velika Polana, Velike Laš? E, Ver ej (Wernsee), Videm, Vipava (Wippach), Vitanje, Vodice, Vojnik, Vransko, Vrhnika, Vuzenica, Zagorje ob Savi, Zavr ?, Zre? E, alec, elezniki, etale, iri, irovnica (Scheraunitz) and u emberk (Seisenberg) Trzin, Tr i? (Neumarktl), Turnišče, Velenje (Wöllan), Velika Polana, Velike Laš? E, Ver ej (Wernsee), Videm, Vipava (Wippach), Vitanje, Vodice, Vojnik, Vransko, Vrhnika, Vuzenica, Zagorje ob Savi, Zavr ?, Zre? E, alec, elezniki, etale, iri, irovnica (Scheraunitz) and u emberk (Seisenberg) Trzin, Tr i? (Neumarktl), Turnišče, Velenje (Wöllan), Velika Polana, Velike Laš? E, Ver ej (Wernsee), Videm, Vipava (Wippach), Vitanje, Vodice, Vojnik, Vransko, Vrhnika, Vuzenica, Zagorje ob Savi, Zavr ?, Zre? E, alec, elezniki, etale, iri, irovnica (Scheraunitz) and u emberk (Seisenberg)
Head of State: Präsident Borut Pahor, since December 22, 2012
Head of Government: Prime Minister Janez Jansa, since February 10, 2012
Language: the official language in Slovenia is Slovenian (91.1%). Other languages: Serbo-Croatian 4.5%, others (mainly Italian, Hungarian) and no data 4.4% (2002 census).
Religion: Catholic 57.8%, Muslim 2.4%, Orthodox 2.3%, other Christians 0.9%, non-denominational 3.5%, other or no information 23%, no religion 10.1% (2002 census)
Local time: CET. Between the last Sunday in March and the last Sunday in October there is summer time in Slovenia (CET + 1 hour).
The time difference to Central Europe is 0 h in both winter and summer.
International phone code: +386
Internet identifier:.si
Mains voltage: 220 V, 50 Hz
Slovenia Geography
The Republic of Slovenia is a country in the south of Central Europe. That country bordered by Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the east and south and Italy and the Adriatic to the west sea. The total area of Slovenia is around 20,273 square kilometers and is roughly comparable to the size of Hesse.
Although Slovenia is one of the smaller countries in Europe, it can boast an astonishing variety of landscapes. High mountains and karst areas typical of this region of Europe characterize the landscape of Slovenia, as do Mediterranean beaches. Slovenia can be divided into the following geographical landscapes: High Alps, Alps,Mediterranean coast, Dinaric Karst and Pannonian Plains. Visit picktrue.com for Slovenia a country of wonderful nature experiences.
The Slovenian Alps are made up of the mountain ranges of the Julian Alps, the Kamniker Alps and the Karawanken, with the latter lying exactly on the border with Austria. In the limestone and dolomite mountains of the Julian Alps lies Triglav, the highest mountain in Slovenia at 2,864 meters. In the north, the mountain range is characterized by rugged peaks until it descends towards the south into a gentler pre-alpine landscape. Plateaus, glacial lakes and the springs of two rivers also create a landscape of the Julian Alps that attracts tourists. In contrast, the Kamniker Alps present themselves although more rugged and less accessible, with their 2,558 meter high Grintavec peak they are not quite as impressive as their mountain neighbors. The Karawanken mountains, located on the Austrian border, are partly overgrown with dense coniferous forests up to the approximately 2,000 meter high peaks and are only very sparsely populated on Slovenian territory.
The Alpine foothills form a crescent-shaped arc around the Alps and extend far into central Slovenia. Slightly rising hills determine the image of the foothills as well as rugged cliffs. The Pohorje Mountains east of the Kamnik Alps. With its peaks up to 1,000 meters high and rounded hills, it has a typical low mountain range character. In the east, the Alpine foothills merge into ever lower hills and gravel plains into the Pannonian plain. The Dinaric Karst closes the foothills of the Alps in the south and takes up about half of the Slovenian national territory. The karst area consists predominantly of calcareous high plateaus that slope down in steps towards the Mediterranean coast. The bright and jagged edges of these “limestone steps” give the karst its characteristic landscape, which is also continued in the neighboring countries in a similar form.
The Adriatic coast, which is just under 50 kilometers long, joins the Karstwhich is also the lowest point in Slovenia. Two of the country’s major rivers, the Soca and the Save, both have their source in the Julian Alps. In contrast, the two largest rivers in Slovenia, the Drava and the Mur, come from Austria.