Understand
Slovenia is promoted by the
Slovenian Tourist Board and the
Slovenian Government.
HistorySlavic ancestors of Slovenians came from eastern parts of Europe and inhabitated territory a bit northern from present Slovenian territory in 6. century AD. They established a state called Caranthania (
Karantanija in Slovene), which was an early example of parliamentary democracy in Europe. The ruler (
knez in Slovene) was elected by popular vote. The Caranthanians were later defeated by Bavarians and Franks who subordinated them. They were christianized, but they preserved many rituals of their pagan religion, and above all they preserved their native language. The Slovene lands were part of the Holy Roman Empire and Austria under Habsburg dinasty until 1918 when the Slovenes joined the Serbs and Croats in forming a new south-Slavic state ruled by Serbian Karadjordjević dynasty called Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians ("Kraljevina Srbov, Hrvatov in Slovencev" in Slovene), renamed Yugoslavia in 1929. In WWII Slovenia was occupied by Germans, Italians and Hungarians. Parallel civil war between pro-communist liberation formation (Partizani) and catholic anticommunist formations (Belogardisti, Domobranci) which collaborated with occupation forces was taking place. The victory of allies and consequentlly the Partizans resulted in massive exodus and massacre of members of anticommunist formations. 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 with minimal bloodshed. In 2004, Slovenia joined the European Union and NATO.
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Independence : 25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)
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National holiday : Statehood Day, 25 June (1991); Independence and Unity Day, 26 December (1990)
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Constitution : adopted 23 December 1991, effective 23 December 1991
Historical ties to Western Europe, a strong economy, and a stable democracy make Slovenia a leading country among the new members of the EU and NATO.
CultureFor a pint-sized country Slovenes are fiercely proud of their culture. Two names you will run into over and over again are national poet
France Prešeren (1800-1849), who penned (among other things) the Slovenian national anthem, and the architect
Jože Plečnik (1857-1957), credited with Ljubljana's iconic
Tromostovje bridges and, seemingly, half the modern buildings in the country. In modern times, industrial band
Laibach (see box) has served to put Slovenia on the map.
ClimateMediterranean climate on the coast, continental climate with mild to hot summers and cold winters in the plateaus and valleys to the east.
TerrainA 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. Central Ljubljana valley with Ljubljana marshes in the southern part. In the southwest there is the Karst (
Kras in Slovene) (where the name for karst topography actually comes from).
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Natural hazards : flooding and earthquakes
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highest point: Triglav 2,864 m
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lowest point: Adriatic sea 0 m
Eat
Not too many people come to Slovenia for the food, but with Italian, Hungarian and Balkan influences most people will...
