World Facts Index
 The
Slovene lands were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the latter's
dissolution at the end of World War I. In 1918, the Slovenes joined the Serbs
and Croats in forming a new multinational state, which was named 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 by the majority Serbs, the Slovenes succeeded in
establishing their independence in 1991 after a short 10-day war. Historical
ties to Western Europe, a strong economy, and a stable democracy have assisted
in Slovenia's transformation to a modern state. Slovenia acceded to both NATO
and the EU in the spring of 2004.
Geography of Slovenia
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Location:
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Central Europe, eastern
Alps bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Austria and Croatia |
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Coordinates:
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46 07 N, 14 49 E |
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Area:
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total: 20,273 sq km
water: 122 sq km
land: 20,151 sq km |
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Area comparative:
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slightly smaller than New
Jersey |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 1,334 km
border countries: Austria 330 km, Croatia 670 km, Italy 232 km,
Hungary 102 km |
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Coastline:
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46.6 km |
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Climate:
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Mediterranean climate on
the coast, continental climate with mild to hot summers and cold winters
in the plateaus and valleys to the east |
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Terrain:
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a short coastal strip on
the Adriatic, an alpine mountain region adjacent to Italy and Austria,
mixed mountains and valleys with numerous rivers to the east |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Triglav 2,864 m |
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Natural resources:
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lignite coal, lead, zinc,
mercury, uranium, silver, hydropower, forests |
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Natural hazards:
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flooding and earthquakes |
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Environment current issues:
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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 |
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Geography - note:
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despite its small size,
this eastern Alpine country controls some of Europe's major transit
routes
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Population of Slovenia
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Population:
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2,007,711 (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 13.8% (male 143,079/female 135,050)
15-64 years: 70.5% (male 714,393/female 702,950)
65 years and over: 15.7% (male 121,280/female 193,595) |
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Median age:
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40.6 years |
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Growth rate:
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-0.05% |
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Infant mortality:
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4.4 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 76.33 years
male: 72.63 years
female: 80.29 years |
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Fertility rate:
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1.25 children born/woman |
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Nationality:
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noun: Slovene(s)
adjective: Slovenian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Slovene 83.1%, Serb 2%, Croat 1.8%, Bosniak 1.1%, other or
unspecified 12% |
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Religions:
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Catholic 57.8%, Orthodox 2.3%, other Christian 0.9%,
Muslim 2.4%, unaffiliated 3.5%, other or unspecified 23%, none 10.1% |
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Languages:
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Slovenian 91.1%, Serbo-Croatian 4.5%, other or unspecified
4.4% |
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Literacy:
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total population: 99.7%
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Government
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of
Slovenia
local short form: Slovenija
local long form: Republika Slovenija |
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Government type:
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parliamentary democratic republic |
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Capital:
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Ljubljana |
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Administrative divisions:
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182 municipalities (obcine, singular -
obcina) and 11 urban municipalities* note: there may be 45 more municipalities |
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Independence:
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25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day/Statehood Day, 25 June
(1991) |
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Constitution:
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adopted 23 December 1991, effective 23
December 1991 |
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Legal system:
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based on civil law system |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal (16 years of
age, if employed) |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Danilo TURK (since 22
December 2007)
head of government: Prime Minister Janez JANSA (since 9 November 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and elected by the
National Assembly
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for
a second term); election last held 21 October and 11 November 2007 (next to be
held in the fall of 2012); following National Assembly elections, the leader of
the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually nominated to
become prime minister by the president and elected by the National Assembly. |
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral Parliament consisting of a National Assembly or
Drzavni Zbor (90 seats; 40 are directly elected and 50 are selected on a proportional
basis; note - the numbers of directly elected and proportionally elected seats varies with
each election; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the
National Council or Drzavni Svet (40 seats; this is primarily an advisory body with
limited legislative powers; it may propose laws, ask to review any National Assembly
decisions, and call national referenda; members - representing social, economic,
professional, and local interests - are indirectly elected to five-year terms by an
electoral college) |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court (judges are elected by the National Assembly
on the recommendation of the Judicial Council); Constitutional Court (judges elected for
nine-year terms by the National Assembly and nominated by the president) |
Economy
Slovenia, which on 1 January 2007 became the first 2004 European Union
entrant to adopt the euro, is a model of economic success and stability for
the region. With the highest per capita GDP in Central Europe, Slovenia has
excellent infrastructure, a well-educated work force, and a strategic location
between the Balkans and Western Europe. Privatization has lagged since 2002,
and the economy has one of highest levels of state control in the EU.
Structural reforms to improve the business environment have allowed for
somewhat greater foreign participation in Slovenia's economy and have helped
to lower unemployment. In March 2004, Slovenia became the first transition
country to graduate from borrower status to donor partner at the World Bank.
In December 2007, Slovenia was invited to begin the accession process for
joining the OECD. Despite its economic success, foreign direct investment
(FDI) in Slovenia has lagged behind the region average, and taxes remain
relatively high. Furthermore, the labor market is often seen as inflexible,
and legacy industries are losing sales to more competitive firms in China,
India, and elsewhere.
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GDP:
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$56.19 billion (2007 est.) |
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GDP growth rate:
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3.9% |
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GDP per capita:
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$21,600 |
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GDP composition by sector:
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agriculture: 2.8%
industry: 36.9%
services: 60.3% |
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Inflation rate:
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2.5% |
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Labor force:
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920,000 |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture: 6%
industry: 40%
services: 55% |
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Unemployment:
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10.1% |
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Budget:
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revenues: $16.02 billion
expenditures: $16.73 billion |
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Electricity production by source:
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fossil fuel: 35.2%
hydro: 27.3%
other: 0.7%
nuclear: 36.8% |
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Industries:
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ferrous metallurgy and aluminum products,
lead and zinc smelting, electronics (including military electronics), trucks, electric
power equipment, wood products, textiles, chemicals, machine tools |
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Agriculture:
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potatoes, hops, wheat, sugar beets, corn,
grapes; cattle, sheep, poultry |
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Exports:
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manufactured goods, machinery and transport
equipment, chemicals, food |
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Export partners:
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Germany 20%, Italy 12.8%, Croatia 9.3%, France 8%, Austria
7.8% |
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Imports:
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machinery and transport equipment,
manufactured goods, chemicals, fuels and lubricants, food |
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Import partners:
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Germany 19.4%, Italy 18.7%, Austria 12%, France 7.5%,
Croatia 4.2% |
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Currency:
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tolar (SIT) |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
Copyright 2004 - 2008 worldfacts.us |