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; it joined the euro zone and the Schengen zone in 2007.

south Central Europe, Julian Alps between Austria and Croatia

46 07 N, 14 49 E

Europe

slightly smaller than New Jersey

46.6 km

Mediterranean climate on the coast, continental climate with mild to hot summers and cold winters in the plateaus and valleys to the east

a short southwestern coastal strip of Karst topography on the Adriatic; an alpine mountain region lies adjacent to Italy and Austria in the north; mixed mountains and valleys with numerous rivers to the east

highest point: Triglav 2,864 m

lignite, lead, zinc, building stone, hydropower, forests

arable land 8.4%; permanent crops 1.3%; permanent pasture 13.1%

60 sq km (2012)

a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations; pockets in the mountainous northwest exhibit less density than elsewhere

flooding; earthquakes

Sava River polluted with domestic and industrial waste; pollution of coastal waters with heavy metals and toxic chemicals; forest damage from urban air pollution and resulting acid rain

despite its small size, this eastern Alpine country controls some of Europe's major transit routes

1,978,029 (July 2016 est.)

Slovene 83.1%, Serb 2%, Croat 1.8%, Bosniak 1.1%, other or unspecified 12% (2002 census)

Slovenian (official) 91.1%, Serbo-Croatian 4.5%, other or unspecified 4.4%, Italian (official, only in municipalities where Italian national communities reside), Hungarian (official, only in municipalities where Hungarian national communities reside) (2002 census)

Catholic 57.8%, Muslim 2.4%, Orthodox 2.3%, other Christian 0.9%, unaffiliated 3.5%, other or unspecified 23%, none 10.1% (2002 census)

-0.29% (2016 est.)

8.3 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)

11.5 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)

0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)

a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations; pockets in the mountainous northwest exhibit less density than elsewhere

LJUBLJANA (capital) 279,000 (2014)

29 (2013 est.)

9 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

1.35 children born/woman (2016 est.)

9.2% of GDP (2014)

2.54 physicians/1,000 population (2010)

4.6 beds/1,000 population (2013)

urban: 99.7% of population

rural: 99.4% of population

total: 99.5% of population

urban: 0.3% of population

rural: 0.6% of population

total: 0.5% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 99.1% of population

rural: 99.1% of population

total: 99.1% of population

urban: 0.9% of population

rural: 0.9% of population

total: 0.9% of population (2015 est.)

0.08% (2014 est.)

900 (2014 est.)

less than 100 (2014 est.)

27.4% (2014)

5.7% of GDP (2012)

parliamentary republic

201 municipalities (obcine, singular - obcina) and 11 urban municipalities (mestne obcine, singular - mestna obcina)

Majsperk, Makole, Markovci, Medvode, Menges, Metlika, Mezica, Miklavz na Dravskem Polju, Miren-Kostanjevica, Mirna, Mirna Pec, Mislinja, Mokronog-Trebelno, Moravce, Moravske Toplice, Mozirje, Muta, Naklo, Nazarje, Odranci, Oplotnica, Ormoz, Osilnica, Pesnica, Piran/Pirano, Pivka, Podcetrtek, Podlehnik, Podvelka, Poljcane, Polzela, Postojna, Prebold, Preddvor, Prevalje, Puconci, Race-Fram, Radece, Radenci, Radlje ob Dravi, Radovljica, Ravne na Koroskem, Razkrizje, Recica ob Savinji, Rence-Vogrsko, Ribnica, Ribnica na Pohorju, Rogaska Slatina, Rogasovci, Rogatec, Ruse, Selnica ob Dravi, Semic, Sevnica, Sezana, Slovenska Bistrica, Slovenske Konjice, Sodrazica, Solcava, Sredisce ob Dravi, Starse, Straza, Sveta Ana, Sveta Trojica v Slovenskih Goricah, Sveti Andraz v Slovenskih Goricah, Sveti Jurij ob Scavnici, Sveti Jurij v Slovenskih Goricah, Sveti Tomaz, Salovci, Sempeter-Vrtojba, Sencur, Sentilj, Sentjernej, Sentjur, Sentrupert, Skocjan, Skofja Loka, Skofljica, Smarje pri Jelsah, Smarjeske Toplice, Smartno ob Paki, Smartno pri Litiji, Sostanj, Store, Tabor, Tisina, Tolmin, Trbovlje, Trebnje, Trnovska Vas, Trzic, Trzin, Turnisce, Velika Polana, Velike Lasce, Verzej, Videm, Vipava, Vitanje, Vodice, Vojnik, Vransko, Vrhnika, Vuzenica, Zagorje ob Savi, Zalec, Zavrc, Zelezniki, Zetale, Ziri, Zirovnica, Zrece, Zuzemberk

25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

Independence Day/Statehood Day, 25 June (1991)

civil law system

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age, 16 if employed; universal

Alliance of Alenka Bratusek or ZaAB [Alenka BRATUSEK]

Democratic Party of Pensioners of Slovenia or DeSUS [Karl ERJAVEC]

Modern Center Party or SMC [Miro CERAR]

New Slovenia or NSi [Ljudmila NOVAK]

Slovenian Democratic Party or SDS [Janez JANSA]

Social Democrats or SD [Dejan ZIDAN]

United Left or ZL (collective leadership)

Catholic Church

Australia Group, BIS, CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA (cooperating state), EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red, derive from the medieval coat of arms of the Duchy of Carniola; the Slovenian seal (a shield with the image of Triglav, Slovenia's highest peak, in white against a blue background at the center; beneath it are two wavy blue lines depicting seas and rivers, and above it are three six-pointed stars arranged in an inverted triangle, which are taken from the coat of arms of the Counts of Celje, the great Slovene dynastic house of the late 14th and early 15th centuries) appears in the upper hoist side of the flag centered on the white and blue bands

Mount Triglav; national colors: white, blue, red

With excellent infrastructure, a well-educated work force, and a strategic location between the Balkans and Western Europe, Slovenia has one of the highest per capita GDPs in Central Europe, despite having suffered a protracted recession in 2008-2009 in the wake of the global financial crisis. Slovenia became the first 2004 EU entrant to adopt the euro (on 1 January 2007) and has experienced one of the most stable political transitions in Central and Southeastern Europe.

In March 2004, Slovenia became the first transition country to graduate from borrower status to donor partner at the World Bank. In 2007, Slovenia was invited to begin the process for joining the OECD; it became a member in 2012. However, long-delayed privatizations, particularly within Slovenia’s largely state-owned and increasingly indebted banking sector, have fueled investor concerns since 2012 that the country would need EU-IMF financial assistance. In 2013, the European Commission granted Slovenia permission to begin recapitalizing ailing lenders and transferring their nonperforming assets into a “bad bank” established to restore bank balance sheets. Export-led growth fueled by demand in larger European markets pushed GDP growth to 3.0% in 2014, while stubbornly-high unemployment fell slightly to 12%.

Prime Minister CERAR’s government took office in September 2014, pledging to press ahead with commitments to privatize a select group of state-run companies, rationalize public spending, and further stabilize the banking sector.

$63.96 billion (2015 est.)

$62.17 billion (2014 est.)

$60.33 billion (2013 est.)

$42.77 billion (2015 est.)

2.9% (2015 est.)

3% (2014 est.)

-1.1% (2013 est.)

$31,000 (2015 est.)

$30,200 (2014 est.)

$29,300 (2013 est.)

25.6% of GDP (2015 est.)

26% of GDP (2014 est.)

24% of GDP (2013 est.)

hops, wheat, coffee, corn, apples, pears; cattle, sheep, poultry

ferrous metallurgy and aluminum products, lead and zinc smelting; electronics (including military electronics), trucks, automobiles, electric power equipment, wood products, textiles, chemicals, machine tools

3.3% (2015 est.)

917,400 (2015 est.)

12.3% (2015 est.)

13.1% (2014 est.)

13.5% (2012 est.)

23.7 (2012)

23.8 (2005)

45.1% of GDP (2015 est.)

-2.9% of GDP (2015 est.)

83.7% of GDP (2015 est.)

81% of GDP (2014 est.)

calendar year

-0.7% (2015 est.)

0.4% (2014 est.)

0.3% (10 September 2014)

0.75% (31 December 2013)

3.49% (31 December 2015 est.)

5.02% (31 December 2014 est.)

$14.39 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$12.85 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$26.11 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$25.92 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$29.94 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$31.11 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$6.87 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$6.31 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$6.783 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$3.118 billion (2015 est.)

$3.464 billion (2014 est.)

$26.67 billion (2015 est.)

$30.51 billion (2014 est.)

manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food

Germany 19.1%, Italy 10.6%, Austria 8%, Croatia 6.8%, Slovakia 4.7%, Hungary 4.4%, France 4.2% (2015)

$25.01 billion (2015 est.)

$28.94 billion (2014 est.)

machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, chemicals, fuels and lubricants, food

Germany 16.5%, Italy 13.6%, Austria 10.2%, China 5.5%, Croatia 5.1%, Turkey 4% (2015)

$856.2 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$1.016 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$56.11 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$55.45 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$14.49 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$14.37 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$7.843 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$8.463 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

0.885 (2015 est.)

0.7525 (2014 est.)

0.7634 (2013 est.)

0.7752 (2012 est.)

0.7185 (2011 est.)

16 billion kWh (2014 est.)

13 billion kWh (2014 est.)

10 billion kWh (2014 est.)

7.3 billion kWh (2014 est.)

3.5 million kW (2014 est.)

34.1% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

33.6% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

29.2% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

3% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

5 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2016 es)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

49,680 bbl/day (2015 est.)

23,340 bbl/day (2015 est.)

79,100 bbl/day (2015 est.)

3 million cu m (2014 est.)

769 million cu m (2014 est.)

0 cu m (2014 est.)

766 million cu m (2014 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2014 es)

13 million Mt (2013 est.)

public TV broadcaster, Radiotelevizija Slovenija (RTV), operates a system of national and regional TV stations; 35 domestic commercial TV stations operating nationally, regionally, and locally; about 60% of households are connected to multi-channel cable TV; public radio broadcaster operates 3 national and 4 regional stations; more than 75 regional and local commercial and non-commercial radio stations (2007)

.si

S5 (2016)

16 (2013)

gas 844 km; oil 5 km (2013)

(some transport on the Drava River) (2012)

Slovenian Armed Forces (Slovenska Vojska, SV): Forces Command (with ground units, naval element, air and air defense brigade); Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief (ACPDR) (2013)

18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2003 (2012)

0.97% of GDP (2015)

1% of GDP (2014)

1.05% of GDP (2013)

1.18% of GDP (2012)

1.32% of GDP (2011)

since the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, Croatia and Slovenia have each claimed sovereignty over Pirin Bay and four villages, and Slovenia has objected to Croatia's claim of an exclusive economic zone in the Adriatic Sea; in 2009, however Croatia and Slovenia signed a binding international arbitration agreement to define their disputed land and maritime borders, which led to Slovenia lifting its objections to Croatia joining the EU; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Slovenia has implemented the strict Schengen border rules to curb illegal migration and commerce through southeastern Europe while encouraging close cross-border ties with Croatia; Slovenia continues to impose a hard border Schengen regime with Croatia, which joined the EU in 2013 but has not yet fulfilled Schengen requirements

minor transit point for cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe, and for precursor chemicals