Slovenia
Republic of SloveniaRepublika Slovenije
emerging democracyIndependence 25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)
Slovenia as the 1997 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 99 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.
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Geography
Southeastern Europe, eastern Alps bordering the Adriatic | Sea, between Austria and Croatia
17 fieldsLand useshare of 20,256 sq km
Climate
Mediterranean climate on the coast, continental climate with mild to hot summers and cold winters in the plateaus and valleys to the east
Terrain
a short coastal strip on the Adriatic, an alpine mountain region adjacent to Italy, mixed mountain and valleys with numerous rivers to the east
Environment - current issues
- 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
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
- signed, but not ratified:
- Air Pollution-Sulphur 94
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1997 est.)
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 17% (male 173,932; female 165,167) 15-64 years : 70% (male 690,309; female 686,440)
- 65 years and over:
- 13% (male 92,926; female 164,322) (July 1997 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth :
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years : 1.01 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.57 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.94 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Government
Emerging democracy; President Milan KUCAN (since 22 April 1990); Prime Minister Janez DRNOVSEK (since 14 May 1992)
21 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Legislature, 90 seatsone dot, one seat
Percent of vote
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Republic of Slovenia
- conventional short form :
- Slovenia
- local long form:
- Republika Slovenije
- local short form:
- Slovenija
Administrative divisions
136 municipalities (obcine, singular - obcina) and 11 urban municipalities* (obcine mestne, singular - obcina mestna) Ajdovscina, Beltinci, Bled, Bohinj, Borovnica, Bovec, Brda, Brezice, Brezovica, Cankova-Tisina, Celje*, Cerklje na Gorenjskem, Cerknica, Cerkno, Crensovci, Crna na Koroskem, Crnomelj, Destrnik-Trnovska Vas, Divaca, Dobrepolje, Dobrova-Horjul-Polhov Gradec, Dol pri Ljubljani, Domzale, Dornava, Dravograd, Duplek, Gorenja Vas-Poljane, Gorisnica, Gornja Radgona, Gornji Grad, Gornji Petrovci, Grosuplje, Hodos Salovci, Hrastnik, Hrpelje-Kozina, Idrija, Ig, Ilirska Bistrica, Ivancna Gorica, Izola, Jesenice, Jursinci, Kamnik, Kanal, Kidricevo, Kobarid, Kobilje, Kocevje, Komen, Koper*, Kozje, Kranj*, Kranjska Gora, Krsko, Kungota, Kuzma, Lasko, Lenart, Lendava, Litija, Ljubljana*, Ljubno, Ljutomer, Logatec, Loska Dolina, Loski Potok, Luce, Lukovica, Majsperk, Maribor*, Medvode, Menges, Metlika, Mezica, Miren-Kostanjevica, Mislinja, Moravce, Moravske Toplice, Mozirje, Murska Sobota*, Muta, Naklo, Nazarje, Nova Gorica*, Novo Mesto*, Odranci, Ormoz, Osilnica, Pesnica, Piran, Pivka, Podcetrtek, Podvelka-Ribnica, Postojna, Preddvor, Ptuj*, Puconci, Race-Fram, Radece, Radenci, Radlje ob Dravi, Radovljica, Ravne-Prevalje, Ribnica, Rogasevci, Rogaska Slatina, Rogatec, Ruse, Semic, Sencur, Sentilj, Sentjernej, Sentjur pri Celju, Sevnica, Sezana, Skocjan, Skofja Loka, Skofljica, Slovenj Gradec*, Slovenska Bistrica, Slovenske Konjice, Smarje pri Jelsah, Smartno ob Paki, Sostanj, Starse Store, Sveti Jurij, Tolmin, Trbovlje, Trebnje, Trzic, Turnisce, Velenje*, Velike Lasce, Videm, Vipava, Vitanje, Vodice Vojnik, Vrhnika, Vuzenica, Zagorje ob Savi, Zalec, Zavrc, Zelezniki, Ziri, Zrece
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Milan KUCAN (since 22 April 1990)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Janez DRNOVSEK (since 14 May 1992)
- 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;
- election last held 6 December 1992 (next to be held NA 1997);
- 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;
- election last held NA November 1996 (next to be held NA November 2000)
- election results:
- Milan KUCAN elected president;
- percent of vote - 63.9%;
- Janez DRNOVSEK elected prime minister;
- percent of National Assembly vote - 51%
Legislative branch
unicameral 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)
- elections :
- National Assembly - last held 10 November 1996 (next to be held Fall 2000)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - LDS 27.01%, SLS 19.38%, SDS 16.13%, SKD 9.62%, ZLDS 9.03%, DeSUS 4.32%, SNS 3.22%;
- seats by party - LDS 25, SLS 19, SDS 16, SKD 10, ZLSD 9, DeSUS 5, SNS 4, Hungarian minority 1, Italian minority 1;
- note - seating as of January 1997 is as follows: LDS 25, SLS 19, SDS 16, SKD 9, ZLSD 9, DeSUS 5, SNS 4, Hungarian minority 1, Italian minority 1, independents 1
note: the National Council or Drzavni Svet is an advisory body with limited legislative powers; it may propose laws and ask to review any National Assembly decisions;
in the election of 6 December 1992, 40 members were elected to represent local, professional, and socioeconomic interests (next election to be held in the fall of 1997)
Judicial branch
- Supreme Court, judges are elected by the National Assembly on recommendation of the Judicial Council;
- Constitutional Court, judges elected for nine-year terms by the National Assembly and nominated by the president
Political parties and leaders
- Liberal Democratic or LDS [Janez DRNOVSEK, chairman];
- Slovene Christian Democrats or SKD [Lozje PETERLE, chairman];
- Social Democratic Party of Slovenia or SDS [Janez JANSA, chairman];
- Slovene People's Party or SLS [Marjan PODOBNIK, chairman];
- United List (former Communists and allies) or ZLSD [Janez KOCIJANCIC, chairman];
- Slovene National Party or SNS [Zmago JELINCIC, chairman];
- Democratic Party of Retired (Persons) of Slovenia or DeSUS [Joze GLOBACNIK]
International organization participation
CCC, CE, CEI, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NACC (observer), NAM (guest), OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission :
- Ambassador Ernest PETRIC
- chancery:
- 1525 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 667-5363
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Victor JACKOVICH
- embassy:
- address NA, Ljubljana
- mailing address:
- P.O. Box 254, Prazakova 4, 61000 Ljubljana; American Embassy, Ljubljana, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7140
- telephone :
- [386] (61) 301-427, 472, 485
Flag description
three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red with 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, there are three six-sided 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); the seal is located in the upper hoist side of the flag centered in the white and blue bands
Economy
Slovenia appears to be making a solid economic | recovery, fulfilling the promise it showed at the time of Yugoslavia's | breakup.
22 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(1996)
Economy - overview
Slovenia appears to be making a solid economic recovery, fulfilling the promise it showed at the time of Yugoslavia's breakup. Its per capita GDP is now the highest in Central and Eastern Europe and comparable to the levels in the poorer West European countries. Slovenia has benefited from strong ties to Western Europe and suffered comparatively small physical damage during Yugoslavia's breakup.
The beginning was difficult, however. Real GDP fell 15% in 1991-92, while inflation soared to 200% in 1992. The turning point came in 1993, when real GDP grew 1%, unemployment leveled off, and inflation slowed dramatically. In 1994, real GDP rose 5.5%, tapering off to an estimated 3.5% in 1995 and an estimated 3% in 1996.
The government gets good marks from foreign observers for fiscal policy - the budget deficit has not exceeded 1% of GDP in any year since 1991, and the current account balance has remained in surplus throughout the transition period, with the exception of 1995-96. The Slovene privatization program, which began in 1994, involves about 1,400 firms, but less than half have been privatized.
Growth in the near term depends largely on economic revitalization in Western Europe which buys 70% of Slovenia's exports. Slovenia itself must press on with privatization, restructuring, the encouragement of foreign investment, and the maintenance of a stable tolar.
Industries
ferrous metallurgy and rolling mill products, aluminum reduction and rolled products, lead and zinc smelting, electronics (including military electronics), trucks, electric power equipment, wood products, textiles, chemicals, machine tools
Exports
- total value:
- $8.3 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
- commodities :
- machinery and transport equipment 31.4%, manufactured goods 50.7%, chemicals 10.5%, food 3.8% (1995)
- partners:
- Germany 28.9%, former Yugoslavia 16.5%, Italy 13.6%, France 8.6%, Austria 6.4%, US 3.3% (January-July 1996 est.)
Imports
- total value :
- $9.5 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
- commodities:
- machinery and transport equipment 33.8%, manufactured goods 30.4%, chemicals 12.1%, fuels and lubricants 6.6%, food 8.4% (1995)
- partners:
- Germany 22.3%, Italy 17.1%, former Yugoslavia 7.4%, France 9.2%, Austria 9.1%, US 3.2% (January-July 1996 est.)
Exchange rates
tolars (SlT) per US$1 - 141.15 (December 1996), 135.36 (1996), 118.52 (1995), 128.81 (1994), 113.24 (1993), 81.29 (1992)
Communications
6 fieldsRadio broadcast stations
AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 0 note: there are more than 20 regional and local radio broadcast stations
Television broadcast stations
7 note: there are more than 20 local cable television broadcast stations
Transportation
9 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved only
Highways
- total:
- 14,760 km
- paved:
- 11,808 km (including 218 km of expressways)
- unpaved:
- 2,952 km (1995 est.)
Merchant marine
- total:
- 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 217,629 GRT/389,779 DWT (controlled by Slovenian owners)
- ships by type :
- bulk 9, cargo 5
note: ships operate under the flags of Antigua and Barbuda, Liberia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Singapore; no ships remain under the Slovenian flag (1996 est.)
Military
Slovene Defense Forces
7 fieldsTransnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - international
- maritime border dispute with Croatia over direct access to the sea in the Adriatic;
- the border issue is currently under negotiation;
- Italy is negotiating with Slovenia over property and minority rights issues dating from World War II
Illicit drugs
transit point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe and for precursor chemicals SOLOMON ISLANDS
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Slovenia.” The World Factbook 1997. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/slovenia/1997.