Slovenia
Republic of SloveniaRepublika Slovenija
parliamentary republicIndependence 25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)
Slovenia as the 2009 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 137 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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
Central Europe, eastern Alps bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Austria and Croatia
20 fieldsLand useshare of 20,273 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 and Austria, mixed mountains 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, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
Geography - note
despite its small size, this eastern Alpine country controls some of Europe's major transit routes
People
22 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2009 est.)
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2002 census)
Religions(2002 census)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.07 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.64 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.95 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Government
Parliamentary republic; President Danilo TURK (since 22 December 2007); Prime Minister Borut PAHOR (since 7 November 2008)
18 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 Slovenija
- local short form:
- Slovenija
- former:
- People's Republic of Slovenia, Socialist Republic of Slovenia
Capital
- name:
- Ljubljana
- geographic coordinates:
- 46 03 N, 14 31 E
- time difference:
- UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
- daylight saving time:
- +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions
182 municipalities (obcine, singular - obcina) and 11 urban municipalities* (mestne obcine , singular - mestna obcina ) Ajdovscina, Beltinci, Benedikt, Bistrica ob Sotli, Bled, Bloke, Bohinj, Borovnica, Bovec, Braslovce, Brda, Brezice, Brezovica, Cankova, Celje*, Cerklje na Gorenjskem, Cerknica, Cerkno, Cerkvenjak, Crensovci, Crna na Koroskem, Crnomelj, Destrnik, Divaca, Dobje, Dobrepolje, Dobrna, Dobrova-Horjul-Polhov Gradec, Dobrovnik-Dobronak, Dolenjske Toplice, Dol pri Ljubljani, Domzale, Dornava, Dravograd, Duplek, Gorenja Vas-Poljane, Gorisnica, Gornja Radgona, Gornji Grad, Gornji Petrovci, Grad, Grosuplje, Hajdina, Hoce-Slivnica, Hodos-Hodos, Horjul, Hrastnik, Hrpelje-Kozina, Idrija, Ig, Ilirska Bistrica, Ivancna Gorica, Izola-Isola, Jesenice, Jezersko, Jursinci, Kamnik, Kanal, Kidricevo, Kobarid, Kobilje, Kocevje, Komen, Komenda, Koper-Capodistria*, Kostel, Kozje, Kranj*, Kranjska Gora, Krizevci, Krsko, Kungota, Kuzma, Lasko, Lenart, Lendava-Lendva, Litija, Ljubljana*, Ljubno, Ljutomer, Logatec, Loska Dolina, Loski Potok, Lovrenc na Pohorju, Luce, Lukovica, Majsperk, Maribor*, Markovci, Medvode, Menges, Metlika, Mezica, Miklavz na Dravskem Polju, Miren-Kostanjevica, Mirna Pec, Mislinja, Moravce, Moravske Toplice, Mozirje, Murska Sobota*, Muta, Naklo, Nazarje, Nova Gorica*, Novo Mesto*, Odranci, Oplotnica, Ormoz, Osilnica, Pesnica, Piran-Pirano, Pivka, Podcetrtek, Podlehnik, Podvelka, Polzela, Postojna, Prebold, Preddvor, Prevalje, Ptuj*, Puconci, Race-Fram, Radece, Radenci, Radlje ob Dravi, Radovljica, Ravne na Koroskem, Razkrizje, Ribnica, Ribnica na Pohorju, Rogasovci, Rogaska Slatina, Rogatec, Ruse, Salovci, Selnica ob Dravi, Semic, Sempeter-Vrtojba, Sencur, Sentilj, Sentjernej, Sentjur pri Celju, Sevnica, Sezana, Skocjan, Skofja Loka, Skofljica, Slovenj Gradec*, Slovenska Bistrica, Slovenske Konjice, Smarje pri Jelsah, Smartno ob Paki, Smartno pri Litiji, Sodrazica, Solcava, Sostanj, Starse, Store, Sveta Ana, Sveti Andraz v Slovenskih Goricah, Sveti Jurij, Tabor, Tisina, Tolmin, Trbovlje, Trebnje, Trnovska Vas, Trzic, Trzin, Turnisce, Velenje*, Velika Polana, Velike Lasce, Verzej, Videm, Vipava, Vitanje, Vodice, Vojnik, Vransko, Vrhnika, Vuzenica, Zagorje ob Savi, Zalec, Zavrc, Zelezniki, Zetale, Ziri, Zirovnica, Zuzemberk, Zrece; note: the Government of Slovenia has reported 210 municipalities
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Danilo TURK (since 22 December 2007)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Borut PAHOR (since 7 November 2008)
- 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 8 October 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;
- election last held on 21 September 2008 (next National Assembly elections to be held in 8 October 2012)
- election results:
- Danilo TURK elected president;
- percent of vote - Danilo TURK 68.2%, Alojze PETERLE 31.8%;
- Borut PAHOR elected prime minister by National Assembly vote
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament consists of a National Council or Drzavni Svet (40 seats; members indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve five-year terms; note - this is primarily an advisory body with limited legislative powers; it may propose laws, ask to review any National Assembly decision, and call national referenda) and the National Assembly or Drzavni Zbor (90 seats; 40 members are directly elected and 50 are elected on a proportional basis; note - the number of directly elected and proportionally elected seats varies with each election; the constitution mandates 1 seat each for Slovenia's Hungarian and Italian minorities; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
- elections:
- National Assembly - last held 21 September 2008 (next to be held 8 October 2012)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - SD 30.5%, SDS 29.3%, ZARES 9.4%, DeSUS 7.5%, SNS 5.5%, SLS+SMS 5.2%, LDS 5.2%, other 7.4%;
- seats by party - SD 29, SDS 28, ZARES 9, DeSUS 7, SNS 5, SLS+SMS 5, LDS 5, Hungarian minority 1, Italian minority 1
Judicial branch
- 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)
Political parties and leaders
- Liberal Democracy of Slovenia or LDS [Katarina KRESAL];
- New Slovenia or NSi [Ljudmila NOVAK (acting)];
- Slovenian Democratic Party or SDS [Janez JANSA];
- Democratic Party of Pensioners of Slovenia or DeSUS [Karl ERJAVEC];
- Slovene National Party or SNS [Zmago JELINCIC];
- Slovene People's Party or SLS [Bojan SROT];
- Slovene Youth Party or SMS [Darko KRANJC];
- Social Democrats or SD [Borut PAHOR] (formerly ZLSD);
- ZARES [Gregor Golobic]
Political pressure groups and leaders
Democratic Party of Slovenian Pensioners or DeSUS (protecting the rights of the older generation); Slovenian Roma Association [Jozek Horvat MUC]; other: Catholic Church
International organization participation
Australia Group, BIS, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD (accession state), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Roman KIRN
- chancery:
- 2410 California Street N.W., Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 386-6601
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 386-6633
- consulate(s) general:
- Cleveland, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Brad FREDEN
- embassy:
- Presernova 31, 1000 Ljubljana
- mailing address:
- American Embassy Ljubljana, US Department of State, 7140 Ljubljana Place, Washington, DC 20521-7140
- telephone:
- [386] (1) 200-5500
- FAX:
- [386] (1) 200-5555
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 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); the seal is in the upper hoist side of the flag centered on the white and blue bands
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.
51 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2008 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
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.
Distribution of family income - Gini index
24 (2005) · 28.4 (1998) country comparison to the world: 133
Central bank discount rate
3% (31 December 2008) · 5% (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 103 note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area
Commercial bank prime lending rate
7.41% (31 December 2008) · 6.82% (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 123
Stock of money
$NA (31 December 2008)
$9.347 billion (31 December 2006)
note: the figure for 2006 represents the US dollar value of tolars in circulation prior to Slovenia joining the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU);
see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi money circulating within their own borders
Stock of domestic credit
$50.31 billion (31 December 2008) · $41.63 billion (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 47
Industries
- ferrous metallurgy and aluminum products, lead and zinc smelting;
- electronics (including military electronics), trucks, automobiles, electric power equipment, wood products, textiles, chemicals, machine tools
Current account balance
-$3.323 billion (2008 est.) · -$1.982 billion (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 149
Imports - commodities
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, chemicals, fuels and lubricants, food
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$7.57 billion (31 December 2008 est.) · $5.682 billion (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 75
Debt - external
$54.61 billion (31 December 2008) · $50.58 billion (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 51
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
$11.96 billion (31 December 2008 est.) · $10.41 billion (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 75
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad
$7.592 billion (31 December 2008 est.) · $6.127 billion (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 49
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007) note: Slovenia adopted the euro as its currency on 1 January 2007
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- well-developed telecommunications infrastructure
- domestic:
- combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 150 telephones per 100 persons
- international:
- country code - 386
Transportation
9 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved only
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Railways
- total:
- 1,228 km
country comparison to the world: 85
- standard gauge:
- 1,228 km 1.435-m gauge (503 km electrified) (2007)
Roadways
- total:
- 38,709 km
country comparison to the world: 90
- paved:
- 38,709 km (includes 579 km of expressways) (2007)
Merchant marine
registered in other countries: 29 (Antigua and Barbuda 6, Bahamas 1, Cyprus 4, Liberia 3, Malta 4, Marshall Islands 4, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5, Singapore 1, Slovakia 1) (2008) country comparison to the world: 88
Military
Slovenian Army (includes air and naval forces)
6 fieldsMilitary service age and obligation
17 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2003 (2007)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - international
- the Croatia-Slovenia land and maritime boundary agreement, which would have ceded most of Piran Bay and maritime access to Slovenia and several villages to Croatia, remains unratified and in dispute;
- Slovenia also protests Croatia's 2003 claim to an exclusive economic zone in the Adriatic;
- 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
Illicit drugs
minor transit point for cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe, and for precursor chemicals
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Slovenia.” The World Factbook 2009. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/slovenia/2009.