The Republic of Slovenia is one of the youngest European countries, having enjoyed just 26 years of independence. In the past, it was often confused with Slovakia. Now this isn’t the case anymore, because the country’s popularity is growing worldwide. This is also the result of numerous articles about Slovenia, its natural beauty and tourist destinations that were published last year by media across the world.
A country in the middle of Europe
Slovenia lies in the middle of Europe at an intersection of European routes from East to West and from North to South. Slovenia’s border is 1370 kilometers long and its neighboring countries are Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia. In the West, it reaches the Adriatic Sea, the most Northern part of the Mediterranean. Its coastline measures 46.6 kilometers in length. The highest mountain of Slovenia is Triglav, located in the Julian Alps.
The scenic city of Venice is only a good two-hour drive west from the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana. By extending the drive by another two hours we can experience another world-renowned tourist marvel - Florence in the middle of Tuscany, the birthplace of the Renaissance. You’re also just a three-and-a-half-hour drive away from the original Sachertorte in Vienna and a three-hour drive later you could be downing a pint of beer in the Czech Republic’s capital city of Prague.
Slovenia also offers an incredible amount of natural attractions and is the third most forested country in Europe after Finland and Sweden. There are a few hundred brown bears living in the Slovenian woods, which are also home to wolves and lynx. The famous Lipizzaner horses also originate from Slovenia. The Lipica stud farm in the Kras region was established in 1580 by a Habsburg Archduke.
Slovenians love sports and spending their spare time in nature. The most popular sports in Slovenia are running, cycling, skiing and hiking.
A country with a population of two million
Slovenia spreads across just over 20 thousand square kilometers of land and has a population of two million people. Its biggest city, with almost 300 thousand inhabitants, is the capital city of Ljubljana. The second biggest Slovenian city is Maribor, which has a population of close to one hundred thousand.
Thanks to rapid economic growth in the 90s, Slovenia became a part of the European Union in May 2004, while just a month earlier also becoming a member of the NATO.
Among the ten new member states that joined the European Union in 2004, Slovenia was the first to adopt the Euro as its official currency. The Euro has been the official currency in Slovenia since 2007. Six years after gaining membership in the European Union, Slovenia was also accepted into the OECD.
An independent country since 1991
The Republic of Slovenia became an independent country on June 25th, 1991, after being a part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia for 46 years (SFRJ).
It became part of Yugoslavia after defeating Hitler’s Nazi Germany in 1945 alongside other Yugoslavian nations and in cooperation with the allies, among which were, of course, the Americans. Germany had invaded the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (including Slovenia) at the end of April 1941. The Kingdom of Yugoslavia had come into existence following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy at the conclusion of the First World War in 1918.
Up to the year 1918, the Slovenian lands had been a part of the Habsburg monarchy for approximately one thousand years. During the First World War, a battle line was formed in the Western part of Slovenia and named the Isonzo front. This is where Italy and Austria-Hungary fought a series of battles amidst the high mountains and on Alpine terrain. The world-renowned author, Ernest Hemingway, who at the time was a war correspondent, described the experiences at the Isonzo front in his book, A Farewell to Arms.
Economic growth fueled by exports
Slovenian gross domestic product last year reached 43.41 billion dollars (the year before it was 42.11 billion dollars), the Slovenian GDP per capita increased recently from 20,410 dollars in 2015 to 21,032 dollars last year.
Exports have been the most crucial factor contributing to economic growth since gaining independence and the biggest sales on foreign markets were achieved by industrial companies. Last year, a little over 65 thousand Slovenian companies attained almost 93 billion dollars of revenue from sales, which is a 4 percent increase compared to the previous year. 35 billion dollars of revenue from sales was created by companies on foreign markets, which is a 6 percent increase compared to the year before.
The most ’Slovenian’ city in the USA is Cleveland
According to unofficial estimates, there are between 300,000 to 600,000 people with Slovenian roots living in the US. During the official population count in 2000, 175,099 Americans claimed to be of Slovenian origin. Almost three quarters of Slovenians live in six federal states, namely Ohio (58,402), Pennsylvania (19,006), Illinois (15,519), Minnesota (10,420), California (9,489) and Wisconsin (9,108).
Slovenians first started settling in the USA in the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th, while another wave of settlers appeared in 1945. The most ’Slovenian’ city in the US is Cleveland, sometimes referred to as the ’American Ljubljana’.