Overview
The Slovene lands were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the latter's dissolution at the end of World War I. In 1918, Slovenia became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, which was renamed Yugoslavia in 1929. After World War II, Slovenia joined Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia as one of the constituent republics in the new Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). In 1990, Slovenia held its first multiparty elections, as well as a referendum on independence. Serbia responded with an economic blockade and military action, but after a short 10-day war, Slovenia declared independence in 1991. Slovenia acceded to both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004; it joined the euro zone and the Schengen Area in 2007.
Geography
- Location
- south Central Europe, Julian Alps between Austria and Croatia
- Total Area
- 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 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
- Natural Resources
- lignite, lead, zinc, building stone, hydropower, forests
- Coastline
- 46.6 km
- Land Borders
- 1,211 km
People & Society
- Population
- 2,097,893 (2024 est.)
- Religions
- Catholic 69%, Orthodox 4%, Muslim 3%, Christian 1%, other 3%, atheist 14%, non-believer/agnostic 4%, refused to answer 2% (2019 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Slovene 83.1%, Serb 2%, Croat 1.8%, Bosniak 1.1%, other or unspecified 12% (2002 est.)
- Life Expectancy
- 82.2 years (2024 est.)
- Urbanization
- 56.1% of total population (2023)
Government
- Government Type
- parliamentary republic
- Capital
- Ljubljana
- Independence
- 25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)
- Constitution
- previous 1974 (pre-independence); latest passed by Parliament 23 December 1991
- Legal System
- civil law system
- Executive Branch
- President Natasa PIRC MUSAR (since 23 December 2022)
Economy
- Economic Overview
- high-income EU and eurozone economy; high per-capita income and low inequality; key exports in automotive and pharmaceuticals; tight labor market with low unemployment; growth supported by private consumption and public investment, with risks from tight labor market and trade conditions; narrowing fiscal deficit and declining public debt
- GDP (Official Rate)
- $72.485 billion (2024 est.)
- Major 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
Infrastructure & Communications
- Railways
- 1,207 km (2020) 609 km electrified