PROFILE

OFFICIAL NAME:
Republic of Slovenia

Geography
Area: 20,273 square kilometers (7,906 sq. mi.) slightly smaller than New Jersey.
Cities: Capital--Ljubljana (2002 census pop. 265,881). Other cities--Maribor (110,668), Kranj (51,225), Celje (48,081), Koper (47,539).
Terrain: Mountains rising to more than 2,500 meters (8,200 ft.) in the north, wide plateaus over 1,000 meters (3,280 ft.) high in the southeast, Karst limestone region of caves in the south-southwest, hills in the east, and approximately 50 kilometers (39 mi.) of coastline on the Adriatic Sea.
Land use: 54.2% forests, 39% agricultural land, 6.8% noncultivated land.
Climate: Temperate, with regional variations. Average temperature in the mountain region in January is below 0°C (32°F), in the interior from 0°C -2°C (32°F-36°F), and along the coast from 2°C -4°C (36°F-39°F); in July, average temperature in the interior is 20°C -22°C (68°F-72°F), along the coast 22°C -24°C (72°F-75°F). Average annual rainfall is from 800 mm (31 in.) in the east to 3,000 mm (117 in.) in the northwest.

People
Nationality: Noun--Slovene(s). Adjective--Slovenian.
Population (2006 est.): 2,010,347. Annual growth rate (2006 est.): -0.05%.
Ethnic groups (2002 census): Slovenes 83.06%, Croats 1.81%, Serbs 1.98%, Bosniaks 1.10%, Hungarians 0.32%, Montenegrins 0.14%, Macedonians 0.20%, Albanians 0.31%, Italians 0.11%, Roma 0.17%.
Religions (2002 census): Roman Catholic 57.8%, refused to reply 15.7%, atheist 10.1%, Orthodox Christian 2.3%, Muslim 2.4%.
Languages: The official language is Slovene. Hungarian and Italian are spoken in the border regions, and German fluency is common near the Austrian border. Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian are spoken by a sizable (6% of the population) minority. English is widely understood by business people and students.
Education: Higher education enrollment ratio--26.2%.
Health: Infant mortality rate (2006 est.)--4.4/1,000 births. Life expectancy (2006 est.)--72.63 years for men, 80.29 years for women, 76.33 for the total population.
Work force (2005 est.): 920,000.

Government
Type: Parliamentary democracy.
Independence: On June 25, 1991, the Republic of Slovenia declared independence from Yugoslavia. The United States and the European Union recognized Slovenia in 1992.
Constitution: Adopted on December 23, 1991.
Branches: Executive--president, head of state, directly elected for a maximum of two consecutive 5-year terms. Legislative--bicameral legislature (Parliament is composed of the National Assembly, with 90 deputies directly elected on party basis for 4-year terms, and the National Council, with 40 members elected by the National Assembly to represent social, economic, professional, and local interests for 5-year terms); prime minister, head of government, nominated by the president and elected by the National Assembly. Judicial--Constitutional Court, regular courts, and a public prosecutor.
Political parties: National Assembly seats--Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), 29 seats; Liberal Democracy of Slovenia (LDS), 23; United List of Social Democrats (ZLSD), 10; New Slovenia - Christian People’s Party (NSi), 9; Slovene People’s Party (SLS), 7; Slovene National Party (SNS), 6; Democratic Party of Slovenian Pensioners (DeSUS), 4; Italian minority, 1; Hungarian minority, 1.
Suffrage: Universal over 18 years of age; permanent residents may vote in local elections.
Administrative divisions: 193 local administrative units.
Government budget: 1.65 trillion SIT (about EUR 6.9 billion or $8.56 billion) (2004); 1.77 trillion SIT (about EUR 7.4 billion or $9.2 billion) (2005); defense, 1.64% GDP (2004).

Economy
GDP (2005): U.S. $34 billion.
Real GDP growth rate (2005 est.): 3.9%.
GDP per capita income (2005): U.S. $17,008, which is approximately 75% of the EU-15 average.
Natural resources: Coal, mercury, timber.
Agriculture/forestry/fishing (approx. 3% of 2006 GDP): Products--wheat, corn, pork, poultry, milk, potatoes, orchard fruits, wine.
Industry (approx. 36% of 2006 GDP): Types--electrical equipment, chemical products, textiles, food products, electricity, metal products, wood products, transportation equipment.
Services (approx. 60% of 2006 GDP): Types--retail, transportation, communications, real estate and other business activities.
Trade: Exports (2005, total U.S. $18.53 billion)--machinery, transportation equipment, electrical and optical equipment, basic metals and fabricated products. To U.S.--$558.1 million (2005). Imports (2005, U.S. $19.62 billion)--machinery, transportation equipment, electrical and optical equipment, basic metals and fabricated products. From U.S.--$289 million (2004). Major trading partners--Germany, Italy, France, Austria, Croatia. Trade with the U.S. accounts for about 1.5% of total trade.
Foreign direct investment: U.S. $6.89 billion (total stock estimate, end 2005).

GEOGRAPHY AND PEOPLE
Slovenia is situated at the crossroads of central Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Balkans. The Alps--including the Julian Alps, the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, the Karavanke chain, and the Pohorje Massif--dominate northern Slovenia near Austria. Slovenia's Adriatic coastline extends for approximately 50 kilometers (39 mi.) from Italy to Croatia. The term "karst"--a limestone region of underground rivers, gorges, and caves--originated in Slovenia's Karst plateau between Ljubljana and the Italian border. On the Pannonian plain to the east and northeast, toward the Croatian and Hungarian borders, the landscape is essentially flat. However, the majority of Slovenian terrain is hilly or mountainous, with around 90% of the surface 200 meters or more above sea level.