+386 is the dialing code for Slovenia.
In the north, Slovenia’s beautiful alpine landscape borders Austria, and in the southwest Slovenia shares a coast with the Italian Trieste on the Adriatic. Slovenia was the richest sub-republic of the former Yugoslavia and became the first country in 2004 to gain membership in the EU and NATO.
- Abbreviationfinder: Brief profiles of Slovenia, including geography, history, politics, economics as well as common acronyms about this country.
Geography and climate
Slovenia is located where Central Europe meets Southern and Eastern Europe and is roughly the same size as Ångermanland. Alps occupy a large part of the country which also has a short coast towards the Adriatic Sea, the northernmost bay of the Mediterranean. Climate conditions are very variable.
More than half the country is covered by forest. To the north are three large mountain ranges. In the northwest lies the Julian Alps that extend into Italy and have the country’s highest peak, Triglav. To the east along the Austrian border follows the Caravans and the Pohorje massif.
In the middle of the country lies Karst, an area that has been named for the typical limestone terrain with many caves dominating here. In the northeast towards Hungary the terrain is low. In the southeast there is a hilly area with good agricultural land that extends up to the mountains around the river Sava. The four-mile stretch of coastline lies on the Istrian peninsula, which is mainly occupied by Croatia.
On the coast there is a Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters. The inner parts of the country typically have an inland climate with cold winters and hot summers. The high-lying areas are the coldest, with snow in winter. The amount of rainfall varies from 800 to 1,500 millimeters per year.
Country Facts
Geography
| Cultivated land | 22.8 % |
| Land area | 20273 km 2 |
Population and health
| Population development | -0.26 ‰ |
| Urban population (Urbanization) | 49.6 % |
| Death rate | 11.37 per 1000 residents |
| Life expectancy: Women | 81.86 years |
| Life expectancy: Men | 74.4 years |
| Birth rate | 8.42 births per 1000 residents |
| HDI index | 0.880 |
| Population | 1983412 |
| Infant mortality | 4 deaths / 1000 births |
Population Graph Source: Countryaah.com
Energy
| Electricity, production | 14810 million kWh |
| Energy consumption per resident | 3185.3 kg. oil per resident |
| Natural gas, production | 3 million cubic meters |
| Crude oil, production | million tons |
Infrastructure
| Internet users | 72.3 per 100 residents |
| Mobile subscriptions | 117 per 100 residents |
| Passenger cars | 567 per 1000 residents |
Business and economics
| Unemployment | 12% of the workforce |
| GDP | 31000 per resident |
| Primary occupations | 2.2 % |
| Secondary profession | 35 % |
| Tertiary professions | 62.8 % |
FACTS – GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE
Surface
20 253 km2 (2018)
Time
Swedish
Adjacent country (s)
Italy, Austria, Hungary, Croatia
Capital with number of residents
Ljubljana 286,000
Other major cities
Maribor 109,000, Crane 42,500, Celje 38,000 (estimate 2019)
Highest mountain
Triglav (2,863 m asl)
Important rivers
Sava
Largest lake
Bohinj
Average Precipitation / year
Ljubljana 1 500 mm
Average / day
Ljubljana –1 °C (Jan), 21 °C (July)
2013
December
Banks need close to EUR 5 billion
The central bank’s stress tests show that the country’s banks need a capital injection of a total of EUR 4.8 billion. According to the European Commission, Slovenia can cover that need on its own without taking external loans.
November
Compensation for “deleted”
November 21st
Agrees that Yugoslav nationals who were removed from the registries in connection with independence in 1991 should be reimbursed, in accordance with a 2012 decision of the European Court of Human Rights (see also Population and Languages); Around 12,000 individuals meet the conditions and will receive € 50 for each month they were without citizenship, at a total cost to the state of around € 130 million. The Court also ordered Slovenia to pay six people EUR 20,000 each.
Crisis budget is approved
The government’s crisis budget is debated for almost 20 hours in parliament and is followed by a vote of confidence which the government clearly wins. Prime Minister Bratušek’s goal is that Slovenia will not have to take external loans, but the country’s crisis banks will need large capital injections.
October
Party leader fight in Positive Slovenia
Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek is challenged as leader of the Positive Slovenia Party by former party leader Ljubljana’s mayor Zoran Janković. As a result, Bratušek threatens to step down as head of government, which could trigger a new election just when the weak coalition is to make difficult decisions about saving the country’s crisis banks. To resolve the acute political crisis, the ruling party is postponing the party congress planned in October.
September
Banks need capital injections
Slovenia’s crisis banking sector is estimated to need € 7.5 billion in capital injections, a sum equivalent to one-fifth of the country’s GDP, despite the government repeatedly pushing for capital in both state and private banks. Slovenian banks have a high proportion of bad loans, which means that borrowers are lagging with payments for more than 90 days.
June
Decision on privatization
Decides to privatize 15 state-owned companies, including telecom company Telekom Slovenije, airline Adria Airways, ski manufacturer Elan, Ljubljana International Airport and the country’s second largest bank NKBM;
May
Constitutional change restricts referendums
24th of May
Parliament approves an amendment to the Constitution, with votes 86 to 1, which restricts the use of referendums; Among other things, a rule is introduced that at least 40,000 voters support the demand for a referendum, which reduces the possibility for individual parliamentarians or trade unions to call referendums without voter support. Furthermore, at least one fifth of voters must participate in order for the result to apply. In addition, referendums must not be called for laws relating to taxes, duties or the state budget, nor those relating to national security, natural disasters or international agreements.
New law on balanced budgets
A “golden rule” is introduced which means that the budget must be in balance, unless “extraordinary circumstances” prevail. It is valid from 2015.
New austerity measures will prevent emergency loans
The government decides on budget cuts, tax increases and privatizations with the intention of avoiding seeking emergency loans from outside. Among other things, VAT will be increased and state-owned companies sold out.
March
New government is formed
March 20
Alenka Bratušek forms a four-party government, which gets Parliament’s approval with 52 votes against 35. Slovenia has thus obtained its first female prime minister.
February
Disbelief quotes trap Janša
February 27th
Parliament votes to dismiss Janša and Positiva Slovenia’s temporary leader Alenka Bratušek given the task of forming a new government.
January
Government Party jumps off
January 23
The Citizens List abandons government cooperation after Prime Minister Jansa rejected a demand that he resign after the corruption charges. The resignation means that the government no longer has a majority in parliament. Within a few weeks, Desus and the People’s Party SLS also leave the government, which thus controls only 30 of the 90 seats in parliament.
New protests against cuts
January 23
A new one-day strike among public employees is being carried out, with, among other things, closed schools and limited hospital operations. Many also participate in demonstrations in protest against wage cuts and layoffs in the public sector. About 100,000 people are reported to be participating. The protests increase the pressure on Jansa to resign.
Corruption investigators accuse Jansa and Janković
January 8
The Independent Anti-Corruption Commission announces that both Prime Minister Janez Janša and opposition leader Zoran Janković have systematically and in violation of the law failed to account for their assets to the Commission. The Commission, which has investigated all party leaders, cannot take any action but merely provides information. President Gregor Virant, leader of the Citizens List, calls on both to step down.