Slovenia

Slovenia 

 

Geography                 Economy                 Defense Forces
 

People                    Transportation          Government



Communications            History      	          Travel

GEOGRAPHY

Location

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Croatia and Italy

Area

Land Boundaries

Total 1,045 km, Austria 262 km, Croatia 501 km, Italy 199 km, Hungary 83 km

Coastline

32 km

Maritime Claims

NA

International Disputes

Dispute with Croatia over fishing rights in the Adriatic and over some border areas; the border issue is currently under negotiation

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, mixed mountain and valleys with numerous rivers to the east
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Triglav 2,864 m

Natural Resources

Land Use

Irrigated Land

NA

Environment

PEOPLE

Population

1,951,443 (July 1996 est.)
2,051,522 (July 1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

17% (male 172,778; female 163,695) (July 1996 est.)
19% (male 200,957; female 191,318) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 Years

70% (male 682,501; female 678,781) (July 1996 est.)
69% (male 708,482; female 701,082) (July 1995 est.)

65 Years and Over

13% (male 91,819; female 161,869) (July 1996 est.)
12% (male 89,021; female 160,662) (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

-0.27% (1996 est.)
0.24% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

8.27 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
11.85 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

9.4 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
9.27 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net Migration Rate

-1.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
-0.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.57 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.94 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

7.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
7.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total Fertility Rate

1.13 children born/woman (1996 est.)
1.64 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic Divisions

Religions

Languages

Slovenian 91%, Serbo-Croatian 7%, other 2%

Literacy

NA

Labor Force

786,036

By occupation:

GOVERNMENT

Names

Digraph

SI

Type

Emerging democracy

Capital

Ljubljana

Administrative Divisions

60 provinces (pokajine, singular - pokajina) Ajdovscina, Brezice, Celje, Cerknica, Crnomelj, Dravograd, Gornja Radgona, Grosuplje, Hrastnik Lasko, Idrija, Ilirska Bistrica, Izola, Jesenice, Kamnik, Kocevje, Koper, Kranj, Krsko, Lenart, Lendava, Litija, Ljubljana-Bezigrad, Ljubljana-Center, Ljubljana-Moste-Polje, Ljubljana-Siska, Ljubljana-Vic-Rudnik, Ljutomer, Logatec, Maribor, Metlika, Mozirje, Murska Sobota, Nova Gorica, Novo Mesto, Ormoz, Pesnica, Piran, Postojna, Ptuj, Radlje Ob Dravi, Radovljica, Ravne Na Koroskem, Ribnica, Ruse, Sentjur Pri Celju, Sevnica, Sezana, Skofja Loka, Slovenj Gradec, Slovenska Bistrica, Slovenske Konjice, Smarje Pri Jelsah, Tolmin, Trbovlje, Trebnje, Trzic, Velenje, Vrhnika, Zagorje Ob Savi, Zalec

Independence

25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

National Holiday

Statehood Day, 25 June (1991)

Constitution

Adopted 23 December 1991, effective 23 December 1991

Legal System

Based on civil law system

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if employed)

Executive Branch

Legislative Branch

Bicameral National Assembly

State Assembly

Elections last held 6 December 1992 (next to be held NA 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (90 total) LDS 22, SKD 15, United List (former Communists and allies) 14, Slovene National Party 12, SLS 10, Democratic Party 6, ZS 5, SDSS 4, Hungarian minority 1, Italian minority 1

State Council

The Council is an advisory body with no direct legislative powers; in the election of 6 December 1992, 40 members were elected to represent local, professional, and socioeconomic interests (next election to be held NA)

Judicial Branch

Supreme Court, judges are elected by the National Assembly on 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 Democratic (LDS), Janez DRNOVSEK, chairman; Slovene Christian Democrats (SKD), Lozje PETERLE, chairman; Social Democratic Party of Slovenia (SDSS), Janez JANSA, chairman; Slovene People's Party (SLS), Marjan PODOBNIK, chairman; United List (former Communists and allies - ZLSD), Janez KOCIJANCIC, chairman; Slovene National Party (SNS), Zmago JELINCIC, chairman; Democratic Party (DSS), Tone PERSAK, chairman; Greens of Slovenia (ZS), Dusan PLUT, chairman, note - Greens merged with the LDS; Slovene National Right (SND), Saso LAP, chairman

Note: Parties have changed as of the December 1992 elections

Other Political or Pressure Groups

None

Member of

CCC, CE, CEI, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NACC, NAM (guest), OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

National Anthem

Flag

Three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red with the Slovenian seal (a shield with the image of Triglav in white against a blue background at the center, beneath it are two wavy blue lines depicting seas and rivers, and around it, there are three six-sided stars arranged in an inverted triangle); the seal is located in the upper hoist side of the flag centered in the white and blue bands

ECONOMY

Overview

Slovenia appears to be making a solid economic recovery, fulfilling the promise it showed at the time of Yugoslavia's breakup. Its per capita GDP is now the highest in Central and Eastern Europe and not far below the levels in the poorer West European countries. Slovenia has benefited from strong ties to Western Europe and suffered comparatively small physical damage during Yugoslavia's breakup. The beginning was difficult, however. Real GDP fell 15% in 1991-92, while inflation soared to 200% in 1992 and unemployment reached 9%. The turning point came in 1993, when real GDP grew 1%, unemployment leveled off, and inflation slowed dramatically. In 1994, real GDP rose 5.5%, tapering off to an estimated 4.8% in 1995, while inflation and unemployment both were down to about 8% by late 1995. The government gets good marks from foreign observers for fiscal policy - the budget deficit has not exceeded 1% of GDP in any year since 1991, and the current account balance has remained in surplus throughout the transition period, with the exception of 1995. The Slovene privatization program, which began in 1994, involves about 1,400 firms, but only 412 have been privatized. The rest are expected to reach private hands by end-1996, but that does not include firms in so-called strategic industries, such as telecommunications and energy. Foreign investment jumped to an estimated $150 million in 1995 from $83.7 million in 1994. With inflation and unemployment expected to continue edging down, the outlook for 1996 is generally good. A slowdown in Western Europe - which buys 70% of Slovenia's exports - could hurt exports, however, lowering GDP growth to about 4% and perhaps pushing the current account into a small deficit.

National Product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $22.6 billion (1995 est.), $16 billion (1994 est.)

National Product Real Growth Rate

3-5% (1997)
4.8% (1995 est.)
4% (1994 est.)

National Product Per Capita

$11,000 (1995 est.)
$8,110 (1994 est.)

Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)

9.9% (1997)
8% (December 1995 est.)
20% (1994)

Unemployment Rate

10.3% (1997)
8% (December 1995 est.)
9% (1994 est.)

Budget

Exports

$8.3 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
$6.5 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

Commodities:

Partners:

Imports

$9.1 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
$6.5 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

Commodities:

Partners:

External Debt

$2.9 billion (1995)
$2.1 billion (1994)

Industrial Production

Growth rate 2% (1995 est.), 6% (1994 est.); accounts for 37% of GDP (1993)

Electricity

Industries

Agriculture

Accounts for 4.8% of GDP (1993); dominated by stock breeding (sheep and cattle) and dairy farming; main crops - potatoes, hops, hemp, flax; an export surplus in these commodities; Slovenia must import many other agricultural products and has a negative overall trade balance in this sector

Illicit Drugs

transit point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe

Economic Aid

Recipient: ODA, $5 million (1993)

Currency

1 tolar (SlT) = 100 stotins

Exchange Rates

Tolars (SIT) per US$1 - 121.27 (November 1995), 118.9 (1995), 128.81 (1994), 113.24 (1993), 81.29 (1992), 27.57 (1991)

Fiscal Year

Calendar year

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads

Highways

Inland Waterways

NA

Pipelines

Crude oil 290 km; natural gas 305 km

Ports

Izola, Koper, Piran

Merchant Marine

Note: Ships under the flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Singapore, Liberia; no ships remain under the Slovenian flag (1995 est.)

Airports

COMMUNICATIONS

Telephone System

527,800 telephones (1993 est.)

Radio

Television

DEFENSE FORCES

Branches

Slovene Defense Forces

Manpower Availability

Males age 15-49 525,925; males fit for military service 419,456; males reach military age (19) annually 15,350 (1996 est.)

Defense Expenditures

13.5 billion tolars, 3.6% of GDP (1995 est.), 13.5 billion tolars, 4.5% of GDP (1993 est.); note - conversion of the military budget into U.S. dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results

History
World Atlas