Slovenia

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Slovenia

Flag of Slovenia
Capital	Ljubljana
Inhabitants	2.019.614
Language(s)	Slovenian

Slovenia is a small, mountainous country in central Europe that declared its independence in 1991.

In 1918, Slovenia became part of the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, later renamed Yugoslavia. In 1946, Yugoslavia became a federal state consisting of six republics, one of which was Slovenia.

In 1918 the Slovenes joined the Serbs and Croats in forming a new nation, renamed Yugoslavia in 1929. After World War II, Slovenia became a republic of the renewed Yugoslavia, which though communist, distanced itself from Moscow's rule.

Dissatisfied with the exercise of power of the majority Serbs, the Slovenes succeeded in establishing their independence in 1991.

Historical ties to Western Europe, a strong economy, and a stable democracy make Slovenia a leading candidate for future membership in the EU and NATO.

History

The early Slovenes settled in the river valleys of the Danube Basin and the eastern Alps in the 6th century. In 748, Slovenia was brought under Germanic rule, first by the Frankish empire of the Carolingians, who converted the population to Christianity, and then as part of the Holy Roman Empire in the 9th century. The Austro-German monarchy took over in the early 14th century and continued to rule (as the Austrian Habsburg Empire from 1804) right up until 1918 - with only one brief interruption. Over these six centuries, the upper classes became totally Germanised, though the peasantry retained their Slavic (later Slovenian) identity.

In 1809, in a bid to isolate the Habsburg Empire from the Adriatic, Napoleon established the so-called Illyrian Provinces (Slovenia, Dalmatia and part of Croatia), making Ljubljana the capital (which it still is today). Though the Habsburgs returned in 1814, French reforms in education, law and public administration endured. The democratic revolution that swept Europe in 1848 also increased political and national consciousness among the Slovenes, and after WWI and the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Slovenia was included in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. During WWII much of Slovenia was annexed by Germany, with Italy and Hungary taking smaller shares. Slovenian partisans fought against the invaders from mountain bases. Slovenia joined the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1945 and remained behind the Iron Curtain for several decades.

Slovenes worried when Serbia started to make moves in the late 1980s to assert its cultural and economic leadership among the Yugoslav republics. In late 1988, when Belgrade abruptly ended the autonomy of Kosovo, Slovenes feared that the same could happen to them. Pushing the Slovenes to split from Yugoslavia was the fact that for some years Slovenia's interests had been shifting to the capitalist north and west. Meanwhile, its ties to the rest of Yugoslavia had become an economic burden and a political threat.

In the spring of 1990, Slovenia became the first Yugoslav republic to hold free elections and slough off 45 years of communist rule; the following December the electorate voted overwhelmingly (90%) in favour of independence. Fearing the worst, the Slovenian government began stockpiling weapons and, on 25 June 1991, it pulled itself out of the Yugoslav Federation. To dramatise its bid for independence and generate foreign sympathy, Slovenia deliberately provoked fighting with the Yugoslavian federal army by attempting to take control of its border crossings. A 10-day war ensued, but resistance from the Slovenian militia was fierce and, as no territorial claims or minority issues were involved, the Yugoslav government agreed to a truce brokered by the European Community (EC). Slovenia got a new constitution right away and, on 15 January 1992, the EC formally recognised the country. Slovenia was admitted to the United Nations in May 1992.

In October 2000, in Slovenia's third election since gaining independence, the Liberal Democratic party was returned to power and Janez Drnovsek was returned to the prime ministership after being dumped six months earlier when his coalition lost its majority. Drnovsek is believed to be the person who can finally wrench open the political doors to the European Union and NATO for Slovenia.

• 6th century AD: The Slavic ancestors of present day Slovenia first settle in the area in the 6th century AD.
• 7th century: The Slavic Duchy of Carantania, the first Slovene state.
• 745: Carantania becomes part of the Frankish empire; the Slavs convert to Christianity and gradually lose their independence.
• around 1000: The Freising manuscripts, the first known writings in the Slovene and Slavic dialect in Latin script.
• 14th century to 1918: All the Slovene regions pass into the possession of the Habsburgs, later the Austro-Hungarian monarchy.
• 1550 and 1584: The Reformation brings literacy, the first printed book in 1550 and in 1584 the first Slovene translation of the Bible.
• 1918: Formation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.
• 1945: Federal Peoples' Republic of Yugoslavia (officially declared on 29 November 1945).
• April 1990: First democratic elections.
• 23 December 1990: 88.5% of voters at the referendum vote in favour of an independent Slovenia.
• 25 June 1991: Slovenia officially declares its independence.
• 15 January 1992: The EU officially recognises Slovenia's independence.
• 22 May 1992: Slovenia becomes a member of the UNO.
• 1 February 1999: Association Agreement with the EU comes into effect.

Culture

Language

Slovene is a South Slavic language written in the Roman alphabet. It's closely related to Croatian and Serbian, but the languages are not mutually intelligible. Slovene is grammatically complex, with lots of cases, genders and tenses. Fortunately for non-Slovenian speakers, virtually everyone in Slovenia speaks another language: usually Croatian, Serbian, German, English and/or Italian (in that order). English is the preferred language of the young.

Literature & Arts

Slovenia's most beloved writer is the Romantic poet France Preseren (1800-49), whose lyric poems set new standards for Slovenian literature and helped raise national consciousness. Since WWII, many Slovenian folk traditions have been lost, but compilations by the trio Trutamora Slovenica go back to the roots of Slovenian folk music. Popular music runs the gamut, but it was punk in the late 1970s and early 1980s that grabbed straitlaced Slovenia by the collar and shook it up. Postmodernist painting and sculpture has been dominated since the 1980s by the multimedia group Neue Slowenische Kunst (NSK) and the five-member anonymous artists' cooperative IRWIN. Many notable buildings and public squares in Slovenia were designed by architect Joze Plecnik (1872-1957), whose image adorns the 500 SIT note.

Food & Drinks

Slovenian cuisine, which traditionally relies heavily on venison and fish, is heavily influenced by that of its neighbours. From Austria, it's klobasa (sausage), zavitek (strudel) and Dunajski zrezek (Wiener schnitzel). Njoki (potato dumplings), rizota (risotto) and the ravioli-like zlikrofi are Italian. Hungary has contributed golaz (goulash) and paprikas (chicken or beef stew). And then there's an old Balkan standby, burek, a greasy layered cheese, meat or even apple pie served at takeaway places. There are many types of dumplings; cheese ones called struklji are the most popular. Traditional dishes are best tried at an inn (gostilna). Slovenia produces some noticeable red and white wines, a strong brandy called zganje and Union and Zlatorog brand beers, which are very popular.

Source: lonely planet

Events

Coming soon...

National holidays

• Jan 1 & 2: New Year's Day
• Feb 8: Slovene Cultural Day
• Apr 27: Resistance Day
• May 1 & 2: Labor Day
• Jun 25: National Day
• Aug 15: Assumption Day
• Oct 31: Reformation Day
• Nov 1: All Saints Day
• Dec 25: Christmas Day
• Dec 26: Independence Day
• Easter Sunday
• Easter Monday

Embassies

• Embassy of the Republic of Albania, Republic of Slovenia - Ob Ljubljanici 12, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1/433 73 12, Fax: + 386 1/432 31 29
• Consulate of Australia, Republic of Slovenia - Trg Republike 3/XII, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 25 42 52, Fax: + 386 1 426 47 21
• Embassy of the Republic of Austria, Republic of Slovenia - Prešernova cesta 23, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 479 07 00, Fax: + 386 1 252 17 17
• Consulate of the Republic of Austria, Republic of Slovenia - Vita Kraigherja 4/I, SI 2000 Maribor, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 2 229 22 57, Fax: + 386 2 224 333
• Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium, Republic of Slovenia - Trg republike 3/IX, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone:+ 386 1 421 31 60, Fax: + 386 1 421 63 95
• Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Slovenia - Likozarjeva 6, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 432 40 42, Fax: + 386 1 432 22 30
• Consulate of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Republic of Slovenia - Baragova 5, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 588 31 08, Fax: + 386 1 588 31 14 Consulate
• Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria, Republic of Slovenia - Stari trg 1, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 425 57 44, Fax: + 425 88 45
• Consulate of the Republic of Chile, Republic of Slovenia - Brdnikova 34 b, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 423 96 70, Fax: + 386 1 423 51 85
• Embassy of the People's Republic of China, Republic of Slovenia - Legatova ulica 2 , SI 1111 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 200 58 10, Fax: + 386 1 200 58 32
• Embassy of the Republic of Croatia, Republic of Slovenia - Gruberjevo nabrezje 6, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 425 62 20, Fax: + 386 1 425 81 06
• Embassy of the Czech Republic, Republic of Slovenia - Riharjeva 1, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 420 24 50, Fax: + 386 1 283 92 59
• Consulate of the Czech Republic, Republic of Slovenia - Vilfanova 9, SI 6320 Portorož, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 5 674 72 70
• Consulate General of the Kingdom of Denmark, Republic of Slovenia - Resljeva 24/I, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 300 76 60, Fax: + 386 1 433 70 98
• Embassy of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Republic of Slovenia - Vogelna ulica 8, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 283 82 38, Fax: + 386 1 283 82 38
• Consulate of the Republic of Finland, Republic of Slovenia - Bevkova 11 , SI 1230 Domžale, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 721 32 97, Fax: + 386 1 721 32 97
• Embassy of the Republic of France, Republic of Slovenia - Barjanska 1, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 426 45 25, Fax: + 386 1 425 04 65
• Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Republic of Slovenia - Prešernova cesta 27, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 251 61 66, Fax: + 386 1 425 08 99
• Embassy of Greece, Republic of Slovenia - Mestni trg 8, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 420 14 00, Fax: + 386 1 281 11 14
• Embassy of the Republic of Hungary, Republic of Slovenia - Ulica Konrada Babnika 5, SI 1210 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 512 18 82, Fax: + 386 1 512 18 78
• Consulate of the Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Slovenia - Prešernova 11, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 200 51 77, Fax: + 386 1 200 51 71
• Embassy of the Republic of Italy, Republic of Slovenia - Snežniška 8, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 426 21 94, Fax: + 386 1 425 33 02
• Consulate General of the Republic of Italy, Republic of Slovenia - Belvedere 2, SI 6000 Koper, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 5 627 37 49, Fax: + 386 5 627 37 46
• Consulate General of Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Republic of Slovenia - Zaloška cesta 159, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 546 15 00, Fax: + 386 1 546 15 05
• Embassy of the Republic of Macedonia, Republic of Slovenia - Dunajska 104, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 568 44 54, Fax: + 386 1 568 51 81
• Consulate of the United Mexican States, Republic of Slovenia - Trg Rrepublike 3, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 251 24 52, Fax: '+ 386 1 252 26 55 Consulate
• Consulate General of the Kingdom of Norway, Republic of Slovenia - Dalmatinova 10, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 232 74 10, Fax: + 386 1 230 16 21
• Consulate General of the Republic of the Philippines, Republic of Slovenia - Ulica Bratov Ucakar 50, SI 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 518 15 84, Fax: + 386 1 518 15 84
• Embassy of the Republic of Poland, Republic of Slovenia - Rozna dolina, XV. , Cesta 18, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 423 28 82, Fax: + 386 1 423 28 81
• Consulate of the Republic of South Africa, Republic of Slovenia - Pražakova ulica 4, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 433 41 80, Fax: + 386 1 231 71 80
• Embassy of Romania, Republic of Slovenia - Podlimbarskega 43, SI - 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 505 82 94, Fax: + 386 1 505 54 32
• Embassy of the Russian Federation, Republic of Slovenia - Tomšičeva 9, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 425 68 75, Fax: + 386 1 425 68 78
• Consulate of the Republic of Seychelles, Republic of Slovenia - Dunajska 158, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 169 15 30
• Embassy of the Slovak Republic, Republic of Slovenia - Tivolska cesta 4, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 425 54 25, Fax: + 386 1 425 54 25
• Consulate of the Republic of Korea, Republic of Slovenia - Trg republike 3, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 252 71 17, Fax: + 386 1 425 92 94
• Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain, Republic of Slovenia - Trnovski pristan 24, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 420 23 30, Fax: + 386 1 420 23 33
• Embassy of the Kingdom of Sweden, Republic of Slovenia - Ajdovščina 4/8, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 300 02 70, Fax: + 386 1 234 09 74
• Embassy of Switzerland, Republic of Slovenia - Trg republike 3/VI, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenija, Telephone: + 386 1 200 86 40, Fax: + 386 1 200 86 69 Switzerland, Embassy
• Consulate of Switzerland, Republic of Slovenia - Špruha 36, Trzin, SI 1234 Mengeš, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 530 42 42, Fax: + 386 1 562 15 63 Consulate
• Consulate General of the Kingdom of Thailand, Republic of Slovenia - Pražakova 12, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 432 84 07, Fax: + 386 1 433 31 93 Consulate
• Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Republic of Slovenia - Grand hotel Union, Miklošičeva 1, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenija, Telephone: + 386 1 308 12 34, Fax: + 386 1 01/308 10 15
• Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Republic of Slovenia - Dunajska 20, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 439 27 40, Fax: + 386 1 232 89 78
• Embassy of the Republic of Turkey, Republic of Slovenia - Livarska 4, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 436 81 49, Fax: + 386 1 436 81 48
• Embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Republic of Slovenia - Trg republike 3/IV, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 200 39 10, Fax: + 386 1 425 01 74
• Embassy of the United States of America, Republic of Slovenia - Prešernova cesta 31, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 200 55 00, Fax: + 386 1 200 55 55
• Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See, Republic of Slovenia - Krekov trg 1, SI 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Telephone: + 386 1 433 92 04, Fax: + 386 1 431 51 30