Slovenia

Geography

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

Map references: Ethnic Groups in Eastern Europe, Europe

Area:
total area: 20,296 sq km
land area: 20,296 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than New Jersey

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

Natural resources: lignite coal, lead, zinc, mercury, uranium, silver

Land use:
arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 2%
meadows and pastures: 20%
forest and woodland: 45%
other: 23%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment:
current issues: Sava River polluted with domestic and industrial waste; pollution of coastal waters with heavy metals and toxic chemicals; forest damage near Koper from air pollution (originating at metallurgical and chemical plants) and resulting acid rain
natural hazards: flooding and earthquakes
international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change

People

Population: 2,051,522 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 19% (female 191,318; male 200,957)
15-64 years: 69% (female 701,082; male 708,482)
65 years and over: 12% (female 160,662; male 89,021) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.24% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 11.85 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 9.27 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 7.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.73 years
male: 70.91 years
female: 78.76 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.64 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Slovene(s)
adjective: Slovenian

Ethnic divisions: Slovene 91%, Croat 3%, Serb 2%, Muslim 1%, other 3%

Religions: Roman Catholic 96% (including 2% Uniate), Muslim 1%, other 3%

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

Literacy: NA%

Labor force: 786,036
by occupation: agriculture 2%, manufacturing and mining 46%

Government

Names:
conventional long form: Republic of Slovenia
conventional short form: Slovenia
local long form: Republika Slovenije
local short form: Slovenija

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:
chief of state: President Milan KUCAN (since 22 April 1990); election last held 6 December 1992 (next to be held NA 1996); results - Milan KUCAN reelected by direct popular vote
head of government: Prime Minister Janez DRNOVSEK (since 14 May 1992)
cabinet: Council of Ministers

Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly
State Assembly: elections last held 6 December 1992 (next to be held NA 1996); 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: will become operational after next election in 1996; in the election of 6 December 1992, 40 members were elected to represent local and socioeconomic interests

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Constitutional Court

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 National Party, Marjan PODOBNIK, chairman; United List (former Communists and allies), Janez KOCJANCIC, chairman; Slovene People's Party (SLS), Ivan OMAN, chairman; Democratic Party, Igor BAVCAR, chairman; Greens of Slovenia (ZS), Dusan PLUT, 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, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ernest PETRIC
chancery: 1525 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 667-5363
FAX: [1] (202) 667-4563
consulate(s) general: New York

US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador E. Allan WENDT
embassy: P.O. Box 254, Prazakova 4, 61000 Ljubljana
mailing address: American Embassy, Ljubljana, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7140
telephone: [386] (61) 301-427, 472, 485
FAX: [386] (61) 301-401

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. It was by far the most prosperous of the former Yugoslav republics, with a per capita income more than twice the national average. It also benefited from strong ties to Western Europe and suffered comparatively small physical damage in the dismemberment process. The beginning was difficult, however. Real GDP fell 15% during 1991-92, while inflation jumped to 247% in 1991 and unemployment topped 8% - nearly three times the 1989 level. The turning point came in 1993 when real GDP grew 1%, unemployment leveled off at about 9%, and inflation slowed dramatically to 23%. In 1994, the rate of growth of GDP rose to 4%, unemployment remained stable, and inflation dropped to 20%. This was accomplished, moreover, without balance-of-payments problems. The government gets generally good economic marks from foreign observers, particularly with regard to fiscal policy - the budget deficit in 1994 was only about 1% of GDP, following several years of small surpluses. Prospects for 1995 appear good, with economic growth expected to remain strong while unemployment and inflation may decline slightly. Privatization, sluggish to date, is expected to pick up in 1995.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $16 billion (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate: 4% (1994 est.)

National product per capita: $8,110 (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 20% (1994)

Unemployment rate: 9% (1994 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $9.9 billion
expenditures: $9.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993)

Exports: $6.5 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
commodities: machinery and transport equipment 27%, intermediate manufactured goods 26%, chemicals 9%, food 4.8%, raw materials 3%, consumer goods 26% (1993)
partners: Germany 29.5%, former Yugoslavia 15.8%, Italy 12.4%, France 8.7%, Austria 5.0% (1993)

Imports: $6.5 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
commodities: machinery and transport equipment 30%, intermediate manufactured goods 17.6%, chemicals 11.5%, raw materials 5.3%, fuels and lubricants 10.8%, food 8.4% (1993)
partners: Germany 25.0%, Italy 16.1%, former Yugoslavia 10.7%, France 8.0%, Austria 8.5% (1993)

External debt: $2.1 billion (1994)

Industrial production: growth rate 6% (1994 est.); accounts for 37% of GDP (1993)

Electricity:
capacity: 2,700,000 kW
production: 8.9 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 4,470 kWh (1993)

Industries: ferrous metallurgy and rolling mill products, aluminum reduction and rolled products, lead and zinc smelting, electronics (including military electronics), trucks, electric power equipment, wood products, textiles, chemicals, machine tools

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: NA

Economic aid: $NA

Currency: 1 tolar (SlT) = 100 stotins

Exchange rates: tolars (SIT) per US$1 - 127 (January 1995), 112 (June 1993), 28 (January 1992)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Transportation

Railroads:
total: 1,201 km
standard gauge: 1,201 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified 499 km) (1994)

Highways:
total: 14,726 km
paved: 11,046 km (187 km expressways)
unpaved: gravel 3,680 km (1992)

Inland waterways: NA

Pipelines: crude oil 290 km; natural gas 305 km

Ports: Izola, Koper, Piran

Merchant marine:
total: 17 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 265,937 GRT/449,205 DWT (controlled by Slovenian owners)
ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 6
note: ships under the flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Singapore, Liberia; no ships remain under the Slovenian flag

Airports:
total: 14
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2
with paved runways under 914 m: 5
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 2
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2

Communications

Telephone system: 130,000 telephones
local: NA
intercity: NA
international: NA

Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 0
radios: 370,000

Television:
broadcast stations: 7
televisions: 330,000

Defense Forces

Branches: Slovene Defense Forces

Manpower availability: males age 15-49 542,815; males fit for military service 434,302; males reach military age (19) annually 15,350 (1995 est.)

Defense expenditures: 13.5 billion tolars, 4.5% of GDP (1993 est.); note - conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results