One of the smallest countries in Europe, Slovenia more than justifies the ‘Europe in Miniature’ hype. Tucked in an enviable geographical position between the Alps and the Mediterranean, it is blessed with spectacular mountains, thick forests and an Adriatic coastline.
Following the destruction of the Austro-Hungarian Empire during WWI, Slovenia became a part of the new ‘Kingdom of Serbs,
Croats and Slovenes’ in 1918, later Yugoslavia. After WWII, Tito created Socialist Yugoslavia. Following his death in 1980,
the economic and political situation deteriorated and led to a series of regional conflicts in the early 1990s. Slovenia was
the first republic to break away, achieving independence relatively peacefully in 1991.
Slovenia was always the most prosperous region in Yugoslavia and it has successfully made the transition from a socialist economy to a capitalist free market one:
it was first of the former Yugoslavian states to join the EU in 2004 and adopted the euro in 2007.
PicturesqueLjubljana, the capital, is the starting point for a wide range of excursions. Situated in the heart of Slovenia, draped along the banks
of the Ljubljanica River, the capital is within a two-hour drive of all the state borders.
eneral Information
Area
20,273 sq km (7,827 sq miles).
Population
2 million (UN estimate 2005).
Population Density
98.6 per sq km.
Capital
Ljubljana. Population: 256,000 (UN estimate 2003).
Government
Republic since 1991. Declared independence from now defunct state of Yugoslavia in 1991.
Language
Slovene, which is closely related to Croat and Czech. Most Slovenes speak German, Hungarian or Italian, with English as a
second language.
Religion
Most of the population is Roman Catholic (75%), with small communities of other Christians including Eastern Orthodox; there
are Muslim and Jewish minorities.
Time
Social Conventions
Shaking hands is the normal form of greeting. Usual European social conventions apply and informal dress is widely acceptable.
Smoking is prohibited on public transport, in cinemas, theatres, public offices and in waiting rooms.
Overview 
