Background
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 make Slovenia a candidate for future membership in the EU.
Population: 1,927,593 (July 2000 est.)
Age structure:
- 0-14 years: 16% (male 162,932; female 154,513)
- 15-64 years: 69% (male 678,502; female 660,637)
- 65 years and over: 15% (male 98,739; female 172,270) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.12% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 9.35 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 9.9 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: 1.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio:
- at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
- under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over: 0.57 male(s)/female
- total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 4.56 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
- total population: 74.86 years
- male: 70.97 years
- female: 78.97 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.28 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Nationality:
- noun: Slovene(s)
- adjective: Slovenian
Ethnic groups: Slovene 88%, Croat 3%, Serb 2%, Bosniak 1%, Yugoslav 0.6%, Hungarian 0.4%, other 5% (1991)
Religions: Roman Catholic 70.8% (including Uniate 2%), Lutheran 1%, Muslim 1%, atheist 4.3%, other 22.9%
Languages: Slovenian 91%, Serbo-Croatian 6%, other 3%
Literacy:
- definition: NA
- total population: 99%
- male: NA%
- female: NA%
Geography
Location: Southeastern Europe, eastern Alps bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Austria and Croatia
Geographic coordinates: 46 00 N, 15 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area:
total: 20,253 sq km
land: 20,253 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries:
- total: 1,334 km
- border countries: Austria 330 km, Croatia 670 km, Italy 232 km, Hungary 102 km
- Coastline: 46.6 km
Maritime claims: NA
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 and Austria, mixed mountain and valleys with numerous rivers to the east
Elevation extremes:
- lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
- highest point: Triglav 2,864 m
Natural resources: lignite coal, lead, zinc, mercury, uranium, silver, hydropower
Land use:
- arable land: 12%
- permanent crops: 3%
- permanent pastures: 24%
- forests and woodland: 54%
- other: 7% (1996 est.)
Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: flooding and earthquakes
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
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
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