Slovenia - Wikipedia Jan2011

8/7/2019 Slovenia - Wikipedia Jan2011

1/41


2/41

roats an er s

- Proclamation ofindependence fromYugoslavia

June 25, 1991

EU accession 1 May 2004

Area

- Total 20,273 km2

(153rd)7,827 sq mi

- Water (%) 0.6

Population

- 2009 estimate 2,054,199[2] (144th)

- 2002 census 1,964,036

- Density 99.6/km2 (104th)251/sq mi

GDP (PPP) 2010 estimate

- Total $56.755 billion[3]

- Per capita $28,118[3]

GDP (nominal) 2010 estimate

- Total $49.110 billion[3]

- Per capita $24,330[3]

Gini (2007) 28.4 (low)

HDI (2010) 0.828[4] (veryhigh) (29th)

Currency Euro ()3 (EUR)

Time zone CET (UTC+1)

- Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)

Drives on the right

ISO 3166 code SI

Internet TLD .si4

Calling code 386

1 Italian and Hungarian are recognised as official

languages in the residential municipalities of theItalian or Hungarian national community.2 Source: Statistical Office of the Republic of

Slovenia: Population, Slovenia, 30 June 2008

(http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?ID=1950)3 Prior to 2007: Slovenian tolar4 Also .eu, shared with other European Union

member states.

1.3 Early Modern Period1.4 Age of Enlightenment tothe national movement1.5 Clashing nationalisms inlate 19th century1.6 World War One and theCreation of Yugoslavia

1.7 The interwar period1.8 World War Two1.9 The Communist period1.10 Democracy andindependence

2 Politics3 Administrative divisions4 Geography

4.1 Natural regions4.2 Biodiversity

5 Economy5.1 Tourism5.2 Transport

6 Demographics6.1 Urbanization6.2 Languages6.3 Religion6.4 Education6.5 Immigration

7 Culture7.1 Cuisine7.2 Sport

8 See also9 References10 External links

History

Main article: History of Slovenia

See also: Timeline of Slovenian history

Although Slovene history can be traced

back to the 8th century,[5] Slovenia itself isa relatively modern political entity, havingbeen independent since 1991. The notionof "Slovenia" first emerged in the 19th century with the idea of United Slovenia, anautonomous kingdom within the Habsburg Monarchy that would unite all Slovene Landsaround the Duchy of Carniola, the central Slovene-populated imperial crownland. Itbecame a reality only after the dissolution of Austria-Hungary in 1918, when Sloveniabecame a de facto self-governing entity within the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_Slovenes,_Croats_and_Serbshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austria-Hungaryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duchy_of_Carniolahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovene_Landshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habsburg_Monarchyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#cite_note-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Slovenian_historyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#External_linkshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#Referenceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#See_alsohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#Sporthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#Cuisinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#Culturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#Immigrationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#Educationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#Religionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#Languageshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#Urbanizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#Demographicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#Transporthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#Tourismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#Economyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#Biodiversityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#Natural_regionshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#Geographyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#Administrative_divisionshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#Politicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#Democracy_and_independencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#The_Communist_periodhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#World_War_Twohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#The_interwar_periodhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#World_War_One_and_the_Creation_of_Yugoslaviahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#Clashing_nationalisms_in_late_19th_centuryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#Age_of_Enlightenment_to_the_national_movementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#Early_Modern_Periodhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.euhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenian_tolarhttp://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?ID=1950http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_numbers_in_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_country_calling_codeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.sihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_code_top-level_domainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3166-2:SIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3166http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-_and_left-hand_traffichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coordinated_Universal_Timehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_European_Summer_Timehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_timehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coordinated_Universal_Timehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_European_Timehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_zonehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_4217http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro_signhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Currencyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Indexhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#cite_note-HDI-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Indexhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gini_coefficienthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#cite_note-imf2-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Per_capitahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#cite_note-imf2-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_producthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#cite_note-imf2-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Per_capitahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#cite_note-imf2-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purchasing_power_parityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_producthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population_densityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Population_densityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_populationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#cite_note-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_percentage_of_water_areahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_milehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_outlying_territories_by_total_areahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1_E10_m%C2%B2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_outlying_territories_by_total_areahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union_member_statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_Federal_Republic_of_Yugoslaviahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_Slovenes,_Croats_and_Serbs


3/41

Ancient menhir, probably ofCeltic or Illyrian origin, inKrkave, Slovenian Istria

which it helped to create. Slovenian autonomy was later abolished with the constitution ofthe Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes of 1921, and although Slovenia propermanaged to regain territorial integrity in 1931 as the Drava Banovina of the Kingdom ofYugoslavia, it did not enjoy actual autonomy, and the name itself was not officially in use.Slovenia became an autonomous political entity after World War II, as a full-scalerepublic, the Socialist Republic of Slovenia, within the Socialist Federal Republic ofYugoslavia. Its current borders were finalized in 1954, with the abolition of the FreeTerritory of Trieste and the official annexation of the Koper district of the so-called Zone Bof the Free Territory to Yugoslavia, which was confirmed by the Treaty of Osimo in 1975.

During its history, the current territory of Slovenia was part of many different stateformations, including the Roman Empire, the Frankish Kingdom, the Holy RomanEmpire, the Republic of Venice (only some western areas), the Habsburg Monarchy, andthe First French Empire. In 1918, the Slovenes exercised self-determination for the firsttime by co-founding the State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs, with their westernterritories remaining in the Kingdom of Italy. During World War Two, Slovenia was

occupied and annexed by Germany, Italy and Hungary, only to emerge afterwardsreunified with its western part (Slovenian Littoral) as a founding member of the SocialistFederal Republic of Yugoslavia, before declaring full sovereignty in 1991.

A mural by Slavko Pengov representing Slovenian history in the Slovenian Parliament

Prehistory

The earliest signs of human settlement in present-daySlovenia were found in the Jama Cave in the LozaWoods near Orehek in Inner Carniola, where twostone tools approximately 250,000 years old wererecovered. During the last glacial period, present-day

Slovenia was inhabited by Neanderthals; the mostfamous Neanderthal archeological site in Slovenia isa cave close to the village of ebrelje near Cerkno,where the Divje Babe flute, the oldest known musicalinstrument in the world was found in 1995. In thetransition period between the Bronze age to the Ironage, the Urnfield culture flourished. Numerousarcheological remains dating from the Hallstatt periodhave been found in Slovenia, with important

settlements in Most na Soi, Vae, and entvid pri Stini. Novo Mesto in Lower Carniola,

one of the most important archeological sites of the Hallstatt culture, has been nicknamedthe "City of Situlas" after numerous situlas found in the area.[6][6]

In the Iron Age, present-day Slovenia was inhabited by Illyrian and Celtic tribes until the
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illyrianshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Agehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#cite_note-google2008-5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#cite_note-google2008-5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situla_(vessel)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Carniolahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novo_Mestohttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%C5%A0entvid_pri_Sti%C4%8Dni&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Va%C4%8Dehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Most_na_So%C4%8Dihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallstatt_periodhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urnfieldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_agehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze_agehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divje_Babe_flutehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerknohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%A0ebreljehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neanderthalshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_glacial_periodhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inner_Carniolahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jama_Cave_in_the_Loza_Woods_near_Orehek&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenian_Parliamenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Slavko_Pengov&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Slovenian_Parliament._Mural_by_S._Pengov_2.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_Federal_Republic_of_Yugoslaviahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenian_Littoralhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_Twohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Italy_(1861-1946)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_Slovenes,_Croats,_and_Serbshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_French_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habsburg_Monarchyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Venicehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Roman_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankish_Kingdomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Osimohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koperhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Territory_of_Triestehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_Federal_Republic_of_Yugoslaviahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_Republic_of_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_IIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Yugoslaviahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drava_Banovinahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Serbs,_Croats_and_Sloveneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenian_Istriahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krkav%C4%8Dehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illyrianshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menhirhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Krkavce-kamen.JPG


4/41

Southeastern Europe in the 8thcentury, with Carantanians,ancestors of present-day

Slovenes, shown in periwinkle.The Freising

Manuscripts, dating fromthe 10th century A.D.,

most probably written inupper Carinthia, are the

oldest survivingdocuments in Slovene

language.

1st century BC, when the Romans conquered the region establishing the provinces ofPannonia and Noricum. What is now western Slovenia was included directly underRoman Italia as part of the X region Venetia et Histria. Important Roman towns located inpresent-day Slovenia included Emona, Celeia and Poetovio. Other important settlementswere Nauportus, Neviodunum, Haliaetum, Atrans, and Stridon.

During the migration period, the region suffered invasions of many barbarian armies, dueto its strategic position as the main passage from the Pannonian plain to the Italianpeninsula. Rome finally abandoned the region at the end of the 4th century. Most citieswere destroyed, while the remaining local population moved to the highland areas,establishing fortified towns. In the 5th century, the region was part of the Ostrogothickingdom, and was later contested between the Ostrogoths, the Byzantine Empire and theLombards.

The Middle Ages

See also: Slavic settlement of the Eastern Alps and Carantania

The Slavic ancestors ofpresent-day Slovenessettled in the East Alpinearea at the end of the 6thcentury. Coming from twodirections, North (viatoday's East Austria andCzech Republic), settling

in the area of today'sCarinthia and west Styriaand South (via today'sSlavonia), settling in thearea of today's centralSlovenia. This Slavictribe, also known as the

Alpine Slavs, was submitted to Avar rule before joining theSlavic chieftain Samo's Slavic tribal union in 623 AD. AfterSamo's death, the Slavs of Carniola (in present-day

Slovenia) again fell to Avar rule, while the Slavs north of theKaravanke range (in present-day Austrian regions ofCarinthia, Styria and East Tyrol) established the independent principality of Carantania.In 745, Carantania and the rest of Slavic-populated territories of present-day Slovenia,being pressured by newly consolidated Avar power, submitted to Bavarian overrule andwere, together with the Duchy of Bavaria, incorporated into the Carolingian Empire, whileCarantanians and other Slavs living in present Slovenia converted to Christianity.

Carantania retained its internal independence until 828 when the local princes, followingthe anti-Frankish rebellion of Ljudevit Posavski, were deposed and gradually replaced by

a Germanic (primarily Bavarian) ascendancy. Under Emperor Arnulf of Carinthia,Carantania, now ruled by a mixed Bavarian-Slav nobility, shortly emerged as a regionalpower, but was destroyed by the Hungarian invasions in the late 9th

century.[citation needed]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_peoplehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnulf_of_Carinthiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bavariahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ljudevit_Posavskihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carantanianshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolingian_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carantaniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Tyrolhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Styria_(state)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carinthia_(state)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karavankehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carniolahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Avarshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpine_Slavshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Alpshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sloveneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carantaniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavic_settlement_of_the_Eastern_Alpshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lombardshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostrogothshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostrogothic_kingdomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_peninsulahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pannonian_plainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migration_periodhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stridonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atranshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haliaetumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neviodunumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nauportushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poetoviohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celeiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emonahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italia_(Roman_Empire)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noricumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pannoniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Romehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovene_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carinthia_(state)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freising_Manuscriptshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Freising_manuscript.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periwinkle_(color)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sloveneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carantanianshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeastern_Europehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Carantania.png


5/41

The installation of the Dukes inCarinthia, carried out in anancient ritual in Slovene

language until 1414.

The Ottoman army battling theHabsburgs in present-day

Carantania-Carinthia was established again as anautonomous administrative unit in 976, when EmperorOtto I, "the Great", after deposing the Duke ofBavaria, Henry II, "the Quarreller", split the lands heldby him and made Carinthia the sixth duchy of theHoly Roman Empire, but old Carantania never

developed into a unified realm.[citation needed] In thelate 10th and beginning of 11th century, primarilybecause of the Hungarian threat, the south-easternborder region of the German Empire was organizedinto so called "marks", that became the core of thedevelopment of the historical Slovenian lands, theCarniola, the Styria and the western Gorika/Gorizia.The consolidation and formation of the historicalSlovenian lands took place in a long period between 11th and 14th century being led by a

number of important feudal families such as the Dukes of Spannheim, the Counts ofGorizia, the Counts of Celje and finally the House of Habsburg.

The first mentions of a common Slovene ethnic identity, transcending regional

boundaries, date from the 16th century.[7]

During the 14th century, most of the Slovene Lands passed under the Habsburg rule. Inthe 15th century, the Habsburg domination was challenged by the Counts of Celje, but bythe end of the century the great majority of Slovene-inhabited territories wereincorporated into the Habsburg Monarchy. Most Slovenes lived in the administrative

region known as Inner Austria, forming the majority of the population of the Duchy ofCarniola and the County of Gorizia and Gradisca, as well as of Lower Styria and southern

Carinthia.[citation needed]

Slovenes also inhabited most of the territory of the Imperial Free City of Trieste, although

representing the minority of its population.[8]

Early Modern Period

See also: Inner Austria

In the 16th century, the Protestant Reformationspread throughout the Slovene Lands. During thisperiod, the first books in the Slovene language werewritten by the Protestant preacher Primo Trubar andhis followers, establishing the base for thedevelopment of the standard Slovene language. Inthe second half of the 16th century, numerous bookswere printed in Slovene, including an integraltranslation of the Bible by Jurij Dalmatin. During the

Counter-Reformation in the late 16th and 17thcenturies, led by the bishop of Ljubljana Toma Hrenand Seckau Martin Brenner, almost all Protestants
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Martin_Brenner&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Toma%C5%BE_Hren&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counter-Reformationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jurij_Dalmatinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primo%C5%BE_Trubarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestantismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestant_Reformationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inner_Austriahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#cite_note-7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triestehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Free_Cityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duchy_of_Carinthiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Styriahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_of_Gorizia_and_Gradiscahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duchy_of_Carniolahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inner_Austriahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habsburg_Monarchyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counts_of_Celjehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Habsburghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#cite_note-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Habsburghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counts_of_Celjehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meinhardinerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernhard_von_Spanheimhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_(territory)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duchy_of_Carinthiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Turkish_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman%E2%80%93Habsburg_warshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Boj_s_Turki-Valvasor.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovene_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carantania#The_Ducal_Coronationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kaernten_herzogeinsetzung.jpg


6/41

Turkish War.

The execution of Matija Gubec,leader of the Croatian-Slovenian

peasant revolt, in 1573.

were expelled from the Slovene Lands (with theexception of Prekmurje). Nevertheless, they left astrong legacy in the tradition of Slovene culture, whichwas partially incorporated in the Catholic Counter-Reformation in the 17th century. Theold Slovene orthography, also known as Bohori's Alphabet, which was developed by theProtestants in the 16th century and remained in use until mid-19th century, testified to theunbroken tradition of Slovene culture as established in the years of the ProtestantReformation.

Between the 15th and the 17th century, the Slovene Lands suffered many calamities.Many areas, especially in southern Slovenia, were devastated by the Ottoman-HabsburgWars. Many flourishing towns, like Vipavski Kri and Kostanjevica na Krki, werecompletely destroyed by incursions of the Ottoman Army, and never recovered. Thenobility of the Slovene-inhabited provinces had an important role in the fight against theOttoman Empire. The Carniolan noblemen's army thus defeated the Ottomans in theBattle of Sisak of 1593, marking the end of the immediate Ottoman threat to the Slovene

Lands, although sporadic Ottoman incursions continued well into the 17th century.In the 16th and 17th century, the western Sloveneregions became the battlefield of the wars betweenthe Habsburg Monarchy and the Venetian Republic,most notably the War of Gradisca, which was largelyfought in the Slovene Gorika region. Between late15th and early 18th century, the Slovene lands alsowitnessed many peasant wars, most famous beingthe Carinthian peasant revolt of 1478, the Slovene

peasant revolt of 1515, the Croatian-Slovenianpeasant revolt of 1573, the Second Slovene peasantrevolt of 1635, and the Tolmin peasant revolt of 1713.

Late 17th century was also marked by a vividintellectual and artistic activity. Many Italian Baroque artists, mostly architects andmusicians, settled in the Slovene Lands, and contributed greatly to the development ofthe local culture. Scientists like Janez Vajkard Valvasor contributed to the development ofthe scholarly activities. In 1693, the first academy on Slovene soil, the Academiaoperosorum Labacensis, was established. By the early 18th century, however, the region

entered another period of stagnation, which was slowly overcome only by mid-18thcentury.

Age of Enlightenment to the national movement

See also: Illyrian Provinces, Kingdom of Illyria, and Spring of Nations

Between early 18th century and early 19th century,the Slovene lands experienced a period of peace,with a moderate economic recovery starting from mid-

18th century onward. The Adriatic town of Trieste wasdeclared a free port in 1718, boosting the economicactivity throughout the western parts of the SloveneLands. The political, administrative and economic
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_porthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triestehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adriatichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_of_Nationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Illyriahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illyrian_Provinceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academia_operosorum_Labacensishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janez_Vajkard_Valvasorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Baroquehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tolmin_peasant_revolt&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Second_Slovene_peasant_revolt&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croatian-Slovenian_peasant_revolthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovene_peasant_revolt_of_1515http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carinthian_peasant_revolt&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gori%C5%A1kahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_Gradiscahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venetian_Republichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habsburg_Monarchyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Sisakhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carniolahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_Armyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kostanjevica_na_Krkihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vipavski_Kri%C5%BEhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman-Habsburg_Warshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Bohori%C4%8Dhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohori%C4%8Dicahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counter-Reformationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Zemljovid_Slovenske_dezele_in_pokrajin.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croatian-Slovenian_peasant_revolthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matija_Gubechttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Oton_Ivekovic,_Smaknuce_Matije_Gupca_(na_trgu_ispred_crkve_sv._Marka_u_Zagrebu).jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Turkish_War


7/41

Peter Kozler's map of theSlovene Lands, designed duringthe Spring of Nations in 1848,

became the symbol of the questfor a United Slovenia.

reforms of the Habsburg rulers Maria Theresa ofAustria and Joseph II improved the economic situationof the peasantry, and were well received by theemerging bourgeoisie, which was however still weak.

In the late 18th century, a process ofstandardarization of Slovene language began,promoted by Carniolan clergymen like Marko Pohlinand Jurij Japelj. During the same period, peasant-writers began using and promoting the Slovenevernacular in the countryside. This popularmovement, known as bukovniki, started amongCarinthian Slovenes as part a wider revival of Slovene literature. The Slovene culturaltradition was strongly reinforced in the Enlightenment period in the 18th century by theendeavours of the Zois Circle. After two centuries of stagnation, Slovene literatureemerged again, most notably in the works of the playwright Anton Toma Linhart and the

poet Valentin Vodnik. However, German remained the main language of culture,administration and education well into the 19th century.

Between 1805 and 1813, Slovenia was part of the Illyrian Provinces, an autonomousprovince of the Napoleonic French Empire, the capital of which was established atLjubljana. Although the French rule in the Illyrian Provinces was short-lived it significantlycontributed to greater national self-confidence and awareness of freedoms. The Frenchdid not entirely abolish the feudal system, their rule familiarised in more detail theinhabitants of the Illyrian Provinces with the achievements of the French revolution andwith contemporary bourgeois society. They introduced equality before the law,

compulsory military service and a uniform tax system, and also abolished certain taxprivileges, introduced modern administration, separated powers between the state andthe Church, and nationalised the judiciary.

In August 1813, Austria declared war on France. Austrian troops led by General FranzTomassich invaded the Illyrian Provinces. After this short French interim all SloveneLands were, once again, included in the Austrian Empire. Slowly, a distinct Slovenenational consciousness developed, and the quest for a political unification of all Slovenesbecame widespread. In the 1820s and 1840s, the interest in Slovene language andfolklore grew enormously, with numerous many philologists collecting folk songs and

advancing the first steps towards a standardization of the language. A small number ofSlovene activist, mostly from Styria and Carinthia, embraced the Illyrian movement thatstarted in neighboring Croatia and aimed at uniting all South Slavic peoples. Pan-Slavicand Austro-Slavic ideas also gained importance. However, the intellectual circle aroundthe philologist Matija op and the Romantic poet France Preeren was influential inaffirming the idea of Slovene linguistic and cultural individuality, refusing the idea ofmerging the Slovenes into a wider Slavic nation.

In 1848, a mass political and popular movement for the United Slovenia (ZedinjenaSlovenija) emerged as part of the Spring of Nations movement within the Austrian

Empire. Slovene activists demanded a unification of all Slovene-speaking territories in aunified and autonomous Slovene kingdom within the Austrian Empire. Although theproject failed, it served as an almost undisputed platform of Slovene political activity in thefollowing decades.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_of_Nationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France_Pre%C5%A1erenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matija_%C4%8Cophttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austro-Slavismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan-Slavichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croatiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illyrian_movementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carinthia_(duchy)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Styriahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austrian_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_French_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Franz_Tomassich&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_servicehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourgeois_societyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_revolutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illyrian_Provinceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feudal_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illyrian_Provinceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ljubljanahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_French_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illyrian_Provinceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentin_Vodnikhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Toma%C5%BE_Linharthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovene_literaturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_Zoishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Enlightenmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carinthian_Sloveneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bukovnikhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernacularhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jurij_Japeljhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marko_Pohlinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carniolahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_II,_Holy_Roman_Emperorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Theresa_of_Austriahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_of_Nationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovene_Landshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Kozlerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Zemljovid_Slovenske_dezele_in_pokrajin.jpg


8/41

Members of the Catholic Orelassociation in Lower Carniola

before World War One

Clashing nationalisms in late 19th century

See also: Ethnic and religious composition of AustriaHungary

Between 1848 and 1918, numerous institutions(including theatres and publishing houses, as well as

political, financial and cultural organisations) werefounded in the so-called Slovene National Awakening.Despite their political and institutional fragmentationand lack of proper political representation, theSlovenes were able to establish a functioning nationalinfrastructure.

With the introduction of a constitution granting civiland political liberties in the Austrian Empire in 1860,the Slovene national movement gained force. Despite

its internal differentiation among the conservative Old Slovenes and the progressiveYoung Slovenes, the Slovene nationals defended similar programs, calling for a culturaland political autonomy of the Slovene people. In the late 1860s and early 1870s, a seriesof mass rallies called tabori, modeled on the Irish monster meetings, were organized insupport of the United Slovenia program. These rallies, attended by thousands of people,proved the allegiance of wider strata of the Slovene population to the ideas of nationalemancipation.

By the end of the 19th century, Slovenes had established a standardized literarylanguage, and a thriving civil society. Literacy levels were among the highest in the

Austro-Hungarian Empire, and numerous national associations were present atgrassroots level.[9] The idea of a common political entity of all South Slavs, known as

Yugoslavia, emerged.[10]

Since the 1880s, a fierce culture war between Catholic traditionalists and integralists onone side, and liberals, progressivists and anticlericals dominated Slovene political andpublic life, especially in Carniola. During the same period, the growth of industrializationintensified social tensions. Both Socialist and Christian socialist movements mobilized themasses. In 1905, the first Socialist mayor in the Austro-Hungarian Empire was elected in

the Slovene mining town of Idrija on the list of the Yugoslav Social Democratic Party. Inthe same years, the Christian socialist activist Janez Evangelist Krek organized hundredsof workers and agricultural cooperatives throughout the Slovene countryside.

At the turn of the 20th century, national struggles in ethnically mixed areas (especially inCarinthia, Trieste and in Lower Styrian towns) dominated the political and social lives ofthe citizenry. By the 1910s, the national struggles between Slovene and Italian speakersin the Austrian Littoral, and Slovene and German speakers, overshadowed other politicalconflicts and brought about a nationalist radicalization on both sides.

In the last two decades before World War One, Slovene arts and literature experiencedone of its most flourishing periods, with numerous talented modernist authors, painters

and architects.[11] The most important authors of this period were Ivan Cankar and Otonupani, while Ivan Grohar and Rihard Jakopi were among the most talented Slovene
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rihard_Jakopi%C4%8Dhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Groharhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oton_%C5%BDupan%C4%8Di%C4%8Dhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Cankarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#cite_note-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austrian_Littoralhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Styriahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triestehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carinthia_(duchy)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooperativehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janez_Evangelist_Krekhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yugoslav_Social_Democratic_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idrijahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_socialisthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialisthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carniolahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anticlericalismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integralismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#cite_note-9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yugoslaviahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Slavshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#cite_note-8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monster_meetingshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irelandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tabori_rallies&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Sloveneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Sloveneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Slovene_National_Awakening&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_and_religious_composition_of_Austria%E2%80%93Hungaryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Carniolahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Telovadni_odsek_Orla_v_Dobrni%C4%8Du.jpg


9/41


10/41

Rudolf Maister, whooccupied Maribor in

November 1918, anddeclared the annexation

of Lower Styria to theState of Slovenes, Croats

and Serbs

destroyed, and hundreds of thousands of Slovenes were resettled as refugees in parts ofAustria and Italy. While the situation in the Austrian refugee camps were relatively good,Slovene refugees in Italian camps were treated as state enemies, and several thousands

died of malnutrition and diseases between 1915 and 1918. [13]

In 1917, after the Battle of Caporetto ended the fighting on Austro-Hungarian (Slovenian)soil, the political life in Austria-Hungary resumed. The Slovene People's Party launched amovement for self-determination, demanding the creation of a semi-independent SouthSlavic state under Habsburg rule. The proposal was picked up by most Slovene parties,and a mass mobilization of Slovene civil society, known as the Declaration Movement,followed. By early 1918, more than 200,000 signatures were collected in favor of the

Slovene People Party's proposal.[14]

During the War, some 500 Slovenes served as volunteers inthe Serbian army, while a smaller group led by CaptainLjudevit Pivko, served as volunteers in the Italian Army. In

the final year of the war, many predominantly Sloveneregiments in the Austro-Hungarian Army staged a mutinyagainst their military leadership; the most famous mutiny ofSlovene soldiers was the Judenburg Rebellion in May

1918.[15]

With the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in October1918, the Slovenes formed the State of Slovenes, Croatsand Serbs, which soon merged with Serbia and Montenegrointo the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. The

western parts of the Slovene Lands (the Slovenian Littoraland western districts of Inner Carniola) were occupied by theItalian Army, and officially annexed to the Kingdom of Italy

with the Treaty of Rapallo in 1920.[16]

After the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy inlate 1918, an armed dispute started between the Slovenesand German Austria for the regions of Lower Styria and

southern Carinthia. In November 1918, Rudolf Maister seized the city of Maribor andsurrounding areas of Lower Styria in the name of the newly formed Yugoslav state.

Around the same time a group of volunteers led by Franjo Malgaj attempted to takecontrol of southern Carinthia. Fighting in Carinthia lasted between December 1918 andJune 1919, when the Slovene volunteers and the regular Serbian Army managed tooccupy the city of Klagenfurt. In compliance with the Treaty of Saint-Germain, theYugoslav forces had to withdraw from Klagenfurt, while a referendum was to be held inother areas of southern Carinthia. In October 1920, the majority of the population ofsouthern Carinthia voted to remain in Austria, and only a small portion of the province(around Dravograd and Gutanj) was awarded to the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats andSlovenes. With the Treaty of Trianon, however, Yugoslavia was awarded the Slovene-inhabited Prekmurje region, which had belonged to Hungary since the 10th century and

had little contact with the rest of the Slovene lands.[citation needed]

The interwar period
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prekmurjehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Trianonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravne_na_Koro%C5%A1kemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dravogradhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carinthian_Plebiscitehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Saint-Germain-en-Laye_(1919)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klagenfurthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franjo_Malgajhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariborhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_Maisterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duchy_of_Carinthiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Styriahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Austriahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#cite_note-15http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Rapallo,_1920http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Italy_(1861-1946)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inner_Carniolahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Serbs,_Croats_and_Sloveneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_Slovenes,_Croats_and_Serbshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#cite_note-Svajncer-14http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Judenburg_Rebellion&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ljudevit_Pivko&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#cite_note-13http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=May_Declaration_(1917)&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habsburg_dynastyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovene_People%27s_Party_(historical)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Caporettohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#cite_note-12http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_Slovenes,_Croats_and_Serbshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Styriahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariborhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_Maisterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rudolf_Maister_with_signiture.JPG


11/41

The Narodni dom, SloveneCommunity Hall in Trieste,burned down by the Fascist

squads in June 1920, becamethe symbol of Fascist

persecution of Slovenes andCroats in the Julian March.

The Nebotinik skyscraper inLjubljana, completed in 1933,was the highest building in the

Kingdom of Yugoslavia

See also: Kingdom of Yugoslavia and January 6th Dictatorship

In 1921, a centralist constitution was passed in theKingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes against thevote of the great majority (70%) of Slovene MPs.Despite the centralist policies of the Yugoslav

kingdom, Slovenes managed to maintain a high levelof cultural autonomy, and both economy and the artsprospered. Slovene politicians participated in almostall Yugoslav governments, and the Sloveneconservative leader Anton Koroec briefly served asthe only non-Serbian Prime Minister of Yugoslavia inthe period between the two world wars.

On the other hand, Slovenes in Italy, Austria andHungary, became victims of policies of State policies

of forced assimilation and sometimes violentpersecution. The Slovenian Littoral was annexed toItaly and included in the Julian March administrative

region. Between 1918 and 1922, several violent actions were directed against theSlovene communities in Italy, both by the mob and by ultra-nationalist militias. After 1922,a policy of violent Fascist Italianization was implemented, triggering the reaction of localSlovenes and Istrian Croats. In 1927, the militant anti-Fascist organization TIGR (anacronym for the place-names Trieste, Istria, Gorizia, and Rijeka) was founded. Between1922 and 1941, more than 70,000 Slovenes fled from the Italian Julian March, mostly toYugoslavia, but also to Argentina and other South American countries.

In 1929, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Sloveneswas renamed to Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Theconstitution was abolished, civil liberties suspended,while the centralist pressure intensified. Slovenia wasrenamed to Drava Banovina. During the wholeinterwar period, Slovene voters strongly supported theconservative Slovene People's Party, whichunsuccessfully fought for the autonomy of Sloveniawithin a federalized Yugoslavia. In 1935, however, the

Slovene People's Party joined the pro-regimeYugoslav Radical Community, opening the space forthe development of a left wing autonomist movement.In the 1930s, the economic crisis created a fertileground for the rising of both leftist and rightistradicalisms. In 1937, the Communist Party ofSlovenia was founded as an autonomous party withinthe Communist Party of Yugoslavia. Between 1938 and 1941, left liberal, Christian leftand agrarian forces established close relations with members of the illegal Communistparty, aiming at establishing a broad anti-Fascist coalition.

After 1918, Slovenia became one of the main industrial centers of Yugoslavia. Already in1919, the industrial production in Slovenia was four times greater than in Serbia, and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Fascisthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agrarianismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_lefthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_liberalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Yugoslaviahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yugoslav_Radical_Communityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovene_People%27s_Party_(historical)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drava_Banovinahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Yugoslaviahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Americahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentinahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rijekahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goriziahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istriahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triestehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TIGRhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Militant_anti-fascismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croatshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istriahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascist_Italianizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Marchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenian_Littoralhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forced_assimilationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Yugoslaviahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Koro%C5%A1echttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_autonomyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Serbs,_Croats_and_Sloveneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_6th_Dictatorshiphttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Yugoslaviahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Yugoslaviahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ljubljanahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neboti%C4%8Dnikhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Neboticnik-Ljubljana.JPGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Marchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squadristihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triestehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Narodni_dom&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Narodni_dom_triest.jpg


12/41

Adolf Hitler and Martin Bormannvisiting occupied Maribor in April

1941, officially launching theNazi anti-Slovene policies.

twenty-two times greater than in Yugoslav Macedonia. The interwar period brought afurther industrialization in Slovenia, with a rapid economic growth in the 1920s followedby a relatively successful economic adjustment to the 1929 economic crisis. Thisdevelopment however affected only certain areas, especially the Ljubljana Basin, theZasavje region, parts of Slovenian Carinthia, and the urban areas around Celje andMaribor. Tourism experienced a period of great expansion, with resort areas like Bledand Rogaka Slatina gaining a an international reputation. Elsewhere, agriculture andforestry remained the predominant economic activities. Nevertheless, Slovenia emergedas one of the most prosperous and economically dynamic areas in Yugoslavia, profitingfrom a large Balkanic market. Arts and literature also prospered, as did architecture. Thetwo largest Slovenian cities, Ljubljana and Maribor, underwent an extensive program ofurban renewal and modernization. Architects like Joe Plenik, Ivan Vurnik and Vladimirubic introduced modernist architecture to Slovenia.

World War Two

See also: Yugoslav People's Liberation War

On 6 April 1941, Yugoslavia was invaded by the AxisPowers. Slovenia was divided among the occupyingpowers: Fascist Italy occupied southern Slovenia(Lower Carniola, Inner Carniola and Ljubljana), NaziGermany got northern and eastern Slovenia (UpperCarniola, Slovenian Styria, Slovenian Carinthia andPosavje), while Horthy's Hungary was awarded thePrekmurje region. Some villages in south-eastern

Slovenia were annexed by the Independent State ofCroatia.

While the Italians gave Slovenes a cultural autonomywithin their occupation zone (the Province ofLjubljana), the Nazis started a policy of violentGermanisation, which culminated with the resettlement more than 83,000 Slovenes toother parts of the Third Reich, as well as to Serbia and Croatia. Already in the summer of1941, a liberation movement under the Communist leadership emerged.

Due to political assassinations carried out by the Communist squads, as well as the pre-existing radical anti-Communism of the conservative circles of the Slovenian society, acivil war between Slovenes broke out in the Italian-occupied south-eastern Slovenia(known as Province of Ljubljana) in spring of 1942. The two fighting factions were theLiberation Front of the Slovenian People and the Axis-sponsored anti-communist militia,the Slovene Home Guard, initially formed by local anti-Communist activists in order toprotect villages from partisans' incursions.

The Slovene partisan guerrillas managed to liberate large portions of the Slovene lands,contributing to the defeat of Nazism. As a result of the war the vast majority of the native

ethnic German population were either forcefully expelled or fled to neighboring Austria.Immediately after the war, some 12,000 members of the Slovene Home Guard werekilled in the area of the Koevski Rog, while thousands of anti-communist civilians werekilled in the first year after the war, many of them in concentration camps of Teharje and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teharjehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ko%C4%8Devski_Roghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yugoslav_partisanshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovene_Home_Guardhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberation_Front_of_the_Slovenian_Peoplehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Province_of_Ljubljanahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Communismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Reichhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germanisationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Province_of_Ljubljanahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_State_of_Croatiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prekmurjehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Hungary_(Regency)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posavjehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenian_Carinthiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenian_Styriahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Carniolahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_Germanyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inner_Carniolahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Carniolahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Italy_(1861-1946)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_Powershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Yugoslaviahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yugoslav_People%27s_Liberation_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_%C5%A0ubichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Vurnikhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo%C5%BEe_Ple%C4%8Dnikhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roga%C5%A1ka_Slatinahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bledhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariborhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celjehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenian_Carinthiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zasavjehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ljubljana_Basinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1929_economic_crisishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Macedoniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariborhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Bormannhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitlerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_121-0721,_Marburg-Drau,_Adolf_Hitler.jpg


13/41

Socialist Republic of Slovenia

within the Socialist FederalRepublic of Yugoslavia

terntal.[17]

These massacres were silenced, and remained a taboo topic until the late 1970s andearly 1980s, when dissident intellectuals brought it to public discussion. In addition,hundreds (some say thousands) of ethnic Italians from Istria and Trieste were killed by theYugoslav Army and partisan forces in the Foibe massacres, while some 27,000 of them

fled Slovenia from Communist persecution in the so-called Istrian exodus. The overallnumber of World War Two casualties in Slovenia is estimated to 89,000, while 14,000

people were killed immediately after the end of the war.[17] The overall number of WorldWar II casualties in Slovenia was thus of around 7.2% of the pre-war population, which isabove the Yugoslav average, and among the highest percentages in Europe.

The Communist period

See also: Titoism and Economy of SFR Yugoslavia

Following the re-establishment of Yugoslavia at theend of World War II, Slovenia became part of theSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, declared on29 November 1943. A socialist state was established,but because of the Tito-Stalin split, economic andpersonal freedoms were broader than in the EasternBloc. In 1947, Italy ceded most of the Julian March toYugoslavia, and Slovenia thus regained the SlovenianLittoral.

The dispute over the port of Trieste howeverremained opened until 1954, until the short-lived FreeTerritory of Trieste was divided among Italy andYugoslavia, thus giving Slovenia access to the sea. This division was ratified only in 1975with the Treaty of Osimo, which gave a final legal sanction to Slovenia's long disputedwestern border. From the 1950s, the Socialist Republic of Slovenia enjoyed a relativelywide autonomy.

Between 1945 and 1948, a wave of political repressions took place in Slovenia and inYugoslavia. Thousands of people were imprisoned for their political beliefs. Several tens

of thousands of Slovenes left Slovenia immediately after the war in fear of Communistpersecution. Many of them settled in Argentina, which became the core of Slovenian anti-Communist emigration. More than 50,000 more followed in the next decade, frequentlyfor economic reasons, as well as political ones. These later waves of Slovene immigrantsmostly settled in Canada and in Australia, but also in other western countries.

In 1948, the Tito-Stalin split took place. In the first years following the split, the politicalrepression worsened, as it extended to Communists accused of Stalinism. Hundreds ofSlovenes were imprisoned in the concentration camp of Goli Otok, together withthousands of people of other nationalities. Among the show trials that took place in

Slovenia between 1945 and 1950, the most important were the Nagode trial againstdemocratic intellectuals and left liberal activists (1946) and the Dachau trials (19471949), where former inmates of Nazi concentration camps were accused of collaborationwith the Nazis. Many members of the Roman Catholic clergy suffered persecution. The
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_concentration_campshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dachau_trials_(Yugoslavia)&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nagode_trial&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goli_Otokhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalinismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tito-Stalin_splithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentinahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_Republic_of_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Osimohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Territory_of_Triestehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triestehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenian_Littoralhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Marchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Blochttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tito-Stalin_splithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_Federal_Republic_of_Yugoslaviahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_SFR_Yugoslaviahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titoismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#cite_note-Godesa2002-16http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istrian_exodushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foibe_massacreshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triestehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istriahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istrian_Italianshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#cite_note-Godesa2002-16http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%C5%A0terntal&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_Federal_Republic_of_Yugoslaviahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_Republic_of_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:EslovaniaSocialista.svg


14/41

Marshal Josip Broz Titoconsulting with Edvard Kardelj

(right), the ideologue of theCommunist Party of Yugoslavia,

and one of the most powerfulpeople in Slovenia after 1945.

case of bishop of Ljubljana Anton Vovk, who was doused with gasoline and set on fire byCommunist activists during a pastoral visit to Novo Mesto in January 1952, echoed in thewestern press.

Between 1949 and 1953, a forced collectivization wasattempted. After its failure, a policy of gradualliberalization was followed. A new economic policy,known as workers self-management started to beimplemented under the advice and supervision of themain theorist of the Yugoslav Communist Party, theSlovene Edvard Kardelj.

In the late 1950s, Slovenia was the first of theYugoslav republics to begin a process of relativepluralization. A decade of fervent cultural and literaryproduction followed, with many tensions between theregime and the dissident intellectuals. By the late1960s, the reformist faction gained control of theSlovenian Communist Party, launching a series ofreforms, aiming at the modernization of Sloveniansociety and economy. In 1973, this trend was stoppedby the conservative faction of the SlovenianCommunist Party, backed by the Yugoslav Federal government. A period known as the"years of lead" (Slovene: svinena leta) followed.

From the late 1950s onward, dissident circles started to be formed, mostly around short-lived independent journals, such as Revija 57(19571958), which was the firstindependent intellectual journal in Yugoslavia and one of the first of this kind in the

Communist bloc,[18] and Perspektive(19601964). Among the most important criticalpublic intellectuals in this period were the sociologist Joe Punik, the poet EdvardKocbek, and the literary historian Duan Pirjevec.

In the 1980s, Slovenia experienced a rise of cultural pluralism. Numerous grass-rootspolitical, artistic and intellectual movements emerged, including the Neue SlowenischeKunst, the Ljubljana school of psychoanalysis, and the Nova revijaintellectual circle. Bythe mid 1980s, a reformist fraction, led by Milan Kuan, took control of the Slovenian

Communist Party, starting a gradual reform towards a market socialism and controlledpolitical pluralism.

The Yugoslav economic crisis of the 1980s increased the struggles within the YugoslavCommunist regime regarding the appropriate economic measures to be undertaken.Slovenia, which had less than 10% of overall Yugoslav population, produced around afifth of the country's GDP and a fourth of all Yugoslav exports. The political disputesaround economic measures was echoed in the public sentiment, as many Slovenes feltthey were being economically exploited, having to sustain an expensive and inefficientfederal administration.

Democracy and independence

See also: Breakup of Yugoslavia, Contributions for the Slovenian National Program,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contributions_for_the_Slovenian_National_Programhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakup_of_Yugoslaviahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_pluralismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market_socialismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milan_Ku%C4%8Danhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova_revijahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ljubljana_school_of_psychoanalysishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neue_Slowenische_Kunsthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Du%C5%A1an_Pirjevechttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edvard_Kocbekhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo%C5%BEe_Pu%C4%8Dnikhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Perspektive&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#cite_note-17http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Revija_57&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenian_Communist_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edvard_Kardeljhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workers%27_self-managementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_farminghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novo_Mestohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Vovkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Yugoslaviahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edvard_Kardeljhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josip_Brozhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tito_in_Kardelj.jpg


15/41

A column of the YugoslavPeople's Army during the Ten-

Day War

Janez Drnovek, Prime

Minister of Sloveniabetween 1992 and 2002,and President of Sloveniabetween 2002 and 2007

Ljubljana trial, and Ten-Day War

In 1987 and 1988, a series of clashes between theemerging civil society and the Communist regimeculminated with the so-called Slovenian Spring. Amass democratic movement, coordinated by theCommittee for the Defense of Human Rights, pushed

the Communists in the direction of democraticreforms. These revolutionary events in Slovenia pre-dated by almost one year the Revolutions of 1989 inEastern Europe, but went largely unnoticed byinternational observers.

At the same time, theconfrontation between the Slovenian Communists and theSerbian Communist Party, dominated by the charismaticnationalist leader Slobodan Miloevi, became the mostimportant political struggle in Yugoslavia. The pooreconomic performance of the Federation, and risingclashes between the different republics, created a fertilesoil for the rise of secessionist ideas among Slovenes, bothanti-Communists and Communists. In January 1990, theSlovenian Communists left the Congress of the CommunistParty of Yugoslavia in protest against the domination of theSerb nationalist leadership, thus effectively dissolving theYugoslav Communist Party, the only remaining institution

holding the country together.

In April 1990, the first free and democratic elections wereheld, and the Democratic Opposition of Slovenia defeatedthe former Communist party. A coalition government led bythe Christian Democrat Lojze Peterle was formed, andbegan economic and political reforms that established a market economy and a liberaldemocratic political system. At the same time, the government pursued theindependence of Slovenia from Yugoslavia. In December 1990, a referendum on theindependence of Slovenia was held, in which the overwhelming majority of Slovenian

residents (around 89%) voted for the independence of Slovenia from Yugoslavia.Independence was declared on 25 June 1991. A short Ten-Day War followed, in whichthe Slovenian forces successfully rejected Yugoslav military interference.

After 1990, a stable democratic system evolved, with economic liberalization and gradualgrowth of prosperity. Slovenia joined NATO on 29 March 2004 and the European Unionon 1 May 2004. Slovenia was the first post-Communist country to hold the Presidency ofthe Council of the European Union, for the first six months of 2008.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Slovenia

See also: Foreign relations of Slovenia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_the_Council_of_the_European_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten-Day_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_and_Unity_Dayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lojze_Peterlehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovene_Christian_Democratshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Opposition_of_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slobodan_Milo%C5%A1evi%C4%87http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolutions_of_1989http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Committee_for_the_Defense_of_Human_Rightshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Slovenian_Spring&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_societyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten-Day_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ljubljana_trialhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janez_Drnov%C5%A1ekhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Janez_Drnovsek.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten-Day_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yugoslav_People%27s_Armyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:T-55_slovenia_ypa.jpg


16/41

The Slovenian NationalAssembly.

Current President of Slovenia,

dr. Danilo Trk, speaking at aceremony on the 65thanniversary of the end of WorldWar Two and the liberation of

As a young independent republic, Slovenia pursuedeconomic stabilisation and further political openness,while emphasising its Western outlook and CentralEuropean heritage. Today, with a growing regionalprofile, a participant in the SFOR peacekeepingdeployment in Bosnia-Hercegovina and the KFOR

deployment in Kosovo, and a charter World TradeOrganization member, Slovenia plays a role on theworld stage quite out of proportion to its small size.

The Slovenian head of state is the president, who iselected by popular vote every five years, and hasmainly advisory and ceremonial duties. The executive branch is headed by the primeminister and the council of ministers or cabinet, who are elected by the NationalAssembly.

The incompletely bicameral Parliament of Slovenia is characterised by an asymmetricduality. The bulk of the power is concentrated in the National Assembly ( Dravni zbor),while the National Council (Dravni svet) only has a very limited advisory and controlpowers. The National Assembly has ninety members, 88 of which are elected by all thecitizens in a system of proportional representation, while two are elected by the registeredmembers of the autochthonous Hungarian and Italian minorities.

Elections take place every four years. The National Assembly is the supremerepresentative and legislative institution, exercising legislative and electoral powers aswell as control over the Executive and the Judiciary. The National Council has forty

members, appointed to represent social, economic, professional and local interestgroups. Among its most important powers is the "postponing veto" the National Councilreturn a bill to the National Assembly for further discussion. The veto can be overrun bythe National Assembly a majority vote.

The government, like most of the Slovenian polity, shares a common view of thedesirability of a close association with the West, specifically of membership in both theEuropean Union and NATO.

Between 1992 and 2004, the Slovenian political

scene was characterized by the rule of the LiberalDemocracy of Slovenia, which carried out much of theeconomic and political transformation of the country.The party's president Janez Drnovek, who served asPrime Minister between 1992 and 2002, was the oneof the most influential Slovenian politician of the1990s, together with the Slovenian President MilanKuan (served between 1990 and 2002), who wascredited for the peaceful transition from Communismto democracy.

Throughout this period, a policy of relative consensusbetween left and right wing political parties wasfollowed, favouring grand coalitions over single-party
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_coalitionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milan_Ku%C4%8Danhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janez_Drnov%C5%A1ekhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_Democracy_of_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATOhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vetohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proportional_representationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Council_(Slovenia)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Assembly_(Slovenia)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_of_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicameralhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenian_National_Assemblyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_(government)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minister_(government)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_minister_of_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_branchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_of_statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Trade_Organizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosovohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosovo_Forcehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosnia-Hercegovinahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SFORhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Europehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_Germanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_Twohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danilo_T%C3%BCrkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Osrednje_praznovanje_65._obletnice_zmage_nad_nacifa%C5%A1izmom_in_osvoboditve_Ljubljane_2010_(3).jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenian_National_Assemblyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Velika-dvorana.jpg


17/41


18/41

transformation, and rejecting shock therapies. The first phase of privatisation (sociallyowned property under the SFRY system) is now complete, and sales of remaining largestate holdings are planned for next year. Trade has been diversified toward the West(trade with EU countries make up 66% of total trade in 2000) and the growing markets ofcentral and eastern Europe. Manufacturing accounts for most employment, withmachinery and other manufactured products comprising the major exports. The economyprovides citizens with a good standard of living.

Main office holders

Office Name Party Since

President Danilo Trk Independent23 December2007

Prime Minister Borut Pahor Social Democrats21 November2008

President of the NationalAssembly

Pavel Gantar Zares 15 October 2008

Minister of Foreign AffairsSamuelbogar

Social Democrats21 November2008

Minister of InteriorKatarinaKresal

Liberal Democracy ofSlovenia

21 November2008

Minister of DefenceLjubicaJelui

Social Democrats21 November2008

Minister of Justice Ale ZalarLiberal Democracy ofSlovenia

21 November2008

Minister of Finance

Franc

Kriani Social Democrats

21 November

2008

Administrative divisions

Main articles: Statistical regions of Slovenia and Municipalities of Slovenia

Officially, Slovenia is subdivided into 210 municipalities (eleven of which have the statusof urban municipalities). The municipalities are the only body of local autonomy inSlovenia. Besides, there also exist 62 administrative districts, officially called

"Administrative Units" (upravne enote), which are not a body of local self-government, butterritorial sub-units of government administration. The Administrative Units are namedafter their capital, and are headed by a Head of the Unit (naelnik upravne enote),appointed by the Minister of Public Administration.

However, regional identity is strong in Slovenia. The traditional regions of Slovenia, basedon the former four Habsburg crown lands (Carniola, Carinthia, Styria, and the Littoral) arethe following:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenian_Littoralhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Styria_(duchy)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duchy_of_Carinthiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carniolahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_landhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Habsburghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipalities_of_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statistical_regions_of_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Democrats_(Slovenia)http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Franc_Kri%C5%BEani%C4%8D&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ministry_of_Finance_(Slovenia)&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_Democracy_of_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ale%C5%A1_Zalar&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ministry_of_Justice_(Slovenia)&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Democrats_(Slovenia)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ljubica_Jelu%C5%A1i%C4%8Dhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Defence_(Slovenia)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_Democracy_of_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katarina_Kresalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ministry_of_Interior_(Slovenia)&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Democrats_(Slovenia)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_%C5%BDbogarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Foreign_Affairs_(Slovenia)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zareshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavel_Gantarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Assembly_(Slovenia)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Democrats_(Slovenia)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borut_Pahorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_(politics)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danilo_T%C3%BCrkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Slovenia


19/41

Traditional regions

Statistical regions

SlovenianLittoral

Primorska Koper

Upper Carniola Gorenjska Kranj

Inner Carniola Notranjska Postojna

Lower Carniola Dolenjska Novo Mesto

Carinthia Koroka Ravne naKorokem

Lower Styria tajerska Maribor

Prekmurje Prekmurje Murska Sobota

The city of Ljubljana was historically theadministrative center of Upper Carniola. However,from the mid 19th century onward, it has not beenconsidered as part of any of the three subdivisions ofCarniola (Upper, Lower and Inner

Carniola).[citation needed] Nowadays, it is notconsidered part of any of the traditional historical

regions of Slovenia.[citation needed]

For statistical reasons, Slovenia is also subdivied into12 statistical regions, who have no administrative function. These are further subdividedinto two macroregions, for the purpose of the Regional policy of the European Union.These two macroregions are:

East Slovenia (Vzhodna Slovenija SI01), which groups the regions of Pomurska,Podravska, Koroka, Savinjska, Zasavska, Spodnjeposavska, JugovzhodnaSlovenija and Notranjsko-kraka.

West Slovenia (Zahodna Slovenija SI02), which groups the regions ofOsrednjeslovenska, Gorenjska, Gorika and Obalno-kraka.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Slovenia

See also: Protected areas of Slovenia

Slovenia is situated in Central Europetouching the Alps and bordering theMediterranean. It lies between latutudes45 and 47 N, and longitudes 13 and 17E. The 15th meridian east almostcorresponds to the middle line of the

country in the direction west-east.[19] Thegeographical centre of Slovenia is at the

coordinates 4607'11.8" N and 1448'55.2"E. It lies in Spodnja Slivna near Vae inthe municipality of Litija. Slovenia's highest
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Litijahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipalityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Va%C4%8Dehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spodnja_Slivna&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographic_coordinate_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geometric_Centre_of_the_Republic_of_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#cite_note-18http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15th_meridian_easthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17th_meridian_easthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/13th_meridian_easthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/47th_parallel_northhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/45th_parallel_northhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protected_areas_of_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regional_policy_of_the_European_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carniolahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ljubljanahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murska_Sobotahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prekmurjehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariborhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Styriahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravne_na_Koro%C5%A1kemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carinthia_(province)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novo_Mestohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Carniolahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postojnahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inner_Carniolahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kranjhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Carniolahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koperhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenian_Littoralhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:General_map_of_slovenia.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Statisticne.PNGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Slolands.PNG


20/41

Topographic map of Sloveniapeak is Triglav (2,864 m/9,396 ft); thecountry's average height above sea levelis 557 m (1,827 ft).

Four major European geographic regions meet in Slovenia: the Alps, the Dinarides, thePannonian Plain, and the Mediterranean. Although on the shore of the Adriatic Sea, nearthe Mediterranean, most of Slovenia is in the Black Sea drainage basin. The Alpsincluding the Julian Alps, the Kamnik-Savinja Alps and the Karavanke chain, as well asthe Pohorje massifdominate Northern Slovenia along its long border with Austria.

Slovenia's Adriatic coastline stretches approximately 47 km (29 mi) [20] from Italy toCroatia. The term "Karst topography" refers to that of southwestern Slovenia's KrasPlateau, a limestone region of underground rivers, gorges, and caves, between Ljubljanaand the Mediterranean. On the Pannonian plain to the East and Northeast, toward theCroatian and Hungarian borders, the landscape is essentially flat. However, the majorityof Slovenian terrain is hilly or mountainous, with around 90% of the surface 200 m (656ft) or more above sea level.

Around half of the country (11,691 km2/4,514 sq mi) is covered by forests; the third mostforested country in Europe, after Finland and Sweden. Remnants of primeval forests are

still to be found, the largest in the Koevje area. Grassland covers 5,593 km2 (2,159

sq mi) and fields and gardens (954 km2/368 sq mi). There are 363 km2 (140 sq mi) of

orchards and 216 km2 (83 sq mi) of vineyards. There is a Continental climate in thenortheast, a severe Alpine climate in the high mountain regions, and a sub-Mediterraneanclimate in the coastal region. Yet there is a strong interaction between these threeclimatic systems across most of the country. This variety is also reflected in climaticvariability over time and is an important factor determining the impact of global climatechange in the country.

Julian Alps, part of the Triglav National Park

Natural regions

The first regionalisations of Slovenia were made bygeographers Anton Melik (19351936) and Svetozar
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Svetozar_Ile%C5%A1i%C4%8D&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Melikhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triglav_National_Parkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Alpshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:View_from_Mangart_MC.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ko%C4%8Devjehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karst_topographyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#cite_note-19http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drainage_basinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Seahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_Seahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adriatic_Seahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterraneanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pannonian_Plainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinaric_Alpshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triglavhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Si-4geographic-regions.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:General_map_of_slovenia.svg


21/41

Landscape types in SloveniaAlpine landscape

Panonnian landscape

Dinaric landscape

Mediterranean landscape

Olm can be found in Postojnacave and others caves in country

Ilei (1968). The newer regionalisation by Ivan Gamsdivides Slovenia in the following macroregions:

the Alps (visokogorske Alpe)the Prealpine Hills (predalpsko hribovje)the Ljubljana Basin (Ljubljanska kotlina)Submediterranean (Littoral) Slovenia

(submediteranska primorska Slovenija)the Dinaric Karst of inner Slovenia (dinarski krasnotranje Slovenije)Subpannonian Slovenia (subpanonskaSlovenija)

According to a newer natural geographicregionalisation, the country consists of fourmacroregions. These are the Alpine, the Mediterranean, the Dinaric, and the Pannonianlandscapes. Macroregions are defined according to major relief units (the Alps, the

Pannonian plain, the Dinaric mountains) and climate types (submediterranean, temperatecontinental, mountain climate).[21] These are often quite interwoven.

Protected areas of Slovenia include national parks, regional parks, and nature parks.Under the Wild Birds Directive, 26 sites totalling roughly 25% of the nation's land are"Special Protected Areas"; the Natura 2000 proposal would increase the totals to 260

sites and 32% of national territory.[citation needed]

Biodiversity

Although Slovenia is a small country, there is an exceptionally wide variety of habitats. Inthe north of Slovenia are the Alps (namely, Julian Alps, Karavanke, Kamnik Alps), and inthe south stand the Dinaric Alps. There is also a small area of the Pannonian plain and aLittoral Region. Much of southwestern Slovenia is characterised by Classical Karst, avery rich, often unexplored underground habitat containing diverse flora and fauna.

58.5% of the country is covered by forests making it

the third most forested country in Europe.[22] Theforests are an important natural resource, but logging

is kept to a minimum, as Slovenians also value theirforests for the preservation of natural diversity, forenriching the soil and cleansing the water and air, forthe social and economic benefits of recreation andtourism, and for the natural beauty they give to theSlovenian landscape. In the interior of the country aretypical Central European forests, predominantly oakand beech. In the mountains, spruce, fir, and pine aremore common. The tree line is at 1,700 to 1,800 metres (or 5,575 to 5,900 ft).

Pine trees also grow on the Kras plateau, althoughonly one third of the region is now covered by pineforest. The Kras and White Carniola are known for theproteus. The lime/linden tree, also common in
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiliahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Carniolahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_linehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprucehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beechhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Europehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#cite_note-21http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fauna_(animals)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flora_(plants)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenian_Littoralhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pannonian_plainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinaric_Alpshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamnik_Alpshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karavankehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Alpshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natura_2000http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#cite_note-20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pannoniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macroregionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pannonian_Plainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karsthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinaric_Alpshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Littoralhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ljubljana_Basinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Prealpine_Hills&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ivan_Gams&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Svetozar_Ile%C5%A1i%C4%8D&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lipizzaner_2.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postojna_cavehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:P_anguinus1.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Si-4geographic-regions.jpg


22/41

A modern Lipizzan

Carniolan honey bee, is native toSlovenia and it is the subspecies

of the Western honey bee

Slovenian forests, is a national symbol.

In the Alps, flowers such as Daphne blagayana,various gentians (Gentiana clusii, Gentiana froelichi),Primula auricula, edelweiss (the symbol of Slovenemountaineering), Cypripedium calceolus, Fritillariameleagris(snake's head fritillary), and Pulsatilla

grandisare found.[citation needed]

The country'sfauna includes

marmots, Alpine ibex, and chamois. There arenumerous deer, roe deer, boar, and hares. Theedible dormouse is often found in the Slovenianbeech forests. Hunting these animals is a longtradition and is well described in the book The Glory

of the Duchy of Carniola(Slovene: Slava vojvodineKranjske, 1689), written by Janez Vajkard Valvasor(16411693). Some important carnivores include theEurasian lynx (reintroduced to the Koevje area in1973), European wild cats, foxes (especially the red

fox), and European jackal.[23] There are alsohedgehogs, martens, and snakes such as vipers andgrass snakes. As of March 2005, Slovenia also has alimited population of wolves and around four hundred brown bears.

There is a wide variety of birds, such as the Tawny Owl, the Long-eared Owl, the EagleOwl, hawks, and Short-toed Eagles. Various other birds of prey have been recorded, aswell as a growing number of ravens, crows and magpies migrating into Ljubljana and

Maribor where they thrive.[citation needed] Other birds include (both Black and Green)Woodpeckers and the White Stork, which nests in Prekmurje. The marble trout or

marmorata (Salmo marmoratus) is an indigenous Slovenian fish.[citation needed] Extensivebreeding programmes have been introduced to repopulate the marble trout into lakes andstreams invaded by non-indigenous species of trout.

The only regular species of cetaceans found in the northern Adriatic sea is the bottlenose

dolphin (Tursiops truncatus).[24]

Domestic animals originating in Slovenia include the indigenous Karst Shepherd, the

Carniolan honeybee and the Lipizzan horse.[citation needed] The latter two have also beentreated as national symbols of Slovena: the Carniolan bee since the times of Romanticnationalism, while the Lipizzan started being treated as such in the 20th

century.[citation needed]

Slovenia is a veritable cornucopia of forest, cavern and mountain-dwelling wildlife. Many

species that are endangered or can no longer be found in other parts of Europe can stillbe found here.[citation needed]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romantic_nationalismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_symbols_of_Sloveniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipizzanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carniolan_honeybeehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karst_Shepherdhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#cite_note-23http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottlenose_dolphinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cetaceahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trouthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marble_trouthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prekmurjehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Storkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodpeckerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariborhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ljubljanahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magpiehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short-toed_Eaglehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagle_Owlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-eared_Owlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tawny_Owlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_bearhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolveshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grass_snakehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viperinaehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedgehoghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia#cite_note-22http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_jackalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_foxhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_cathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ko%C4%8Devjehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_lynxhttp://en.wik

Documents

Slovenia - Wikipedia Jan2011