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Detailed data on Slovenia

Location: 46 00 N, 15 00 E -- Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Croatia and Italy

Flag : The Slovenian Flag

Description: three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red with the Slovenian seal (a shield with the image of Triglav in white against a blue background at the center, beneath it are two wavy blue lines depicting seas and rivers, and around it, there are three six-sided stars arranged in an inverted triangle); the seal is located in the upper hoist side of the flag centered in the white and blue bands

Geography

Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Croatia and Italy
Geographic coordinates: 46 00 N, 15 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area:

total area: 20,256 sq km
land area: 20,256 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than New Jersey

Land boundaries:

total: 1,207 km
border countries: Austria 324 km, Croatia 546 km, Italy 235 km, Hungary 102 km
Coastline: 46.6 km
Maritime claims: NA

International disputes: maritime border dispute with Croatia over direct access to the sea in the Adriatic; the border issue is currently under negotiation
Climate: Mediterranean climate on the coast, continental climate with mild to hot summers and cold winters in the plateaus and valleys to the east
Terrain: a short coastal strip on the Adriatic, an alpine mountain region adjacent to Italy, mixed mountain and valleys with numerous rivers to the east
Lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
Highest point: Triglav 2,864 m
Natural resources: lignite coal, lead, zinc, mercury, uranium, silver
Land use:

arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 2%
meadows and pastures: 20%
forest and woodland: 45%
other: 23%
Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment:

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

People

Population: 1,951,443 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:

0-14 years: 17% (male 172,778; female 163,695)
15-64 years: 70% (male 682,501; female 678,781)
65 years and over: 13% (male 91,819; female 161,869) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.27% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 8.27 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 9.4 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.57 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.94 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 7.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 75.09 years
male: 71.4 years
female: 79 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.13 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality:

noun: Slovene(s)
adjective: Slovenian

Ethnic divisions: Slovene 91%, Croat 3%, Serb 2%, Muslim 1%, other 3%
Religions: Roman Catholic 96% (including 2% Uniate), Muslim 1%, other 3%
Languages: Slovenian 91%, Serbo-Croatian 7%, other 2%
Literacy: NA

Government

Name of country:

Conventional long form: Republic of Slovenia
Conventional short form: Slovenia
Local long form: Republika Slovenija
Local short form: Slovenija

Data code: SI
Type of government: emerging democracy
Capital: Ljubljana
Administrative divisions: 60 provinces (pokajine, singular - pokajina) Ajdovscina, Brezice, Celje, Cerknica, Crnomelj, Dravograd, Gornja Radgona, Grosuplje, Hrastnik Lasko, Idrija, Ilirska Bistrica, Izola, Jesenice, Kamnik, Kocevje, Koper, Kranj, Krsko, Lenart, Lendava, Litija, Ljubljana-Bezigrad, Ljubljana-Center, Ljubljana-Moste-Polje, Ljubljana-Siska, Ljubljana-Vic-Rudnik, Ljutomer, Logatec, Maribor, Metlika, Mozirje, Murska Sobota, Nova Gorica, Novo Mesto, Ormoz, Pesnica, Piran, Postojna, Ptuj, Radlje Ob Dravi, Radovljica, Ravne Na Koroskem, Ribnica, Ruse, Sentjur Pri Celju, Sevnica, Sezana, Skofja Loka, Slovenj Gradec, Slovenska Bistrica, Slovenske Konjice, Smarje Pri Jelsah, Tolmin, Trbovlje, Trebnje, Trzic, Velenje, Vrhnika, Zagorje Ob Savi, Zalec
Independence: 25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)
National holiday: National Statehood Day, 25 June (1991)
Constitution: adopted 23 December 1991, effective 23 December 1991
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if employed)

Executive branch:

Chief of state: President Milan KUCAN (since 22 April 1990) was reelected for a five-year term by universal suffrage; election last held 6 December 1992 (next to be held NA 1997); results - Milan KUCAN reelected
Head of government: Prime Minister Janez DRNOVSEK (since 14 May 1992) was nominated by the president and elected by the National Assembly
Cabinet: Council of Ministers was nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly
Legislative branch: unicameral; advisory National Council
National Assembly: elections last held 6 December 1992 (next to be held Fall 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (90 total) LDS 22, SKD 15, ZLSD 14, SNS 12, SLS 10, DSS 6, ZS 5, SDSS 4, Hungarian minority 1, Italian minority 1; note - seating as of January 1996 is as follows: LDS 30, SKD 15, ZLSD 14, SLS 12, DSS 4, SDSS 4, SNS 4, SND 3, Hungarian minority 1, Italian minority 1, independents 2
National Council: the Council is an advisory body with no direct legislative powers; in the election of 6 December 1992, 40 members were elected to represent local, professional, and socioeconomic interests (next election to be held NA Fall 1996)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are elected by the National Assembly on recommendation of the Judicial Council; Constitutional Court, judges elected for nine-year terms by the National Assembly and nominated by the president

Political parties and leaders: Liberal Democratic (LDS), Janez DRNOVSEK, chairman; Slovene Christian Democrats (SKD), Lozje PETERLE, chairman; Social Democratic Party of Slovenia (SDSS), Janez JANSA, chairman; Slovene People's Party (SLS), Marjan PODOBNIK, chairman; United List (former Communists and allies - ZLSD), Janez KOCIJANCIC, chairman; Slovene National Party (SNS), Zmago JELINCIC, chairman; Democratic Party (DSS), Tone PERSAK, chairman; Greens of Slovenia (ZS), Dusan PLUT, chairman, note - Greens merged with the LDS; Slovene National Right (SND), Saso LAP, chairman
note: parties have changed as of the December 1992 elections

Other political or pressure groups: none
International organization participation: CCC, CE, CEI, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NACC, NAM (guest), OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

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

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

Economy

Economic overview: Slovenia appears to be making a solid economic recovery, fulfilling the promise it showed at the time of Yugoslavia's breakup. Its per capita GDP is now the highest in Central and Eastern Europe and not far below the levels in the poorer West European countries. Slovenia has benefited from strong ties to Western Europe and suffered comparatively small physical damage during Yugoslavia's breakup. The beginning was difficult, however. Real GDP fell 15% in 1991-92, while inflation soared to 200% in 1992 and unemployment reached 9%. The turning point came in 1993, when real GDP grew 1%, unemployment leveled off, and inflation slowed dramatically. In 1994, real GDP rose 5.5%, tapering off to an estimated 4.8% in 1995, while inflation and unemployment both were down to about 8% by late 1995. The government gets good marks from foreign observers for fiscal policy - the budget deficit has not exceeded 1% of GDP in any year since 1991, and the current account balance has remained in surplus throughout the transition period, with the exception of 1995. The Slovene privatization program, which began in 1994, involves about 1,400 firms, but only 412 have been privatized. The rest are expected to reach private hands by end-1996, but that does not include firms in so-called strategic industries, such as telecommunications and energy. Foreign investment jumped to an estimated $150 million in 1995 from $83.7 million in 1994. With inflation and unemployment expected to continue edging down, the outlook for 1996 is generally good. A slowdown in Western Europe - which buys 70% of Slovenia's exports - could hurt exports, however, lowering GDP growth to about 4% and perhaps pushing the current account into a small deficit.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $22.6 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 4.8% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $11,000 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector:

agriculture: 5.3%
industry: 39.9%
services: 54.8% (1992 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8% (December 1995 est.)
Labor force: 786,036
by occupation: agriculture 2%, manufacturing and mining 46%

Unemployment rate: 8% (December 1995 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $6.6 billion
expenditures: $6.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993)

Industries: ferrous metallurgy and rolling mill products, aluminum reduction and rolled products, lead and zinc smelting, electronics (including military electronics), trucks, electric power equipment, wood products, textiles, chemicals, machine tools
Industrial production growth rate: 2% (1995 est.)

Electricity:

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

Agriculture: potatoes, hops, wheat, sugar beets, corn, grapes; cattle, sheep, poultry
Illicit drugs: transit point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe
Exports: $8.3 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)

commodities: machinery and transport equipment 27%, intermediate manufactured goods 26%, chemicals 9%, food 4.8%, raw materials 3%, consumer goods 26% (1993)
partners: Germany 30.9%, former Yugoslavia 14.0%, Italy 14.1%, France 8.9%, Austria 6.4%, CEFTA (Central European Free Trade Agreement) countries 5% (January-August 1995 est.)

Imports: $9.1 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)

commodities: machinery and transport equipment 30%, intermediate manufactured goods 17.6%, chemicals 11.5%, raw materials 5.3%, fuels and lubricants 10.8%, food 8.4% (1993)
partners: Germany 23.3%, Italy 16.8%, former Yugoslavia 7.0%, France 8.5%, Austria 9.7% (January-August 1995 est.)

External debt: $2.9 billion (1995)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $5 million (1993)
Currency: 1 tolar (SlT) = 100 stotins
Exchange rates: tolars (SlT) per US$1 - 121.27 (November 1995), 118.9 (1995), 128.81 (1994), 113.24 (1993), 81.29 (1992), 27.57 (1991)
Fiscal year: calendar year

Transportation

Railways:

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

Highways:

total: 14,794 km
paved: 13,314 km (including 187 km of expressways)
unpaved: 1,480 km (1994 est.)

Waterways: NA
Pipelines: crude oil 290 km; natural gas 305 km
Ports: Izola, Koper, Piran
Merchant marine:

total: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 229,727 GRT/290,456 DWT (controlled by Slovenian owners)
ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 1, container 4
note: ships operate under the flags of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Singapore, Liberia, and Antigua and Barbuda; no ships remain under the Slovenian flag (1995 est.)

Airports:

total: 14
with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1
with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 1
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1
with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 2
with paved runways under 914 m: 5
with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 2
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 2 (1995 est.)

Communications

Telephones: 527,800 (1993 est.)
Telephone system:

domestic: NA
international: NA

Radio broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 0
note: there are more than 20 regional and local radio broadcast stations
Radios: 596,100 (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 7
note: there are more than 20 local cable television broadcast stations
Televisions: 454,400 (1993 est.)

Defense

Branches: Slovene Defense Forces
Manpower availability:

males age 15-49: 525,925
males fit for military service: 419,456
males reach military age (19) annually: 15,350 (1996 est.)

Defense expenditures: 13.5 billion tolars, 3.6% of GDP (1995 est.); note - conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results