The Republic of Slovenia is bordered by Austria, Hungary, Italy, Croatia and
the Adriatic Sea. Ljubljana is the capital.
Most of Slovenia, has a continental climate (warm summers and cold winters) with
Mediterranean weather along the Adriatic coast.
Slovenia's landscape is varied.Slovenia's terrain consists of mountains, hills, plateaux, karst limestone
region and a strip of Adriatic coastline. Slovenia's major rivers include the
Drava, Sava and Mura. There are lakes (such as Bled and Bohinj),
rivers, waterfalls, mountains and many limestone caves. Forests cover around
fifty percent of the country.Triglav National Park is one of Europe's largest parks and Strunjan Landscape
Park is a protected coastal area. The Secovlje saltpans are on the Ramsar List
of Wetlands of International Importance.
Slovenia has many species of birds and animals. Wildlife includes deer, chamois,
lynx and the brown bear.
Slovenia has a number of buildings of historical and architectural interest.
Examples are Bled Castle, Predjama Castle, Ptuj Castle and the medieval towns of
Izola, Koper and Piran. Many buildings, like those in Ptuj are protected
national monuments.
Ljubljana Castle is built on a hill and has a commanding view of the surrounding
area. Its strategic position has meant that the site has been occupied since
prehistoric times. The present Castle dates back to the fifteenth century and
has seen the town below expand to become the capital city of Slovenia. In the
twentieth century Ljubljana was enhanced by the designs of the architect
Joze Plecnik (1872-1957). Plecnik was influenced by classical architecture
developing his own style, fusing traditional architecture with contemporary
design.
Today Slovenia has many fine modern structures - design and technology
benefiting from government support.
The majority of the people are
Slovenes. Ethnic minorities are Hungarians and Italians. They are considered
indigenous minorities with rights protected under the Constitution. Other ethnic
groups are Croats, Serbs, Bosniacs (Muslims), Yugoslavs, Macedonians,
Montenegrins and Albanians.The language of Slovenia is Slovene. In nationally mixed regions Italian and
Hungarian are spoken.
Over seventy percent of the population are Roman Catholic.
Slovenian cuisine has been greatly influenced by the surrounding countries, for
example Austria and Italy. Main meals often consist of soup and a meat (pork,
beef) or fish dish accompanied by salad and bread.Milk and cheese, especially cottage cheese, are traditional to the Slovene diet.
Espresso coffee and herbal and iced teas are popular. Fruit juices are produced
locally. Alcoholic drinks include wine, beer and plum brandy (Slivovica).
Slovenia occupies an area about the size of the state of Massachusetts. It is
largely a mountainous republic and almost half of the land is forested, with
hilly plains spread across the central and eastern regions. Mount Triglav, the
highest peak, rises to 9,393 ft (2,864 m).
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