Slovenia is the success story of the Balkans. With thriving consumer electronics and tourism industries, the country has the strongest economy of any EU accession nation. Slovenia has much to interest visitors, attractions include the Julian Alps with the picturesque Lake Bled in Bled and Soča Valley, as well as the nation's highest peak, Mount Triglav. Perhaps even more famous is Slovenia's Karst named after the Karst plateau in southwestern Slovenia. More than 28 million visitors have visited Postojna Cave, while a 15-minute ride from it are Škocjan caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Further in the same direction is the coast of the Adriatic sea, with a jewel of Venetian style Gothic architecture, Piran. The hills around the nation's second-largest city, Maribor, are renowned for their wine-making. Even though Slovenes tend to consume most of the wine they produce, some brands like Lutomer have made their appearance abroad. Geology has made the northeastern part of the country rich with spas, with Rogaška Slatina being perhaps its most prominent site.

Population: 2.111.070

Largest Cities (over 100,000 inhabitants):

Ljuljana - 275.882, Maribor - 114.042, Nova Gorica - 100.253

Total area: 20,273 sq km
land: 20,151 sq km
water: 122 sq km

Ljubljana

Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia, situated on the outfall of the river Ljubljanica into the Sava, in central Slovenia, between the Alps and the Mediterranean. Historians disagree as to where the name comes from. Although it is commonly pointed out that it originates out of the Slovenian word ljubljena (a feminine form of beloved), this is not known for certain. The name may just as well have evolved from the Latin term for a flooding river, aluviana. Some also believe the source of the present-day name is Laburus, an old Slavonic deity and supposed patron of the original settlement. And Laibach, the German name for the city, may have borrowed itself from Laubach (a lukewarm beck, in German). Although the Roman settlement Emona (Colonia Emona (Aemona) Iulia tribu Claudia) was erected in 15 AD, the first records mentioning Ljubljana by its modern name date to 1144 (by its German name Laibach) and 1146 (by name Luwigana).

After receiving its town rights in 1220, Ljubljana came under Habsburg rule in 1335, became the seat of the diocese in 1461, and developed into a Slovenian cultural centre during the late Middle Ages. The Habsburg rule was only interrupted by the Napoleonic wars, and between 1809 and 1813 Ljubljana was the capital of the French Illyrian provinces. In 1821 the city hosted the Congress of Laibach. While under Austrian rule, Ljubljana was the capital of Carniola. With the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, Ljubljana became the seat of the Dravska banovina. In April 1941 it was occupied by Italy and on February 23, 1942 Italians completely encircled it with 32 km of barbwire and thus effectively turned it into the largest war camp in Europe with very restricted access through checkpoints. For that it was the first Yugoslav city granted a status of Town - Hero after the war. After World War II it was the capital of the Yugoslav socialist republic of Slovenia. Ljubljana remained the capital city when Slovenia gained independence in 1991.

Ljubljana was devastated by earthquakes several times. After the earthquake in 1511, Ljubljana was rebuilt in the Renaissance style, and after the earthquake 1895 severely damaged the city, in Neo-Classicist and Secession (Art Nouveau) styles. The city's architecture is thus a mixture of styles. Large areas of city built between the two world wars feature the work of native architect Jože Plečnik. In 1693, a scholarly society Academia operosorum Labacensis was established in Ljubljana, followed by the Philharmonic Society (Academia philharmonicorum) in 1701. Ljubljana formed its university in 1919 and the National Academy of Sciences and Arts in 1937.

Slovenian culture

Slovenia got its first printed book with protestant reformer Primož Trubar (1508-1586). It was actually two books, Catechismus (a catechism) and Abecedarium, which was published in 1550 in Tübingen, Germany. Part of the country, namely Carniola (which existed until the 19th century) was etnographically and historically well described in the book The Glory of the Duchy of Carniola (Die Ehre des Herzogthums Crain), published in 1689 by baron Janez Vajkard Valvasor (1641-1693). Slovenia's two great literates were poet Dr. France Prešeren (1800-1849) and writer Ivan Cankar (1876-1918). The most important Slovenian painters are Ivana Kobilca and impressionist Rihard Jakopič. The most important Slovenian architect is Jože Plečnik. Slovenia's learned men include physicist Jožef Stefan, linguist Franc Miklošič and mathematician Jurij Vega.

Slovenia is a homeland of numerous musicians and composers, including Renaissance composer Jacobus Gallus (1550-1591). He influenced Central European classical music very much. More contemporary ones are Slavko Avsenik and Laibach. Slavko Avsenik is one of the most influential and popular polka and waltz musicians in the world. Oberkrainer music, which the Avsenik Ensemble popularized, remains very popular today and is always a strong candidate for country (folk) music awards in Slovenia and Austria. Slavko and his brother, Vilko, are usually credited as the pioneers of Slovenian popular music, having solidified its style in the 1950s. One of the most famous modern Slovenian bands is Laibach, an early 1980s industrial music group. Ljubljana-native Bratko Bibič's former band Begnagrad was a massively influential 1970s group that are considered one of the direct influences on modern world music. Bibič's unique accordion style, often solo, with no accompaniment, has also made him a solo star.

The music of Slovenia is closely related to German, Austrian and Istrian because of its common history and Alpine and littoral culture. In the minds of many Slovenes and foreigners, Slovenian folk music means a form of polka that is still popular today, although Slovenian folk music consists of many different styles and is far from being only polka and waltz. Folk music includes velike goslarije, a type of big band music, the bowed zither and panpipes, and rural harmony singing. Folk revivalists include Katice, Trinajsto prase, Musicante Istriani and Tolovaj Mataj.

A brief history of Slovenia

In ancient times Celts and Illyrians inhabited the territory of present-day Slovenia. The Roman Empire established its rule in the region in the 1st century, after 200 years of fights with the local tribes. The most important ancient Roman cities in this area included: Celeia (now Celje), Emona (Ljubljana), Nauportus (Vrhnika), Poetovio (Ptuj). The very first Slavic and Slovenian state, Karantania, mainly occupied the territory of today's Austrian Carinthia and Slovenian Carinthia. The early history of the Karantanian state remains unknown. One hypothesis suggests that this state emerged in the 6th century, once the Lombards moved west and invaded northern Italy. Karantania definitely already existed in the 8th century. In 746 Karantania became dependent on the Bavarians. From as early as the 9th century, the lands inhabited by Karantanians, later Slovenes, fell under non-Karantanian ruler, including partial but co-operative control by Bavarian dukes and by the Republic of Venice.

The Slovenes living in the provinces of Carinthia, Carniola and Styria, lived under the rule of the Habsburg dynasty from the 14th century until 1918, with the exception of Napoleon's 4-year tutelage of parts of modern-day Slovenia and Croatia — the "Illyrian provinces". While the elites of these regions mostly became Germanized, the peasants strongly resisted Germanizing influences and retained their unique Slavic language and culture. After some flirtation with the Reformation in the 16th century, the region became re-Catholicized under the rule of Archduke Ferdinand of Inner Austria (ruled 1590 - 1637), who later became Emperor and pursued similar policies in the other Habsburg territories.

In the 19th century intellectuals codified Slovene into a literary language, and Slovene nationalist movements began to take hold, initially demanding Slovene autonomy within the framework of the Habsburg Monarchy. In 1918, after World War I, the Slovenes joined with other southern Slav peoples in forming the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs 29 October 1918) and then the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (1 December 1918) under King Peter I of Serbia. Renamed in 1929, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia fell to the Axis powers during World War II, when Germany and Italy each annexed parts of Slovenia.

Following Yugoslav partisan resistance to German, Hungarian, and Italian occupation and elimination of rival resistance groups, Josip Broz Tito established in 1945 the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, of which Slovenia formed a constituent republic. Slovenia continued to form Yugoslavia's most prosperous and advanced republic through the communist era, at the forefront of Yugoslavia's unique version of communism. Within a few years of Tito's death in 1980, Belgrade initiated plans to continue concentrating political and economic power in its hands. Defying the politicians in Belgrade, Slovenia embraced democracy and opened its society in the cultural, civic, and economic spheres to a degree almost unprecedented in the communist world. In September 1989, the General Assembly of the Yugoslav Republic of Slovenia adopted an amendment to its constitution asserting Slovenia's right to secede from Yugoslavia. On December 23, 1990, 88% of Slovenia's population voted for independence in a referendum, and on June 25, 1991, the Republic of Slovenia declared its independence. A nearly bloodless 10-day war with Yugoslavia followed (27 June 1991 - 6 July 1991); Yugoslav People's Army forces withdrew after Slovenia demonstrated stiff resistance to Belgrade.

Historical ties to Western Europe made Slovenia a strong candidate for accession to the European Union and NATO. It became a member of NATO in March 2004 and joined the European Union on May 1, 2004.