Slovenia




                                 Geography


Location:
     Balkan State, Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between
     Austria and Croatia
Map references:
     Ethnic Groups in Eastern Europe, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the
     World
Area:
total area:
     20,296 sq km
land area:
     20,296 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly larger than New Jersey
Land boundaries:
     total 1,045 km, Austria 262 km, Croatia 501 km, Italy 199 km, Hungary
     83 km
Coastline:
     32 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
     200-m depth or to depth of exploitation
territorial sea:
     12 nm
International disputes:
     dispute with Croatia over fishing rights in the Adriatic and over some
     border areas; 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
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; heavy metals
     and toxic chemicals along coastal waters; forest damage near Koper
     from air pollution originating at metallurgical and chemical plants
natural hazards:
     subject to flooding and earthquakes
international agreements:
     party to - Air Pollution, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear
     Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not
     ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change


                                  People


Population:
     1,972,227 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     0.23% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     11.81 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     9.5 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     8.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     74.36 years
male:
     70.49 years
female:
     78.44 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     1.67 children born/woman (1994 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:
total population:
     NA%
male:
     NA%
female:
     NA%
Labor force:
     786,036




by occupation:
     agriculture 2%, manufacturing and mining 46%


                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     Republic of Slovenia
conventional short form:
local long form:
     Republika Slovenije
local short form:
     Slovenija
Digraph:
     SI
Type:
     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:
     Statehood Day, 25 June (1991)
Constitution:
     adopted 23 December 1991, effective 23 December 1991
Legal system:
     based on civil law system
Suffrage:
     16 years of age, if employed;  18 years of age, universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
     President Milan KUCAN (since 22 April 1990); election last held 6
     December 1992 (next to be held NA 1996); results - Milan KUCAN
     reelected by direct popular vote
head of government:
     Prime Minister Janez DRNOVSEK (since 14 May 1992); Deputy Prime
     Minister Lojze PETERLE (since NA)
cabinet:
     Council of Ministers
Legislative branch:
     bicameral National Assembly




State Assembly:
     elections last held 6 December 1992 (next to be held NA 1996); results
     - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (total 90) LDS 22, SKD 15,
     United List (former Communists and allies) 14, Slovene National Party
     12, SLS 10, Democratic Party 6, ZS 5, SDSS 4, Hungarian minority 1,
     Italian minority 1
State Council:
     will become operational after next election in 1996; in the election
     of 6 December 1992 40 members were elected to represent local and
     socioeconomic interests
Judicial branch:
     Supreme Court, Constitutional Court
Political parties and leaders:
     Slovene Christian Democrats (SKD), Lozje PETERLE, chairman; Liberal
     Democratic (LDS), Janez DRNOVSEK, chairman; Social-Democratic Party of
     Slovenia (SDSS), Joze PUCNIK, chairman; Socialist Party of Slovenia
     (SSS), Viktor ZAKELJ, chairman; Greens of Slovenia (ZS), Dusan PLUT,
     chairman; National Democratic, Rajko PIRNAT, chairman; Democratic
     Peoples Party, Marjan PODOBNIK, chairman; Reformed Socialists (former
     Communist Party), Ciril RIBICIC, chairman; United List (former
     Communists and allies); Slovene National Party, leader NA; Democratic
     Party, Igor BAVCAR; Slovene People's Party (SLS), Ivan OMAN
note:
     parties have changed as of the December 1992 elections
Other political or pressure groups:
     none
Member of:
     CCC, CE, CEI, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF,
     IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU,
     NAM (guest), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador Ernest PETRIC
chancery:
     1525 New Hampshir Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20036
telephone:
     (202) 667-5363
consulate(s) general:
     New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador E. Allan WENDT
embassy:
     P.O. Box 254, Prazakova 4, 61000 Ljubljana
mailing address:
     use embassy street address
telephone:
     [386] (61) 301-427/472/485
FAX:
     [386] (61) 301-401




Flag:
     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


                                  Economy


Overview:
     Slovenia was by far the most prosperous of the former Yugoslav
     republics, with a per capita income more than twice the Yugoslav
     average, indeed not far below the levels in neighboring Austria and
     Italy. Because of its strong ties to Western Europe and the small
     scale of damage during its brief fight for independence from
     Yugoslavia, Slovenia has the brightest prospects among the former
     Yugoslav republics for economic recovery over the next few years. The
     dissolution of Yugoslavia, however, has led to severe short-term
     dislocations in production, employment, and trade ties. For example,
     overall industrial production has fallen 26% since 1990; particularly
     hard hit have been the iron and steel, machine-building, chemical, and
     textile industries. Meanwhile, the continued fighting in other former
     Yugoslav republics has led to further destruction of long-established
     trade channels and to an influx of tens of thousands of Croatian and
     Bosnian refugees. The key program for breaking up and privatizing
     major industrial firms was established in late 1992. Despite slow
     progress in privatization Slovenia has reasonable prospects for an
     upturn in 1994. Bright spots for encouraging Western investors are
     Slovenia's comparatively well-educated work force, its developed
     infrastructure, and its Western business attitudes, but instability in
     Croatia is a deterrent. Slovenia in absolute terms is a small economy,
     and a little Western investment would go a long way.
National product:
     GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $15 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     0% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
     $7,600 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     22.9% (1993)
Unemployment rate:
     15.5% (1993)
Budget:
revenues:
     $NA
expenditures:
     $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports:
     $5.1 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities:
     machinery and transport equipment 38%, other manufactured goods 44%,
     chemicals 9%, food and live animals 4.6%, raw materials 3%, beverages
     and tobacco less than 1% (1992)




partners:
     Germany 27%, Croatia 14%, Italy 13%, France 9% (1992)
Imports:
     $5.3 billion (c.i.f., 1993)
commodities:
     machinery and transport equipment 35%, other manufactured goods 26.7%,
     chemicals 14.5%, raw materials 9.4%, fuels and lubricants 7%, food and
     live animals 6% (1992)
partners:
     Germany 23%, Croatia 14%, Italy 14%, France 8%, Austria 8% (1992)
External debt:
     $1.9 billion
Industrial production:
     growth rate -2.8% (1993); accounts for 30% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
     2,900,000 kW
production:
     10 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
     5,090 kWh (1992)
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
Agriculture:
     accounts for 5% of GDP; dominated by stock breeding (sheep and cattle)
     and dairy farming; main crops - potatoes, hops, hemp, flax; an export
     surplus in these commodities; Slovenia must import many other
     agricultural products and has a negative overall trade balance in this
     sector
Illicit drugs:
     NA
Economic aid:
     $NA
Currency:
     1 tolar (SlT) = 100 stotins
Exchange rates:
     tolars (SIT) per US$1 - 112 (June 1993), 28 (January 1992)
Fiscal year:
     calendar year


                              Communications


Railroads:
     1,200 km, 1.435 m gauge (1991)
Highways:
total:
     14,553 km
paved:
     10,525 km
unpaved:
     gravel 4,028 km




Inland waterways:
     NA
Pipelines:
     crude oil 290 km; natural gas 305 km
Ports:
     coastal - Koper
Merchant marine:
     19 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 309,502 GRT/521,997 DWT
     controlled by Slovenian owners, bulk 13, cargo 6
note:
     most under the flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; no ships
     remain under the Slovenian flag
Airports:
total:
     14
usable:
     13
with permanent-surface runways:
     6
with runways over 3,659 m:
     0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     2
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     2
Telecommunications:
     130,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 6 AM, 5 FM, 7 TV; 370,000
     radios; 330,000 TVs


                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     Slovene Defense Forces
Manpower availability:
     males age 15-49 513,885; fit for military service 411,619; reach
     military age (19) annually 15,157 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
     13.5 billion tolars, 4.5% of GDP (1993); note - conversion of the
     military budget into US dollars using the current exchange rate could
     produce misleading results