Entered EU: 2004
Political system: Republic
Capital city: Ljubljana
Size: 20 273 km²
Population: 2 million
Currency: euro
Official EU language: Slovenian
Slovenia became independent in 1991 as Yugoslavia disintegrated.
It is bordered by Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia.
The country is mountainous, and Slovenes are keen skiers and hikers.
Four large European geographic regions meet in Slovenia, the Alps, the Dinaric area, the Pannonian plain and the Mediterranean.
The capital, Ljubljana, whose university with more than 50 000 students, contributes to the city’s cultural life.
Industries include car parts, chemicals, electronics, electrical appliances, metal goods, textiles and furniture.
Tourist attractions include the famous caves at Postojna, with their decor of stalactites and stalagmites.
Railways
Rail network of Slovenia
total: 1,229 km operated by Slovenian Railways
Railway links with adjacent countries
Italy – yes
Croatia – yes
Hungary – yes
Austria – yes
Roads
total: 20,155 km
paved: 18,381 km (including 504 km of expressways)
unpaved: 1,774 km (2004 est.)
Highways
The first highway in Slovenia, the A1, was opened in 1970.
It connects Vrhnika and Postojna.
Constructed under the liberal minded government of Stane Kavčič their development plan envisioned a modern highway network spanning Slovenia and connecting the republic to Italy and Austria.
After the liberal fraction of the Communist Party of Slovenia was deposed, expansion of the Slovenian highway network came to a halt. In the 90s the new country started the ‘National Programme of Highway Construction’, effectively re-using the old communist plans.
Since then about 400 km of motorways, expressways and similar roads have been completed, easing automotive transport across the country and providing a strong road service between eastern and western Europe.
This has provide a boost to the national economy, encouraging the development of transportation and export industries.
There are two types of highways in Slovenia.
Avtocesta (abbr. AC) are dual carriage way motorways with a speed limit of 130 km/h. They have green road signs as in Italy, Croatia and other countries.
A hitra cesta (HC) is a secondary road also a dual carriageway but without a hard shoulder for emergencies. They have a speed limit of 100 km/h and have blue road signs.
Since the 1st June 2008 highway users in Slovenia have been required to buy a vignette. This system was investigated by the EU Commission that it was unfair upon holiday makers and other non Slovenian users of the highway system.
On 28 January 2010, after short-term vignettas were introduced by Slovenia and some other changes were made to the Slovenian vignette system, the European Commission concluded that the vignette system is in accordance with the European law
Airports
Slovenia has 3 international airports of any note.
Ljubljana airport is by far the busiest airport in the country with connections to many major European destinations.
More than 1,5 million passengers pass through per annum and 22,000 tonnes of cargo is moved per year.
The second largest international airport serves Maribor.
However, this has struggled since Slovenian independence due to economic changes in the Maribor region.
There is also a small international airport in Sečovlje on the Slovene littoral, near the resort town of Portorož, which only serves small private aircraft.
