1996 Edition

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

Location

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

Area

comparative area

slightly larger than New Jersey

land area

20,256 sq km

total area

20,256 sq km

Climate

Mediterranean climate on the coast, continental climate with mild to hot summers and cold winters in the plateaus and valleys to the east

Coastline

46.6 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

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

natural hazards

flooding and earthquakes

Geographic coordinates

46 00 N, 15 00 E

International disputes

maritime border dispute with Croatia over direct access to the sea in the Adriatic; the border issue is currently under negotiation

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

border countries

Austria 324 km, Croatia 546 km, Italy 235 km, Hungary 102 km

total

1,207 km

Land use

arable land

10%

forest and woodland

45%

meadows and pastures

20%

other

23%

permanent crops

2%

Location

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Croatia and Italy

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

NA

Natural resources

lignite coal, lead, zinc, mercury, uranium, silver

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

highest point

Triglav 2,864 m

lowest point

Adriatic Sea 0 m

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.)

Birth rate

8.27 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

9.4 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Slovene 91%, Croat 3%, Serb 2%, Muslim 1%, other 3%

Infant mortality rate

7.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Slovenian 91%, Serbo-Croatian 7%, other 2%

Life expectancy at birth

female

79 years (1996 est.)

male

71.4 years

total population

75.09 years

Literacy

NA

Nationality

adjective

Slovenian

noun

Slovene(s)

Net migration rate

-1.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

1,951,443 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.27% (1996 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 96% (including 2% Uniate), Muslim 1%, other 3%

Sex ratio

all ages

0.94 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

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

Total fertility rate

1.13 children born/woman (1996 est.)

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

Capital

Ljubljana

Constitution

adopted 23 December 1991, effective 23 December 1991

Data code

SI

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

1525 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

chief of mission

Ambassador Ernest PETRIC

telephone

[1] (202) 667-5363

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers was nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly

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

FAX

[1] (202) 667-4563

[386] (61) 301-401

consulate(s) general

New York

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

Independence

25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

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

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

Legal system

based on civil law system

Legislative branch

unicameral; advisory National Council

Name of country

conventional long form

Republic of Slovenia

conventional short form

Slovenia

local long form

Republika Slovenije

local short form

Slovenija

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)

National holiday

National Statehood Day, 25 June (1991)

Other political or pressure groups

none

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if employed)

Type of government

emerging democracy

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

Agriculture

potatoes, hops, wheat, sugar beets, corn, grapes; cattle, sheep, poultry

Budget

expenditures

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

revenues

$6.6 billion

Currency

1 tolar (SlT) = 100 stotins

Economic aid

recipient

ODA, $5 million (1993)

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.

Electricity

capacity

2,700,000 kW

consumption per capita

4,470 kWh (1993)

production

8.9 billion kWh

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)

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.)

External debt

$2.9 billion (1995)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $22.6 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

5.3%

industry

39.9%

services

54.8% (1992 est.)

GDP per capita

$11,000 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

4.8% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

transit point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe

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.)

Industrial production growth rate

2% (1995 est.)

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

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.)

Branches

Slovene Defense Forces

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

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.)

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.)

Telephone system

domestic

NA

international

NA

Telephones

527,800 (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations

7

note

there are more than 20 local cable television broadcast stations

Televisions

454,400 (1993 est.) Defense

Airports

total

14

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

1

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

1

with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m

2

with paved runways over 3 047 m

1

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.)

Highways

paved

13,314 km (including 187 km of expressways)

total

14,794 km

unpaved

1,480 km (1994 est.)

Merchant marine

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.)

ships by type

bulk 9, cargo 1, container 4

total

14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 229,727 GRT/290,456 DWT (controlled by Slovenian owners)

Pipelines

crude oil 290 km; natural gas 305 km

Ports

Izola, Koper, Piran

Railways

standard gauge

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

total

1,201 km

Waterways

NA