Slovenia : Country overview

Geography

• Full country name: Republic of Slovenia
• Population: 2 million
• Border countries: Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the east and Croatia to the south.
• Climate: the climate is seasonal, with Mediterranean conditions on the coast and cold winters in the mountainous regions.
• Terrain: alpine mountains on the Italian coast, mountains and valleys and a coastline along the Adriatic sea.
• Natural hazards: earthquakes and mild risk of flooding.

Living in Slovenia

• Cost of living: the cost of living in Slovenia is relatively cheap compared to that of the UK. Prices are highest in Ljubljana with a two-room flat costing around €720 to rent per month, while in Maribor it would cost around €400.
• Internet domain: .si
• Health: there are two forms of health insurance in Slovenia, compulsory and voluntary. Compulsory health insurance is provided by the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia. All employed and self-employed persons and all retired persons who receive a pension from a Slovenian insurance provider are insured under the health insurance scheme. The status of insured person can also be obtained by the family members of the insured person if they do not have the possibility of entering the scheme on another basis. However, in the short term, emergency health treatment can be accessed with the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) .

Economy and finance

• Currency: Euro
• Type of economy: market economy, with less privatisation than most other countries in the EU.
• Health of economy: according to data from the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia , economic growth in the second quarter of 2010 was 2.2% up on the same period in 2009. This was the first real growth in GDP after 18 months of decline. Unemployment is also still rising, but more slowly than in 2009.
• Unemployment rate: 10.5%.
• Main exports: machinery and transport equipment, food, chemicals, manufactured goods.

Culture

• People: Slovene (83%), Serb (2%), Croat (1.8%), Bosniak (1.1%), other (12%).
• Major religion: Catholic (58%), Muslim (2%), Orthodox (2%), other Christian 0.9%, other or none unaffiliated (37%).
• History: the area that is present day Slovenia was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire until its dissolution at the end of World War I. The Slovenes joined the Serbs and Croats and formed Yugoslavia in 1929. After World War II, Slovenia became a republic of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The Slovenes established their independence in 1991 after a ten day war. Slovenia acceded to both NATO and the EU in 2004; it joined the eurozone in 2007. For an overview, visit BBC Timeline: Slovenia.
• Local etiquette: during a meal don’t try to initiate business discussions; Slovenians like to keep business and personal lives separate. Money should not be left on a table after paying the bill at a restaurant but should be handed directly to the server. It is not customary to tip for a meal; most people will just round up their bill instead.

Politics

• Type of government: parliamentary republic.
• Major political parties: Social Democrats (Prime Minister Borut Pahor is leader), Slovenian Democratic Party, Zares, Slovenian People's Party, Liberal Democracy of Slovenia, Democratic Party of Pensioners of Slovenia, Slovenian National Party. 

Travel advice

Find the latest travel advice and a travellers' checklist on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website.