Slovenia

Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, and Croatia to the south and southeast; its southwestern boundary consists of a 46.6-kilometre (29.0 mi) coastline on the Adriatic Sea. Slovenia is mostly mountainous and forested, covers 20,271 square kilometres (7,827 sq mi), and has a population of approximately 2.1 million people. Slovene is the official language. Slovenia has a predominantly temperate continental climate, with the exception of the Slovene Littoral and the Julian Alps. Ljubljana, the capital and largest city of Slovenia, is geographically situated near the centre of the country. Other larger urban centers include Maribor, Ptuj, Kranj, Celje, and Koper. The Slovene Lands have been inhabited from the 5th century. In the Early Bronze Age, Proto-Illyrian tribes settled an area stretching from present-day Albania to the city of Trieste. The present day territory has been part of many different states, including the Roman Empire, the Western Roman Empire, the Carolingian Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Hungary, the Republic of Venice, the Habsburg Empire, Napoleonic France, the Austrian Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes was formed in December 1918; in 1929, the Kingdom became known as Yugoslavia. In 1941, during World War II, Slovenia's territory was partitioned by Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Horthyist Hungary and the Independent State of Croatia. Following the end of World War II in 1945, Slovenia was established as one of six constituent republics that made up the Socialist Federation of Yugoslavia. Modern Slovenia was formed in June 1991, when the country declared independence from Yugoslavia, and after the brief Ten-Day War became an independent sovereign state. Slovenia is a developed country, with a high-income economy characterized by a mixture of both traditional industries, such as manufacturing and agriculture, and modern sectors, such as information technology and financial services. The economy is highly dependent on foreign trade, with exports accounting for a significant portion of the country's GDP. Slovenia is a member of the Council of Europe, the European Union, the United Nations, NATO, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and other associations in the global community.