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Slovenia
Relevant information about Slovenia.Located in central Europe, it is limited by Italy, Adriatic Sea, Croatia and Hungary. The country is independent since 1992 when they faced Yugoslavia in the Ten days war. Since 2004 it is a member of the European Union.
Roman Empire ruled the area in between the second century BC and the fourth century AC. They occupied the area especially for the precious iron they found over there. Germanic tribes and Ostrogoths followed Romans. Bavarian kings came little later and it was just in nineteenth century that people started thinking of Slovenia as a united country. Napoleon and Austro-Hungarians occupied the territories and, finally, the Yugoslavian Republic took control of the whole area.
By 2007 Slovenia had a population of over 2 million inhabitants. This number is slightly decreasing every year. Life expectancy at birth is of 76.5 years and almost a 100% of the population is literate (99.7%). With only 95 inhabitants by square kilometer, Slovenia is one of the less densely populated countries in Europe. Only a 50% of the citizens live in urban areas. Slovenian is the official language, but Italian and Hungarian are widely spread in the country and are official languages in the border areas. Slovenian is a democratic republic, and religious freedom is guaranteed in the constitution. Roman Catholics followers represent over a 57% of the population. There are also a 2.4% of Muslims, 2.3% East Orthodox and almost a 1% of Protestants. Catholicism is strongly rooted to Slovenian tradition. Although there is a Christian majority, families with other religions or non religious families also celebrate some Christian festivities. Almost a 88% are Slovenian descendents, 2.4% Serbs, 2.8 Croats, 1.4% Bosnians and some Italian and Hungarian minorities. Most memorable literature figures of the country are the poet France PreÅ¡eren and the prose writer Ivan Cankar. In painting, there are well known Ivan Grohar and Ivana Kobilca. Slovenian cinema has over a century of tradition and great actors have accompanied its development. Recent directors (such as Janez Burger, Jan CvitkoviÄ, Damjan Kozole, Janez Lapajne and Maja Weiss) formed the Slovenian cinema Renaissance. Slovenia counts with five professional orchestras and numerous musical artists, also known abroad. Architecture is an important part of Slovenian culture, Jože PleÄnik, worldwide known, pioneered modern architecture in whole Europe in the XX century. Slovenia has 45 permanent galleries and over 800 permanent and temporary exhibitions of visual arts. The most important galleries in Ljubljana are the Modern Gallery with the exhibition of the most important works of modern art and the National Gallery with a collection of art from the past. The Slovenian impressionism of the first half of the twentieth century was known throughout Europe, and after World War II became particularly known in the School of Graphic Arts at Ljubljana. According to several statistical estimates, Slovenia is one of the countries with the greatest sporting achievements in relation to its population. Slovenians also highlights with the achievements and initiatives in extreme sports. Gymnastics and winter sports are the national specialties. Rowing and athletics are also some of the winner triads.
Before its independence, Slovenia was the most prosperous nation of the Yugoslavian Republic. One year after the independence, a deep crisis caused by the Bosnia-Herzegovina war affected Slovenia. Slovenian currency, the tolar, was replaced by the euro in 2007. The country counts with significant reserves of oil, gas and zinc. There is also an enormous wood reservoir: over a 60% of the territory is covered by natural forests. Although just the 2% of the population is related to agriculture, the cereal production is more than enough to cover the internal demand. It is a world leader in the manufacture of winter sports elements and over a 20% of the generics sold along the world are produced in by Slovenian pharmaceuticals. Great quality wines are also produced in the country. Iron and aluminum metallurgic, lead and zinc smelting, electronics (including military equipment), trucks, cars, engines, electrical equipment, optical devices, textiles, drugs, paper and derivatives are some of the main activities. Germany, Croatia, Italy, France, Russia and Austria are the main buyers. Even though the GDP is higher than in several countries and the inflation is very low, the external debt of the country is pretty big. They owe over 53,200 million dollars.
Ljubljana, Novo Mesto, Cerkno, Mount Triglav, Alps, Pre-Alpine hills, Sub-Mediterranean Slovenia, Bled lake, Kolpa river.
The country offers a variety of affordable treatments and procedures within easy reach of most travelers. Medical wellness is a much worked term in Slovenia. It mixes the classic medical services with the wellness concept. They give a maximum of importance to the individual medical advice and assistance. This mix highlights health strengthening and maintenance. The regular treatment starts with an exhaustive preliminary examination, based on the most modern medical diagnostic methods. It also offers alternative and complementary medicine options such as massage, mud, hydrotherapy and lymphatic drainage. Cosmetic surgery is also highly demand in Slovenia.
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