National flag of Slovenia

The Republic of Slovenia (Slovenian: Republika Slovenija) is a democratic Slavic country in south central Europe, bordering Italy to the west, the Adriatic Sea to the southwest, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast and Austria to the north. The capital city is Ljubljana and the second city is Maribor. The main language is Slovenian although Hungarian and Italian have local official status in mixed areas. In 2003, the population was estimated to be just under two million. Geographically, Slovenia lies at the intersection of the Alps, the Dinaric region, the Pannonian Plain and the Mediterranean Sea.

Once occupied by Illyrians, Celts and Romans, the Slovenians settled here in the 6th century. An early Slavic state, Karantania, was established in the following centuries, but soon fell into foreign domination, by Franks, Bavarians, Venice and finally the Hapsburgs. Almost continuously within the Austro-Hungarian Empire until 1918, Slovenia became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (renamed Yugoslavia) after WWI, and apart from a brief annexation to the Third Reich during WW2 remained part of Yugoslavia until independence in 1991, which followed a referendum and a brief, mainly bloodless war. In 2004 it acceded to the EU and joined NATO.

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Articles in category "Slovenia"