Slovenia

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

Agriculture

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

Budget

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

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 production: 8.9 billion kWh consumption per capita: 4,470 kWh (1993)

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.)

Area

total area: 20,256 sq km land area: 20,256 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than New Jersey

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 natural hazards: flooding and earthquakes 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

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

total: 1,207 km border countries: Austria 324 km, Croatia 546 km, Italy 235 km, Hungary 102 km

Land use

arable land: 10% permanent crops: 2% meadows and pastures: 20% forest and woodland: 45% other: 23%

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 lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m highest point: Triglav 2,864 m

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Ernest PETRIC chancery: 1525 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 667-5363

Executive branch

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

FAX

[1] (202) 667-4563 consulate(s) general: New York

FAX

[386] (61) 301-401

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

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

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

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

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

total population: 75.09 years male: 71.4 years female: 79 years (1996 est.)

Literacy

NA

Nationality

noun: Slovene(s) adjective: Slovenian

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

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 all ages: 0.94 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.13 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Airports

total: 14 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 2 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

total: 14,794 km paved: 13,314 km (including 187 km of expressways) unpaved: 1,480 km (1994 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 229,727 GRT/290,456 DWT (controlled by Slovenian owners) ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 1, container 4 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.)

Pipelines

crude oil 290 km; natural gas 305 km

Ports

Izola, Koper, Piran

Railways

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

Waterways

NA