Slovenia

Country Briefs: The coastal country in Eastern Europe, land of Alps mountains, rich in natural resources, blessed by nature with beauty and tranquility, Slovenia is an ideal place to be. Slovenia spreads in an area of 20,273 square kilometers and shares its borders with Italy to the west, Ardiatic Sea to the southwest, Croatia to the south and the southeast, Hungary to the northeast and Austria to the north.

However the present day Slovenia is very different from what it was when the Slavic ancestors of the present day Slovenians settled in the region in 6^th century BC. In the 7^th century the foremost Slavic Duchy of Carantania or the first proto-Slovenian state was formed. However Carantania lost its freedom and came under the Frankish Empire in 745, as a result of which many Slavs became the followers of Christianity.

During the 14ht century the Habsburgs acquired dominance over Slovenia. The Habsburgs’ territories later formed the Austria-Hungary Empire and so the Slovenians inhabited almost all the provinces of Carniola, Gorizia and Gradisca and some areas of the provinces of Istria, Carinthia and Styria.

In 1848 Slovenia witnessed the United Slovenia program of the Slovenes that demanded a unification of all the Slovene inhabited regions as one kingdom and under the rule of the Austrian Empire.

In 1918 the Austrio-Hungarian monarchy declined and Slovenians joined the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs that came to be reckoned as the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929. The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was basically a kingdom in the Balkan, which existed from the end of First World War till the Second World War. The Yugoslav Kingdom comprised of the almost entire region present day Slovenia and Croatia.

After the Second World War, on 29^th November 1945 Slovenia became a part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. This Republic was established at the end of Second World War and disintegrated in the Yugoslav wars during 1990. The Republic was basically a socialist state that consisted of present day states of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro and Slovenia.

Time passed by and on 25^th June 1991 finally Slovenia acquired its independence from Yugoslavia and so then was formed the present-day Slovenia. On 29^th march 2004 Slovenia joined NATO and it became a member of the European Union on 1^st may 2004.

At present Slovenia is the land of around 2,001,114 people and is a progressive nation. Its capital city is Ljubljana, also the largest city of the country. Though past is gone but the bygones (of the Hapsburgs reign and the Venetian Republic) are still reflected in many of the cities and towns of this peaceful nation. Due to its serenity, rich history that is well depicted through historical monuments, museums and other artifacts and countless other lures that this place offers, Slovenia is a wonderful and perfect vacation destination in the world today.

Slovenia Counties

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