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, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short coastline within the Adriatic Sea to the southwest, which is part of the Mediterranean 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. 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 are Maribor, Kranj, Celje and Koper.
Slovenia's territory has been part of many different states: the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Carolingian Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Hungary, the Republic of Venice, the Illyrian Provinces of Napoleon's First French Empire and the Habsburg Empire. In October 1918, the Slovenes co-founded the State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs. In December 1918, they merged with the Kingdom of Montenegro and the Kingdom of Serbia into the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. During World War II, Germany, Italy, and Hungary occupied and annexed Slovenia, with a tiny area transferred to the Independent State of Croatia, a newly declared Nazi puppet state. In 1945, it again became part of Yugoslavia. Post-war, Yugoslavia was allied with the Eastern Bloc, but after the Tito–Stalin split of 1948, it never subscribed to the Warsaw Pact, and in 1961 it became one of the founders of the Non-Aligned Movement. In June 1991, Slovenia declared independence from Yugoslavia and became an independent sovereign state. (Full article...)
The Slovenian border barrier was a border barrier constructed by Slovenia in 2015–2016 on its border with Croatia as a response to the European migrant crisis. Both Slovenia and Croatia are European Union members, therefore the barrier was located on an internal EU border; but previously only Slovenia was a member of the free travel Schengen Area, with Croatia joining the area in 2023. In March 2016, Slovenia announced that only migrants who apply for asylum in Slovenia and those with clear humanitarian needs will be allowed to enter Slovenian territory. (Full article...)
Religions in Slovenia
Ex-Yugoslav countries
Other countries
Rank | Name | Population | Traditional region | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 pop. | 2011 pop. | Percentage change | |||
1.
|
Ljubljana | 288,382
|
272,220
|
5.94%
|
Upper and Lower Carniola |
2.
|
Maribor | 97,068
|
95,171
|
1.99%
|
Styria |
3.
|
Kranj | 37,802
|
36,874
|
2.52%
|
Upper Carniola |
4.
|
Celje | 37,727
|
37,520
|
0.55%
|
Styria |
5.
|
Koper | 26,305
|
24,996
|
5.24%
|
Slovene Littoral |
6.
|
Velenje | 25,473
|
25,456
|
0.07%
|
Styria |
7.
|
Novo Mesto | 24,446
|
23,341
|
4.73%
|
Lower Carniola |
8.
|
Ptuj | 18,274
|
18,164
|
0.61%
|
Styria |
9.
|
Kamnik | 13,807
|
13,644
|
1.19%
|
Upper Carniola |
10.
|
Jesenice | 13,778
|
13,440
|
2.51%
|
Upper Carniola |
11.
|
Trbovlje | 13,742
|
15,163
|
–9.37%
|
Styria |
12.
|
Domžale | 13,316
|
12,406
|
7.34%
|
Upper Carniola |
13.
|
Nova Gorica | 13,043
|
13,178
|
–1.02%
|
Slovene Littoral |
14.
|
Škofja Loka | 11,887
|
11,969
|
–0.69%
|
Upper Carniola |
15.
|
Izola | 11,489
|
11,223
|
2.37%
|
Slovene Littoral |
16.
|
Murska Sobota | 11,075
|
11,614
|
–4.64%
|
Prekmurje |
17.
|
Logatec | 10,144
|
8,942
|
13.44%
|
Inner Carniola |
18.
|
Postojna | 10,079
|
9,183
|
9.76%
|
Inner Carniola |
19.
|
Vrhnika | 9,125
|
8,413
|
8.46%
|
Inner Carniola |
20.
|
Slovenska Bistrica | 8,292
|
7,454
|
11.24%
|
Styria |
21.
|
Kočevje | 8,147
|
8,672
|
–6.05%
|
Lower Carniola |
22.
|
Grosuplje | 7,804
|
7,098
|
9.95%
|
Lower Carniola |
23.
|
Slovenj Gradec | 7,651
|
7,519
|
1.76%
|
Styria |
24.
|
Mengeš | 7,253
|
6,112
|
18.67%
|
Upper Carniola |
25.
|
Ravne na Koroškem | 7,183
|
6,979
|
2.93%
|
Carinthia |
26.
|
Ajdovščina | 7,072
|
6,656
|
6.25%
|
Slovene Littoral |
27.
|
Brežice | 6,961
|
6,573
|
5.9%
|
Styria |
28.
|
Krško | 6,884
|
7,097
|
–3%
|
Lower Carniola |
29.
|
Litija | 6,710
|
6,467
|
3.76%
|
Upper Carniola |
30.
|
Sežana | 6,146
|
5,531
|
11.12%
|
Slovene Littoral |
31.
|
Radovljica | 6,099
|
5,940
|
2.68%
|
Upper Carniola |
32.
|
Zagorje ob Savi | 6,037
|
6,439
|
–6.24%
|
Upper Carniola |
33.
|
Idrija | 5,793
|
5,955
|
–2.72%
|
Slovene Littoral |
34.
|
Črnomelj | 5,473
|
5,776
|
–5.25%
|
Lower Carniola |
35.
|
Medvode | 5,343
|
5,178
|
3.19%
|
Upper Carniola |
36.
|
Slovenske Konjice | 5,233
|
4,869
|
7.48%
|
Styria |
37.
|
Bled | 5,202
|
5,181
|
0.41%
|
Upper Carniola |
38.
|
Rogaška Slatina | 5,177
|
5,111
|
1.29%
|
Styria |
39.
|
Žalec | 5,082
|
4,943
|
2.81%
|
Styria |
40.
|
Šentjur | 5,007
|
4,762
|
5.14%
|
Styria |
41.
|
Hrastnik | 4,794
|
5,621
|
–14.71%
|
Styria |
42.
|
Sevnica | 4,591
|
4,660
|
–1.48%
|
Styria |
43.
|
Prevalje | 4,590
|
4,643
|
–1.14%
|
Carinthia |
44.
|
Ilirska Bistrica | 4,352
|
4,553
|
–4.41%
|
Inner Carniola |
45.
|
Ruše | 4,233
|
4,503
|
–6%
|
Styria |
46.
|
Cerknica | 4,132
|
3,928
|
5.19%
|
Inner Carniola |
47.
|
Trebnje | 3,938
|
3,477
|
13.26%
|
Lower Carniola |
48.
|
Tržič | 3,821
|
3,865
|
–1.14%
|
Upper Carniola |
49.
|
Žiri | 3,736
|
3,588
|
4.12%
|
Upper Carniola |
50.
|
Ribnica | 3,725
|
3,604
|
3.36%
|
Lower Carniola |
51.
|
Piran | 3,671
|
4,192
|
–12.43%
|
Slovene Littoral |
52.
|
Šempeter pri Gorici | 3,634
|
3,760
|
–3.35%
|
Slovene Littoral |
53.
|
Lenart v Slovenskih Goricah | 3,436
|
3,006
|
14.3%
|
Styria |
54.
|
Laško | 3,328
|
3,456
|
–3.7%
|
Styria |
55.
|
Ljutomer | 3,256
|
3,460
|
–5.9%
|
Styria |
56.
|
Metlika | 3,212
|
3,273
|
–1.86%
|
Lower Carniola |
57.
|
Tolmin | 3,196
|
3,534
|
–9.56%
|
Slovene Littoral |
58.
|
Gornja Radgona | 3,144
|
3,159
|
–0.47%
|
Styria |
59.
|
Mežica | 3,120
|
3,254
|
–4.12%
|
Carinthia |
60.
|
Zreče | 3,063
|
2,935
|
4.36%
|
Styria |
61.
|
Šoštanj | 3,052
|
2,880
|
5.97%
|
Styria |
62.
|
Dravograd | 3,051
|
3,289
|
–7.24%
|
Carinthia |
63.
|
Železniki | 2,906
|
3,075
|
–5.5%
|
Upper Carniola |
64.
|
Lendava | 2,818
|
3,129
|
–9.94%
|
Prekmurje |
65.
|
Radeče | 1,937
|
2,168
|
–10.66%
|
Lower Carniola |
66.
|
Ormož | 1,923
|
2,174
|
–11.55%
|
Styria |
67.
|
Bovec | 1,554
|
1,631
|
–4.72%
|
Slovene Littoral |
68.
|
Višnja Gora | 1,192
|
1,000
|
19.2%
|
Lower Carniola |
69.
|
Kostanjevica na Krki | 698
|
695
|
0.43%
|
Lower Carniola |
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