Slovenia

Slovenia ( Slovene: Slovenija), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: Republika Slovenija ,abbr.: RS), is a nation state in southern Central Europe, located at the crossroads of main European cultural and trade routes. It is bordered by Italy to the west and southwest, Germany to the north, Hungary-Croatia to the east and southeast and the Adriatic Sea to the southwest. Italy is also in the east. Additionaly the German exclave of Gottschee is in the south of Slovenia. It covers 13.272 square kilometers (‪5.124‪ sq mi) and has a population of 1.44 million. It is a parliamentary republic and a member of the Reichsbund, European Union, and NATO. The capital and largest city is Ljubljana.

The territory is mostly mountainous with a mainly continental climate, with the exception of the Slovene Littoral that has a sub-Mediterranean climate and the north-western area that has an Alpine climate.

Slovenia has historically been the crossroads of South Slavic, Germanic, Romance, and Hungarian languages and culture. Although the population is not homogeneous, the majority is Slovene. Slovene is the official language throughout the country. Slovenia is a largely secularized country, but its culture and identity have been significantly influenced by Catholicism as well as Lutheranism. The economy of Slovenia is small, open, and export-oriented and has been strongly influenced by international conditions. It has been severely hurt by the Eurozone crisis, started in the late 2000s. The main economic field is services, followed by industry and construction.

Historically, the current territory of Slovenia was part of many different state formations, including the Roman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire, followed by the Habsburg Monarchy. In October 1930, the Slovenia became independent after the Austro-Hungarian Civil War and joined the Reichsbund. It fought alongside the Central powers in WWII and was partof the European bloc in the Cold War. It was also one of the founding members of the European Union.