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In
the eyes of many a Yugoslavian despot, Slovenia is the golden
goose that got away. Rich in resources, naturally good looking
and persistently peaceful, Slovenia has been doing just fine
(flourishing, even) since breaking away from its Yugoslav
owners in 1991. Travellers in search of an antidote to much
of Europe's crowds and high prices can, at least for the meantime,
consider it their little secret.
Little
Slovenia (Slovenija) straddles Eastern and Western Europe.
Many of its cities and towns bear the imprint of the Habsburg
Empire and the Venetian Republic, while up in the Julian Alps
you'd almost think you were in Bavaria. The 2 million Slovenes
were economically the most well off among the peoples of what
was once Yugoslavia, and the relative affluence of this country
on the 'sunny side of the Alps' is immediately apparent.
Except
for a brief period in June and July 1991 when Yugoslavia attempted
to stop its smallest child from leaving its collapsing nest,
there's been no fighting, no war and no terrorism in Slovenia.
While Croatia and Bosnia-Hercegovina became embroiled in the
bitterest conflict in Europe since WWII, Slovenes got on with
making money and keeping out of the limelight.
Full
country name: Republic of Slovenia (Republika Slovenija)
Area: 20,256 sq km (7898 sq mi)
Population: 2 million
Capital city: Ljubljana (pop 330,000)
People: Slovenian 88%, Serbo-Croatian 7%
Language: Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, German, English, Italian
Religion: Roman Catholic (72%), atheist (4.3%), Eastern Orthodox
Christian (2.4%), Muslim (1%), Protestant (1%)
Government: parliamentary democratic republic
President: Janez Drnovsek
Prime Minister: Tone Rop
GDP:
US$20 billion
GDP per head: US$10,300
Annual growth: 3.5%
Inflation: 8%
Major industries: Textiles, manufacturing, timber products,
agriculture
Major trading partners: EU (esp. Germany, Croatia, Italy,
France, Austria)
Member of the EU: no
Slovenia
Flight from UK
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