📰 Slovenia · page 3

Geography

Main article: Geography of Slovenia

See also: Protected areas of Slovenia

Slovenia is located in Central Europe touching the eastern Alps and bordering the Mediterranean Sea.[77][78][79]166 This locates Slovenia within the Mediterranean basin.[80]167 It lies between latitudes 45° and 47° N, and longitudes 13° and 17° E. The 15th meridian east almost corresponds to the middle line of the country in the direction west–east.[81]168 The Geometric Centre of the Republic of Slovenia is located at coordinates 46°07'11.8" N and 14°48'55.2" E.[82] It lies in Slivna in the Municipality of Litija.[83]169 Slovenia's highest peak, Triglav (2,864 m), has become a national symbol of Slovenia, featured on the national coat of arms and flag.170 The country's average height above sea level is 557 m.171

Four major European geographic regions meet in Slovenia: the Alps, the Dinarides, the Pannonian Plain, and the Mediterranean Sea.172 Although on the shore of the Adriatic Sea near the Mediterranean Sea, most of Slovenia is in the Black Sea drainage basin.173 The Alps—including the Julian Alps, the Kamnik-Savinja Alps and the Karawank chain, as well as the Pohorje massif—dominate Northern Slovenia along its long border with Austria corpus.174 Slovenia's Adriatic coastline stretches approximately 47 km[84] from Italy to Croatia.175

The term "Karst topography" refers to that of southwestern Slovenia's Karst Plateau, a limestone region of underground rivers, gorges, and caves, between Ljubljana and the Mediterranean Sea.176 On the Pannonian plain to the East and Northeast, toward the Croatian and Hungarian borders, the landscape is essentially flat.177 However, most of Slovenia is hilly or mountainous, with around 90% of its land surface 200 m or more above sea level.178

As of 2020, 60.4% of Slovenia (12380 km2) is forested,[85] ranking it second in Europe by percentage of area forested, after Finland corpus.[86]179 The areas are covered mostly by beech, fir-beech and beech-oak forests and have a relatively high production capacity.[87]180 Remnants of primeval forests are still to be found, the largest in the Kočevje area.181 Grassland covers 5,593 km2 and fields and gardens (954 km2).182 There are 363 km2 of orchards and 216 km2 of vineyards.183

Geology

Slovenia is in a rather active seismic zone because of its position on the small Adriatic Plate, which is squeezed between the Eurasian Plate to the north and the African Plate to the south and rotates counter-clockwise.[88]184 Thus the country is at the junction of three important geotectonic units: the Alps to the north, the Dinaric Alps to the south and the Pannonian Basin to the east.[88]185 Scientists have been able to identify 60 destructive earthquakes in the past.186 Additionally, a network of seismic stations is active throughout the country.[88]187

Many parts of Slovenia have a carbonate bedrock and extensive cave systems have developed.188

Natural regions

The first regionalisations of Slovenia were made by geographers Anton Melik (1935–1936) and Svetozar Ilešič (1968).189 The newer regionalisation by Ivan Gams divided Slovenia in the following macroregions:[89]190

• the Alps (Alpe)191
• the subalpine landscapes (predalpski svet)192
• the Slovene Littoral or Submediterranean Slovenia (Primorje or submediteranska Slovenija)193
• the Dinaric plateaus of the continental Slovenia (dinarske planote celinske Slovenije)194
• Subpannonian Slovenia (subpanonska Slovenija)195

According to a newer natural geographic regionalisation, the country consists of four macroregions.196 These are the Alpine, the Mediterranean, the Dinaric, and the Pannonian landscapes.197 Macroregions are defined according to major relief units (the Alps, the Pannonian plain, the Dinaric mountains) and climate types (submediterranean, temperate continental, mountain climate).[90]198 These are often quite interwoven.199

Protected areas of Slovenia include national parks, regional parks, and nature parks, the largest of which is Triglav National Park.200 There are 286 Natura 2000 designated protected areas, which include 36% of the country's land area, the largest percentage among European Union states.[91]201 Additionally, according to Yale University's Environmental Performance Index, Slovenia is considered a "strong performer" in environmental protection efforts.[92]202

Climate

Slovenia is located in temperate latitudes.203 The climate is also influenced by the variety of relief, and the influence of the Alps and the Adriatic Sea.204 In the northeast, the continental climate type with the greatest difference between winter and summer temperatures prevails.205 In the coastal region, there is a sub-Mediterranean climate.206 The effect of the sea on the temperature rates is also visible up the Soča Valley, while a severe Alpine climate is present in the high mountain regions.207 There is a strong interaction between these three climatic systems across most of the country.[93][94]208

Precipitation, often coming from the Gulf of Genoa,[95] varies across the country as well, with over 3500 mm in some western regions and dropping down to 800 mm in Prekmurje.209 Snow is quite frequent in winter and the record snow cover in Ljubljana was recorded in 1952 at 146 cm.210

Compared to Western Europe, Slovenia is not very windy, because it lies in the slipstream of the Alps.211 The average wind speeds are lower than in the plains of the nearby countries.212 Due to the rugged terrain, local vertical winds with daily periods are present.213 Besides these, there are three winds of particular regional importance: the bora, the jugo, and the foehn.214 The jugo and the bora are characteristic of the Littoral.215 Whereas the jugo is humid and warm, the bora is usually cold and gusty.216 The foehn is typical of the Alpine regions in northern Slovenia.217 Generally present in Slovenia are the northeast wind, the southeast wind and the north wind.[96]218

Waters

81% of the territory of Slovenia (16423 km2) belongs to the Black Sea basin, with the remaining 19% (3850 km2) lying within the Adriatic Sea basin.219 These watersheds are divided into sub-basins according to their central rivers, the Mura River basin, the Drava River basin, the Sava River basin with Kolpa River basin, and the basin of the Adriatic rivers.[97]220 In comparison with other developed countries, water quality in Slovenia is considered to be among the highest in Europe.221 One of the reasons is undoubtedly that most of the rivers rise on the mountainous territory of Slovenia.222 However, this does not mean that Slovenia has no problems with surface water and groundwater quality, especially in areas with intensive farming.[98]223

Biodiversity

Slovenia signed the Rio Convention on Biological Diversity on 13 June 1992 and became a party to the convention on 9 July 1996.[99]224 It subsequently produced a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, which was received by the convention on 30 May 2002.225

Slovenia is distinguished by an exceptionally wide variety of habitats,[100] due to the contact of geological units and biogeographical regions, and due to human influences.226 The country is home to four terrestrial ecoregions: Dinaric Mountains mixed forests, Pannonian mixed forests, Alps conifer and mixed forests, and Illyrian deciduous forests.[101]227 Around 12.5% of the territory is protected with 35.5% in the Natura 2000 ecological network.[102]228 Despite this, because of pollution and environmental degradation, diversity has been in decline.229 Slovenia had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 3.78/10, ranking it 140th globally out of 172 countries.[103]230

Animals

The biological diversity of the country is high, with 1% of the world's organisms on 0.004% of the Earth's surface area.[104]231 There are 75 mammal species, among them marmots, Alpine ibex, and chamois.232 There are numerous deer, roe deer, boar, and hares.[105]233 The edible dormouse is often found in the Slovenian beech forests.234 Trapping these animals is a long tradition and is part of Slovenian national identity.[106]235

Some important carnivores include the Eurasian lynx,[107][108] European wild cats, foxes (especially the red fox), and European jackal.[109]236 There are hedgehogs, martens, and snakes such as vipers and grass snakes.237 According to recent estimates, Slovenia has c. 40–60 wolves[110] and about 450 brown bears.[111][112]238

Slovenia is home to an exceptionally diverse number of cave species, with a few tens of endemic species.[113]239 Among the cave vertebrates, the only known one is the olm, living in Karst, Lower Carniola, and White Carniola.240

The only regular species of cetaceans found in the northern Adriatic sea is the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus).[114]241

There are a wide variety of birds, such as the tawny owl, the long-eared owl, the eagle owl, hawks, and short-toed eagles.242 Other birds of prey have been recorded, as well as a growing number of ravens, crows and magpies migrating into Ljubljana and Maribor where they thrive.[115]243 Other birds include black and green woodpeckers and the white stork, which nests mainly in Prekmurje.244

There are 13 domestic animals native to Slovenia,[116] of eight species (hen, pig, dog, horse, sheep, goat, honey bee, and cattle).[117]245 Among these are the Karst Shepherd,[118] the Carniolan honeybee, and the Lipizzan horse.[117]246 The marble trout or marmorata (Salmo marmoratus) is an indigenous Slovenian fish.[119]247 Extensive breeding programmes have been introduced to repopulate the marble trout into lakes and streams invaded by non-indigenous species of trout.248 Slovenia is also home to the wels catfish.249

More than 2,400 fungal species have been recorded from Slovenia[120] and, since that figure does not include lichen-forming fungi, the total number of Slovenian fungi already known is undoubtedly much higher.250 Many more remain to be discovered.251

Slovenia is the second most-forested country in Europe,[85] with 60.4% of the territory covered by forests.[86]252 The forests are an important natural resource, and logging is kept to a minimum.[121]253 In the interior of the country are typical Central European forests, predominantly oak and beech.254 In the mountains, spruce, fir, and pine are more common.255 Pine trees grow on the Karst Plateau, although only one-third of the region is covered by pine forest.256 The lime/linden tree, common in Slovenian forests, is a national symbol.257 The tree line is at 1700 to 1,800 m.[122]258

In the Alps, flowers such as Daphne blagayana, gentians (Gentiana clusii, Gentiana froelichii), Primula auricula, edelweiss (the symbol of Slovene mountaineering), Cypripedium calceolus, Fritillaria meleagris (snake's head fritillary), and Pulsatilla grandis are found.259

Slovenia is home to many plants from ethnobotanically useful groups.260 Of 59 known species of ethnobotanical importance, some species such as Aconitum napellus, Cannabis sativa and Taxus baccata are restricted for use as per the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia.[123]261

Governance and politics

Main article: Politics of Slovenia

See also: Foreign relations of Slovenia

Slovenia is a parliamentary democracy republic with a multi-party system.262 According to International IDEA's Global State of Democracy (GSoD) Indices and Democracy Tracker, Slovenia performs in the high range on overall democratic measures, with particular strengths in political representation, including elected government and inclusive suffrage.[124][125][126]263

President

The head of state is the president, who is elected by popular vote and has an important integrative role.[127]264 The president is elected for five years and at maximum for two consecutive terms.265 The president has a representative role and is the commander-in-chief of the Slovenian armed forces.[128]266 The president convenes and dissolves Parliament, may express opinions to the National Assembly on any matter of public importance, and has plenary power to call general elections, byelections and snap elections.267 The president also nominates prominent state officials, including the prime minister and justices of the Constitutional Court, for the consideration of the National Assembly; conducts Slovenia's foreign relations in consultation with the Government; exercises supreme command and control over the Armed Forces, including the use of significant war powers; confers state honours; and grants pardons, commutations, reprieves, and respites to individuals convicted of criminal offences.268

Government

The executive and administrative authority in Slovenia is held by the Government of Slovenia (Vlada Republike Slovenije),[70] led by the prime minister.269 The prime minister chairs the full Council of Ministers or cabinet, who are in turn elected by the National Assembly (Državni zbor Republike Slovenije).270 The Government is responsible for, among other things, executing the domestic and foreign policies of the state, directing and coordinating the activities of state agencies, preparing and administering the state budget, negotiating and concluding treaties, and implementing both laws passed by the National Assembly and decrees issued by the president.[129][130]271

Parliament

Organisation

The legislative authority is held by the bicameral Parliament of Slovenia, characterised by an asymmetric duality.[131]272 The bulk of power is concentrated in the National Assembly, which consists of ninety members.273 Of those, 88 are elected by all the citizens in a system of proportional representation, whereas two are elected by the registered members of the autochthonous Hungarian and Italian minorities.274 Elections take place every four years.275 The National Council (Državni svet Republike Slovenije), consisting of forty members, appointed to represent social, economic, professional and local interest groups, has a limited advisory and control power.[131]276