GEOGRAPHY
Slovenia
is situated at the crossroads of central Europe, the Mediterranean,
and the Balkans. The Alps--including the Julian Alps, the Kamnik-Savinja
Alps, the Karavanke chain, and the Pohorje Massif--dominate northern
Slovenia near Austria. Slovenia's Adriatic coastline extends for
approximately 50 kilometers (39 mi.) from Italy to Croatia. The
term "karst"--a limestone region of underground rivers,
gorges, and caves--originated in Slovenia's Karst plateau between
Ljubljana and the Italian border. On the Pannonian plain to the
east and northeast, toward the Croatian and Hungarian borders,
the landscape is essentially flat. However, the majority of Slovenian
terrain is hilly or mountainous, with around 90% of the surface
200 meters or more above sea level.
Official Name:
Republic of Slovenia
Area: 20,273 square kilometers (7,906 sq. mi.)
slightly smaller than New Jersey.
Cities: Capital--Ljubljana (1998 pop. 325,373).
Other cities--Maribor (132,860), Kranj (52,043), Novo Mesto (51,404),
Celje (49,935).
Terrain: Mountains rising to more than 2,500
meters (8,200 ft.) in the north, wide plateaus over 1,000 meters
(3,280 ft.) high in the southeast, Karst limestone region of caves
in the south-southwest, hills in the east, and approximately 50
kilometers (39 mi.) of coastline on the Adriatic Sea.
Land use: 54.2% forests, 39% agricultural land,
6.8% noncultivated land.
Climate: Temperate, with regional variations.
Average temperature in the mountain region in January is below
0°C (32°F), in the interior from 0°C -2°C (32°F-36°F),
and along the coast from 2°C -4°C (36°F-39°F);
in July, average temperature in the interior is 20°C -22°C
(68°F-72°F), along the coast 22°C -24°C (72°F-75°F).
Average annual rainfall is from 800 mm (31 in.) in the east to
3,000 mm (117 in.) in the northwest.
