From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Slovenia is situated in Central Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean . The Alps — including the Julian Alps, the Kamnik-Savinja Alps and the Karavanke chain, as well as the Pohorje massif — dominate Northern Slovenia along its long border to Austria. Slovenia's Adriatic coastline stretches approximately 50 kilometers (39 mi.) from Italy to Croatia.

The term "Karst" originated in southwestern Slovenia's Karst Plateau (Slovenian Kras), a limestone region of underground rivers, gorges, and caves, between Ljubljana and the Mediterranean.

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.

Contents 1 Location 2 Geographic coordinates 3 Map references 4 Area 5 Borders 6 Regions 6.1 Historical Regions 7 Climate 8 Terrain 8.1 Elevation extremes 9 Natural resources 9.1 Land use 10 Environment 10.1 Current issues 10.2 International agreements 11 See also

Southeastern or Central Europe, Eastern Alps bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Austria and Croatia

Extreme geographical points of Slovenia:

• North: 46°53′N, 16°14′E, municipality Šalovci,
• South: 45°25′N, 15°10′E, municipality Črnomelj,
• East: 46°28′N, 16°36′E, municipality Lendava,
• West: 46°17′N, 13°23′E, municipality Kobarid.

Maximum distance North - South is 1°28' or 163 km (101 miles).
Maximum distance East - West is 3°13' or 248 km (154 miles).

Europe

• Total: 20,273 km²
• Land: 20,273 km²
• Water: 0 km²
• Comparison: slightly smaller than New Jersey

• Land boundaries
  • Total: 1,334 km
  • Border countries: Austria 330 km, Croatia 670 km, Italy 232 km, Hungary 102 km
• Coastline: 46.6 km

As given by Enciklopedija Slovenije (Encyclopedia of Slovenia), traditional Slovenian regions, based on the former division of Slovenia into four Habsburg crown lands (Carniola, Carinthia, Styria, and the Littoral) and their parts, are:

• Upper Carniola (Gorenjska) (denoted on the map by U.C.)
• Styria (Štajerska) (S)
• Prekmurje (T)
• Carinthia (Koroška) (C)
• Inner Carniola (Notranjska) (I.C.)
• Lower Carniola (Dolenjska) (L.C.)
• Goriška (G)
• Slovenian Istria (Slovenska Istra) (L)

The last two are usually considered together as the Littoral Region (Primorska). White Carniola (Bela krajina), otherwise part of Lower Carniola, is usually considered a separate region, as is Zasavje, which is otherwise a part of Upper and Lower Carniola and Styria.

Submediterranean climate on the coast, continental climate with mild to hot summers and cold winters in the plateaus and valleys to the east

a short coastal strip on the Adriatic, an alpine mountain region adjacent to Italy and Austria, mixed mountain and valleys with numerous rivers to the east

• Lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
• Highest point: Triglav 2,864 m (9,396 feet)

lignite coal, lead, zinc, mercury, uranium, silver, hydropower

• Arable land: 12%
• Permanent crops: 3%
• Permanent pastures: 24%
• Forests and woodland: 54%
• Other: 7% (1996 est.)
• Irrigated land: 20 km² (1993 est.)
• Natural hazards: flooding and earthquakes

The Sava River polluted with domestic and industrial waste; pollution of coastal waters with heavy metals and toxic chemicals; forest damage near Koper from air pollution (originating at metallurgical and chemical plants) and resulting acid rain

• Party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution (MARPOL 73/78), Wetlands
• Signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

• List of national parks of Slovenia
• Slovenia
• Mountains of Slovenia