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Full country name: Republic of Slovenia (Republika Slovenija)
Area: 20,251 sq km (7898 sq mi)
Population: 2 million
Capital city: Ljubljana (pop 330,000)
People: Slovenian 88%, Serbo-Croatian 7%
Language: Slovenian, Croatian, Serbian, German, English, Italian
Religion: Roman Catholic (72%), athiest (4.3%), Eastern Orthodox Christian (2.4%), Muslim (1%), Protestant (1%)
Government: parliamentary democratic republic
President: Milan Kucan
Prime Minister: Janes Drnovsek

GDP: US$20 billion
GDP per head: US$10,300
Annual growth: 3.5%
Inflation: 8%
Major industries: Agriculture, textiles, manufacturing, timber products
Major trading partners: EU (esp. Germany, Croatia, Italy, France, Austria)
Member of the EU: no

Events

The International Summer Festival is the nation's premier cultural celebration, featuring music, theatre and dance performances in Ljubljana and Bled during the months of July and August. The Cows' Ball (Kravji Bal) in Bohinj is a kitschy weekend of eating, drinking and folk dancing in mid-September to mark the return of the cows to the valleys from their high pastures. It doesn't get any more Slovenian than this.

January and March bring ski competitions - the January Women's World Cup Slalom and Giant Slalom Competition is one of the major ski events for women, held on the slopes southwest of Maribor. In March, the Ski Jumping World Championships host three days of high flying in Planica. In between the two, there's a rite of spring called Kurentovanje, held every February for 10 days up to Shrove Tuesday. This is the most popular Mardi Gras celebration in Slovenia; most of the festivities are centered in and around Ptuj.

Traveling Guidelines

Visas: Citizens of Australia, Canada, the EU, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland and the USA do not require visas for stays of up to 90 days. Citizens of other countries can get 90 day visas in advance at any Slovenian embassy or consulate, or 30 day visas on arrival.
Health risks: None
Time: GMT/UTC plus 1 hour
Electricity: 220V, 50Hz
Weights & measures: Metric

Ideal time to visit

September is an excellent month to visit because it's the best time for hiking and climbing, and the summer crowds have vanished. December to March is high-time for skiers, while spring is a good time to be in the lowlands and valleys because everything's in blossom. Try to avoid July and August, when hotel rates rise and there are lots more tourists, especially on the coast.