Country profile - Distinguishing factors (Slovenia)

SOER 2010 Country profile (Deprecated)

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Basic facts

more info Organisation name Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia Reporting country Slovenia Organisation website Organisation website Contact link Contact link Last updated 03 Jan 2011 Content license CC By 2.5 Content provider

Key message

Slovenia is exceptional for its diversity of terrain, with four major natural units merging in this small part of Central Europe: the Alps, Dinaric Alps, Pannonian Basin and the Mediterranean.

Independence and the EU

The Republic of Slovenia is a parliamentary democratic republic that became an independent state after the disintegration of Yugoslavia in 1991, and joined the European Union in May 2004.

Since independence in 1991, Slovenia's economic development has been successful, making it one of the most thriving countries in transition. On 1 January 2007, Slovenia became the first new EU member to adopt the Euro, and in the first half of 2008 successfully held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Polycentric approach

Slovenia's surface area measures 20,273 km2 and covers part of the sea in addition to its land territory. It is home to just over 2 million people in a little under 6 000 settlements. Half live in small settlements with fewer than 2 000 residents, and only Ljubljana, with 276 000, and Maribor, with 113,000, are the only cities with more than 100 000 inhabitants. Average population density is 99 people per km2, but the great topographical variation means there is uneven settlement, with the concentrations in the lowland areas of Alpine valleys, the Pannonian Plain and the coastal area, and this is increasing.

Environmental management

The drafting of strategic documents and legislation to ensure a healthy living environment and sustainable development is a task assigned to the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, and their implementation, including the issuing of permits and monitoring of the state of the environment, is the task of the Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia (ARSO). A supervisory role is also played by another body attached to the ministry, the national Inspectorate of the Republic of Slovenia for the Environment and Spatial Planning.

Ensuring the drinking water supply, treatment of municipal wastewater and the managing of municipal waste and some natural resources of local importance, including spatial planning, fall within the jurisdiction of local communities - the 210 municipalities.