Within Slovenia, there are vastly contrasting regions of differing climatic conditions, meaning diverse weather across the country all year round.

The inland region shares similar weather patterns to most of Eastern Europe, where the winters can be extremely cold, with temperatures dropping below 0 degrees Celsius. Summers can be extremely hot and experience temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius.

In the north-eastern part of the country (which is part of the eastern Alps) the climate is much like that of that of the Italian & Austrian Alps, which again

The southern part of the country on the Adriatic coast is the most popular tourist destination, mainly due to the climate being more like that in the Mediterranean, especially with respect to experiencing much more mild winters than other parts of the county.

Click on this Weather link to view the current weather conditions in Ljubljana.

The International Dialling Code for Slovenia is 386. To dial overseas from within the country dial 990 followed by the relevant country code and phone number.

Emergency numbers in Slovenia are 112 for police, fire and ambulance.

Mobile phone roaming agreements are in place with many international carriers. Slovenia also has quite good reception throughout the country.

The postal system is relatively efficient and post offices quite widespread. For further information visit the Slovenia Post Website.

Internet use is relatively widespread in Slovenia, and internet cafes are readily available in most cities and towns.

The purchase prices of goods and services have a DDV or a value-added tax added to them. Overnight visitors are charged a ‘tourist tax’ of about EUR 1 by most hotels and restaurants. Tipping is not compulsory but preferred (10% tip being the norm).The Euro is the official currency of Slovenia from 01.01.2007. Notes come in denominations of 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins come in denominations of 2 and 1, as well as 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.

Credit cards are accepted at restaurants, shops and hotels, etc. Slovenia's ATMs are accessible to foreign account holders. Banks are open from Monday to Friday from 8.30 to 12.30 to 15.00 to 17.00.

A value-added tax (DDV, replacing the 'circulation' tax) is now added to the purchase price of most goods and services. Many hotels in Slovenia levy a 'tourist tax' on overnight visitors of about EUR 1. Tipping is not compulsory, but no one will object for leaving a 10% tip.

To view the current Euro exchange rate, click on this link to OANDA.com - The Currency Site.

Population - 2,011,614 people (September 2006)
Total Area - 20,273 square kilometres
Capital - Ljubljana (330,000 people)
Time Zone - Standard time zone: UTC/GMT +1 hour

To view the current time in Ljubljana, click on this link to TimeAndDate.com.

Slovenia is a small coastal strip on the Adriatic in the Alpine mountain region beside Italy and Austria, with mountains, valleys and numerous rivers on the eastern side. The Ljubljana marshes are located in the Central Ljubljana valley in the southern part. Karst, called Kras in Slovene, is found in the southwest region, and is prone to earthquakes and floods.

Slovenia, located between the Alps, the Adriatic and the Pannonian Plain, covers an area of 20,273 square kilometres. Slovenia is at the crossroads of the trans-European routes, with Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the east and Croatia to the south. The port of Koper is known as the Central European sea gateway. The roads and the railway (which in 1857 connected Vienna and Trieste) connect the Danube region with the Mediterranean, whereas the northwest-southeast connections link the Balkans with Central Europe.

Slovenia has no major health problems due to its generally high hygiene standards and drinkable tap water. The prevalence of smoking is not only less than in other countries but has become less widespread since the late 1990s.

In 1992, when Slovenia was a part of the communist country of Yugoslavia, health care reforms were adopted to modify the health care system. The new public health insurance system and employer-funded system ran in combination and replaced direct health care funding by the government. Despite this Slovenia still provides universal and comprehensive health care to its citizens due to which its health care system has remained centralised. Total health care expenditure in 1999 was estimated at 7.6% of GDP and there were 3.5 physicians and 7.1 hospital beds per 1,000 people. In 2002, Slovenia had 26 hospitals, of which there were three local general hospitals, nine regional facilities, the apical tertiary care centre and the main teaching hospital of the country, which is the Clinical Centre in Ljubljana.

In the 6th century AD, the Slavic ancestors came from Eastern Europe and settled down in the northern part of the Slovenian region. They established the state of Caranthania (Karantanija in Slovene) and set an example of parliamentary democracy in Europe. The Caranthanians were subordinated and defeated by the Bavarians and Franks. They converted to Christianity, but preserved their native language and traditional pagan religion. Till 1918, the lands of Slovene were part of the Holy Roman Empire and Austria under the Hapsburg dynasty. Later the Slovenes joined the Serbs and Croats and formed a new south-Slavic state known as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians ('Kraljevina Srbov, Hrvatov in Slovencev' in Slovene). This kingdom was ruled by the Serbian Karadjordjevic dynasty. Later,  in 1929, it was renamed Yugoslavia.

Germans, Italians and Hungarians invaded and occupied Slovenia during WWII. Slovenia became a republic in the newly established Yugoslavia after WWII. Despite being a communist state Yugoslavia stayed away from the Soviet bloc and succeeded in getting a few territorial gains from Italy. Not satisfied with the power of the majority Serbs, the Slovenes successfully gained independence with minimum bloodshed in 1991. Slovenia joined the European Union and NATO in 2004, and in 2007 it adopted the Euro. Thus it completed a quick accession to Europe and the EU.

Ninety-one per cent of the population speak the national language, Slovene. A significant number of Italians live on the Primorska coast, whereas Hungarian minorities are located in Prekmurje in the northeast. History tells us that prior to the WWII, there was a significant German-speaking minority. Most of the tourists, especially the younger crowd, prefer to speak in English and the majority of locals converse in Italian, German or other Serbo-Croatian languages. It is better to speak in simple English to avoid misunderstandings. Attempts at learning the local language will be appreciated.

The Serbo-Croatian language shares several similarities with Slovene and is spoken fluently by people who went to school before 1991. The same applies to reading and writing the Cyrillic alphabet. Though people understand Russian, it was not taught as extensively as it is done in other Slavic-speaking countries. Most Slovenes do have a functional knowledge of German and Italian.

Some useful Slovenian phrases include:

Good day - Dober dan
Thanks - Hvala
Please - Prosim
How much is it? - Koliko to stane?
When? - Kdaj?
Where? - Kje?
Goodbye - Nasvidenje - Adijo!
Right - Desno
Left - Levo
Good night - Lahko noč
ATM - bankomat

The Republic of Slovenia is situated in the middle of Europe. It is here that the Alps and the Mediterranean meet the Pannonian plains and the Karsts. Austria lies to its North, Hungary to its east, Croatia to its south and Italy to its west.

To view a map of Slovenia, click on this link to WorldAtlas.com.

Despite Slovenia being a small-sized country, the Slovenes are fiercely proud of their culture. National poet France Preseren (1800-1849), author of the Slovenian national anthem, and architect Jože Plečnik (1872-1957), credited with not only Ljubljana's iconic Tromostovje bridges but half of the modern bridges of the country, are the two famous personalities you will hear about. Unlike the Serbo-Croatians in the south, the Slovenians survived due to the efforts put in by the monks of the Catholic Church to keep them alive despite the persistent Germanization from the north. Their language is full of idiomatic phrases from German. The countryside and the city architecture, with its countless roadside shrines and pretty baroque steeples, give the nation's interior a truly Alpine flavour apart from similarities with neighbouring Austria. The mountainous parts of Slovenia can be easily mistaken for Tyrol, Salzburg or Bavaria. Today Slovenia is famous for its industrial band, Laibach. Decades ago, Slavko Avsenik and his Oberkrainer had made Slovenia famous.

Follow the link to view a list of current public holidays for Slovenia.

The people of Slovenia take pride in their national identity and their religious values. According to the 2002 census, Catholics constitute the largest section (58 per cent) of the population. The Evangelical Church, with its roots in the Reformation, has many followers in the eastern part of Slovenia. Around 38 religious communities, spiritual groups, societies and associations are registered in Slovenia. The main aim of the Slovene cultural policy is to stimulate cultural diversity and thereby facilitate creativity. Various parts of the Slovene countryside have ancient churches that have a rich cultural tradition.

Catholic 57.8%, Orthodox 2.3%, other Christian 0.9%, Muslim 2.4%, unaffiliated 3.5%, other or unspecified 23%, none 10.1% (2002 census).

You require a passport to visit Slovenia; exceptions to the rule are EU nationals who have a valid ID card. However, British/American/ Canadian nationals or those from other EU countries do not require a visa or a return ticket. People from other countries should consult their local embassy for details about visa requirements.

Slovenia adopted the Schengen Agreement for land and sea entry on 21 December 2007 and for airports on 29 March 2008. According to the norms adopted for entry after this, non-EU nationals need a passport with at least three months validity after proposed departure. EU nationals only need to produce a valid national ID in order to enter any EU Member State. This ID is considered at par with a passport. A return ticket, proof of sufficient funds or length of validity on the ID document will not be insisted upon.

As Visa and Passport regulations can change at short notice we advise checking your visa requirements with your local embassy before travelling to Slovenia.