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| Continent | Europe |
|---|---|
| Region | Central Europe |
| Coordinates | 46°00′N15°00′E / 46.000°N 15.000°E /46.000; 15.000 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 20,271 km2 (7,827 sq mi) |
| Coastline | 47 km (29 mi) |
| Highest point | Triglav, 2,864 m |
| Lowest point | Adriatic Sea, 0 m |
| Longest river | Sava |
| Largest lake | Lake Bohinj |
| Climate | continental climate Mediterranean climate |
Slovenia is situated inCentral Europe, touching theAlps and bordering theAdriatic Sea. The Alps—including theJulian Alps, theKamnik–Savinja Alps and theKarawank chain, as well as thePohorje massif—dominate northern Slovenia along its long border toAustria. Slovenia'sAdriatic coastline stretches approximately 47 km (29 mi) fromItaly toCroatia.
The termkarst originated in southwestern Slovenia'sKarst Plateau (Slovene:Kras), alimestone region of underground rivers, gorges, and caves, betweenLjubljana and theMediterranean.
On thePannonian plain to the east and northeast, toward theCroatian andHungarian 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.
Slovenia's location is where southeastern andCentral Europe meet, where theEastern Alps border the Adriatic Sea betweenAustria andCroatia. The15th meridian east almost corresponds to the middle line of the country in the direction west–east.[1]
Extremegeographical points of Slovenia:
The maximum north–south distance is 1°28' or 163 km (101 mi).
The maximum east–west distance is 3°13' or 248 km (154 mi).
Thegeometric centre of Slovenia (GEOSS) is located at46°07′11.8″N14°48′55.2″E / 46.119944°N 14.815333°E /46.119944; 14.815333.
Since 2016, the geodetic system of Slovenia with the elevation benchmark of 0 m has its origin at theKoper tide gauge station. Until then, it referred to the Sartorio mole in Trieste (seemetres above the Adriatic).[2]
The entire Slovenian coastline is located on theGulf of Trieste. Towns along the coastline include:
The traditional Slovenianregions, based on the former division of Slovenia into the fourHabsburgcrown lands (Carniola,Carinthia,Styria, and theLittoral) and their parts, are:
The last two are usually considered together as theLittoral Region (Primorska).White Carniola (Bela krajina), otherwise part of Lower Carniola, is usually considered a separate region, as is the Central Sava Valley (Zasavje), which is otherwise a part of Upper and Lower Carniola and Styria.
Slovenian Littoral has no natural island, but there is a plan on building an artificial one.
Humid subtropical climate (Cfa) on the coast, oceanic climate (Cfb) in most of Slovenia, continental climate with mild to hot summers and cold winters (Dfb) in the plateaus and mountains on the north, subpolar (Dfc) and tundra (ET) climate above the treeline on the highest mountain peaks. Precipitation is high away from the coast, with the spring being particularly prone to rainfall. Slovenia's Alps have frequent snowfalls during the winter.[4][5]
| Climate data for Ljubljana | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 15.8 (60.4) | 22.3 (72.1) | 24.3 (75.7) | 27.8 (82.0) | 32.4 (90.3) | 35.6 (96.1) | 37.1 (98.8) | 40.2 (104.4) | 30.3 (86.5) | 25.8 (78.4) | 20.9 (69.6) | 16.7 (62.1) | 40.2 (104.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 3.4 (38.1) | 6.4 (43.5) | 11.4 (52.5) | 16.1 (61.0) | 21.4 (70.5) | 24.6 (76.3) | 27.3 (81.1) | 26.7 (80.1) | 21.6 (70.9) | 15.9 (60.6) | 8.8 (47.8) | 3.8 (38.8) | 15.6 (60.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 0.3 (32.5) | 1.9 (35.4) | 6.5 (43.7) | 10.8 (51.4) | 15.8 (60.4) | 19.1 (66.4) | 21.3 (70.3) | 20.6 (69.1) | 16.0 (60.8) | 11.2 (52.2) | 5.6 (42.1) | 1.2 (34.2) | 10.9 (51.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −2.5 (27.5) | −2.0 (28.4) | 1.7 (35.1) | 5.8 (42.4) | 10.3 (50.5) | 13.7 (56.7) | 15.5 (59.9) | 15.2 (59.4) | 11.5 (52.7) | 7.7 (45.9) | 2.8 (37.0) | −1.1 (30.0) | 6.6 (43.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −20.3 (−4.5) | −23.3 (−9.9) | −14.1 (6.6) | −3.2 (26.2) | 0.2 (32.4) | 3.8 (38.8) | 7.4 (45.3) | 5.8 (42.4) | 3.1 (37.6) | −5.2 (22.6) | −14.5 (5.9) | −14.5 (5.9) | −23.3 (−9.9) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 69 (2.7) | 70 (2.8) | 88 (3.5) | 99 (3.9) | 109 (4.3) | 144 (5.7) | 115 (4.5) | 137 (5.4) | 147 (5.8) | 147 (5.8) | 129 (5.1) | 107 (4.2) | 1,362 (53.6) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.1 mm) | 11 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 153 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 71 | 114 | 149 | 178 | 235 | 246 | 293 | 264 | 183 | 120 | 66 | 56 | 1,974 |
| Source 1: Slovenian Environment Agency (ARSO)[6] (data for 1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Slovenian Environment Agency (ARSO)[7] OGIMET[8] (some extreme values for 1948–2013) | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Maribor | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 17.4 (63.3) | 21.5 (70.7) | 26.0 (78.8) | 28.0 (82.4) | 30.9 (87.6) | 34.7 (94.5) | 35.8 (96.4) | 40.6 (105.1) | 31.4 (88.5) | 27.2 (81.0) | 21.5 (70.7) | 20.7 (69.3) | 40.6 (105.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 3.9 (39.0) | 6.6 (43.9) | 11.4 (52.5) | 16.2 (61.2) | 21.3 (70.3) | 24.4 (75.9) | 26.6 (79.9) | 26.1 (79.0) | 21.4 (70.5) | 16.0 (60.8) | 9.2 (48.6) | 4.4 (39.9) | 15.6 (60.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −0.2 (31.6) | 1.7 (35.1) | 6.0 (42.8) | 10.8 (51.4) | 15.8 (60.4) | 19.0 (66.2) | 21.0 (69.8) | 20.3 (68.5) | 15.7 (60.3) | 10.7 (51.3) | 5.1 (41.2) | 0.9 (33.6) | 10.8 (51.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −3.6 (25.5) | −2.3 (27.9) | 1.6 (34.9) | 5.9 (42.6) | 10.5 (50.9) | 13.7 (56.7) | 15.6 (60.1) | 15.4 (59.7) | 11.3 (52.3) | 6.8 (44.2) | 1.8 (35.2) | −2.0 (28.4) | 6.2 (43.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −21.0 (−5.8) | −20.2 (−4.4) | −15.2 (4.6) | −5.1 (22.8) | −1.1 (30.0) | 3.6 (38.5) | 6.3 (43.3) | 5.5 (41.9) | −1.0 (30.2) | −5.9 (21.4) | −12.7 (9.1) | −17.6 (0.3) | −21.0 (−5.8) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 35 (1.4) | 38 (1.5) | 57 (2.2) | 60 (2.4) | 83 (3.3) | 107 (4.2) | 94 (3.7) | 112 (4.4) | 99 (3.9) | 78 (3.1) | 69 (2.7) | 61 (2.4) | 893 (35.2) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.1 mm) | 9.0 | 8.0 | 10.0 | 13.0 | 14.0 | 15.0 | 13.0 | 12.0 | 11.0 | 10.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 137.0 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 86 | 118 | 148 | 185 | 237 | 242 | 277 | 253 | 191 | 143 | 90 | 67 | 2,037 |
| Source: Slovenian Environment Agency (ARSO), sunshine hours are for: Maribor Edvard Rusjan Airport 1981–2010[9] (data for 1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
The northern part of the country is mountainous and consists of theJulian Alps,Karawanks,Kamnik–Savinja Alps and the Pohorje massif.
Further east lies thePannonian plain, which dominates the region ofPrekmurje.
Central Slovenia is largely hilly and forested, with the exception of theLjubljana Basin and the encompassedLjubljana Marsh, a large wetlands region which was largely drained in the time of theHabsburg monarchy, but still remains a flood zone.
To the southeast of the Ljubljana Basin lies theKarst plateau, a hilly region containing variouscaves, sinkholes, intermittent lakes and other features ofKarst topography.
Southern Slovenia is home to theJavornik Hills, the beginning of theDinaric Alps. In the southeast is a short coastal strip on theAdriatic Sea.
There is only one natural island in Slovenia: Bled Island inLake Bled in the country's northwest. Lake Bled and Bled Island are Slovenia's most popular tourist destination.[10]
More than half of Slovenia, which is 11,823 km2 or 4,565 sq mi, is forested;[11] ranking it third in Europe, bypercentage of area forested, afterFinland andSweden. The areas are covered mostly bybeech,fir-beech and beech-oak forests and have a high production capacity.[12] Remnants of primeval forests are still to be found, the largest in theKočevje area. Grassland covers 5,593 km2 (2,159 sq mi) and fields and gardens (954 km2 or 368 sq mi). There are 363 km2 (140 sq mi) of orchards and 216 km2 (83 sq mi) of vineyards.[13]
Slovenia's terrain and abundance of rivers makes it ideal for hydropower, which is responsible for around a third of the country's electricity production.
Various building stones, most notably marble and limestone have been quarried in the country for centuries. The Podpeč quarry has been used to extract marble since the Roman times.[14]
Slovenia is not known for large mining operations, but still has some notable deposits:
Lignitecoal is found primarily in the northeastern part of the country. The country has been extracting this resource for power generation, most notably for use in theŠoštanj Power Plant, however it does not produce enough lignite to be self-sufficient and still largely relies on imports.[15] In 2022, Slovenia produced 2.4 million tonnes of lignite.[16]
The country has deposits of heavy metals, primarilyMercury,Lead andZinc. Mercury was historically mined in the town ofIdrija, which is one of the rare regions in the world where it appears both in its elemental form and as cinnabar ore. Lead and Zinc were mined in theMežica mine. Both have since closed and have been converted into tourist attractions.
Uranium was also discovered nearŽirovski Vrh in the 1960s and a mine operated for a short time, but falling Uranium prices made the mine close in 1990 after only 8 years of operation.[17]
TheSava River polluted with domestic and industrial waste; pollution of coastal waters withheavy metals and toxic chemicals; forest damage nearKoper fromair pollution (originating at chemical plants) and resultingacid rain.
