The South Slavic ethnic group living mostly in Slovenia, there constituting about 92% of the population. For centuries they were under a foreign rule, but they managed to preserve their own language and the national consciousness. Unlike other Slavic groups, for a whole millennium, the Slovenes were under a decisive impact of the Austrian and German cultures. Elements of these cultures they have preserved up to the present day, even though they were living with other South Slavic groups in Yugoslavia for seventy years.
RELIGION AND TRADITION
Slovenes are the Roman Catholics, adopting the religion from the peoples who ruled over them for centuries.
GEOGRAPHY
Slovenia is a Central European country, touching the Alps and the Adriatic Sea. It is surrounded with Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia. Its capital is Ljublјаnа. The population of Slovenia is 2 million.
HISTORY
Beginnings of the Slovenian history is connected to the state of a Slavic ruler, Sam, in the 7thcentury. But they soon fall under the Franks and from the 10th century they live in the dukedom of Karantania within the Holy Roman (German) Empire.
After the WWI, liberated from the Austrian rule, they join the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. In a short armed conflict in 1991 they seceded from Yugoslavia and for the first time in their history, formed an independent state.