Country Facts

Slovenia map
  • Official name: Republic of Slovenia
  • Capital City: Ljubljana
  • Official language: Slovene (also known as Slovenian)
  • Population: 2 million
  • Currency: 1 Euro = 100 cents
  • Internet: .si
  • Religion: Christianity (Catholic, Protestant)
  • International dialling code: +386

Celebrations and national holidays:

  • Prešeren’s day (poet). A day off work. February 8th.
  • Prvomajski prazniki: a period between April 27th (Resistance Day) and May 2nd (May Day), most Slovenians will not work during this period. It is not a good time to try to set up business meetings.
  • Dec 25th (Christmas) and 26th (independence)

Celebrities you should know:

  • Tina Maze, ski champion
  • Petra Majdič: downhill skier
  • Peter Prevc, ski jump champion
  • Davo Krničar, alpinist and extreme skier

Extreme sportspeople:

  • Martin Strel – Marathon swimmer
  • Matevž Lenarčič – pilot, ultralight plane, flew 3 times around the world
  • Benka Pulko – world traveller, by bike
  • Melanija Knavs (Trump), wife of the US President
  • Laibach – the band
  • Slavoj Žižek, philosopher

Food: taboos and favourites

  • Potica – if it is cake, it must be Potica.

Historical figures

  • Leon Štukelj – 6 olympic medals, died 101 years in very good health
  • Dr. France Rode – inventor of the pocket calculator (not to be confused with Franc Rode, cardinal in Vatican)

Key words:

  • marljivost, marljiv (male) marljiva (female) (meaning “hard-working”)

Landmarks and places of cultural significance:

  • Blejski otok (Bled island)
  • Postojnjska jama (cave),
  • Triglav (highest mountain, symbol of survival and being a real Slovenian)

Language skills and foreigners:

  • English – everybody in business
  • German if doing business with Germany, Slovenia’s number 1 person
  • Serbo-Croatian – people born in the 1960s or before., below 35 don’t even understand it
  • French (around Revoz – Renault) – Novo mesto
  • Italian – near the border with Italy
  • Hungarian – near the border with Hungary

Symbols of identity:

  • The Slovenian language (since 1991 this is no longer secondary or suppressed). Anyone who learns this language in later life can expect a warm welcome.