Geography of Slovenia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Slovenia is situated in Central Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean . The Alps — including the Julian Alps, the Kamnik-Savinja Alps and the Karavanke chain, as well as the Pohorje massif — dominate Northern Slovenia along its long border to Austria. Slovenia's Adriatic coastline stretches approximately 50 kilometers (39 mi.) from Italy to Croatia.

Landscape types in Slovenia

The term "Karst" originated in southwestern Slovenia's Karst Plateau (Slovenian Kras), a limestone region of underground rivers, gorges, and caves, between Ljubljana and the Mediterranean.

On the Pannonian plain to the East and Northeast, toward the Croatian and Hungarian 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.

Map of Slovenia

1 Location
2 Geographic coordinates
3 Map references
4 Area
5 Borders
6 Regions
- 6.1 Historical Regions
7 Climate
8 Terrain
- 8.1 Elevation extremes
9 Natural resources
- 9.1 Land use
10 Environment
- 10.1 Current issues
- 10.2 International agreements
11 See also

[edit] Location

Southeastern or Central Europe, Eastern Alps bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Austria and Croatia

[edit] Geographic coordinates

Extreme geographical points of Slovenia:

North: 46°53′N, 16°14′E, municipality Šalovci,
South: 45°25′N, 15°10′E, municipality Črnomelj,
East: 46°28′N, 16°36′E, municipality Lendava,
West: 46°17′N, 13°23′E, municipality Kobarid.

Maximum distance North - South is 1°28' or 163 km (101 miles).
Maximum distance East - West is 3°13' or 248 km (154 miles).

[edit] Map references

Europe

[edit] Area

Total: 20,273 km²
Land: 20,273 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparison: slightly smaller than New Jersey

[edit] Borders

Land boundaries
- Total: 1,334 km
- Border countries: Austria 330 km, Croatia 670 km, Italy 232 km, Hungary 102 km
Coastline: 46.6 km

[edit] Regions

[edit] Historical Regions

Slovenia is traditionally divided into eight regions.

As given by Enciklopedija Slovenije (Encyclopedia of Slovenia), traditional Slovenian regions, based on the former division of Slovenia into four Habsburg crown lands (Carniola, Carinthia, Styria, and the Littoral) and their parts, are:

Upper Carniola (Gorenjska) (denoted on the map by U.C.)
Styria (Štajerska) (S)
Prekmurje (T)
Carinthia (Koroška) (C)
Inner Carniola (Notranjska) (I.C.)
Lower Carniola (Dolenjska) (L.C.)
Goriška (G)
Slovenian Istria (Slovenska Istra) (L)

The last two are usually considered together as the Littoral Region (Primorska). White Carniola (Bela krajina), otherwise part of Lower Carniola, is usually considered a separate region, as is Zasavje, which is otherwise a part of Upper and Lower Carniola and Styria.

[edit] Climate

Submediterranean climate on the coast, continental climate with mild to hot summers and cold winters in the plateaus and valleys to the east

[edit] Terrain

a short coastal strip on the Adriatic, an alpine mountain region adjacent to Italy and Austria, mixed mountain and valleys with numerous rivers to the east

[edit] Elevation extremes

Lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
Highest point: Triglav 2,864 m (9,396 feet)

[edit] Natural resources

lignite coal, lead, zinc, mercury, uranium, silver, hydropower

[edit] Land use

Arable land: 12%
Permanent crops: 3%
Permanent pastures: 24%
Forests and woodland: 54%
Other: 7% (1996 est.)
Irrigated land: 20 km² (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: flooding and earthquakes

[edit] Environment

[edit] Current issues

The Sava River polluted with domestic and industrial waste; pollution of coastal waters with heavy metals and toxic chemicals; forest damage near Koper from air pollution (originating at metallurgical and chemical plants) and resulting acid rain

[edit] International agreements

Party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution (MARPOL 73/78), Wetlands
Signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

[edit] See also

v • d • e

Geography of Europe

Albania · Andorra · Armenia² · Austria · Azerbaijan⁴ · Belarus · Belgium · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus² · Czech Republic · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Georgia⁴ · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Iceland · Ireland · Italy · Kazakhstan¹ · Latvia · Liechtenstein · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Republic of Macedonia · Malta · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · Netherlands · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Russia¹ · San Marino · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · Turkey¹ · Ukraine · United Kingdom · Vatican City

Dependencies, autonomies and other territories
Abkhazia⁴ · Adjara² · Åland · Azores · Akrotiri and Dhekelia · Crimea · Faroe Islands · Gibraltar · Guernsey · Isle of Man · Jersey · Kosovo · Madeira · Nagorno-Karabakh² · Nakhichevan² · Transnistria · Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus^2, 3

¹ Has significant territory in Asia. ² Entirely in West Asia, but considered European for cultural, political and historical reasons. ³ Only recognised by Turkey. ⁴ Partially or entirely in Asia, depending on the definition of the border between Europe and Asia.

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Categories: Geography of Slovenia | Geography by country