Slovenia Geography
What is the terrain and geography like in Slovenia?
Overview
Slovenia is a central European country with a surface area of 12,153 square miles. To the southwest, Slovenia has a 28-mile coastline on the Adriatic Sea.There are basically six topographies: the Alps, including the Julian Alps, the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, the Karavanke chain and the Pohorje Massif to the north and northeast; the pre-Alpine hills of Idrija, Cerkno, Skofja Loka and Posavje spreading across the entire southern side of the Alps; the Dinaric karst (a limestone region of underground rivers, gorges, and caves) below the hills and encompassing the "true" or "original" Karst Plateau (from which all karst regions around the world take their name) between Ljubljana and the Italian border; the Slovenian Littoral, 28 miles of coastline along the Adriatic Sea; the "lowlands," comprising about one-fifth of the territory in various parts of the country; and the essentially flat Pannonian Plain to the east and northeast.
Slovenia is predominantly hilly or mountainous; about 90% of the surface is more than 700 feet above sea level. Forest, some of it virgin, covers just under half of the country, making Slovenia one of the greenest countries in the world. Agricultural land (fields, orchards, vineyards, pastures, etc.) account for 43% of the total.
Major rivers are the Drava, Sava (which meets the Danube in Belgrade), Soca, and Mura.
Geography - note
despite its small size, this eastern Alpine country controls some of Europe's major transit routes
Climate
Slovenia is temperate with four seasons, but the topography creates three individual climates. The northwest has an Alpine climate with strong influences from the Atlantic and abundant precipitation. Temperatures in the Alpine valleys are moderate in summer but cold in winter. The coast and a large part of Primorska as far as the Soca Valley has a Mediterranean climate with warm sunny weather much of the year and mild winters. Most of eastern Slovenia has a Continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. The average temperature in July is 68-75 °F in the interior while on the coast it is around 82-85 °F. Ljubljana sits in a valley, and often has fog or rain covering the city.Slovenia gets most of its rain in the spring (May and June) and autumn (October and November). January is the coldest month with an average temperature of 30°F, and July is the warmest, with an average temperature of 70°F. The mean average temperature in Ljubljana is 50°F. Average annual precipitation is 31 inches in the east and 117 inches in the northeast, on account of heavier snowfall.
Slovenia Use of Natural Resources
Slovenia Environment
Climate:
Slovenia is temperate with four seasons, but the topography creates three individual climates. The northwest has an Alpine climate with strong influences from the Atlantic and abundant precipitation. Temperatures in the Alpine valleys are moderate in summer but cold in winter. The coast and a large part of Primorska as far as the Soca Valley has a Mediterranean climate with warm sunny weather much of the year and mild winters. Most of eastern Slovenia has a Continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. The average temperature in July is 68-75 °F in the interior while on the coast it is around 82-85 °F. Ljubljana sits in a valley, and often has fog or rain covering the city.Slovenia gets most of its rain in the spring (May and June) and autumn (October and November). January is the coldest month with an average temperature of 30°F, and July is the warmest, with an average temperature of 70°F. The mean average temperature in Ljubljana is 50°F. Average annual precipitation is 31 inches in the east and 117 inches in the northeast, on account of heavier snowfall.
Terrain:
a short coastal strip on the Adriatic, an alpine mountain region adjacent to Italy and Austria, mixed mountains and valleys with numerous rivers to the east
Natural Resources:
lignite coal, lead, zinc, mercury, uranium, silver, hydropower, forests
Natural Hazards:
flooding and earthquakes
Irrigated Land:
29 Square Miles76 Square Kilometers
Environmental Issues:
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
Environment - International Agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreementsSlovenia Geography
| Geographic Location | Europe |
| Total Area |
7,827 Square Miles 20,273 Square Kilometers |
| Land Area |
7,780 Square Miles 20,151 Square Kilometers |
| Water Area |
47 Square Miles 122 Square Kilometers |
| Land Boundaries |
675 Miles 1,086 Kilometers |
| Irrigated Land |
29 Square Miles 76 Square Kilometers |
| Border Countries | Austria 330 km, Croatia 670 km, Italy 232 km, Hungary 102 km |
| Coastline |
29 Miles 47 Kilometers |
| Geographic Coordinates | 46 07 N, 14 49 E |
| Terrain | a short coastal strip on the Adriatic, an alpine mountain region adjacent to Italy and Austria, mixed mountains and valleys with numerous rivers to the east |
| Highest Point | 2,864 Meters |
| Highest Point Location | Triglav 2,864 m |
| Lowest Point Location | Adriatic Sea 0 m |
| Natural Resources | lignite coal, lead, zinc, mercury, uranium, silver, hydropower, forests |
| Time Zone | UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) |
| Daylight saving time | +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |