Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in southern Central Europe bordering Italy on the west, the Adriatic Sea on the southwest, Croatia on the south and east, Hungary on the northeast, and Austria on the north.

Area
20,273 sq km (7827 sq miles).

Population
1,995,033 (official estimate 2002).

Population Density
98.4 per sq km.

Capital
Ljubljana. Population: 265,881 (2002).

Geography
This compact and strategically important country is dominated by mountains, rivers and major northsouth and east–west transit routes. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast and Croatia to the southeast, with a 47km- (30 mile-) Adriatic Sea coastline, where the main port is Koper.

Language
Slovene, which is closely related to Croat and Czech. Most Slovenes speak German, Hungarian or Italian, with English as a second language.