Slovenia, Its Emergence from Slavic Roots Quiz

Answer: British Empire

Slovenia is located in south-central Europe. It has been described as being at the crossroads of Slavic, Germanic, and Romance cultures. As such the territory that has now emerged as the Republic of Slovenia has been, in the past, occupied by many states including the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Carolingian Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Hungary, the Republic of Venice, the Provinces of the First French Empire, the Austrian Empire, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire before starting to emerge as a country and culture with its own identity after WWI.

The photo depicts a painting with the artist's interpretation of Great Britain: Fog and the ubiquitous red phone box.

Answer: True

After WWI was declared, in the country now known as Slovenia, the Slovene People's Party launched a movement for self-determination, demanding the creation of a semi-independent South Slavic state under the Austrian Habsburg Dynasty rule. The Austrian elite soundly rejected this mass mobilisation but after the fall of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire after WWI, the National Council of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs established a legal entity and took power in Zagreb in October 1918, declaring independence in Ljubljana three weeks later. The Croatian parliament then declared the establishment of the new State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs.

One month later this new state merged with Serbia, forming the new Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. In 1929 the new state was renamed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. This entity stayed intact until WWII when the Slovene lands were trisected and annexed into both Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. Additionally, the far eastern part of Slovenia, the Prekmurje region, was annexed to Hungary.

After WWII, Yugoslavia was liberated by partisans and became a socialist federation called the People's Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The Slovenian republic, Federal Slovenia, was one of the constituent republics of the Yugoslavian federation under Josep Tito. This federation stayed intact until 1991 when Slovenia and Croatia sought and gained independence from Yugoslavia. Other states followed causing Yugoslavia to cease to exist.

The photo represents the death of the King, indicating the demise of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes and later the Kingdom of Yugoslavia when Yugoslavia was annexed during WWII.

Answer: Croatia

Of the federated states that compromised Yugoslavia, Slovenia was the northernmost and was barely on the Balkan Peninsula. (Only the portion south of the Sava River is in the Balkans). It only bordered one former Yugoslavian country, Croatia, which forms its southern border. It is considered by the International Geographical Union to be one of nine Central European countries, including Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Austria. Note that this is the only former Yugoslavian state to be included in this grouping.

Slovenia borders Austria to the north, Italy to the west and Hungary to the northeast. Slovenia has a small Adriatic Sea coastline to the southwest. It is a small country at 20,271 square kilometres (7,827 sq mi) making it slightly larger than Maryland (US), or Yorkshire, and three times smaller than the smallest Australian state of Tasmania. It had an estimated 2021 population of 2.1 million of which 15% lived in Ljubljana, the capital and by far the largest city.

The photo shows Dubrovnik, one of Croatia's most beautiful cities.

Answer: Beech forest

The primary geographical descriptors for Slovenia are forested and mountainous.

More than half of Slovenia is forested making it the third most forested country in Europe behind Finland and Sweden. Unlike the pine forests of the two northern countries, Slovenia's forests are mainly beech, fir-beech and beech-oak forests.

Besides being the crossroads of Europe culturally, four major European geographical areas all meet in Slovenia. The Alps run along the long northern border with Austria. The Dinarides, a mountain range that runs from the Alps in the north in a southeast direction, separates the Adriatic sea coastline from the relatively flat Pannonian Plain (which is really a plateau) to the north and east.

Slovenia only has one natural island which is within Lake Bled in the northern Alps. These two features are the main tourist attractions for Slovenia.

The photo depicts a typical beech forest.

Answer: Dragon

Ljubljana is a thriving modern city of 295000 people (2020) in central Slovenia on the Ljubljanica River. The city is dominated by a castle on a high bluff just outside the city centre. It can trace its history back to Roman times when it was called Emona.

The dragon is the symbol of the city. It is featured on the top of the tower of Ljubljana Castle on the city coat of arms and also on the pylons of the Dragon Bridge (pictured), the first river crossing in the city. The dragon represents greatness, power and courage.

There are several theories on how the dragon was adopted.
Referencing Slavic myth, the killing of a dragon releases waters that ensure the fertility of the land, and it is believed that this myth is connected to the Ljubljana Marsh, just outside the city and now an important agricultural region.
Another legend is Greek where Jason of the Argonauts killed a monster. The monster evolved into a dragon.
A third and perhaps more credible myth, is that the dragon was adopted from the legend of Saint George, the patron of the Ljubljana Castle chapel which was built in the 15th century. The dragon represents paganism which was overcome by Christianity represented by St George. The killing of the dragon represents the adoption of Christianity as the major religion of Ljubljana.

Answer: Three six-pointed golden stars arranged in an inverted triangle

Slovenia's flag consists of the three Slav colours of red, white and blue common to other Slav countries such as Croatia and Serbia, as well as non-Slav countries The Netherlands, Slovakia and Russia. However, only the latter two countries' tri-bands are in the same order as Slovenia's: from top to bottom white, blue and red.

The addition of the Slovenian Coat of Arms makes this country's flag unique. The coat of arms is actually derived from the medieval coat of arms of the Duchy of Carniola, an imperial estate of the Holy Roman Empire within the region of modern Slovenia. On the arms, the wavy lines represent the Adriatic Sea and local rivers; the mountain image represents Mt Triglav, the highest peak in Slovenia; and above these two are the three six-pointed golden stars arranged in an inverted triangle. These stars are taken, in turn, from the coat of arms of the Counts of Celje, a Slovene dynastic house established in the late 14th century.

The flag dates back to 1848.

The photo shows the Castle of Celje, the family home of the counts, outside the town of the same name.

Answer: Slovenia's Adriatic Sea coastline is so short there is only room for one port

Slovenia's major and only seaport is the Port of Koper, the largest container port in the north Adriatic Sea. It not only serves all of Slovenia's needs as a port, its proximity to the Suez Canal means there are many transhipments occurring in Koper. There are separate international passenger terminals at the nearby towns of Piran and Izola, both tourist towns on the coast.
Also crammed into the 47km of coastline are two towns, some lovely beaches and coastal scenery.

Depicted is the seaside town of Piran.

Answer: Roman Catholicism

Before WWII, 97% of Slovenians were Catholic, perhaps because of its proximity to the Catholic stronghold of Italy. Nearly 3% were Lutheran and less than 1% were other religions. However, in the communist state of Yugoslavia where Slovenia was an incorporated entity, the Communist regime implemented a decade of religious persecution before they adopted a policy of some tolerance towards churches. The result was an increasing rate of secularisation. In the early 21st century, around 72% of Slovenes were Catholic (which has decreased with every decade since WWII). There were 4% Orthodox and 3% Islam. These were the only significant other religious groups. Over 18% claimed no religious affiliation. Perhaps surprisingly, Protestants accounted for less than 1% of the population, when the Protestant legacy in Slovenia has been historically large, as the Slovene language and literature were established by the 16th century Protestant Reformation.

The photo shows rosary beads, an integral icon of Catholicism.

Answer: Parliamentary democracy republic (Bicameral)

When Slovenia emerged from Yugoslavia, it left behind a federation that was a one-party socialist state governed by the League of Communists of Yugoslavia. Slovenia formed a multi-party parliamentary republic with a president as head of state and a prime minister as head of government.

The presidential role is not merely ceremonial but the role encompasses the commander-in-chief role of the Slovenian armed forces. The president is elected for five years and can serve up to two terms.
The prime minister is elected by the lower house, the National Assembly. This house has 90 members, 88 voted by proportional representation with two members elected by the enrolled members of Hungarian and Italian minorities. The upper house, the National Council, does not serve as the typical house of review per se because it has limited advisory and control power. Its 40 members are appointed to represent special interest groups with professional, social, economic and local government agendas. Members of both houses are elected to four-year terms.

Slovenia joined the European Union in 2004 and adopted the Euro as its currency.

The picture shows the National Assembly Building of Slovenia which, despite a bicameral system of government, does not support the usual practice of having a wing for each house at each end of the building.

Answer: Vienna

Austria shares borders with both Slovenia and Slovakia, amongst others. Indeed the lands occupied by these contemporaneous new nations were once ruled by the massive Austro-Hungarian empire. Confusion between the two countries is not uncommon: Both emerged around the same time as independent nations, Slovenia in July 1991, and Slovakia on the last day of 1992; Both share the first four letters in their name; their flags are very similar with only their respective coats of arms differentiating them. Visiting politicians often confuse them and, on occasion, the other's national anthem has been played at sporting events.
Slovakia is about twice as big as Slovenia in both area and population. The two nations' capitals are about 450 km apart by road. If you take the most direct, which passes through Austria, you will also travel through the Austrian capital Vienna.

The photo depicts a wiener schnitzel, a dish synonymous with Austria and named after Vienna.