SLOVENIA

The independent state of the Republic of Slovenia was declared on 25th June 1991, adopting a democratic parliamentary system. It had emerged from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia formed in 1945. The Slovenian nation has had a long and remarkable history. Slovenia was the first democracy of Europe as documented already in 611 AD, known as Caranthania, part of which is in present day Austria. The system was studied by political theorists. The leader's stone throne of the day still stands in the original place in Austria. It is regarded as significant in the development of Western democracy, and referred to the writings of Thomas Jefferson's American Declaration of Independence. The Slovenian nation became a feudal state after 745 AD and was ruled by the Austro-Hungarian monarchy until 1918. In 1918 it became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.

The Slovenian language and culture of the people thrived during the middle Ages. There was a rich oral tradition of songs and narratives. German was the official language of the state and administration, Latin was the language of the educated. The oldest Slavic documents were written in Old Slovenian, a series of liturgical text called the Freising Manuscripts of 972 to 1022 AD. The Slovenian translation of the Bible of 1586 was one of the earliest in Europe, at the time only 12 nations had their own translation. Today Slovenia has a population of two million people, and continues to flourish as a modern central European state.