Slovenia Geography - 2024

Location

south Central Europe, Julian Alps between Austria and Croatia

Geographic coordinates

46 07 N, 14 49 E

Map references

Europe

Area

total: 20,273 sq km

land: 20,151 sq km

water: 122 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than New Jersey

Area comparison map:

Land boundaries

total: 1,211 km

border countries (4): Austria 299 km; Croatia 600 km; Hungary 94 km; Italy 218 km

Coastline

46.6 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate

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

Terrain

a short southwestern coastal strip of Karst topography on the Adriatic; an alpine mountain region lies adjacent to Italy and Austria in the north; mixed mountains and valleys with numerous rivers to the east

Elevation

highest point: Triglav 2,864 m

lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m

mean elevation: 492 m

Natural resources

lignite, lead, zinc, building stone, hydropower, forests

Land use

agricultural land: 22.8% (2018 est.)

arable land: 8.4% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 1.3% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 13.1% (2018 est.)

forest: 62.3% (2018 est.)

other: 14.9% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land

39 sq km (2020)

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

Population distribution

a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations; pockets in the mountainous northwest exhibit less density than elsewhere

Natural hazards

flooding; earthquakes

Geography - note

despite its small size, this eastern Alpine country controls some of Europe's major transit routes