Page 28 - slovenia

Slovenians live in a new country that is very old and carries
a lot of historical and cultural baggage. They have been con-
quered ruled by despots, emperors and kings of every stripe.
Their historic timeline is laced with periods of good times and
oppression.

Until the 20th century, the area of Slovenia was ruled by
foreigners, including the Romans, French and Italians, but
mostly by the Hapsburgs and the Austro-Hungary monarchy.
Slovenia became part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia after the
First World War, and then part of the Socialist Federal Repub-
lic of Yugoslavia after the Second World War.

After more than 70 years of living in Yugoslavia, the Sloveni-
ans had built a consensus for an independent path. Despite
hundreds of years of oppression the Slovenians emerged
as a nation and forged their own identity. In the 1990 vote
for independence, almost ninety percent of the population
voted for their freedom. In 2004, Slovenia joined the EU and
became a member of NATO.

Tiny village with ancient bridge spanning the
Soca River. Right: Old stone walls and doors
decorated with geraniums high above Piran.
Opposite: Quaint red tiled towns abound
always crowned with church steeples.

28 WDT MAGAZINE SPRING 2017