| Golac | |
|---|---|
  Golac Location in Slovenia | |
| Coordinates: 45°30′53.51″N14°3′48.41″E / 45.5148639°N 14.0634472°E Coordinates: 45°30′53.51″N14°3′48.41″E / 45.5148639°N 14.0634472°E | |
| Country |  |
| Traditional region | Littoral |
| Statistical region | Coastal–Karst |
| Municipality | Hrpelje-Kozina |
| Area | |
| • Total | 24.21 km2 (9.35 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 643.1 m (2,109.9 ft) |
| Population (2002) | |
| • Total | 75 |
| [1] | |
Golac (pronounced [ˈɡoːlats] ; Italian : Golazzo) is a village in the Municipality of Hrpelje-Kozina in the Littoral region of Slovenia on the border with Croatia. [2]
Italian is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family. Italian, together with Sardinian, is by most measures the closest language to Vulgar Latin of the Romance languages. Italian is an official language in Italy, Switzerland, San Marino and Vatican City. It has an official minority status in western Istria. It formerly had official status in Albania, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro (Kotor) and Greece, and is generally understood in Corsica and Savoie. It also used to be an official language in the former Italian East Africa and Italian North Africa, where it plays a significant role in various sectors. Italian is also spoken by large expatriate communities in the Americas and Australia. In spite of not existing any Italian community in their respective national territories and of not being spoken at any level, Italian is included de jure, but not de facto, between the recognized minority languages of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Romania. Many speakers of Italian are native bilinguals of both standardized Italian and other regional languages.
The Municipality of Hrpelje-Kozina is a municipality in the Littoral region of Slovenia. Its main settlements are Hrpelje and Kozina.
Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a sovereign state located in southern Central Europe at a crossroads of important European cultural and trade routes. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, and the Adriatic Sea to the southwest. It covers 20,273 square kilometers (7,827 sq mi) and has a population of 2.07 million. One of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, Slovenia is a parliamentary republic and a member of the United Nations, of the European Union, and of NATO. The capital and largest city is Ljubljana.
The parish church in the settlement is dedicated to Saint Nicholas and belongs to the Koper Diocese. [3]
A parish church in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, often allowing its premises to be used for non-religious community events. The church building reflects this status, and there is considerable variety in the size and style of parish churches. Many villages in Europe have churches that date back to the Middle Ages, but all periods of architecture are represented.
Saint Nicholas of Myra, also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of the ancient Greek maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor during the time of the Roman Empire. He is revered by many Christians as a saint. Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker. Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, children, brewers, pawnbrokers, and students in various cities and countries around Europe. His reputation evolved among the faithful, as was common for early Christian saints, and his legendary habit of secret gift-giving gave rise to the traditional model of Santa Claus through Sinterklaas.
Koper is the fifth largest city in Slovenia. Located in the southwestern part of the country, approximately five kilometres south of the border with Italy and 20 kilometers from Trieste, Koper is the largest coastal city in the country. It is bordered by the satellite towns of Izola and Ankaran, and anchors the Istrian region. With a unique ecology and biodiversity, it is considered an important national natural resource. It is the oldest recorded urban settlement in Slovenia. The city's Port of Koper is the major contributor to the economy of the eponymous city municipality. With only one percent of Slovenia having a coastline, the influence that the Port of Koper also has on tourism was a factor in Ankaran deciding to leave the municipality in a referendum in 2011 to establish its own. The city is a destination on a number of Mediterranean cruising lines. In 2016, the city expects 65 cruise ship arrivals with the season spanning from March to December. Koper is the main urban centre of the Slovenian Istria, with a population of about 25,000.
