Local administrative units
Below the NUTS levels, the two LAU (Local Administrative Units) levels are:
| Level | Subdivisions | # |
|---|---|---|
| LAU 1 | Administrative units (upravne enote) | 58 |
| LAU 2 | Municipalities (občine) | 210 |
In the NUTS (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics) codes of Slovenia (SI), the three levels are:
| Level | Subdivisions | # |
|---|---|---|
| NUTS 1 | — | 1 |
| NUTS 2 | Macroregions (kohezijske regije) | 2 |
| NUTS 3 | Statistical regions (statistične regije) | 12 |
In the 2003 version, the codes were as follows:
Below the NUTS levels, the two LAU (Local Administrative Units) levels are:
| Level | Subdivisions | # |
|---|---|---|
| LAU 1 | Administrative units (upravne enote) | 58 |
| LAU 2 | Municipalities (občine) | 210 |
Slovenia is situated at the crossroads of central and southeast Europe, touching the Alps and bordering the Adriatic Sea. The Alps—including the Julian Alps, the Kamnik–Savinja Alps and the Karawank chain, as well as the Pohorje massif—dominate northern Slovenia along its long border to Austria. Slovenia's Adriatic coastline stretches approximately 47 km (29 mi) from Italy to Croatia. Its part south of Sava river belongs to Balkan peninsula – Balkans.
Carinthia, also Slovene Carinthia or Slovenian Carinthia, is a traditional region in northern Slovenia. The term refers to the small southeasternmost area of the former Duchy of Carinthia, which after World War I was allocated to the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs according to the 1919 Treaty of Saint-Germain. It has no distinct centre, but a local centre in each of the three central river valleys among the heavily forested mountains.
Styria, also Slovenian Styria or Lower Styria, is a traditional region in northeastern Slovenia, comprising the southern third of the former Duchy of Styria. The population of Styria in its historical boundaries amounts to around 705,000 inhabitants, or 34.5% of the population of Slovenia. The largest city is Maribor.
The Duchy of Carniola was an imperial estate of the Holy Roman Empire, established under Habsburg rule on the territory of the former East Frankish March of Carniola in 1364. A hereditary land of the Habsburg monarchy, it became a constituent land of the Austrian Empire in 1804 and part of the Kingdom of Illyria until 1849. A separate crown land from 1849, it was incorporated into the Cisleithanian territories of Austria-Hungary from 1867 until the state's dissolution in 1918. Its capital was Ljubljana.
Goriška is a historical region in western Slovenia on the border with Italy. It comprises the northern part of the wider traditional region of the Slovenian Littoral (Primorska). The name Goriška is an adjective referring to the city of Gorizia, its historical and cultural centre.
The Slovene Littoral is one of the five traditional regions of Slovenia. The littoral in its name - for a coastal-adjacent area - recalls the former Austrian Littoral, the Habsburg possessions on the upper Adriatic coast, of which the Slovene Littoral was part.
The Coastal–Karst Statistical Region is a statistical region in southwest Slovenia. It covers the traditional and historical regions of Slovenian Istria and most of the Karst Plateau, which traditionally belonged to the County of Gorizia and Gradisca. The region has a sub-Mediterranean climate and is Slovenia's only statistical region bordering the sea. Its natural features enable the development of tourism, transport, and special agricultural crops. More than two-thirds of gross value added are generated by services ; most was generated by activities at the Port of Koper and through seaside and spa tourism. The region recorded almost a quarter of all tourist nights in the country in 2013; slightly less than half by domestic tourists. Among foreign tourists, Italians, Austrians, and Germans predominated. In 2012 the region was one of four regions with a positive annual population growth rate (8.1‰). However, the age structure of the population was less favourable: in mid-2013 the ageing index was 133.3, which means that for every 100 inhabitants under 15 there were 133 inhabitants 65 or older. The farms in this region are among the smallest in Slovenia in terms of average utilised agricultural area per farm and in terms of the number of livestock on farms.
Slovenia has more than 28,000 wineries making between 80 and 90 million litres annually from the country's 22,300 ha of vineyards. About 75% of the country's production is white wine. Almost all of the wine is consumed domestically with only 6.1 million L a year being exported—mostly to the United States, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and lately the Czech Republic. Most of the country's wine production falls under the classification of premium (vrhunsko) wine with less than 30% classified as basic table wine (namizno vino). Slovenia has three principal wine regions: the Drava Wine-Growing Region, the Lower Sava Wine-Growing Region, and the Littoral Wine-Growing Region.
The statistical regions of Slovenia are 12 administrative entities created in 2000 for legal and statistical purposes.
Western Slovenia is one of the two NUTS-2 Regions of Slovenia. The region forms the western part of the country and includes the cities of Ljubljana, Koper, Kranj and Nova Gorica. It is the wealthier of the two regions of Slovenia.
Eastern Slovenia is one of the two NUTS-2 Regions of Slovenia. The region forms the eastern part of the country and includes the cities of Maribor, Celje and Velenje. It is the poorer of the two regions of Slovenia.
The Upper Carniola Statistical Region is a statistical region in northwest Slovenia. It is a region with high mountains, including Mount Triglav, and is almost entirely Alpine. A large part of this statistical region is protected as a national park. The relief and climate are good bases for tourism. In 2013, the region recorded almost 19% of tourist nights in Slovenia, of which 78% were by foreign tourists. The region ranked second in Slovenia in number of tourist beds per 1,000 population, even though it had just over half as many beds as the Coastal–Karst Statistical Region. In 2013, the registered unemployment rate here was the lowest in Slovenia, 3 percentage points lower than the national average and more than 8 percentage points lower than in the Mura Statistical Region, where the registered unemployment rate was the highest. Although agriculture in this region is not among the most important activities, the farms are among the largest in the country both in terms of average utilised agricultural area per farm and in terms of the number of livestock per farm.
The Gorizia Statistical Region is a statistical region in western Slovenia, along the border with Italy. It is named after the Italian town of Gorizia.
The Littoral–Inner Carniola Statistical Region is a statistical region in southwest Slovenia. Until January 1, 2015 it was named the Inner Carniola–Karst Statistical Region.
The Carinthia Statistical Region is a statistical region in northern Slovenia along the border with Austria.
The Central Slovenia Statistical Region is a statistical region in central Slovenia.
The Drava Statistical Region is a statistical region in Slovenia. The largest city in the region is Maribor. The region's name comes from the Drava River and includes land on both banks along its course through Slovenia as well as the Pohorje mountains in the northeast of the region. The Drava is used for the production of hydroelectricity and the fertile land around it is used for agriculture. The share of job vacancies in all available jobs is among the highest in Slovenia and the region has a positive net migration rate but a very high natural decrease, which means an overall decrease in the population.
The Savinja Statistical Region is a statistical region in Slovenia. The largest town in the region is Celje. It is named after the Savinja River. The region is very diverse in natural geography; it mainly comprises the wooded mountainous terrain attractive to tourists, the fertile Lower Savinja Valley with good conditions for growing hops, the Kozje Hills, and the Velenje Basin with lignite deposits, used for electricity production. In 2013 the region invested more than EUR 127 million in environmental protection. In 2013, the region accounted for 14% of enterprises created and 8% of enterprises shut down. The region has good natural conditions for agriculture. In 2013 this region had more than 11,000 farms, which is 15% of all farms in Slovenia, ranking the region right behind the Drava Statistical Region. In agricultural area utilised and livestock, the region was also in second place. The region is a well-known and popular tourist destination. In 2012, tourist arrivals and overnight stays in the region represented 11.1% of all tourist arrivals in Slovenia and 15.0% of all overnight stays. On average, tourists spent four nights there.
The Central Sava Statistical Region is a statistical region in Slovenia. This statistical region in the Sava Hills is the smallest region in the country in terms of both area and population. In early-2010 almost 41,700 people lived on 264 km², meaning that together with the Central Slovenia Statistical Region it is the most densely populated statistical region. The natural and geographic features of this region create conditions for industrial activities and more than a third of gross value added is still generated by manufacturing, mining, and other industry. In 2013, the region once again recorded the highest negative annual population growth rate (−11.9‰), which was mainly a result of migration to other statistical regions. Among all statistical regions in 2013, this region had the highest negative net migration between regions; namely, −9.5. This region also stands out by age of mothers at childbirth. In 2013 first-time mothers in the region were on average 28.5 years old, whereas first-time mothers in the Central Slovenia Statistical Region were on average 1 year older. In the same year, the number of unemployed persons increased further. The registered unemployment rate was among the highest in the country (16.6%). In comparison with other regions, this is 7 percentage points more than in the region with the lowest registered unemployment rate, Upper Carniola, and almost 1 percentage point less than in the region with the highest unemployment rate, the Mura Statistical Region. According to the labour migration index, this is the most residential statistical region. In 2013, 60% of people in the region worked in their region of residence, and 40% worked in another region.
In August 2023, major floods occurred in large part of Slovenia and neighbouring areas of Austria and Croatia due to heavy rain. Amongst others, the level of rivers Sava, Mur and Drava was exceptionally high. Several settlements and transport links in Slovene Littoral, Upper Carniola and Slovenian Carinthia were flooded. Due to the amount of rain, the streams in Idrija, Cerkno and Škofja Loka Hills overflowed. Due to the event, the National Flood Protection and Rescue Plan was activated. Slovenia had already experienced heavier rains in the second half of July. This extra water in the system meant that floods and major river overflows were caused by downpours that crossed Slovenia on the night of 3–4 August. The first rivers flooded in Upper Carniola and Posočje. These floods began on 3rd August at around 20.00h. The Slovenian Environment Agency (ARSO) also warned that there was a possibility of sea flooding. The floods were similar to those that occurred in 1990, 1998 and 2004.
