History

History is an essential part of a nation's identity and consciousness. Slovenia has a rich history which reflects its location in Central Europe. Slovenian territories prospered from the time of Roman Empire.

The first Slovenian state of Carantania emerged in the 6th century. It included a unique ceremony in which Slovenian Dukes were enthroned at Gosposvetsko polje near the city of Klagenfurt/ Celovec in present-day Austria. Part of this ancient ceremony included using the Duke's Stone (Knežji kamen) and the Duke's Throne. The former US President Bill Clinton described this ancient ceremony as "the foundation of the western political tradition".

Slovenia was first recorded as a state and the first democracy of Europe in 611 AD. Between 623 and 658 AD the Slovenes, Czechs and Slovaks united under King Samo's central European kingdom. From the year 800 to 1806 Slovenia was part of the Holy Roman Empire, which included the present day countries of Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Slovenia and northern Italy. Later Slovenia shared a common state with Austria until the end of World War I. In 1918 Slovenia entered into the newly formed state of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, later renamed Yugoslavia (transl. land of southern Slavs). After World War II, the new federal socialist state of Yugoslavia was formed, with Slovenia one of the six republics.

Slovenes chose independence as the Republic of Slovenia in 1991. It was admitted into the European Union in 2004 and became the first of the new member states to assume the presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2008.