Slovenia
Franchise Association
Slovenian Franchise Association
Dimieeva 13
Ljubljana, 1000
Phone: + 386 1 56 82 331
Fax: + 386 1 56 82 775
Website: www.franchise-slovenia.net
Background:
The Slovene lands were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the latter's dissolution at the end of World War I. In 1918, the Slovenes joined the Serbs and Croats in forming a new multinational state, which was named Yugoslavia in 1929. After World War II, Slovenia became a republic of the renewed Yugoslavia, which though Communist, distanced itself from Moscow's rule. Dissatisfied with the exercise of power by the majority Serbs, the Slovenes succeeded in establishing their independence in 1991 after a short 10-day war. Historical ties to Western Europe, a strong economy, and a stable democracy have assisted in Slovenia's transformation to a modern state. Slovenia acceded to both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.
Geography:
Area: 20,273 square kilometers (7,906 sq. mi.) slightly smaller than New Jersey.
Cities: Capital--Ljubljana (2002 census pop. 265,881). Other cities--Maribor (110,668), Kranj (51,225), Celje (48,081), Koper (47,539).
People:
Nationality: Noun--Slovene(s). Adjective--Slovenian.
Population (March 2008): 2,028,630.
Annual growth rate (2007): 0.8%.
Ethnic groups (2002 census): Slovenes 83.06%, Croats 1.81%, Serbs 1.98%, Bosniaks 1.10%, Hungarians 0.32%, Montenegrins 0.14%, Macedonians 0.20%, Albanians 0.31%, Italians 0.11%, Roma 0.17%.
Religions (2002 census): Roman Catholic 57.8%, refused to reply 15.7%, atheist 10.1%, Orthodox Christian 2.3%, Muslim 2.4%.
Languages: The official language is Slovene. Hungarian and Italian are spoken in the border regions, and German fluency is common near the Austrian border. Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian are spoken by a sizable (6% of the population) minority. English is widely understood by business people and students.
Education: Elementary school (26.1%), high school (54.1%), 2, and 4-year university degree (13%). Data according to 2002 census.
Health: Infant mortality rate (2007)--2.1/1,000 births. Life expectancy (2006)--74.84 years for men, 81.89 years for women.
Work force (2006): 1,032,000.
Economy:
GDP (purchasing power parity): $61.79 billion (2008 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $57.01 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4.5% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): $30,800 (2008 est.)
Natural resources: Coal, mercury, timber.
Agriculture/forestry/fishing (approx. 2% of GDP): Products--wheat, corn, poultry, beef, pork, milk, potatoes, orchard fruits, wine.
Industry (approx. 34% of GDP): Types--electrical equipment, chemical products, textiles, food products, electricity, metal products, wood products, transportation equipment.
Services (approx. 63% of GDP): Types--retail, transportation, communications, real estate and other business activities.
Trade: Exports (2007: $30.047 billion)--machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured articles, chemical products. To U.S.--$506 million (2006). Imports (2007: $33.305 billion)--machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured articles, mineral fuels and lubricants. From U.S.--$289 million (2004). Major trading partners--Germany, Italy, Croatia, Austria, France, and Russia. Trade with the U.S. accounts for about 1.5% of total trade. Foreign direct investment in 2005: $144.2 million (1.6% of total FDI in Slovenia).
Slovenia, which on 1 January 2007 became the first 2004 European Union entrant to adopt the euro, is a model of economic success and stability for the region. With the highest per capita GDP in Central Europe, Slovenia has excellent infrastructure, a well-educated work force, and a strategic location between the Balkans and Western Europe. Privatization has lagged since 2002, and the economy has one of highest levels of state control in the EU. Structural reforms to improve the business environment have allowed for somewhat greater foreign participation in Slovenia's economy and have helped to lower unemployment. In March 2004, Slovenia became the first transition country to graduate from borrower status to donor partner at the World Bank. In December 2007, Slovenia was invited to begin the accession process for joining the OECD. Despite its economic success, foreign direct investment (FDI) in Slovenia has lagged behind the region average, and taxes remain relatively high. Furthermore, the labor market is often seen as inflexible, and legacy industries are losing sales to more competitive firms in China, India, and elsewhere.
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NewsThe worldwide chain of McDonald's fast food restaurants plans to invest around US $1 bn into developing its franchises in Europe next year, the Reuters newswire reported. At the same time, they will pay greater attention to developing countries. "The potential for growth in Central and Eastern Europe is huge. We have only opened 350 restaurants in Ukraine, Poland and Romania, which have a combined population of more than 100 million and flourishing economies", says Executive Director Ralf Alvarez. There are 63 McDonald's restaurants in Ukraine in 19 cities. The total amount of investments since they began operating in Ukraine (since 1997) exceeded US $100 mn. McDonald's Ukraine has around 5,000 employees across the country. Reuters Sep 2008
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