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Is Slovenia Part Of Balkans Or Not ? The Controversial Truth About Slovenia's Place in the Balkans
People are often confused about Slovenia. The very first confusion is between Slovenia and Slovakia, as well as between their capitals and languages. However, there are some more. For example, they are not aware whether Slovenia was a part of Yugoslavia, and where it is located: in the Balkans or not? Let’s try to answer the last question because it’s quite a peculiar one!
Geographically, Slovenia belongs to the Balkans only partially. Approximately 25% of the country (5,000 km2) lies in the peninsula. However, most of the confusion comes from the political and cultural denomination of the Balkans. Historically and culturally, Slovenia is more a central European country than a Balkan one.
From Where Does the Confusion Come?
Usually, the geographical location is mixed with the cultural background of the region. Slovenia is quite a unique country for being the Balkan one. It is the most successful country in the region. Its nature and weather are closer to continental than the Mediterranean one, of course, with some exceptions. Not only ordinary people but also some famous ones tried to differentiate it from the Balkan region and stress the uniqueness.
For example, in 2003, The Economist, a famous international newspaper, wrote an article with the title “Why Slovenia is not the Balkans. A rich country and its poor neighbors.” In fact, that was the first time when this question appeared in the mass media in the international arena.
One of the best depictions of the issue was given by Slavoj Žižek, a famous Slovenian philosopher, a professor in universities of Ljubljana, London, New York, Seoul, and the person from the Top 100 Global Thinkers by Foreign Policy journal. He mentioned that the Balkans are the “land of paradoxes”, and wrote,
“For Serbs, it [Balkans] begins down there in Kosovo or Bosnia, and they defend the Christian civilization against this Europe’s Other. For Croats, it begins with the Orthodox, despotic, Byzantine Serbia, against which Croatia defends the values of democratic Western civilization. For Slovenes, it begins with Croatia, and we Slovenes are the last outpost of the peaceful Mitteleuropa. For Italians and Austrians, it begins with Slovenia, where the reign of the Slavic hordes starts. For Germans, Austria itself, on account of its historical connections, is already tainted by the Balkanic corruption and inefficiency.”
Historically, Slovenia was a part of a big Balkan country, Yugoslavia, during the previous century. However, before that, the country was part of the Habsburg Monarchy of the Austria-Hungarian Empire that was always recognized as a Central European monarchy.
Thus, Slovenia stands on the edge of Central Europe and the Balkans. Moreover, its culture obtains the features of both regions.
Conclusion
Slovenia is a unique country. It always was a “historical door” between Slavic nations and the Western world. Moreover, it is a door from the Balkans to Central Europe as well. While living in this country, you can literally feel the Italian vibe in the Slovene Riviera or the Austrian features in towns closer to the border, such as Maribor.
Thus, Slovenians as a nation obtained this mix of waves too. Their culture is full of things, which you can easily find in all the neighbors, but never ever mixed together except in this small country. That’s why the question about distinguishing between the Balkans happens so often.
Geographically, Slovenia lies on the edge of the Balkan Peninsula. Therefore, mentally, Slovenes remain only some slight hint of features usual for typical Balkans. Sometimes, the country is called “The Balkan Switzerland”; sometimes, the big newspaper names it “precisely not the Balkans”.
The only way to solve this dilemma is a personal experiment. If you wish to understand the difference, you definitely need to visit Slovenia and approximately half of the Balkans. However, when you do that, you will realize that every country is interesting in its own way. So, no matter to generalize them under one term.
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