Location: south Central Europe, Julian Alps between Austria and Croatia

Total: 20,273 sq km

Land: 20,151 sq km

Water: 122 sq km

Natural resources: lignite, lead, zinc, building stone, hydropower, forests

Land use:
agricultural land: 22.8%
arable land: 8.4% forest: 62.3%
other: 14.9%

ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT
Since 2014, Slovenia has resumed growth, leaving behind the recession that began in 2009 with a 7.8% drop in GDP and continued on and off until 2013. According to data from the Slovenian statistical office, GDP is grew by 3% in 2014 (to 37.62 billion euros or 18.244 euros per capita), 2.3% in 2015 (38.84 billion euros or 18.823 euros per capita) and 3.1% in 2016 ( 40.42 billion euros or 19.576 euros per capita), exceeding even the most optimistic forecasts. The positive trend should also characterize the next three years. The most recent economic forecasts launched by IMAD in September forecast GDP growth of 4.4% in 2017, 3.9% in 2018 and 3.2% in 2019. April IMF forecasts are more moderate, with GDP growth of 2.5% in 2017, slowing to 2% in 2018 and 2019 and to 1.8% in 2020, 2021 and 2022.  Public finances have been the subject of great concern, not so much for their size as for the rapidly deteriorating negative trend recorded in the years following the crisis.

The economy is seen losing momentum this year as weaker external demand weighs on industrial activity and thus export growth. Nevertheless, the overall expansion should remain strong. Particularly, still-solid fixed investment and robust consumer spending, thanks to the tight labor market and the minimum and public sector wage hikes, should buttress growth. FocusEconomics analysts expect growth of 3.3% in 2019, which is unchanged from last month’s forecast, and 2.8% in 2020.




SOURCES:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/
http://www.infomercatiesteri.it/index.php
https://www.istat.it/it/archivio/230644
https://www.focus-economics.com/countries/slovenia