Slovenia has a very rich history, and it's this that makes it the place it is today. From the first Slovak settlers in the sixth century to today's modern Slovenes, an awful lot of things have happened which have had an impact on the country - some good and some bad.

How it Started

The Slovenian past is pretty complicated. During the sixth century AD (that's anno Domini, or 'in the year of the Lord'), the area was invaded by a group of people called the Mongolian Avars, and then the Slavs threw off the Avars and took over. Eventually an independent Slovene state was made - and this stretched out towards Hungary and the Mediterranean. It lasted until the eighth century.

In the tenth century, the region was changed once more - it became the 'duchy of Carantania'. The Slovenes were then governed by the Austro-Hungarian Empire until 1918. France then came into play during the Napoleonic wars, taking over from Austria and re-organising the area once more. Finally, in 1918, the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes was made, and renamed 'The Republic of Yugoslavia' in 1929. But that was not the end of the story! During World War II, in 1941, Germany, Hungary and Italy divided the area once more and shared it out amongst themselves. Most Slovenes then lived in the Slovene Republic, but there was more change coming.

Independence

Slovenia grew to want their own independence, to move away from being part of the Republic of Yugoslavia and be a country which could be self-governing - this feeling grew in the 1980s, until in 1990 the country voted for independence and presented their view to the Republic of Yugoslavia. This led to the declaration of independence in 1991, but it caused a great deal of problems with certain groups of people, and there were wars in the early 1990s over it. But the Slovenian people were not defeated, and were able to keep the independence they hoped for.

The country is now recognised as an independent country all over the world.

Slovenia has had to go through a huge amount of change in order to be the way it is today: and it is surprising that the buildings and beautiful countryside is not more damaged by wars than they are. The people are very proud of their country and the independence they have fought for.

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