Part 677

Other political or pressure groups: none

International organization participation: CCC, CE, CEI, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NACC, NAM (guest), OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ernest PETRIC chancery: 1525 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: (202) 667-5363 FAX: (202) 667-4563 consulate(s) general: New York

US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Victor JACKOVICH embassy: address NA, Ljubljana mailing address: P.O. Box 254, Prazakova 4, 61000 Ljubljana; American Embassy, Ljubljana, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7140 telephone: (61) 301-427, 472, 485 FAX: (61) 301-401

Flag: three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red with the Slovenian seal (a shield with the image of Triglav in white against a blue background at the center, beneath it are two wavy blue lines depicting seas and rivers, and around it, there are three six-sided stars arranged in an inverted triangle); the seal is located in the upper hoist side of the flag centered in the white and blue bands

Economy -------

Economic overview: Slovenia appears to be making a solid economic recovery, fulfilling the promise it showed at the time of Yugoslavia's breakup. Its per capita GDP is now the highest in Central and Eastern Europe and not far below the levels in the poorer West European countries. Slovenia has benefited from strong ties to Western Europe and suffered comparatively small physical damage during Yugoslavia's breakup. The beginning was difficult, however. Real GDP fell 15% in 1991-92, while inflation soared to 200% in 1992 and unemployment reached 9%. The turning point came in 1993, when real GDP grew 1%, unemployment leveled off, and inflation slowed dramatically. In 1994, real GDP rose 5.5%, tapering off to an estimated 4.8% in 1995, while inflation and unemployment both were down to about 8% by late 1995. The government gets good marks from foreign observers for fiscal policy - the budget deficit has not exceeded 1% of GDP in any year since 1991, and the current account balance has remained in surplus throughout the transition period, with the exception of 1995. The Slovene privatization program, which began in 1994, involves about 1,400 firms, but only 412 have been privatized. The rest are expected to reach private hands by end-1996, but that does not include firms in so-called strategic industries, such as telecommunications and energy. Foreign investment jumped to an estimated $150 million in 1995 from $83.7 million in 1994. With inflation and unemployment expected to continue edging down, the outlook for 1996 is generally good. A slowdown in Western Europe - which buys 70% of Slovenia's exports - could hurt exports, however, lowering GDP growth to about 4% and perhaps pushing the current account into a small deficit.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $22.6 billion (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate: 4.8% (1995 est.)

GDP per capita: $11,000 (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 5.3% industry: 39.9% services: 54.8% (1992 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8% (December 1995 est.)

Labor force: 786,036 by occupation: agriculture 2%, manufacturing and mining 46%

Unemployment rate: 8% (December 1995 est.)

Budget: revenues: $6.6 billion expenditures: $6.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993)

Industries: ferrous metallurgy and rolling mill products, aluminum reduction and rolled products, lead and zinc smelting, electronics (including military electronics), trucks, electric power equipment, wood products, textiles, chemicals, machine tools

Industrial production growth rate: 2% (1995 est.)

Electricity: capacity: 2,700,000 kW production: 8.9 billion kWh consumption per capita: 4,470 kWh (1993)

Agriculture: potatoes, hops, wheat, sugar beets, corn, grapes; cattle, sheep, poultry

Illicit drugs: transit point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe

Exports: $8.3 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: machinery and transport equipment 27%, intermediate manufactured goods 26%, chemicals 9%, food 4.8%, raw materials 3%, consumer goods 26% (1993) partners: Germany 30.9%, former Yugoslavia 14.0%, Italy 14.1%, France 8.9%, Austria 6.4%, CEFTA (Central European Free Trade Agreement) countries 5% (January-August 1995 est.)

Imports: $9.1 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: machinery and transport equipment 30%, intermediate manufactured goods 17.6%, chemicals 11.5%, raw materials 5.3%, fuels and lubricants 10.8%, food 8.4% (1993) partners: Germany 23.3%, Italy 16.8%, former Yugoslavia 7.0%, France 8.5%, Austria 9.7% (January-August 1995 est.)

External debt: $2.9 billion (1995)

Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $5 million (1993)

Currency: 1 tolar (SlT) = 100 stotins

Exchange rates: tolars (SlT) per US$1 - 121.27 (November 1995), 118.9 (1995), 128.81 (1994), 113.24 (1993), 81.29 (1992), 27.57 (1991)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Transportation --------------