NARAVA – ZDRAVJE 2009

Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, is a dynamic Central European city lying at an altitude of 298 m above sea level in a broad basin between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea. It covers a surface area of 275 km2 and has a population of 276,000. Its climate is continental, with an average temperature of 3,4˚ C in January and 21,9˚ C in July. Ljubljana’s geographical position has governed its colourful past, since it is situated on a natural passage leading from Central Europe to the Mediterranean and toward the East called the “Ljubljana Gate.” It is not by pure coincidence that trade routes and waves of migration have passed through it since centuries. From the times of the first settlers right down to the present day, the transit character of this area has stimulated the constant growth of economic and cultural ties with other cities and nations. From its very beginnings, Ljubljana’s culture and lifestyle has been attuned to contemporary currents in Europe, while both the Central European and the Mediterranean spirit have influenced the temperament of its residents. Ljubljana’s economy has always been quite heterogeneous, enabling it to adapt rapidly to the ever-changing environment of the world economy. Ljubljana produces about 25% of Slovenia’s Gross Domestic Product and has maintained a constant orientation toward long-term international business co-operation. An increasingly comprehensive, high-quality tourist and catering sector have complemented this process on one side and well-developed commercial activities on the other. At present, the level of active working population is 62% and out of the total employed, 50% are women, 64% work in the economic sector and 36% in the public sector (according to the statistics for the year 2003). Industry is still the most important employer in the city (pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, food-processing), and Ljubljana’s industrial companies are among the major Slovene exporters. Retailing, financial and other bus