Slovenia
The
origin of the name Slovenia (or Slovenija in Slovene) is unknown, but likely describes
the people as Slavs. In Slovenian the word Slovani means "Slavic"
and the people are Slavs. In this way the people may simply refer to themselves
as Slavs, but using the more historic form of the word, Slovani.
Slovenija
Introduction:
Slovenia seems to mix nearly all of Europe into one tiny country. Geographically
it stretches from the beautiful Adriatic Sea to the high Alps and culturally it
mixes Slavic, Germanic, and Italic people. The Slovenian people are ethnically and
linguistically Slavic, but there are traces of Germanic and Italian in them as well.
While this diversity isn't seen in their language, it is more definitely present
in their foods, religion, and lifestyle.
As the Slovenian people changed over time, there were multiple outside influences
that can still be seen today. The people fell under the rule of the Roman Empire
and later the Austrian Empire, meaning the people have generally looked west and
north for inspiration, not east. The people adopted Catholicism along with Italian
and Austrian foods, clothes, and other cultural aspects.