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.