Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Russia at home 1-0 and the national team started packing its bag for South Africa, its
second appearance at a World Cup since independence. There Slovenia won their opening
game against Algeria 1-0, tied with the US 2-2 but lost to England 1-0 before being elim-
inated.
There are 10 teams in the First Division (Prva Liga), with NK Maribor, Olimpija
Ljubljana and NK Domžale consistently at the top of the league.
In general
kosarka
(basketball) is the most popular team sport here, and the Union
Olimpija team reigns supreme; Slovenia hosts the prestigious EuroBasket world champi-
onship in September 2013. Other popular spectator sports are
odbojka
(volleyball) and
hokej na ledu
(ice hockey), especially since Anže Kopitar, perhaps the best-known Slove-
nian athlete in the world, helped the Los Angeles Kings of the US National Hockey
League win their first Stanley Cup ever.
SLOVENIA AT THE OLYMPICS
Slovenia punches well above its weight when it comes to winning Olympic medals. At the 2008 Olympic Games
in Beijing, Team Slovenia took gold in the men's hammer throw, two silver medals (women's 200m freestyle
swimming and laser sailing) and a bronze each in women's half-heavyweight judo and men's 50m rifle shooting.
At the 30th Olympiad in London in 2012, Slovenia won gold in women's half-middleweight judo, silver in men's
hammer throw and a bronze each in men's 50m rifle shooting and men's double scull rowing.
Religion
Although Protestantism gained a very strong foothold in Slovenia in the 16th century, the
majority of Slovenes - just under 58% - identified themselves as Roman Catholic in the
most recent census. The archbishop of Ljubljana and primate of Slovenia is Anton Stres.
Other religious communities in Slovenia include Muslims (2.5%), Eastern Orthodox
Christians (2.3%) and Protestants (1%). Most Protestants belong to the Evangelical
(Lutheran) church based in Murska Sobota in Prekmurje. Slovenia's first mosque has been
given the green light after decades of wrangling and will be built in the Bežigrad district
of northern Ljubljana.
Jews have played a very minor role in Slovenia since they were first banished from the
territory in the 15th century. In 2003 the tiny Jewish community of Slovenia received a
Torah at a newly equipped synagogue in Ljubljana, the first since before WWII. The chief
rabbi of Slovenia is currently based in Trieste.
