Carinthia (Slovenia)
Carinthia (Slovenia)
Koroška / Kärnten | |
---|---|
Traditional region | |
Country | Slovenia |
Elevation | 400 m (1,300 ft) |
Carinthia (
Since the entry of Slovenia into the European Union in May 2004, much effort has been made to re-integrate Carinthia as a cultural, tourism, and economic unit.[3] The historical region has no official status within Slovenia and does not territorially correspond to today's Carinthia Statistical Region, but popular identification with Carinthia as an informal province remains common.
Geography
The region lies in the Karawanks mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps and comprises two spatially divided areas totalling 478 km2 (185 sq mi):
- the Meža Valley (Mežiška dolina) down to the confluence with the Drava Valley (Dravska dolina), including the municipalities of Črna na Koroškem, Mežica, Prevalje, Ravne na Koroškem, and Dravograd.
- the Municipality of Jezersko south of the Seeberg Saddle mountain pass.
All these municipalities border on the
In 2005, the Carinthia Statistical Region was established, which covers a larger area of about 1,041 km2 (402 sq mi), parts of which encompass a number of adjacent municipalities belonging to the traditional region of Styria like the town of Slovenj Gradec in the Mislinja Valley or Muta and Radlje down the Drava River,[1] though not Jezersko, which is part of the Upper Carniola Statistical Region.
The landscape of Carinthia is very diverse, with predominance of hilly and mountainous relief, in the
History
The name derives from the early medieval
During the 1941
Demographics
Carinthia has uneven settlement and a relatively young population. Nonetheless, due to a low birth rate and shorter life span, the number of inhabitants is decreasing. The biggest employer is the processing industry. Many people are commuters, working in Ljubljana, Maribor, Velenje and Austria. In 2008, there was relatively high unemployment, 10.5% in the mining town of Črna na Koroškem and 11.8% in Ravne na Koroškem,[1] known for its steel industry. Other large settlements are the mining towns of Mežica and Prevalje, and Dravograd along the Maribor-Klagenfurt railway.[1]
Economy
In the 1990s, the lead and
Environment
After the shut-down of the zinc mine, the extremely poor environmental situation in the narrow Meža Valley with its centuries-long lead and zinc ore exploitation has slowly been improving. However, the entire area of the Slovene Carinthia continues to suffer from severe damage to its forests. In some areas, up to 40% of the trees are damaged due to heavy sulfur dioxide emissions from the Šoštanj Power Plant and the iron works in Ravne.[2]: 19
Despite the pollution of the Meža and Drava rivers, water supply has never been a problem. Clean water is abundant due to the mountainous terrain with its impermeable rock. Almost every farm in the mountains has its own water supply system, and the settlements in the valleys are connected to municipal water supply systems.
Education and culture
The Dr. Franc Sušnik Central Carinthian Library and the Carinthian museum are in Ravne na Koroškem, but the Carinthian Regional Museum, the Carinthian Gallery of Fine Arts, and the regional radio station are located in Slovenj Gradec (historically part of
Notable people
- Aleš Gorza, skier
- Robert Koren, football player
- Lado Kralj, writer, theatre critic and literary historian
- Alojzij Kuhar, historian, diplomat, journalist and politician
- Mitja Kunc, skier
- Nataša Lačen, cross country skier
- Tina Maze, skier
- Boštjan Nachbar, basketball player
- Vinko Ošlak, essayist, translator, and Christian thinker
- Andrej Pečnik, football player
- Nejc Pečnik, football player
- Danilo Pudgar, skier
- Renata Salecl, philosopher
- Mirnes Šišić, football player
- Adi Smolar, singer-songwriter
- Katarina Srebotnik, tennis player
- Marko Šuler, football player
- Tine Urnaut, volleyball player
- Prežihov Voranc, writer
- Hugo Wolf, composer
- Franc Šegovc, composer, songwriter
Notes
- ^ In geographic sources, the terms Pohorje Drava Region (Pohorsko Podravje), Upper Drava Region (Zgornje Podravje), and Hilly Drava Region (Gorato Podravje) have been used as well.[1] In popular sources, the most prominent has been the name Carinthian region (Koroška pokrajina), particularly from 1955 until 1994.[1]
- State of Carinthia settled by Slovenes.[1] In this case, the term Southeastern Carinthia has been used, encompassing Carinthia in Slovenia and the Jaun Valley(Slovene: Podjuna) in Austria.
References
- ^ ISSN 0023-4923.
- ^ ISBN 92-828-9404-5.
- COBISS 42500706.[permanent dead link]
External links
- Media related to Carinthia (Slovenia) at Wikimedia Commons