Slovenia

Slovenia is a Central European country that was part of Yugoslavia throughout most of the 20th century. As a small but topographically diverse country, Slovenia is made up of four major European geographical regions: the European Alps, the karstic Dinaric Alps, the Pannonian and Danubian plains and hills, and the Mediterranean coast. The easily accessible mountain passes, which have been replaced by tunnels, have long been a route for travelers crossing the Mediterranean and transalpine areas of Europe. Slovenia is characterized by an extraordinary diversity of habitats, due to the interaction of geological units and biogeographical regions, as well as human influences. The country has a high level of biodiversity, with 75 species of mammals, including marmots, Alpine Ibex and chamois. Many deer, roe deer, wild boar and hares live in the area. The Edible Dormouse is commonly found in the beech forests of Slovenia. The country is also home to carnivores such as the Eurasian Lynx, the European Wildcat, the Red Fox and the European Jackal. There are also hedgehogs, martens and snakes such as vipers and grass snakes. Based on the latest estimates, Slovenia has around 40-60 wolves and around 450 Brown Bears, and the Bottlenose Dolphins are the only regularly occurring cetacean species in the northern Adriatic. A wide variety of birds live in the country, including the Tawny Owl, the Long-Eared Owl, the Eagle Owl, hawks and Short-Toed Eagles. Additional birds include the Black and Green Woodpecker and the White Stork, which mainly nests in Prekmurje.