Ljubljana is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It has been the cultural, educational, economic, political, and administrative centre of independent Slovenia since 1991.

Located on the Ljubljanica River, the city lies in central Slovenia in a natural depression surrounded by high peaks of the Julian Alps.

Ljubljana's climate is an oceanic climate, bordering on a humid subtropical climate zone with continental characteristics such as warm summers and moderately cold winters.

• The development of Ljubljana dates back to Roman times, where the fortified Roman settlement laid on the area of today’s Ljubljana. Roman name for Ljubljana was Emona.
• After World War II, Ljubljana became the capital of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia, part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In 1991, when Slovenia gained its independence, Ljubljana became the national capital.
• The Ljubljana dragon is the symbol of the city and it is possible to find dragons on Dragon Bridge and on the coat of arms in the castle. It represents power, courage and greatness.
• The city covers a total area of 164 square kilometers.
• As of 2020, the population of Ljubljana is about 300,000 people.
• The official language is Slovene (or Slovenian), which is similar to other Slavic languages.
  • Head of the state: President Borut Pahor, since 2012; Prime Minister: Janez Janša: Mayor of the city: Zoran Jankovi?
  • Currency: Euro (€)
  • Country GDP Nominal US$ 55.1 billion; US$ 38,634 per capita
  • Median age: 44.2 years
  • Life Expectancy: 81.2 years
  • Religion: 77.2% Christianity, 3.9% Islam, 18.8% unaffiliated
     

Slovenia’s constitution, which was adopted in 1991, established a parliamentary form of government. A president serves as head of state, elected for a five-year term and can serve two consecutive terms. The head of government is the prime minister, who is normally the leader of the majority party in the National Assembly.

Of its 90 members, 88 are elected by proportional representation to four-year terms, with the remaining two seats reserved for one representative each from the Italian- and Hungarian-speaking communities.

The city of Ljubljana is governed by the City Municipality of Ljubljana which is led by the city council. The president of the city council is called the mayor. Members of the city council and the mayor are elected in the local election every four years. The municipality is subdivided into 17 districts represented by district councils. They work with the municipality council to make known residents' suggestions and prepare activities in their territories.

Public order in Ljubljana is enforced by the Ljubljana Police Directorate.

Like all other Western economies, Slovenia is continuing the shift toward the service economy, and industrial and manufacturing sectors are in decline. Slovenia is a traditionally export-driven economy, its trade is orientated towards other EU countries, mainly Germany, Austria, Italy and France.

The largest companies in the country show a diversified economy, as these companies deal in energy services, pharmaceuticals, financial services, wood industry, automobile production, breweries, and the manufacturing of household.

Ljubljana is an important centre of rail and road communications with Austria, Croatia, Hungary, and Italy. Its industries remains the most important employer and include pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, food processing, and electronics

Other important fields include banking, finance and tourism. In 2019 were recorded the arrival of 6.2 million tourists and the government policies are orientated to grow in this area.

The public sector provides jobs in education, culture, health care and local administration.

About 74% of Ljubljana households use district heating from the Ljubljana Power Station.

Ljubljana is located where Slovenia's two main freeways intersect. The motorway density and quality in Slovenia is higher than EU-28 average.

The broad network of railway lines enables door-to-door cargo transport services and the shunting yard in Ljubljana guarantees quick transport across Slovenia. Both freight and passenger service with southeastern Europe has grown over the last few years, regaining its importance. The Ljubljana tram system was completed in 1901 and was replaced by buses in 1928. A reintroduction of an actual tram system to Ljubljana has been proposed repeatedly in the 2000s.

The Ljubljana Bus Station, the Ljubljana central bus hub, is located next to the Ljubljana railway station. The city bus network, run by the Ljubljana Passenger Transport (LPP) company, is Ljubljana's most widely used means of public transport.

There is also a considerable amount of bicycle traffic in Ljubljana, especially in the warmer months of the year. Since May 2011, the BicikeLJ, a self-service bicycle rental system offers the residents and visitors of Ljubljana 600 bicycles and more than 600 parking spots at 60 stations in the wider city centre area.

Ljubljana Jože Pu?nik Airport, 25 km from the capital is the main Slovenian airport for passengers and cargo. Regular and charter flights carry passengers to all important European destinations. The airport is in a process of continuous transformation, becoming an important regional distribution and logistics centre.

In 2015 it integrated the Aerodrom Ljubljana into the Fraport Group, increasing the passenger numbers.