Slovenian Carinthia

Traditional regions of Slovenia, with Slovenian Carinthia in yellow

Slovenian Carinthia (Slovene: Koroška) or Slovene Carinthia, most commonly simply Carinthia (Koroška) is a traditional region in the north of Slovenia. It has no official status as an administrative unit within Slovenia, although the association with an informal province (Slovene: pokrajina) is still quite common.

The region is referred to as Slovenian Carinthia in order to distinguish it from the neighboring Austrian State of Carinthia. The term Slovene Carinthia may refer also to both the Slovenian and the Austrian Carinthia with Slovene-speaking inhabitants.

Geography

The Carinthia Statistical Region (number 4) includes several Lower Styrian municipalities including the town of Slovenj Gradec, while Jezersko has become part of the Upper Carniola Statistical Region (number 1)

The region consists of two geographically separate parts:

• The Drava and Meža valleys, centered around Dravograd and the towns of Črna na Koroškem, Mežica, Prevalje, and Ravne na Koroškem, which is also the capital of the region.
• Jezersko above Kranj

In 2005, Slovenia was divided into 12 statistical regions. Jezersko was attached to the Upper Carniola Statistical Region, while a number of Lower Styrian municipalities including the town of Slovenj Gradec were attached to the Carinthia Statistical Region.

History

The name derives from the fact that the today's territory formed part of the Duchy of Carinthia, which belonged to the Habsburg Empire until World War I. In 1919, the newly established Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later renamed to Yugoslavia) occupied southern Carinthia. Jezersko, the Meža Valley and the area around Dravograd, which are today the territory of Slovenia, were annexed without a referendum. However, in the region north and west of this, on 10 October 1920 the voters in the Carinthian Plebiscite determined that those parts should remain with the newly founded Republic of Austria. After World War II, the region formed part of the Yugoslav Yugoslav Republic of Slovenia and became part of independent Slovenia after the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991.

Economy

In the 1990s, a lead and zinc mine in the Meža Valley, the most highly industrialized valley of the region, and the lead smelter in Žerjav were closed down. The only factory in the area around the mine still operating is TAB, a manufacturer of batteries. Metal Ravne, the steel mill at Ravne, which was one of the largest employers in the Duchy of Carinthia in the 19th century, managed to survive and now specializes in alloy steel and machinery components. There are five hydroelectric plants in the Carinthian stretch of the Drava Valley, with a total capacity of about 60 megawatts, and metal products are produced in different places.

Jezersko has a long tourist tradition, and is a starting point for hiking trails to Grintovec, Kočna, and Veliki Vrh. There is also extensive agricultural activity in Jezersko.

Environment

After the shut-down of the zinc mine, the extremely poor environmental situation in the narrow Meža Valley with its century-long lead and zinc ore exploitation has slowly been improving. However, the entire area of Slovenian 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.

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 Lower Styria). In the past, educational establishments and other activities were dispersed among several small towns. There are high schools in Ravne and Muta. Students who wish to continue their tertiary education mostly choose the universities of Maribor and Ljubljana. In Črna na Koroškem, there is a center for the protection and vocational training of physically and mentally handicapped youth.

Notable natives

• Aleš Gorza, skier
• Robert Koren, football player
• Lado Kralj, writer, thetre critic and literary historian
• Alojzij Kuhar, historian, diplomat, journalist and politician
• Mitja Kunc, skier
• Nataša Lačen, cross country skier
• Tina Maze, skier
• Jerica Mrzel, actress, singer and politician
• Boštjan Nachbar, basketball player
• Vinko Ošlak, essayist, translator, and Christian thinker
• Andrej Pečnik, football player
• Nejc Pečnik, football player
• Miro Petek, investigative journalist and politician
• Peter Poles, TV host
• Iztok Puc, handball player
• Danilo Pudgar, skier
• Renata Salecl, philosopher
• Mines Šišić, football player
• Danilo Slivnik, journalist, columnist, author and editor
• Adi Smolar, singer-songwriter
• Katarina Srebotnik, tennis player
• Marko Šuler, football player
• Prežihov Voranc, writer
• Hugo Wolf, composer