ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the most important socioeconomic and spatial changes undergone by Slovenia during the transition from a socialist to a market economy and as an independent nation. It focuses on the present socio-economic and spatial structure of Slovenia: demographic development, economic structure, socio-economic development, unemployment, ethnic structure of the population and urbanization. The demographic structure of Slovenia was therefore doubly affected: by constant emigration and wartime casualties. The economic structure of Slovenia reflects the imprints of two distinct periods: Austro-Hungarian and Yugoslav. The Yugoslav period occurred as two different periods, the inter-war and the post-war/socialist, which none the less had common features. The Slovene economy, as the most developed in the new state, was completely reoriented towards the Yugoslav market. The economic development of Slovenia to date and the influences of the neighbouring macroeconomic systems are clearly reflected in the regionally varying socio-economic structures.
