June 25th: Slovenia Independence Day

Slovenia celebrates its independence day today, so here are ten things you may not know about Slovenia:

1. The capital and largest city is Ljubljana which means "loved one". It is the wettest capital city in Europe.
2. The symbol of the city is the Ljubljana Dragon, which was said to have been slayed by Jason (of Jason and the Argonauts).
3. Its highest peak is Triglav (2,864 m or 9,396 ft) the highest peak of the Julian Alps. This mountain is featured in the country's coat of arms. Near the top is the Aljaž Tower, made from iron and zinc and coated in steel. It was built by Anton Belec and four workers in 1895 - it took them five hours.
4. The tallest industrial chimney in Europe is located in Slovenia. It is the thermoelectric power plant’s chimney in Trbovlje, 362m high.
5. Slovenia's total surface area is only around 20,000 square kilometres, 10,000 of which is forest.
6. A further 216 square kilometres of Slovenia is covered in vineyards (one per 70 people), including the hills around Slovenia's second-largest town, Maribor. Here is where you'll find the world's oldest vine. It's 400 years old and still produces grapes from which Wine is made.
7. The population of Slovenia is about 2 million people - and about 400 brown bears.
8. There is a church on Bled island where, if a couple marry, the groom is supposed to carry the bride up the 99 steps to ensure a happy marriage. The first married couple to reach the summit of Everest were from Slovenia - but we don't know if they married at this church!
9. The famous Lipizzaner Horses originate from Lipica in Slovenia.
10. It borders 4 countries: Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Croatia, and has a coastline which is just 46.6 kilometres (24 miles) long.