SLOVENIA: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

Several years ago, I went to the Sister Cities festival downtown Indianapolis. I didn't realize that we now have seven sister cities and two friendship cities: Campinas, Brazil; Cologne, Germany; Hangzhou, China; Hyderabad, India; Monza, Italy; Northamptonshire, UK; Onitsha, Nigeria; Taipei, Taiwan; and Piran, Slovenia. I was really fascinated with Piran, Slovenia. At the time, I was just getting ready to cook food from Croatia, which borders Slovenia to the south. I remember talking to a woman at the booth about Slovenia and Croatia, and placed the coastal city of Piran on my list of places I'd like to visit.

Piran, Slovenia

Slovenia's name literally means "land of the Slavs," even though historical linguists aren't exactly sure where the term "Slav" originated from. It's thought that it stems from the word slovo, meaning "word" or "people who speak the same language." In contrast to their word for the Germans, which meant "silent" or "mumbling." As half-German, you probably don't want to know the sarcasm-laced remarks we mumble under our breath. But it's all true.

Slovenia is located in central Europe at the top of the Adriatic Sea (even though it actually has a very small coastal border on it). It's surrounded by Austria to the north, Hungary to the east, Croatia to the south, and Italy to the west. The country is known for its mountainous and karst landscapes. It's also the third most forested country in Europe and is known for its plethora of caves. I didn't realize that it sits in an active seismic zone too, so it's subject to numerous earthquakes. It makes sense given that Italy had a bad earthquake a number of years ago. Slovenia generally has a temperate climate with four seasons, but the farther up in the mountains you go, the more of an Alpine climate you experience. The closer to the coastline you get, you'll find a more Mediterranean climate.

 

World's oldest wheel

People have lived in this area for nearly a quarter of a million years now. Artifacts found in caves help pierce together its pre-historic times. The Ljubljana Marshes have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as the location of the world's oldest wooden wheel. The Romans were among the first major civilizations to move into this area. Given its location, it was subject to invasions from the Huns and other Germanic tribes. The Slavic tribes moved in as the last of the Germanic tribes moved out. During the Middle Ages, a group of Slovenes were the first Slavic group to switch over to Christianity. By the 14th century, Slovenia was part of the Hapsburg lands. And to make matters worse, by the 1500s, the Turks were also taking a stab at raiding the area. It was all the rage. The peasants were also fed up with a lot of crap from the ruling class and spent quite a bit of time over the next couple of centuries revolting. That, too, was all the rage. By the 1800s, Slovenia had been handed off to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. There weren't that many economic opportunities to be found during this time, so there were many Slovenians found their way elsewhere for work and to raise a family. Oddly enough, Cleveland, Ohio of all places became one of the largest concentrations of Slovenes in the US. Slovenia didn't fare well during WWI, and afterwards, it became part of Yugoslavia when Austria-Hungary was dissolved. During WWII, part of Slovenia was annexed by Nazi Germany, part by Fascist Italy, and part went to Hungary. If WWI was bad, WWII was horrific. After Yugoslavia got back together for the second time, it became part of the Eastern Bloc of socialist states. Obvious struggles and resistance lasted until 1991 when Slovenia became independent. They joined the UN, and roughly a decade later, joined the EU and NATO as well as the OECD later on.

Ljubljana

The capital and largest city in Slovenia is Ljubljana (pronounced lyoo-BLYAH-nah). Once known as Emona by the Romans, Ljubljana has been the capital city since Slovenia's independence. It's not clear where the name of the city derived from, but some scholars believe it's related to the word for "love/like" and possibly named for a nearby river. Its architecture, parks, and bridges attract millions of visitors each year, and after looking at some photos of the city, I’d definitely lean toward that “love/like” origin. Not only a center of the government and commerce, it's also a center of education, the arts, and sports alike.

Slovenia's economy is among the highest in comparison to not only other Slavic countries but in Europe as well. Even after taking somewhat of a hit during the 2008 global recession, their economy has started to show some growth over the past few years. The rise in their construction and tourism industries is a promising sign. Other major industries include vehicle manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, electronic equipment, and fuels. You know, the good stuff.

The vast majority of Slovenes follow Roman Catholicism, while a smaller number adhere to Lutheranism. Because the country spent so many years as a secular state, it took a long time for churches to regain parishioners. Many people simply remained secular, but there were also many people who went back to Roman Catholicism, the majority religion prior to the communistic change. Even at that, there are also a number of Jewish communities, other Protestant churches, Muslims, Orthodox Christians, and atheists.

Slovene is the official language of Slovenia. A member of the Slavic language family, more than 92% speak it in the home. There are several dialects of Slovene that are generally mutually intelligible with other Slavic languages. Several other minor languages are spoken in various concentrations throughout Slovenia, including Hungarian, Italian, Romani, German, and Serbo-Croatian.

As I read through a lot about Slovenia, I came to realize it’s a land of very old things. I mentioned it had the oldest wooden wheel at over 5000 years old, but it also has the oldest vine (at least 400 years old), the oldest stud farm (around 450 years old), the oldest linden tree (which is a symbol of Slovenia – coming in at over 700 years old), and one of the oldest musical instruments, a flute made from a bear femur (around 55,000 years old!).

Up next: art and literature

MONTENEGRO: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

I wonder how many people know that this beautiful country hides along the eastern side of the Adriatic Sea. Certainly, its neighbors are far better known, especially if you were old enough to understand anything about the news during the 1990s and early 2000s. But do you really know anything about this Slavic country with a Latin name?

The name Montenegro comes from the Venetian Italian for “black mountain.” They were referring to the dark coniferous forests on Mt. Lovcen. The Montenegrin term for their country is Crna Gora, which also means “black mountain.” In the past, this land was known as Zeta (named after the Zeta River) and Doclea/Dioclea (named after an ancient Illyrian tribe who was living around Podgorica).

Montenegro is surrounded by Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast, Kosovo to the east, Albania to the southeast, the Adriatic Sea to the southwest, and a tiny sliver of border with Croatia near the Bosnian border. Although it’s a smallish country, it’s quite mountainous, and its karst environment dives into the Adriatic Sea below. The highest mountain is the Zla Kolata, located along the border with Albania and part of the Dinaric Alps. The mountains jutting through Montenegro are some of Europe’s most rugged terrain. The Bay of Kotor is the largest bay in Montenegro and is listed as a World Heritage Site.

The Illyrians were the first people to move into this area and settle down. Their culture was pretty similar to that of the rest of the Balkans. As the Romans spread their empire across the Adriatic Sea, they moved into this area, too. They renamed the area the Province of Dalmatia, and its largest city was Doclea. Byzantine Emperor Justinian introduced Christianity to this province. During the Middle Ages, the land changed hands several times within the Serbian Empire until the Ottomans took over. Although the Montenegrins exercised a certain amount of autonomy under the Ottomans, they didn’t like being under their rule at all after a while, and fought to come out from underneath it. It was all brought to the front in the Great Turkish War. The country declared itself a principality in 1852 under the direction of Nicholas I. However, there were still political rifts between various parties, which led to some skirmishes because of it. However, Montenegro became a kingdom in 1910 and within a couple of years, the Ottomans lost all of the land in the Balkans. During WWI, Montenegro was part of Austria-Hungary and later became part of Serbia, but there were tensions there as well. In 1922, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes were incorporated into Yugoslavia. During WWII, Italian forces took control of the Montenegrin region of Yugoslavia. And in 1944, it was liberated by the Yugoslav Partisans and remained part of Yugoslavia until it was dissolved in 1992. During the Bosnian and Croatian Wars of the early 1990s, Montenegro generally sided with Serbia. This relationship lasted into the mid-2000s when Montenegro finally voted for their independence in 2006. (I didn’t realize it was such a young country.)

The capital city is Podgorica, which I’ve been mispronouncing the whole time. (It’s something close to POD-gor-ee-tsuh.) During the years the country was part of Yugoslavia, the city was known as Titograd. The city itself was founded sometime before the 11^thcentury and has gone by other names during that time. Today, it’s the largest city in Montenegro with a population of somewhere around 186,000 in the metro area. This city located in the southeast corner of the country, where the Moraca and Ribnica Rivers meet. Podgorica is the center of government, finance, and media. There are also many museums, theatres, galleries, sports venues, colleges and universities, and markets. It’s a city with a mix of ancient castles mixed with modern architecture.

Montenegro is in transition to a market economy. From what I can figure out, they use the euro although their national bank hasn’t officially adopted the it yet (pretty sure their bank’s Facebook status just says, “it’s complicated”). The vast majority of their economy is made up of the service industry with a little bit coming from industry and agriculture. Their infrastructure is extensive and laid out, but it’s not quite to the quality of other European countries. In recent years, Montenegro has grown to become one of those Unknown Tourist Destinations people rave about. 

The vast majority of Montenegrins belong to the Serbian Orthodox Church. The second largest religious following is Islam. A large portion of the Albanians living in Montenegro is Sunni Muslim. There is also a smaller number of Roman Catholics there as well. 

While the official language is Montenegrin, this country is a multi-lingual country. Serbian, Bosnian, Croatian, and Albanian are all spoken in various communities across the country, all with ties to their neighboring countries. During its Yugoslav days, the language was Serbo-Croatian, and during the decades leading up to independence, Serbian was the dominant language. 

Montenegro may not be one of the most well-known tourist destinations in the world, but for those who love the climbing mountains or skiing, it should be on their list. And actually, everyone can certainly appreciate the beautiful karst formations and Adriatic beaches. In fact, part of the movie “Casino Royale” (2006) was set in Montenegro (even though it was filmed in the Czech Republic). I have a feeling there are more hidden features here than they let on. And I’m on a mission to find out more.

Up next: art and literature

GABON: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

I know close to nothing about this country. This is, of course, with the minor exception of where it’s located.  And I admit that with utter embarrassment. But that’s because unless something earth-shatteringly huge happens, the US mainstream media doesn’t talk about it. But in my research – which is still giving me slight troubles when it comes to finding a bread recipe – I’ve found a lot of really cool things about Gabon.

The name Gabon comes from the Portuguese word gabão, which means “cloak.” It was named because of the shape of an estuary of the Komo River near Libreville.

This West African country is bordered by Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon to the north, Republic of the Congo to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The island country of São Tomé e Principe lies about 188 miles to the east. It’s also one of the few countries that the equator passes through.

Gabon is 85% covered by rainforests. It also has coastal plains, mountains, and savannas, allowing for a considerable variety of flora and fauna. Gabon also has many karst regions (a karst is a type of landscape where there is a lot of limestone, dolomite, and/or gypsum that slowly has deteriorated over time, leaving it exposed). These karst regions created cave systems, many of which haven’t been explored yet. Gabon’s climate is partly the reason it is also home to 777 species of birds and 80% of Africa’s gorilla population.

The French explorer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza (the namesake of the city of Brazzaville) was the first European to explore what is now known as Gabon. Before this, the earliest people here were the Pygmies, followed by the Bantu as they moved through this area.  De Brazza founded the town Franceville, and later ran the place as its governor when France officially occupied the area around 1885. It wasn’t until 1910 when it became one of the five territories of what was called French Equatorial Africa (along with Chad, what is now Central African Republic, what is now the Republic of the Congo, and what is now part of Cameroon). All of these areas gained their independence in 1960, electing their first president the following year: Léon M’ba. He essentially shut down the media and made demonstrations and freedom of expression illegal. He died six years later, and his vice president Omar Bongo Ondimba succeeding him. He changed the political scene in Gabon, initiating critical changes in Gabon that led them to an array of reforms. He eventually was elected for six straight terms until his death in 2009 from a cardiac arrest. His son Ali Bongo Ondimba took his place a few months later.

The capital and largest city in Gabon, Libreville, lies on the northwestern coast of the country. The name, which is French for “Freetown,” was in reference to a Brazilian slave ship that was captured by the French Navy in 1849, and the slaves were subsequently freed. With a population of a little less than 800,000 people (about the size of Charlotte, North Carolina, US), it is home to the Omar Bongo University, many parks, museums, shopping, and entertainment. Libreville wasn’t declared the capital of Gabon until 1993.

Almost 70% of Gabon’s economy is based on oil. This makes Gabon one of the countries with the highest GDP in Africa. However, there is such income inequality, that much of this oil money hardly trickles down to the actual people; about a third of the people live in poverty. The top 20% of the people own 90% of the wealth. Before the discovery of oil, Gabon was known for is logging industry, as well as their manganese mining (mostly for uses in stainless steel and other alloy applications – the US nickel coin contains manganese). Libreville is home to many shipbuilding industries, as well as the exportation of raw materials (mostly wood, rubber, and cocoa).

The majority of Gabonese people claim to be Christian, both Roman Catholic and Protestant. Other religions include Islam, animism, atheism, and Bwiti (a spiritual practice by the Babongo, Mitsogo, and Fang peoples; it uses elements of animism and ancestor worship, and worshipers often chew on a type of tree bark that give them “visions” as part of ceremonies and rites). Like other African countries, many people will practice their indigenous believes alongside either Christianity or Islam.

"You cross the equator" -- check out this girl's blog. It's pretty cool: http://bindertales.travellerspoint.com/

Gabon has nearly forty different ethnic groups, and there are as many different Bantu languages spoken. The most widely spoken of these languages include Fang, Mbere, and Sira (or Eshira). Gabon uses the colonial language French as the official language and lingua franca. French is used in government and official documents and as the language of instruction in schools. English is one of the most popular foreign languages studied in schools.

One interesting thing I read about Gabon is that women are encouraged to have children before marriage. Once a woman is married and has kids, those kids then belong to the man. So, if they were to separate, she will lose those children that were born after they were married, but she will get to keep the children born prior to marriage. It’s an interesting take on the marriage and kids debate. I’m not quite sure what to think about it yet. I’m finding this to be an interesting country. Like those uncharted caves, I’m hoping to delve into Gabon and discover something new.

Up next: holidays and celebrations