At the heart of Europe, between Austria to the north, Italy to the west, Hungary to the east and Croatia to the south, Slovenia has always been a crossroads of trans-European routes.
The port of Koper is one of the most important Central European gateways to the world. The still developing railway links, which from 1857 connected Vienna and Trieste, now link the Danube region with the Mediterranean. Roads running from the north-east to the south-west perform a similar function, whilst those running from the north-west to the south-east link Central Europe with the Balkans.
Historical tradition and strong economic ties with Europe and the world, together with its geographical location, provide Slovenia with great potential for development.

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   6^th century AD:

The Slavic ancestors of present day Slovenia first settle in the area in the 6^th century AD.

   7^th century:

The Slavic Duchy of Carantania, the first Slovenian state.

   745:

Carantania becomes part of the Frankish empire; the Slavs convert to Christianity and gradually lose their independence.

   Around 1000:

The Freising manuscripts, the first known writings in the Slovenian and Slavic dialect in Latin script.

   14^th to 16^th
         century:

All regions inhabited by Slavic ancestors of today's Slovenians pass into the possession of the Swiss - Austrian dynasty of Habsburgs, later to become parts of the dual Austro-Hungarian monarchy.

   1550 and 1584:

Reformation brings literacy, first printed book in 1550 and in 1584 the first Slovenian translation of the Bible.

   1848:

Slovene intellectuals issue the first political program for a United Slovenia.

   1918:

The breakdown of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Slovenians join the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians, later renamed into the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, with the Serbian dynasty of Karadjordjevich.

   April 1941 -
      1945:

Kingdom of Yugoslavia is attacked, defeated, occupied and divided between Germany, Italy and Hungary. National liberation war in Yugoslavia ends on 15 May 1945 with capitulation of the remaining Wehrmacht troops in Slovenia.

   1945:

Federal Peoples' Republic of Yugoslavia is officially proclaimed on 29 November 1945, with Marshall J. Broz-Tito as its leader.
April 1990: First competitive multiparty election in Slovenia and the formation of a non-communist government.

   April 1990:

First democratic elections.

   23 December
      1990:

88.5% of voters at the referendum vote in favour of an independent Slovenia.

   25 June 1991:

Slovenia officially declares its independence.

   27 June 1991:

The Yugoslav Army attacks Slovenia.

   7 July 1991:

By signing the Brioni Declaration the Yugoslav Army terminates its military involvement in Slovenia.

   15 January
       1992:

EU officially recognises independent Slovenia.

   22 May 1992:

Slovenia enters UN.

   6 December
       1992:

The first elections are held in independent Slovenia.

   23 December
       1994:

Slovenia becomes a founding member of the World Trade Oragnisation.

   6 March 1995:

The European Union Council of Ministers grants a mandate for negotiations to begin between the EU and Slovenia on an association agreement.

   10 June 1996:

Slovenia and the EU signed an association agreement, granting Slovenia the status of associate membership and access to the structural dialogue.

   25 June 1996:

The Western European Union Council welcomed Slovenia as a WEU associate partner.

   1 July 1998:

Slovenia becomes a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

   1 February
       1999:

Association agreement with the EU came into effect.

   26 April 2003:

Slovenia signed EU Accession Treaty in Athenes.

   1 May 2004:

Slovenia became an EU member.