Slovenia, Slovakia, and the constant confusion between the two
BBC
Slovenia’s Prime Minister announced his resignation this week.
Slovakia’s Prime Minister announced his resignation this week.
If you missed the difference between those two statements the first time you read them, you’re not alone.
Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico quit over a scandal following the murder of a journalist investigating government corruption. Slovenia’s leader Miro Cerar – completely independently – resigned after a court ruling struck down a massive railway project.
But the two European nations have been plagued by confusion about their identities ever since their creation in the 1990s.
Anthem errors
A quick search on Google will uncover dozens of tweets about US First Lady Melania Trump’s Slovakian heritage – which doesn’t exist. She was born in Sevnica, a Slovenian town (the president’s ex-wife, Ivana, was born in Czechoslovakia, but we’ll get there).
A curse on both nations, though, is that the wrong flag or the wrong anthem has appeared at many events. Last year, it was the Ice Hockey World Championships in Germany, where angry Slovaks were forced to drown out the Slovenian anthem with boos and whistles.
They were later told their anthem wouldn’t be played due to “technical problems”.
And the confusion is nothing new. George W Bush famously once talked about his meeting with the Slovak foreign minister – a meeting which never happened. In 2003, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi introduced the prime minister of Slovakia at a press conference. It was Anton Rop – from Slovenia.
“It was very strange, we asked journalists not to mention it in their reports,” Mr Rop later said.
It’s such a common occurrence that The New Yorker magazine reported on an event last year staged by the two London embassies, titled: “Distinguish Slovenia and Slovakia”.
And one popular myth – perpetuated by the BBC’s own QI quiz show – is that the Washington embassies meet up to swap their misaddressed mail once a month.
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Slovakia And Slovenia: How To Tell The Difference & Which Is Better To Visit In 2025
by NICOLETTA
I know there is a lot of confusion about these two countries, and we need to change it. These two hidden gems in Europe have much to offer and are still less visited by travelers. So they might be your next destination, especially if you want to avoid tourist crowds.
I’m from Slovakia and lived there for the first 18 years of my life. Besides, I visited Slovenia as a world traveler and often compared these two countries.
So in this article, I’ll give you a great understanding of these two countries and explain the main differences. I’ll also recommend the best things to do in each country. So keep reading.
Slovakia And Slovenia: What’s The Difference?
I was born and raised in Slovakia, and after traveling the world for the past 10 years, I’ve experienced that nobody knows where this small country is. Everyone either confuses it with Slovenia or Czechoslovakia. But then they’re only familiar with the word ‘Slovenia.’ And I don’t know much about it either. So let’s make it clear here.
Slovakia’s and Slovenia’s main differences are their location, history, economy, and language.
They don’t share the same border. Slovakia is in Central Europe, and Slovenia is a gateway to the Balkan peninsula (Southeastern Europe). They also have different flags and languages. And they don’t have much in common regarding history (Slovakia was part of Czechoslovakia, and Slovenia was part of Yugoslavia).
So they’re pretty different from each other. Yet, both countries are outstanding and worth exploring. So let’s first talk about exact differences and then the best things you can do in each country.
Key Differences Between Slovakia And Slovenia
While these two countries have some things in common (such as beautiful nature and folk culture), many differences will help us distinguish them, such as location, language, history, and economy.
So let’s talk about the main differences between these two amazing countries.
Location
The location of these two countries is quite different. They don’t share borders; Hungary and Austria are dividing them.
Slovakia is located in Central Europe, close to the Czech Republic, Austria, and Poland.
Slovenia is the gateway to the Balkan Peninsula, sharing borders with Croatia, Italy, Austria, and Hungary. It’s located in Southeastern Europe.
They’re approximately 323 kilometers (200 miles) apart if you were to take the fastest route by car via Austria.
History
Slovenia and Slovakia have a completely different past. They were each part of different empires and unions, influenced by distinct influential people.
They do have in common that both countries were part of the Austo-Hungarian Empire between 1867 and 1918.
After its collapse, Slovakia became part of Czechoslovakia, and it remained so until 1993 when it became an independent Republic of Slovakia.
Slovenia followed a different pathway after the Austro-Hungarian Kingdom was dissolved. In 1918, together with Croatia and Serbia, Slovenia became part of Yugoslavia. It gained independence when Yugoslavia collapsed in 1992.
Voices of Travel for more
Slovakia vs Slovenia – What Is The Difference?
by RACH & MARTY
Are Slovakia and Slovenia the same?
If I had a dollar every time someone confused my home country Slovakia with Slovenia, I would be rich.
Slovakia vs Slovenia. Slovenia and Slovakia. No, they are not the same country.
No, we don’t speak the same language. And no we don’t have a shared history.
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