Why are there still problems concerning the management of spatial changes? Arespatial development projects really unique or are there typical patterns, which occurregularly? Is there a possibility to generalise such principles towards a ‘theoryof practice’, which will be able to provide better management strategies for spatialdevelopment?

geographical theory --- applied geography --- human geography --- regional planning --- spatial planning

The study of natural hazards since the 1950s is considered as one of the mostimportant contributions of physical geography to the application of geographicalknowledge in Slovenia. The threat of destructive natural events and significantdegree of vulnerability are constituent parts of every cultural landscape, and canbe recognized as immediate effects of natural processes, as practical countermeasuresto prevent damages, as keeping off the most hazardous areas and, also,as unsuitable acts or wrong interventions into the geographical space. These elementsare presented as important topics of geographical research in the nearfuture, together with the study of subjective, personal, perception of vulnerabilitydue to natural hazards, which is one of the key starting-points for future dealingwith areas, where the potentially damaging or dangerous natural processes are inaction.

physical geography --- natural disasters --- Slovenia

Our estimation, based on the observed climatic changes, that the quantity of waterin river basins is in decrease and that the changes are particularly manifest inextreme hydrological situations has not been fully confirmed by the analysis of thedata on river discharges, precipitation and water tables over the period of 45 years.In assessing changes in the actual amounts of water it is necessary to take intoaccount, in addition to climatic changes, also the impact of evapotranspiration,forest cover, and transformation of natural landscape to agrarian and urban areas.

hidrogeography --- potamology --- rivers --- runoff --- climatic changes --- Slovenia

We compared a geodetic map of the Triglav glacier from 1952 to a topographicalmap from 2001 made using photogrammetric calculations from helicopter photographsto calculate changes in thickness and volume. Over fifty years, the glacierthinned in some places by more than thirty-five meters, and its volume decreasedto one fiftieth of its size in 1952.

physical geography // glaciology --- glaciers --- measurement of glacier --- Triglav glacier --- Julian Alps --- Slovenia

Climatic characteristics in south-west Slovenia are akin to the Mediterranean ones,therefore some more sensitive cultures still grow there; by far the most important isolive which is otherwise typical of the central Mediterranean. These cultures growat their northern climatic borders, therefore they are periodically affected by severefrosts. The development of olive growing, and other climatically more sensitive culturesas well, has also been fostered by both the climatic trends of the last decadesand the forecasts for the 21st century prognosticating further warming of the climate.

natural disasters --- frost --- agriculture --- olive-trees --- wine growing --- Slovenia

In this paper new methodology, theory and application of social geography as developin praxis under the influence of Slovenia’s accession to the EU and developmentof farming for the market in EU. The consequences of the process ofadaptation of Slovenian farming to the demands of EU already seen in new waysof farming in Slovenia as well as in changing function of cultural landscape.

human geography --- economic geography --- agriculture geography --- rural areas --- agricultural policy --- social fallow --- overgrowing of agricultural land --- Slovenia

We write about the position of rural geography within Slovene geography and itspossible application in the process of integrated rural development. We draw ourconclusions on the basis of the presence of rural geography as a course in studyprogrammes in Slovenian and some foreign Universities, the amount of bibliographicalunits from the field of rural geography in the central geographical libraryof Slovenia and our experiences with the project of integrated rural developmentand the village renovation in Slovenia.

geography --- agriculture geography --- rural areas --- environmental protection --- sustainable development

The transformation of the rural areas along the Slovene – Croatian border wasinfluenced by many reasons, among which the most important was polycentric conceptof social demogarphy as well as physical development. After introduction of aborder line between Slovenia and Croatia the process of transformation of ruralareas have taken on additional issues connected to the problems of border areasand marginal regions and thus are both specific and new for this region. Transformationof rural areas is a permanent process, that affects both the landscape, aswell as its functions.

agriculture geography --- rural areas --- transformation of rural areas national borders Croatia Slovenia Slovene-Croatian border

The paper analyse the situation of ethnic minorities in transition countries. The roleof national minorities changed in last two decades radically. In the past they were aobject of strategic interesses and claims, contemporary thesis give them muchmore »kind« function of »connectors« among regions, states and nations. Unfortunatelly,in transition countries there still predominant their passive, or evenworser, conflictual function. It seems that interethnic conflicts will play importantrole in the future, too.

political geography --- border regions --- national minorities --- Slovenia --- Europe

The article deals with a didactical problem of transfer and understanding of moredemanding geographical contents which are included into geographical educationalvertical. Further improvement of geography teaching and assurance of highquality syllabus on every level of geographical education require a defining of moredemanding geographical contents and reasons for their difficulty, argumentation oftheir incorporation into syllabuses and assessment of ways and methods for dealingwith them and for their adoption. The analyses of scientifically demanding geographicalcontents offer the origins for better organisation of contents in the verticalof geographical education and the origins for better education of future geographyteachers.

geographical education --- didactics of geography --- geography teaching --- methods --- study of geography --- continuing education --- curriculum

This article deals withthe problems of standardizing geographical names in Slovenia and discussesthe importance of geographically studying such names, which includesresearching the presence and location of geographical names, theirsystematic classification according to the geographical elements of aregion, and concern for the correct use and transcription of geographicalnames in all media presenting a region.

geography --- geographical names --- standardization --- standards --- Slovenia

In this article we focused attention on the inhabitants'response to the environmental problems in Šalek Valley and Zasavje Region.We used a questionnaire to survey the answers of 1395 inhabitants in bothregions. The main aims of our study were following: to estimate thepollution severity and environmental conditions and to compare the answersbetween both. The inhabitants of the Šalek Valley are very critical towardtheir environment and they are basically satisfied with it (62,4 %). In theZasavje Region the inhabitants are less satisfied (39,5 %) with theirenvironment, because the pollution of their region is larger than averagein Slovenia.

environmental protection --- natural resources --- regional development --- sustainable development --- Slovenia

Use of geoinformatics in Slovenian appliedgeography is growing. But many geoinformatic opportunities remain poorlyused. The main reasons for the present conditions are pointed out, and somechanges in pedagogic, scientific and applied-geographic field are suggestedto improve the use of geoinformatics in Slovenian applied geography.

geographical theory --- applied geography --- geographical methodology --- geographic information systems --- Slovenia

Development trends of Slovene cities are similar to those in developedcountries, which result in bigger and bigger functional and socialheterogeneity. Certain processes in city centres, at continuously built-upcity teritorry and outskirts, are represented on the examples of Ljubljanaand Maribor. At the end, function of geography in relation to studying andsearching for ways in respect of more harmonious development of cities isdefined.

settlement geography --- urban geography --- functional structure of towns --- regional development --- Slovenia

Research about perception andevaluation of living environment by the population of high-rise housingestates in Ljubljana and its potential application in urban planing ispresented in the paper. By the use of questionnaire surveys in differenthigh-rise housing estates characteristics of residential location decisionsand potential intraurban migrations are defined.

settlement geography --- urban geography --- urban morphology --- urban quarters --- residential quarters --- urban planning --- Slovenia

The characteristic of the science of geography is its complexity in thestudy of space. Regional development processes are integral and we canunderstand and evaluate them through interdisciplinary approaches. The roleand significance of geography in planning regional development in changedsocial -economic conditions is in cooperation with the remaining scientificdisciplines in assuring comformable regional development.

regional planning --- regional development --- environmental protection --- sustainable development

The article presents the case of an application ofgeography in fertility behaviour studies. Analyzing the officialstatistical data and the data collected by an inquiry, we compared threeareas in Slovenia (Prekmurje, Zasavje, administrative unit of Domžale) in afield of urbanity, relief and ethnicity. The findings point to certaincomparative advantages and potential of geographical approach to fertilitystudies.

geography --- demographic geography --- demography --- fertility behaviour --- Slovenia

Thepaper deals with the flowing of the Soča river in its different presentnatural geographic, statistical, historical, political, touristic and otherregionalizations. With the term northern Primorska there is a strongtendency to use the name Goriška. In order to avoid this the authorsuggests and as well gives the arguments for the renaming of the presentnorthern Primorska (statistical region) into Slovenian Posočje or Posočje.

regionalizations --- Slovenia

An Environmental Protection Programme and a Local Agenda 21 are documentsintended for promotion of sustainable development in the localco-mmunities. Both documents should be realistic and capable ofimplementation. The local community, the public and all the main companiesand organisations should be involved in the preparation and the realisationof the programmes. In this contribution the contents of the programmes andsome experiences and advice tothose taking part are discussed.

environmental protection --- development programme --- Slovenia

One of the components of the environmentalvulnerability studies is also the evaluation of the pollution of theenvironment. In the article, the analysis of the selected indicators of theachieved degree of the total and integral pollution is presented. In theframework of the environmental vulnerability studies on the spatial levelof landscape-ecological types for this purpose the following indicatorswere selected: population density, density of working places, trafficintensity and percentage of forests.

environmental protection --- sustainable development --- Slovenia

The integral burdening of the gravel plains in Slovenia is the result of various interrelatedactivities in these areas, and its study therefore demands an integratedapproach and the urgent protection of the groundwater quality. Areas of alluvialaquifers in Slovenia are threatened as the consequence of the natural vulnerabilityof aquifers, great burdening what is resulted in the poor quality of the groundwater.

geography --- environmental pollution --- gravel plains --- drinking water --- environmental protection --- Slovenia