Republika Slovenija

Slovenia (スロベニア Surobenia), officially the Republika Slovenija, is a fan-made character for the anime and manga series:''' Hetalia: Axis Powers. ''' She represents Slovenia, a country situated in Eastern Europe on the Balkan Peninsula. Currently a WIP (Work in Progress)

Appearence


- C Cups (Usual cup size for a Slovenian woman)

- Light brown Skin (Alpine Ethnic Type)

- Bangs are divided into 4 parts (This is because there are 4 macroregions, Alpine, Mediterranean, Dinaric, and Pannonia)

- Wavy hair that's narrow at the top and gets wider as it goes down (Slavic Origins)

- Hair falls to her waist

- Wears red Carnation flower earrings (country's flower)

- Eyes are almond shaped and slant upwards a bit more than normal with a single eyelid (this is because in the sixth century C.E., it was perpetually invaded by a tribe of Mongols called the Avars. Also, the early Slovenes intermarried with them. Classic Mongoloid)

- Athletic (because of the sports) with an hourglass figure, toned legs and arms, with a bit of pudge located around her middle

- Has a distinctive cowlick (this represents the 3 peaks of Triglav, a preeminent symbol of Slovenia that is also the tallest mountain there)

- Broad nose, bulbous tip (Alpine ethnic type)

- Broad face (Alpine ethnic type)

- Round head (Alpine ethnic type)

- Short neck (Alpine ethnic type)

- High soft angled eye brows

- Ears protrude out more because they're turned forward (Alpine ethnic type)

- Dark eyelashes (Slavic origins)

- Body is endomorphic, which means that she can gain muscle easily but they stay undeveloped, have to work hard to lose weight, and it is difficult to keep lost body fat off (Slavic origins)

- Small mouth, lips are well proportioned (Classic Mongoloid)

- She sometimes wears a Linden leaf necklace or pendant (the Linden tree or leaf is an important symbol of Slovenia)

- Although outfit varies daily, she tends to wear simplified/modernized versions of her traditional garments. The one she wears most often is the simplified version of a Gorenjska Noša (this is due to her pride in her culture)

- She has a mole near the right corner of her mouth (Austrian Influence) that represents her capital, Ljubljana, since it houses some of the most important museums in Slovenia as well as a number of major Slovenian figures who were buried there.

- Slovenia has numerous faint scars located at the bottom of her back and on the left side of her hip from the Ottoman-Hasburg Wars. She has some more recent scars that are located on the lower part of her left arm from World War 1, and others located on the nape of her neck from World War 2.

(Appearance based on the Slavic type, Alpine type, a little bit of Classic Mongoloid, and data collected from Slovenia)

Personality:
- Prone to Jealousy (stereotype)

- Proud (Slovene stereotype)

- Romantic (French influence? and Slovene stereotype)

- Careful about decisions (government interaction)

- A little bit Moody;emotional  (Slovene stereotype)

- Generally open and welcoming and will usually not hesitate to offer help and support but will be careful in doing so (government interaction)

- Industrious (Slovene stereotype)

- Disciplined  (Slovene stereotype)

- Honest (Slovene stereotype)

- Complains a lot (Slovene stereotype), but only when alone or in private

- Seems introverted and cold at first (government interaction and stereotype)

- Adaptable (Effects of history)

- Usually stays in comfort zone (Slovene stereotype)

- Sporty;active

- Organized (German Influence)

- Strong Willed

- Perfectionist (German Influence)

- Stylish

- Passionate

- Patient

- Learner (Slovene Stereotype);curious

- Greedy when it comes to money (Slovene Stereotype)

- Dismissive when communication takes on a more personal and private note; Secretive, Reserved (Slovene stereotype)

- Not easily trusting, but will trust you more once she gets to know you (Slovene stereotype);cautious about relationships

- She doesn't like war, and usually stays away from conflicts (According to the Global Peace index, Slovenia is one of the world's most peaceful countries, and is ranked #14 as of 2014); Generally Peaceful

- Traditional

- Sober-Minded; Sensible (Germanic Influence)

- Self-Confident (Slovene Stereotype)

- Broadminded; Tolerant (Slovene Stereotype)

(Personality based off of Slovene stereotypes, how the government interacts with the world, Slovenia facts, and the effects of history)

Geography:
Slovenia is situated in south Eastern Europe on the Balkan Peninsula and is bordered by Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south/southeast, and Italy and the Adriatic Sea to the west. It is quite mountainous country, it sits on the foothills of the Eastern Alps just south of the Julian Alps, the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, the Karawanken Chain, and the Pohorje Massif on the Austrian border. The majority of the country is hilly to mountainous with about 90% of its land at least 650 ft above sea level. But there is a piece of land, the east and northeast of the Pannonian planes, that is primarily flat. Areas along the coast enjoy a warm Mediterranean climate while those in the mountains to the north have cold winters and rainy summers. The plateaus to the east, where the capital is located, have a mild, more moderate climate with warm to hot summers and cold winters. The Adriatic coast of the country is about 39 mi long, and runs from the border with Italy to the border with Croatia. Also, Slovenia's Kras plateaus have interesting geological features, underground rivers, caves, and gorges.

Early History; Slovene Settlement
Present day Slovenia was first settled more than 250,000 years ago, according to two stone tools that were discovered in Hell Cave. Neanderthals also inhabited present-day Slovenia during the last Ice Age, where the remains of their settlement were found.

During the Iron Age (1200 - 550 B.C.E), Slovenia was occupied by Illyrian and Celtic tribes until the 1st century BC, when the Ancient Romans came sweeping in and conquered the region. The Romans established the provinces of Pannonia and Noricum when they invaded. Present-day western Slovenia was included directly underneath Roman Italia, and their important towns included Emona, Celeia, and Poetovio.

Sadly, during the Migration Period (376 - 800 AD) Slovenia suffered many invasions from a variety of barbarian armies, due to its strategic position as the main passage from the Pannonian plain, to the Italian peninsula. The Huns, led by Attila, invaded Italy via Slovenia. Due to this, the Ancient Romans finally abandoned the region at the end of the 4th century. Since most cities were destroyed, the remaining population moved to the highland areas, and established fortified towns.

In 500 AD, the region was part of the Ostrogothic Kingdom, and later was contested between the Ostrogoths, Byzantine Empire, and the Lombards.

The Slavic ancestors of the modern day Slovenes settled in the East Alpine area at the end of the 6th century AD. At this time, these people were known as the Sclavi and/or Sclaveni. This Slavic tribe, also known as the Alpine Slavs, was conquered and submitted to Avar rule, a tribe of Mongols. Because of the pressure they faced from the Avars, the early Slavs migrated farther west to the Friulian plain and the Adriatic Sea, north to the sources of the Drava and Mura Rivers and east as far as Lake Balaton in Hungary.

When the Avars failed to take Byzantium in the 7th century, the Alpine Slavs joined King Samo's tribal union in 623 AD, and drove out the Avars. After that, King Samo established a Slovenian kingdom that stretched from Hungary to the Mediterranean SBut after Samo's death, the Slavs of Carniola soon fell again to the tribe of Mongols. Luckily, the Slavs north of the Karavanke range established the independent principality of Carantania.

Middle Ages
During 745 AD, Carantania and the rest of the Slavic-populated territories were submitted to Bavarian overrule, since they felt pressured by the newly consolidated Avar power. They were incorporated into the Carolingian Empire, and converted to Christianity of the Roman Catholic Church.

Carantania maintained its internal independence until the 9th century, when the local princes were replaced by a Germanic, mainly Bavarian, ascendancy. This event followed the anti-Frankish rebellion of Ljudevit Posavski.

Under Emperor Arnulf of Carinthia, Carantania shortly emerged as a regional power, but was soon crushed by Hungarian invasion during the late 9th century. Thankfully, Carantania-Carinthia was established again as an autonomous administrative unit in 976, when Emperor Otto the first  split the lands held by him and made Carinthia  the sixth duchy of the Holy Roman Empire. Sadly,  old Carantania never developed into a unified realm.

During the 1300's, most of the Slovene lands passed underneath Hasburg rule. In the 1400's, the Hasburg rule was challenged by the Counts of Celje,  but, by the end of the century, the great majority of Slovene-inhabited territories were still incorporated into the  Hasburg Kingdom.

Early Autro-German rule was harsh. The Austro-German rulers made the Slovenian farmers serfs, who neither owned the estates on which they slaved away nor profited on them. Upperclass Slovenes obeyed to German soceity and were absorbed into the ruling system, but the majority of lower classes kept their Slovene identity.

Early Modern Period
The first mentions of a common Slovene ethnic identity, regarding transcending regional boundaries, date from around the 16th century. Also, during the Protestant Reformation spreading throughout the Slovene lands at this time, the first books in the Slovene language were written, and the Slovenes recieved their first complete translation of the bible. All of this  established the foundation for the development of the standard Slovene language. These books, especially Katekizem, were written by the Protestant preacher Primož Trubar and his followers.

During the Counter-Reformation in the late 16th and 17th centuries, almost all Protestants were expelled from the Slovene Lands, but neverless, they left a strong legacy in the tradition of Slovene culture.

The Bohorič Alphabet, which was developed by the Protestants,  testified to the unbroken tradition of Slovene culture as established in the years of the Protestant Reformation.

Between the 1400s and 1600s, the Slovene suffered many tragedies, which were mostly caused by the war between the Ottoman Empire and the Hasburg Monarchy. Southern Slovenia and many other areas were devastated by incursions of the Ottoman Empire, like the flourishing towns  Kostanjevica na Krki and Vipavski Križ, both which never fully recovered. The nobility of the Slovene-inhabited provinces helped greatly and had a large impact in the fight against the Ottoman Empire. Because of this, the Carnoilan noblemen's army defeated the Ottomans in the Battle of Sisak of 1593, thus marking the end of the immediate Ottoman threat to the Slovene lands, although occasional Ottoman conflicts continued until the 1600s.

Through the 1500s and 1600s, western Slovene regions were transformed into a battlefield for the wars between the Hasburg Monarchy and the Venetian Republic. Between the late 15th century and early 18th century, the Slovenes also witnessed many peasant wars, like the Carinthian Peasant Revolt of 1478. None of these rebellions were successful, and were firmly put down.

Also, in the late 1600s, Slovenia was marked by a vivid intillectual and artistic activity. Many artists, musicians and architects settled in Slovenia, therefore greatly contributing to the development of the local culture.

One of the oldest means of transportation in the Bloke Plateau, skiing, was introduced at this time. While the people of the plateau spent their winter days using the skiis to transport materials, overcome distances, and go about their work, they also used them for various games and fun.

Age of Enlightenment to the National Movement
Finally, during the early 18th and 19th century, Slovenia experienced a period of peace and tranquility. This was because of Trieste, an Adriatic city, being declared a free port, which helped boost the economic activity in western Slovenia. Another factor that helped was the moderate economic recovery starting from the mid 18th century onward, and political, administrative and economic reforms of the Habsburg rulers Maria Theresa <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:22.3999996185303px;"> and J oseph II that improved the economic situation of the poor. These "reforms,"  improved the coniditions of the Slovenian serfs, and further reforms followed in 1809.

Between 1805 and 1813, Slovenia was part of the Illyrian Provinces, an autonomous part of the Napoleonic French Empire. During this time, Slovenia's capital was established as Ljubljana. The French rule of the Illyrian Provinces was short lived, but it did outstandingly bestow a greater national self-confidence and awareness of freedoms throughout the Slovene people. Although the French did not entirely abolish the feudal system, they did introduce equality before the law, mandatory military service and a uniform tax system, and also stopped certain tax privilages, <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">introduced modern administration, separated powers between the state and the Church, and nationalised the judiciary. Most importantly, the proggressive influence of the French Revolution brought the issue of national awakening to the Slovenian political arena for the first time.

In August 1813, Austria declared war on France. After the Austrian troops, led by General Franz Tomassich, invaded the so called Illyrian Provinces, all Slovene lands were once again part of the Austrian Empire. The Austrian rule was now guided by the iron fist of Prince Clemens von Metternich, but not even he could dislodge the ideals presented to the Slovenians during Napoleon's rule. Slowly, a d<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">istinct Slovene national consciousness developed, and the want for a unification of all Slovenes grew widesepread. Between the 1820s and 1840s, the interest in Slovene language and folklore grew enormously, and this helped  <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">advance the first steps towards a standardization of the language.

<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">In 1848, a democratic revolution spread across Europe, giving birth to many desires for freedom amoung the Slovenes. A mass political and popular movement called United Slovenia soon emerged as part of the Spring of Nations movement within the Austrian Empire. Many  <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">Slovene activists demanded a unification of all Slovene-speaking territories in a unified and autonomous Slovene kingdom, but the project failed. It would take a century for that dream to be accomplished, and the break up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to release Slovenia from Hapsburg rule.

Clashing nationalisms in the late 19th century
During the so called Slovene National Awakening, which was between 1848 and 1918, numerous institutions sprang up, and the Slovenes <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">were able to establish a functioning national infrastructure despite their lack of proper political representation.

<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">Thanks to  <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">the introduction of a constitution granting civil and political liberties in the Austrian Empire in 1860, the Slovene national movement picked up steam.

HeadCanons/Trivia:

 * She puts great effort in making her house and surroundings beautiful (Stereotype)


 * She really enjoys nature (stereotype) and tries her best to keep her forests intact (Over 50% of Slovenia is covered in forests) by establishing national parks, regional parks, and nature parks. This can also mean that she is a "strong performer" in environmental protection efforts


 * She is very into sports, whether they be extreme, normal or leisurely (stereotype), but mountaineering, handball, and skiing are her favorites (Popular widespread sports in Slovenia)


 * In her downtime, when she isn't doing something exercise related, she likes to garden (stereotype)


 * Slovenia has a pet Karst Shepherd, a dog that originated from her home. The dog's name is Primož, which means "first" in Slovene


 * She also has a Lipizzan mare named Zala, which means "beautiful" in Slovene. The Lipizzan originates from the stud farms located near the Karst Plateau village of Lipica, which is in Slovenia
 * When Slovenia gained independence from Yugoslavia, Croatia was the first country to recognize her as an independent country. To commemorate this, Croatia gave her a Croatian Hen. It is later found out that the real reason Croatia gave her the hen was because she/he thought Slovenia was shaped like a chicken, and was poking fun at it. Nonetheless, Miroslava kept it and named it Daru, which means gift in Slovene


 * She is very proud of her language and culture (stereotype)


 * Since a lot of her people go to music schools and know how to play at least one instrument (Austrian influence? and stereotype), she can play a few instruments, mainly the Zither and Piano


 * She can also sing quite well (stereotype)


 * She really enjoys wine, but drinks a bit too much at parties (stereotype, there are 28,000 wineries, and Slovenia is ranked #5 of the countries that drink the most wine). Her favorite wine is the white wine (it makes up 75% of production), and she usually drinks at most one glass of it each day


 * Slovenia also likes poetry and reading in general (stereotype), so she never leaves the house without some type of reading material


 * When driving, she is quite aggressive, usually exceeding both neighborhood and highway speed limits (stereotype and statistics show that Slovenia is ranked among the most dangerous drivers in Europe)


 * Whenever she finds something on the ground (i.e. a phone, money, etc.), she will usually turn it in or return it to its original owner (Recently, a global exercise was undertaken to see which city possessed the most honest citizens in the world. Organisers left mobile phones on park benches to see if people would hand them in or simply walk off with them. Ljubljana received top marks with 29 of the 30 phones handed in)


 * Due to her love of nature, she lives in the rural areas of Slovenia


 * Slovenia's motto is "Edinost, sreca, sprava" (Unity, Hapiness, Conciliation)


 * When working, Slovenia tends to hum her anthem, Zdravljica


 * Slovenia has a large array of clothing with lace on them. This is because in Idrija, lacemaking is VERY well known, and there is a lace festival held there every year


 * Due to Italy's forced Italianization around 1926 to 1932, her name was briefly changed to Irene Terranova


 * Although Slovenia tries to keep her mouth shut, she might open up to a good drink and some food (Slovene Stereotype)


 * She has a large collection of stuffed animals. This is because Slovenia contains 24,000 animal species, which is 1% of the world's organisms despite its small size


 * Slovenia greets people by saying dober dan (good day)


 * Her favorite colors are blue, green, yellow and brown, all of which can be found in nature


 * She has a pair of blue reading glasses. These glasses represent Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj, both which are some of her famous tourist spots


 * As a child, Slovenia was a bit on the chubby side. This is because the traditional Slovene cuisine contained little vegetable, and was heavy in calories
 * Also, her hair was a lot shorter in the past so it wouldn't interfere with her daily work
 * Slovenia's human last name is named after the romantic poet France Prešeren, who was considered the father of modern Slovene literature and a reflection of the Slovenian national character
 * During spring, she enjoys picking dandelions for dandelion salad, which is a Slovene favorite. She also enjoys picking mushrooms and bilberries from the nearby woods

(The above is a rough draft that will be refined in time, and this character belongs/copyrighted to AmphritriteL on deviantart ^^ Please do not copy, steal, or edit the content on this page. If you have some advice, questions, or critique for my OC, please tell me on my message wall on wikia, or contact me on DeviantArt. Thank you!)