Slovene Istria

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Slovene Istria is in the southwest of Slovenia. It makes up the northern part of the Istrian peninsula and is part of the Slovene Littoral. Its biggest city is Koper; other large towns are Izola, Piran and Portorož. The region has around 120 settlements. On the coast, Slovene and Italian are official languages; inland, Slovene is the main official language.

The coastline stretches about 43 kilometers, with notable peninsulas and bays like the Piran Peninsula and Gulf of Koper. The Strunjan Nature Reserve protects one of Slovenia’s few coastal cliffs. The interior is hillier with karst landscapes. The Dragonja and Rižana rivers are important watercourses.

The economy relies on transport and tourism. The Port of Koper is Slovenia’s main international port and a major economic center. Tourists visit Portorož, Piran, Izola and Sečovlje. Sečovlje Salina Nature Park is a cultural heritage site. The region is known for wine and olive oil, especially refosco and malvasia, plus cherries, figs and vegetables.

Historically, Istria was inhabited by the Histri, then ruled by the Romans and many others. Venice controlled the coast from the 13th century. After Napoleon, it became part of the Austrian Empire, then Italy after World War I, and after World War II it became part of Yugoslavia and later Slovenia. Many Italians left in the mid-20th century.

Language and schooling reflect the mixed heritage. In Piran, Izola and Koper, Italian is co-official with Slovene, and signs are in both languages. Schools let students study in either language, and Italian is taught in Slovene schools too. The University of Primorska mainly teaches in Slovene. Local dialects include the Istrian dialect of Slovene, with subdialects; nearby areas have other Slovene dialects. The Venetian language used to be common among Istrian Italians, but most speakers left after the war, and today it is mainly a cultural heritage item.