Slovenia (Slovenian: Slovenija ) is a country on the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe that lies in the eastern Alps at the northern end of the Adriatic Sea. Despite its small size, Slovenia has a surprising variety of terrain, ranging from the beaches of the Mediterranean to the peaks of the Julian Alps and the rolling hills of the south. Slovenia is also home to some of the finest scenery in the “New Europe”. The transition from socialism to the European common market economy has gone well and serves as a model for other nations on the same track to follow.