Slovenia's identity crisis

"Slovenia’s flag is made up of horizontal white, royal blue and red stripes, with a shield on its far left side.
Or is that Slovakia's?
Actually, it's a description of both, and the confusion has caused enough consternation in this country of two million…"
The International Herald Tribune reports on how Slovenians are planning to tackle this issue.

Meanwhile, to erase any doubt:

Republic of Slovenia

Capital: Ljubljana
The Slovenian flag consists of three equal horizontal bands of white, blue, and red (from top-down). The upper hoist side of the flag bears the Slovenian seal, centered in the white and blue bands. The shield depicts the image of Triglav, Slovenia's highest peak, centered in white against a blue background, with wavy blue lines depicting seas and rivers beneath it, and three six-sided stars arranged in an inverted triangle above it.
Part of southeastern Europe, Slovenia is located in eastern Alps, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Austria and Croatia.


Slovak Republic

Capital: Bratislava
The Slovakian flag is made of three equal horizontal bands of white, blue, and red (from top-down). The Slovak cross -- white, centered on a background of a red and blue shield -- is superimposed in the center, on the hoist side.
Slovakia is located in central Europe, south of Poland.


Both are equally welcome to the EU, on 1 May 2004!