Slovenia

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Moving westwards from Japan and China, this week's essays about the relationships different peoples have with their mountains reaches Europe, and Slovenia. Matej Zatonjsek, the Cultural Attache at the Slovenian Embassy in London, explains how his people are a nation of mountaineers, with three-quarters of the population climbing in the Julian Alps every year. Endowing mountains with Slovenian names was an expression of independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and a commitment to the language. The country's national myth is centred on Triglav, the country's highest peak and climbing this for Slovenians is akin to making the pilgrimage to Mecca for muslims, a sacred duty and an assertion of identity. Producer: Julian May.