Senior Scientific Associate
Anton Melik Geographical Institute
Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian
Academy of Sciences and Arts
Born March 26, 1946, in Ljubljana, which is
his permanent residence. Attended elementary and secondary school in Ljubljana.
Received his B.Sc. from the Department of Geography of the Faculty of Arts of
the University of Ljubljana in 1971 (Thesis: “Regional Geography of Senegal and
Gambia”; Mentor: Professor Svetozar Ilešič, Ph.D.). In addition to majoring in
geography, he completed a minor in biology at the Department of Biology of the
Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana. Received his M.Sc. in 1979
(Thesis: “Geographical Consequences of the 1976 Earthquake in Slovenia”).
Received his Ph.D. in 1994 (Thesis: “Threat of Natural Disasters in the
Territory of Slovenia, with particular emphasis on the Ljubljana area”).
As a student, participated in a study trip of
biology students and professors to Senegal and Gambia (1968). Continued his
studies in the United States with an emphasis on natural disasters and
“regional science.” Lectured at the University of Illinois, the University of
Iowa, and the University of Colorado on natural disasters in Slovenia (1978).
Participated in 1985 in the specialized course “Technology for Disaster
Prevention” in Tokyo and Tsukuba (Japan) organized by the Japanese National
Institute for Research and Security from Natural Disasters.
Worked as a teaching assistant for the Department of Geography of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ljubljana and for the Department of Environmental Protection of the Institute for the Protection of natural Monuments of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia (1970–1971). After receiving his B.Sc. in 1971, worked at the Institute of Urban Studies in Ljubljana. Served on the editorial board of the Green Book of Threatened Areas of Slovenia (1972). Participated in conferences on environmental problems in The Netherlands (Terscheling) and Canada (Hamilton) organized in the framework of preparations for the 1972 United Nations conference on the environment. In 1974, selected to be a student assistant in the field of regional geography at the Geographical Institute of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, which was headed at the time by Professor Svetozar Ilešič, Ph.D. Afterwards headed the Cartography Institute and the Geophotography Laboratory of the Geographical Institute of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts for a number of years. Particularly following his studies in Japan in 1985, helped introduce digital technology at the Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts. In 1999, according to the norms set by the Ministry of Science and Technology, elected by his scientific colleagues to be Senior Scientific Associate. Since 1995, has been chairman of the Commission for the Standardization of Geographical Place Names of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia. Since January 1998, following the special United Nations’ conference on geographical names in New York, the Slovene commission has coordinated this work in the framework of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. In 1999, chaired the working session on this subject held in Ljubljana (15th Session of the Eastern, Central, and Southeastern Europe Division of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names). Within the UNGEGN is a member of the working group collecting toponomical data and geographical gazettes (Working Group on Toponymic Data Files and Gazetteers). Was a member of the delegation of the Republic of Slovenia to the World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction organized in Yokohama (Japan) by the United Nations (1995). In the framework of specialized training programs, lectured on natural disasters for the Office for Civil Defense and Rescue at the Ministry of Defense Training Center in Ig. Because natural disasters are a component part of the international matriculation examinations, has lectured on this topic for some time at the Bežigrad Secondary School. Has lectured for several years as a consulting expert on natural disasters at the Faculty of Social Sciences. Has been editor of Acta Geographica, Slovenia’s primary geography journal, since 1995. Is chairman of the Scientific council of the Anton Melik Geographical Institute of the Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts. Has led, coordinated, or collaborated in the preparation of numerous books resulting from long-term in-depth research not only by the currently active generation of geographers but also by previous generations of geographers including such major works as the 1992 Veliki družinski atlas sveta (Great Family Atlas of the World), which was followed in 1996 by the Veliki atlas sveta (Great Atlas of the World) and the 1995 Krajevni leksikon Slovenije (Lexicon of Places in Slovenia) published in two volumes and on CD-ROM (This was the first CD-ROM in the history of Slovene geography, and its content and technical production were entirely the work of Slovene geographers and computer programmers). Collaborated on the regional monograph and book Slovenija – pokrajine in ljudje (Slovenia – Landscapes and People) published in 1998 and the Geografskem atlasu za osnovno šolo (Geographical Atlas for Elementary School) published the same year. This was the first Slovene school atlas to write place names according to the principals established by the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names. Collaborated in the preparation of the Geografski atlas Slovenije published in 1998 and supervised the English translation Geographical Atlas of Slovenia published in 2001. Has been an active member of the Association for Cave Research of Slovenia and the Association for Maritime Research based in Ljubljana for several years. Served as vice president of the Slovene Diving Association for several years and was particularly active in underwater photography. Currently serves as secretary of the Slovene-Japanese Friendship Society. Has been active for ten years in the Ljubljana Geographical Society and has been president of the Union of Geographical Associations of Slovenia since 1988. His personal bibliography extends from 1969 to 2002 (see http://cobiss.izum.si/cobiss_eng.html). Was appointed assistant professor in regional and social geography at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ljubljana in February 2001. He is teaching on the Faculty for Humanistic Studies, Koper (http://www.fhs-kp.si/).