Koper, city in southwestern Slovenia, on the Gulf of Trieste, at the northern end of the Adriatic Sea. A port city, Koper has a motor vehicle plant (producing automobiles, motorcycles, and small marine engines), chemical factories, and wineries, as well as canneries for fish, fruit, and vegetables. The city also attracts a tourist trade, chiefly from the surrounding region. The old city center is well-preserved, with a Romanesque cathedral and other architecture from this period. Originally known as Justinopolis, the town fell under the control of Venice in 1279. In 1792 the Habsburg dynasty annexed Koper and its environs. The city was transferred to Italian jurisdiction in 1919, and became part of the Free Territory of Trieste in 1947. Koper was then transferred to the Yugoslav republic of Slovenia in 1954. Slovenia became an independent republic in 1991. Population (1995 estimate) 24,595.
