Let’s learn about Slovenia #10 – Prekmurje
Prekmurje is a geographically, linguistically, culturally and ethnically defined region settled by Slovenes and a Hungarian minority, lying between the Mura River in Slovenia and the Rába Valley (the watershed of the Rába) in the most western part of Hungary. It maintains certain specific linguistic, cultural and religious features that differentiate it from other Slovenian traditional regions. It covers an area of 938 km2 and has a population of 78,000 people.
It is named after the Mura ( Mur ) River, which separates it from the rest of Slovenia (a literal translation from Slovene would be Over-Mur or Transmurania). In Hungarian, the region is known as Muravidék, and in German as Übermurgebiet.
The name Prekmurje was introduced in the twentieth century.
he region is divided into three geographical subregions: the hilly area to the north of Murska Sobota, known as Goričko; the eastern flatlands along the Mura River, known as Ravensko (literally, “The Flatlands”), and the western lowlands around Lendava, known as Dolinsko (literally, “The Lowlands”). Northeast of Lendava, there is a small hilly sub-region, known as the Lendava Hills (Lendavske gorice).
The administrative and commercial centre of the region is the town of Murska Sobota. The only other major town is Lendava. Other significant rural centres are Dobrovnik, Turnišče, Beltinci, and Črenšovci.
