Međimurje County
Međimurje County (pronounced [medʑǐmuːrje]; Croatian: Međimurska županija [medʑǐmurskaː ʒupǎnija]; Hungarian: Muraköz megye) is a triangle-shaped county in the northernmost part of Croatia, roughly corresponding to the historical and geographical region of Međimurje. Despite being the smallest Croatian county by size, it is the most densely populated one (not including the City of Zagreb). The county seat is Čakovec, which is also the largest city of the county.
Međimurje County
Međimurska županija | |
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Clockwise from top: Štrigova, Čakovec Castle, the northernmost point of Croatia, Drava river and the vineyards near Železna Gora | |
Flag Coat of arms | |
Međimurje County within Croatia | |
Coordinates: 46.466°N 16.414°E | |
Country | Croatia |
County seat | Čakovec |
Government | |
• Župan | Matija Posavec (Matija Posavec – Nezavisna Lista) |
• Assembly | 42 members |
Area | |
• Total | 729 km2 (281 sq mi) |
Population (2021) | |
• Total | 105,250 |
• Density | 140/km2 (370/sq mi) |
Area code | 040 |
ISO 3166 code | HR-20 |
HDI (2021) | 0.836 very high · 8th |
Website | Međimurska županija |
The county borders Slovenia in the north-west and Hungary in the east, with about 20 kilometers of Slovenian territory separating it from Austria. The south-eastern corner of the county is near the town of Legrad and the confluence of the Mura into the Drava. The closest bigger cities include Varaždin and Koprivnica in Croatia, Lendava, Murska Sobota and Maribor in Slovenia, as well as Nagykanizsa in Hungary and Graz in Austria. The Croatian capital of Zagreb is about 90 kilometers south-west of Čakovec.
There are slopes of the Alpine foothills in the north-western part of the county, the Upper Međimurje, making it suitable for vineyards. The south-eastern part of the county, the Lower Međimurje, touches the flat Pannonian Plain. The flat parts of the region are also largely used for agriculture, which mostly includes fields of cereals, maize and potato, as well as orchards, which are mostly planted with apple trees. There are two major hydroelectric power plants along the southern border of the county, on the Drava River.