Međimurje County (; ; ) is a triangle-shaped
county
A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
in the northernmost part of
Croatia
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
, roughly corresponding to the historical and geographical region of
Međimurje. It is the smallest Croatian county by size, and the second most densely populated after the
City of Zagreb
A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
. The county's seat and main urban centre is
Čakovec
Čakovec (; ; ; ) is a city in Northern Croatia, located around north of Zagreb, the Croatian capital, and close to the borders with Slovenia and Hungary. Čakovec is both the county seat and the largest city of Međimurje County, the northernmo ...
.
The county borders
Slovenia
Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
in the north-west and
Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
in the east; about 20 kilometres of Slovenian territory separate it from
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
. The south-eastern corner of the county is near the town of
Legrad
Legrad () is a village and a municipality in northern Croatia, located north of Koprivnica and east of Ludbreg in the Koprivnica–Križevci County.
In the 2011 census, there were a total of 2,241 inhabitants in the municipality, in the followi ...
and the
confluence
In geography, a confluence (also ''conflux'') occurs where two or more watercourses join to form a single channel (geography), channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main ...
of the
Mura into the
Drava
The Drava or Drave (, ; ; ; ; ), historically known as the Dravis or Dravus, is a river in southern Central Europe. . The closest cities include
Varaždin
Varaždin ( or ; , also known by #Name, alternative names) is a city in Northern Croatia, north-east of Zagreb. The total population is 46,946, with 38,839 in the city settlement itself (2011).
The city is best known for its baroque buildings, ...
and
Koprivnica
Koprivnica () is a city in Northern Croatia, located 70 kilometers northeast of Zagreb. It is the capital and the largest city of Koprivnica-Križevci County. In 2011, the city's administrative area of 90.94 km2 had a total populati ...
in Croatia,
Lendava
Lendava (; formerly ''Dolnja Lendava'', in older sources also ''Dolenja Lendava''; , formerly ''Alsólendva''; , formerly ''Unter-Limbach'') is a town in Slovenia in the region of Prekmurje. It is the seat of the Municipality of Lendava. It forms ...
,
Murska Sobota
Murska Sobota (, Slovenian abbreviation: ''MS'' ; ;''Radkersburg und Luttenberg'' (map, 1:75,000). 1894. Vienna: K.u.k. Militärgeographisches Institut. ) is a town in northeastern Slovenia. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Murska Sob ...
and
Maribor
Maribor ( , , ; also known by other #Name, historical names) is the List of cities and towns in Slovenia, second-largest city in Slovenia and the largest city of the traditional region of Styria (Slovenia), Lower Styria. It is the seat of the ...
in Slovenia, as well as
Nagykanizsa
Nagykanizsa (; , or just ''Kaniža/Kanjiža''; ; ; ; ), known colloquially as Kanizsa, is a medium-sized city in Zala County in southwestern Hungary. It is a city with county rights.
It lies not far from Lake Balaton at the meeting point of five ...
in Hungary and
Graz
Graz () is the capital of the Austrian Federal states of Austria, federal state of Styria and the List of cities and towns in Austria, second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 inc ...
in Austria. The Croatian capital of
Zagreb
Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
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
vineyard
A vineyard ( , ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines. Many vineyards exist for winemaking; others for the production of raisins, table grapes, and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is kno ...
s. The south-eastern part of the county, the Lower Međimurje, touches the flat
Pannonian Plain
The Pannonian Basin, with the term Carpathian Basin being sometimes preferred in Hungarian literature, is a large sedimentary basin situated in southeastern Central Europe. After the Treaty of Trianon following World War I, the geomorphologic ...
. The flat parts of the region are also largely used for
agriculture
Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
, which mostly includes fields of
cereal
A cereal is a grass cultivated for its edible grain. Cereals are the world's largest crops, and are therefore staple foods. They include rice, wheat, rye, oats, barley, millet, and maize ( Corn). Edible grains from other plant families, ...
s,
maize
Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...
and
potato
The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...
, as well as
orchard
An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit tree, fruit- or nut (fruit), nut-producing trees that are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also so ...
s, which are mostly planted with
apple
An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...
trees. There are two major
hydroelectric power plant
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...
s along the southern border of the county, on the Drava River.
Name
Besides its Croatian name (Međimurska županija), the county is also known as Muraköz megye in
Hungarian, Medžimurska županija in
Slovene, and Murinsel in
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
.
Geography
Međimurje County location in the
Pannonian Basin
The Pannonian Basin, with the term Carpathian Basin being sometimes preferred in Hungarian literature, is a large sedimentary basin situated in southeastern Central Europe. After the Treaty of Trianon following World War I, the geomorpholog ...
covers the plains between two rivers – the
Mura and the
Drava
The Drava or Drave (, ; ; ; ; ), historically known as the Dravis or Dravus, is a river in southern Central Europe. . The Mura flows along the county's northern border with the
Slovenia
Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
n region of
Prekmurje
Prekmurje (; Prekmurje Slovene: ''Prèkmürsko'' or ''Prèkmüre''; ) is a geographically, linguistically, culturally, and ethnically defined region of Slovenia, settled by Slovenes and a Hungarians in Slovenia, Hungarian minority, lying betwee ...
(
Municipality of Lendava
The Municipality of Lendava (; ; ) is a municipality in the traditional region of Prekmurje in northeastern Slovenia. The seat of the municipality is the town of Lendava. Lendava became a municipality in 1994. It borders Croatia
Croatia, ...
,
Municipality of Ljutomer
The Municipality of Ljutomer (; ) is a municipality in northeastern Slovenia, some east of Maribor. Traditionally it was part of the region of Styria. It is now included in the Mura Statistical Region. Its largest settlement and the administrat ...
and
Municipality of Ormož
The Municipality of Ormož (; ) is a municipality in the traditional region of Lower Styria, Styria in northeastern Slovenia. The seat of the municipality is the town of Ormož. Ormož became a municipality in 1994. It borders Croatia.
Geography ...
) and its eastern border with Hungary's
Zala County
Zala (, ; ; ) is an administrative county (Counties of Hungary, comitatus or ''vármegye'') in south-western Hungary. It is named after the Zala River. It shares borders with Croatia (Koprivnica–Križevci County, Koprivnica–Križevci and Me� ...
, while the Drava flows along the county's southern border with two other Croatian counties –
Varaždin County
Varaždin County () is a county in Hrvatsko Zagorje. It is named after its county seat, the city of Varaždin.
Geography
The county contains the city of Varaždin, the towns of: Ivanec, Ludbreg, Lepoglava, Novi Marof and Varaždinske Top ...
and
Koprivnica-Križevci County
Koprivnica-Križevci County ( ; ) is a county in Northern Croatia. Its hyphenated name comes from two entities: the two of its largest cities, Koprivnica and Križevci; Koprivnica is the official capital of the county.
The county also include ...
. The
Trnava
Trnava (, , ; , also known by other #Names and etymology, alternative names) is a city in western Slovakia, to the northeast of Bratislava, on the Trnávka river. It is the capital of the Trnava Region and the Trnava District. It is the seat o ...
River flows through the middle of the county.
There are two
reservoir
A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation.
Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...
lakes on the Drava –
Lake Varaždin and
Lake Dubrava – both built to serve the two
hydroelectric power plants based in the county. Lake Dubrava, located near the city of
Prelog, is the biggest artificial lake in Croatia and the second largest lake overall in the country. The power plant using Lake Varaždin is named after the county seat, Čakovec, while the one using Lake Dubrava is named Dubrava, taking its name from the nearby village of
Donja Dubrava.
The county's elevation ranges between 120 and 344 metres above
sea level
Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...
, the latter being the elevation of its highest hill,
Mohokos. Čakovec has an elevation of between 160 and 165 metres
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...
. Throughout the past, there were occasional
earthquakes
An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they c ...
in the region. One of significant strength hit the region in 1880, while another in 1738 devastated Čakovec and particularly the nearby
Šenkovec.
Of the county's total area of 729.5 km
2, around 360 km
2 are used in agriculture. Due to the high population
density
Density (volumetric mass density or specific mass) is the ratio of a substance's mass to its volume. The symbol most often used for density is ''ρ'' (the lower case Greek letter rho), although the Latin letter ''D'' (or ''d'') can also be u ...
, agricultural land is divided into 21,000 units averaging each. 27.5 km
2 are covered with orchards. 11 km
2 is the hilly area, located in the north-western part of the county, with villages like
Štrigova and numerous
vineyard
A vineyard ( , ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines. Many vineyards exist for winemaking; others for the production of raisins, table grapes, and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is kno ...
s.
Grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other Herbaceo ...
s and forests cover an area of around 105 km
2. The biggest forest is
Murščak, located between
Domašinec and
Donji Hrašćan.
Climate
The
climate
Climate is the long-term weather pattern in a region, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteoro ...
is
continental
Continental may refer to:
Places
* Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US
* Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US
Arts and entertainment
* ''Continental'' (album), an album by Saint Etienne
* Continen ...
. Summers are quite hot. Daily temperatures during the summer months usually range between 20 °C and 30 °C, but can reach as high as 40 °C in July and August, when they can also stay above 30 °C for several days.
Thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustics, acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorm ...
s and rapid weather changes are common throughout the summer months, as well as in late spring, with a particularly stormy period being between mid-June and mid-July, when they often occur on a daily basis.
Springs and autumns are usually calm, although rapid weather changes can also be common during the two seasons. Winters can be very severe, with early-morning temperatures sometimes reaching as low as -20 °C. During the winter months, daily temperatures usually range between -10 °C and 10 °C. January is usually the coldest month, during which daily temperatures can stay below 0 °C for several days.
Snow
Snow consists of individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes.
It consists of frozen crystalline water througho ...
fall usually occurs between late October and early March.
Fog
Fog is a visible aerosol consisting of tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. Reprint from Fog can be considered a type of low-lying cloud usually resembling stratus and is heavily influenc ...
can be a common early-morning occurrence between late summer and early spring, with all-day fog sometimes occurring during the coldest months.
Warm weather, with daily temperatures around 15 °C, can occur as early as mid-February and as late as mid-November. In early October and late March, daily temperatures can also reach as high as 20 °C. However, February and November are generally cold months, with occasional heavy snow and daily temperatures around 0 °C, while March and October are generally cool, with occasional light snow and daily temperatures ranging between 0 °C and 15 °C. In March and October, it is also common for the temperature to drop below 0 °C over night, even when the daily temperature is in the range between 10 °C and 15 °C.
Administrative division
There are three towns in Međimurje County –
Čakovec
Čakovec (; ; ; ) is a city in Northern Croatia, located around north of Zagreb, the Croatian capital, and close to the borders with Slovenia and Hungary. Čakovec is both the county seat and the largest city of Međimurje County, the northernmo ...
,
Prelog and
Mursko Središće.
The county seat, Čakovec, has an urban population of around 15,147, with a population of 27,820 in the administrative area.
There are also several municipalities in the county, with their seats including
Belica,
Dekanovec,
Domašinec,
Donja Dubrava,
Donji Kraljevec,
Donji Vidovec,
Goričan
Goričan () is a municipalities of Croatia, municipality in Međimurje County, Croatia.
Goričan is the only village belonging to the municipality. Its population in the 2011 census was 2,823. Of the entire population, 2,763 people identified them ...
,
Gornji Mihaljevec,
Kotoriba
Kotoriba (, earlier ''Kottori'') is a village and municipality in Međimurje County, in northern Croatia.
It is located in the southeastern part of the county, near the Mura River and border with Hungary, approximately 36 kilometres southeast of ...
,
Mala Subotica
Mala Subotica (; Kajkavian: ''Murska Sobotica'') is a village and municipality in Međimurje County, Croatia.
The village of Mala Subotica is located around 7 kilometres south-east of Čakovec, the county seat and largest city of Međimurje Count ...
,
Nedelišće,
Orehovica,
Podturen,
Pribislavec,
Selnica,
Strahoninec,
Sveta Marija
Sveta Marija () is a village and a municipality in Međimurje County, Croatia. It is located in the south-eastern part of the county, near the Drava, Drava River, approximately 27 kilometres south-east of Čakovec and 11 kilometres east of Prelog, ...
,
Sveti Juraj na Bregu,
Sveti Martin na Muri,
Šenkovec,
Štrigova and
Vratišinec.
Nedelišće, Pribislavec, Strahoninec and Šenkovec are all located on the outskirts of Čakovec, with Belica approximately 5 kilometers from the city's centre.
If not including the
City of Zagreb
A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
, Međimurje is the smallest Croatian county, with an area of 729.5 km
2. Nevertheless, with an average population of 156 people/km
2, it is the most densely populated Croatian county, again if the City of Zagreb is not included.
Demographics
In the 2011 census, the total population of the county was 113,804. During the same census, a total of 106,744 residents of the county identified themselves as
Croats
The Croats (; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and other neighboring countries in Central Europe, Central and Southeastern Europe who share a common Croatian Cultural heritage, ancest ...
. The following ethnic minorities were represented by more than 100 people in the 2011 census:
Romani (5,107),
Slovenes
The Slovenes, also known as Slovenians ( ), are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Slovenia and adjacent regions in Italy, Austria and Hungary. Slovenes share a common ancestry, Slovenian culture, culture, and History of Slove ...
(516),
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of Serbia, history, and Serbian lan ...
(249),
Albanians
The Albanians are an ethnic group native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, Albanian culture, culture, Albanian history, history and Albanian language, language. They are the main ethnic group of Albania and Kosovo, ...
(200), and
Russians
Russians ( ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Eastern Europe. Their mother tongue is Russian language, Russian, the most spoken Slavic languages, Slavic language. The majority of Russians adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church ...
(137). The county has the highest concentration of Romani people in Croatia.
The demographics of the region changed swiftly in the period between 1950 and 1975, with a significant reduction in the size of the family. From the national perspective, the population is moving toward the
Istria
Istria ( ; Croatian language, Croatian and Slovene language, Slovene: ; Italian language, Italian and Venetian language, Venetian: ; ; Istro-Romanian language, Istro-Romanian: ; ; ) is the largest peninsula within the Adriatic Sea. Located at th ...
region, while the seasonal workforce moves toward
Zagreb
Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
and the southern parts of Croatia. The natural population increase is minimal.
History
Early history
The first organized human habitations here can be traced back to the
Stone Age
The Stone Age was a broad prehistory, prehistoric period during which Rock (geology), stone was widely used to make stone tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years and ended b ...
. There is a
Neolithic
The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...
site called Ferenčica near
Prelog. There are
archaeological
Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...
sites that date from the
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
, and 3rd century sites called ''Ciglišće'' and ''Varaščine''.
During the
Iron Age
The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...
, the Indo-European tribes identified in the area were
Celts
The Celts ( , see Names of the Celts#Pronunciation, pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples ( ) were a collection of Indo-European languages, Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancient Indo-European people, reached the apoge ...
,
Serets and
Pannons, and the region became part of the
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of Roman civilization
*Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
empire. In the 1st century, the Romans knew the area as ''Insula intra Dravam et Muram'' ("island between the Drava and Mura rivers") according to the
geographer
A geographer is a physical scientist, social scientist or humanist whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society, including how society and nature interacts. The Greek prefix "geo" means "earth" a ...
Strabo
Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-si ...
. The most important settlement they established was
Halikan (''Halicanum''). The region was part of the Roman province of
Pannonia
Pannonia (, ) was a Roman province, province of the Roman Empire bounded on the north and east by the Danube, on the west by Noricum and upper Roman Italy, Italy, and on the southward by Dalmatia (Roman province), Dalmatia and upper Moesia. It ...
and later part of the
Pannonia Superior
Pannonia Superior () was a Roman province created from the division of Pannonia in 103 AD, its capital in Carnuntum. It overlapped in territory with modern-day Hungary, Croatia, Austria, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
History
It was as governor of the ...
.
Čakovec was originally called
Aquama ("the wet city"), because the area was marshland. During the Migration Period, many different
tribe
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...
s, such as
Huns
The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th centuries AD. According to European tradition, they were first reported living east of the Volga River, in an area that was par ...
,
Visigoths
The Visigoths (; ) were a Germanic people united under the rule of a king and living within the Roman Empire during late antiquity. The Visigoths first appeared in the Balkans, as a Roman-allied Barbarian kingdoms, barbarian military group unite ...
, and
Ostrogoths
The Ostrogoths () were a Roman-era Germanic peoples, Germanic people. In the 5th century, they followed the Visigoths in creating one of the two great Goths, Gothic kingdoms within the Western Roman Empire, drawing upon the large Gothic populatio ...
, passed through the region. The region was part of the
Kingdom of the Ostrogoths, the state of the
Lombards
The Lombards () or Longobards () were a Germanic peoples, Germanic people who conquered most of the Italian Peninsula between 568 and 774.
The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written betwee ...
, the
Avar Khaganate
The Pannonian Avars ( ) were an alliance of several groups of Eurasian nomads of various origins. The peoples were also known as the Obri in the chronicles of the Rus' people, Rus, the Abaroi or Varchonitai (), or Pseudo-Avars in Byzantine Empi ...
, and the
Frankish Kingdom
The Kingdom of the Franks (), also known as the Frankish Kingdom, or just Francia, was the largest post-Roman barbarian kingdom in Western Europe. It was ruled by the Frankish Merovingian and Carolingian dynasties during the Early Middle A ...
. The
Slavs
The Slavs or Slavic people are groups of people who speak Slavic languages. Slavs are geographically distributed throughout the northern parts of Eurasia; they predominantly inhabit Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, and ...
, which settled this region in the 6th century, gained independence after destruction of the Avar Khaganate. In the 9th century, it was included in the Slavic state of
Lower Pannonia. According to some sources, the area was also part of the
Great Moravia
Great Moravia (; , ''Meghálī Moravía''; ; ; , ), or simply Moravia, was the first major state that was predominantly West Slavic to emerge in the area of Central Europe, possibly including territories which are today part of the Czech Repub ...
.
Medieval history
The
Hungarians
Hungarians, also known as Magyars, are an Ethnicity, ethnic group native to Hungary (), who share a common Culture of Hungary, culture, Hungarian language, language and History of Hungary, history. They also have a notable presence in former pa ...
occupied the region in 896 and expanded to the river
Sava
The Sava, is a river in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. From its source in Slovenia it flows through Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally reac ...
, but as the
Principality of Hungary
The Grand Principality of Hungary or Duchy of Hungary (: "Hungarian Grand Principality", ) was the earliest documented Hungarian state in the Carpathian Basin, established in 895 or 896, following the 9th century Magyar invasion of the Carpath ...
transformed to the
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...
, the borders with the
Kingdom of Croatia were set along the river
Drava
The Drava or Drave (, ; ; ; ; ), historically known as the Dravis or Dravus, is a river in southern Central Europe. . In 1102 Croatia entered a
personal union
A personal union is a combination of two or more monarchical states that have the same monarch while their boundaries, laws, and interests remain distinct. A real union, by contrast, involves the constituent states being to some extent in ...
with the Kingdom of Hungary. During 13th century tradesmen and merchants (mostly ethnic
Germans
Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...
) started to arrive and began to develop the
urban localities that are present today.
Prelog (Perlak) was founded in 1264, shortly after the invasion of the
Mongols
Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China ( Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family o ...
in 1242, and the other settlements followed. Later it was part of
Zala County
Zala (, ; ; ) is an administrative county (Counties of Hungary, comitatus or ''vármegye'') in south-western Hungary. It is named after the Zala River. It shares borders with Croatia (Koprivnica–Križevci County, Koprivnica–Križevci and Me� ...
. In the beginning of the 14th century, the area was ruled by powerful semi-independent oligarch
Henrik Kőszegi.
Čakovec (Csáktornya) got its name from ''comes''
Csák Hahót, who in the mid-13th century erected the timber fortification that eventually was "Csák's tower", mentioned for the first time in 1328.
King Charles I named Čakovec as the capitol in 1333. In 1350,
King Louis I gave the land to
viceroy
A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory.
The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the Anglo-Norman ''roy'' (Old Frenc ...
(
Ban)
Stephen I Lackfi, a member of the ruling
Lackfi family of
Transylvania
Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...
. It remained Lackfi property until 1397, when King Sigismund executed
Stephen II Lackfi, and took back the area to the Crown.
In 1405, the
Celje family received Međimurje (Muraköz) as a gift from the Crown, and the land was mortgaged. The monastery in
Goričan
Goričan () is a municipalities of Croatia, municipality in Međimurje County, Croatia.
Goričan is the only village belonging to the municipality. Its population in the 2011 census was 2,823. Of the entire population, 2,763 people identified them ...
(Goritsán) managed the administration of the seat of the main territorial dominion as an
attorney of the Celje family.
King Matthias Corvinus bought the mortgage and donated the land to
John I Ernuszt and his son, who were Jewish merchants from Sweden, living in
Buda
Buda (, ) is the part of Budapest, the capital city of Hungary, that lies on the western bank of the Danube. Historically, “Buda” referred only to the royal walled city on Castle Hill (), which was constructed by Béla IV between 1247 and ...
. The monastery in Goričan, which had managed the administration of the seat of the main territorial dominion, was dissolved. The seat of the administration of the main territorial dominion Goričan came under the administration of the
Bishop of Ljubljana. It remained in the hands of the Ernušts until 1526, when the family died out without heir.
Since 1526, the region became part of the
Habsburg monarchy
The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities (composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it is ...
, as did
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...
along with
Croatia
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
. It followed a succession and inheritance dispute between the
Keglević family
The House of Keglević or Keglevich is a Croatian nobility, Croatian noble family originally from Northern Dalmatia, whose members were prominent public citizens and military officers. As experienced warriors, they actively participated in the ...
and the
Habsburg Emperor Ferdinand I. Since 1530 until 1790 Goričan was by
interdictum under the administration of the
Bishop of Zagreb as an attorney of both the Emperor and the Keglević family to prevent any violent confrontations between them both, but
Čakovec
Čakovec (; ; ; ) is a city in Northern Croatia, located around north of Zagreb, the Croatian capital, and close to the borders with Slovenia and Hungary. Čakovec is both the county seat and the largest city of Međimurje County, the northernmo ...
became the seat of the administration of the main territorial dominion in 1546, because even the Bishop Simon
Erdődy
The House of Erdődy de Monyorókerék et Monoszló (also House of Erdödy) is the name of an old Hungarian people, Hungarian-Croats, Croatian noble family with possessions in Kingdom of Hungary, Hungary and Kingdom of Croatia (Habsburg), Croati ...
(1518–1543, Bishop of Zagreb) could not prevent a violent confrontation between the Emperor and
Petar Keglević in 1542/43. In 1546 the
Diet in
Pressburg
Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...
(Pozsony, today's
Bratislava
Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...
) approved the transfer of Čakovec and Međimurje to
Nikola Šubić Zrinski.
Rapid development began in 1547 under the ruling
Zrinski family. In 1579 the craftsmen and merchants outside the walls of
Čakovec Castle
Čakovec Castle or Zrinski Castle ( or or or ''Zrínyi-kastély'') is a medieval fortification in the middle of the town of Čakovec, the administrative seat of Međimurje County, northern Croatia.
The castle is located in the Zrinski Park, n ...
(csáktornyai kastély) were granted the right to trade; this was the beginning of the formal and legal city structure. The area was of importance as a
trade
Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market.
Traders generally negotiate through a medium of cr ...
center with Habsburg Kingdom of Croatia and Habsburg Kingdom of Hungary positioned nearby on the main roads, facilitating the exchange of goods, crafts and ideas. The region was also a
military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...
buffer zone against the expanding
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
.
Nikola Šubić Zrinski ruled as Nicholas IV (1508–1566). He was a hero of the
Battle of Szigetvár of the
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...
-Ottoman wars. Then followed his son,
Juraj IV Zrinski (George IV), until 1603, and his grandson
Nikola VI. Zrinski (Nicholas VI) until 1624. Next was another grandson, a brother of Nicholas VI,
Juraj V Zrinski (George V). He was poisoned in 1626 by the general
Albrecht Wallenstein
Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Wallenstein, Duke of Friedland (; 24 September 1583 – 25 February 1634), also von Waldstein (), was a Bohemian military leader and statesman who fought on the Catholic side during the Thirty Years' War (1618–16 ...
in
Pressburg
Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...
and was buried in
Pauline Monastery of Sveta Jelena (''St. Helen'' in English) near Čakovec, next to the graves of his ancestors. He was followed by his son
Nikola VII Zrinski (Nicholas VII), (1620–1664), a famous
Croatian Ban. At the
coronation
A coronation ceremony marks the formal investiture of a monarch with regal power using a crown. In addition to the crowning, this ceremony may include the presentation of other items of regalia, and other rituals such as the taking of special v ...
of
Ferdinand IV, he carried the sword of state and was made
Captain General of Croatia. He was killed while hunting in the forest near
Kuršanec (Kursanecz), apparently by a wounded wild boar, but there were rumors that he had been murdered by the order of the Habsburg court. His brother,
Petar Zrinski (Peter IV), was noted for his role in the attempted Croatian-Hungarian
rebellion of 1664-1670 which ultimately led to his execution for treason. His wife,
Katarina Zrinska, died imprisoned for the same offence on 16 November 1673 in
Graz
Graz () is the capital of the Austrian Federal states of Austria, federal state of Styria and the List of cities and towns in Austria, second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 inc ...
. On 19 August 1691 the son of Nicholas VII,
Adam Zrinski, fell at
Battle of Slankamen
The Battle of Slankamen was fought on 19 August 1691, near Stari Slankamen, Slankamen in the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman Sanjak of Syrmia (modern-day Vojvodina, Serbia), between the Ottoman Empire, and Habsburg monarchy, Habsburg Austrian forces ...
while fighting against the Ottoman Empire. Parts of Međimurje remained in the hands of the Zrinski family until the end of the 17th century. The last male member of the family,
Ivan Antun Zrinski (John IV), died in prison in 1703.
In 1715, during the period of
Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles VI (; ; 1 October 1685 – 20 October 1740) was Holy Roman Emperor and ruler of the Austrian Habsburg monarchy from 1711 until his death, succeeding his elder brother, Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor, Joseph I. He unsuccessfully War of ...
, Count Michael
Althan became the owner of Međimurje; he received the land for his loyal services. In 1720 the
region was detached from Croatia and was included into the Zala County of the main part of the Habsburg Kingdom of Hungary. In 1738 Čakovec Castle was hit by an earthquake, which caused tremendous damage. The owners of the city made some repairs, but in 1741, fire caused additional damage. The castle started to decay.
The Church of
St. Jerome was rebuilt in 1749 in
Štrigova (Stridóvár) by the famous artist
Ivan Ranger following the demolition of the original 15th century-built
chapel
A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christianity, Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their o ...
by an
earthquake
An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...
in 1738.
Ignacije Szentmartony, a
Jesuit
The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
from Kotoriba (Kottori), was a
royal
Royal may refer to:
People
* Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name
* A member of a royal family or Royalty (disambiguation), royalty
Places United States
* Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Royal, Ill ...
mathematician and astronomer in
Lisbon
Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...
and in 1754 an explorer of Brazil on behalf of the
Portuguese government.
In 1791 Count
György Festetics bought Međimurje, including
Čakovec Castle
Čakovec Castle or Zrinski Castle ( or or or ''Zrínyi-kastély'') is a medieval fortification in the middle of the town of Čakovec, the administrative seat of Međimurje County, northern Croatia.
The castle is located in the Zrinski Park, n ...
and
Feštetić Castle (Festetics kastély) in the neighboring village of Pribislavec (Zalaújvár), which remained in the property of
Feštetić family until 1923.
On 19 April 1848
Josip Jelačić proclaimed a union of Croatian provinces, and their separation from the
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...
. By 1868, the former status quo was restored. Within the years 1860 to 1889 the railroad was introduced, while in 1893
electric
Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...
power started illuminating most of the city streets. According to the 1910 census, the population of Međimurje numbered 90,387 people, including 82,829 Croats and 6,766 Hungarians.
The
Magyarization
Magyarization ( , also Hungarianization; ), after "Magyar"—the Hungarian autonym—was an assimilation or acculturation process by which non-Hungarian nationals living in the Kingdom of Hungary, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, adop ...
between the 1870s-1910s introduced the concept of ''Međimurian language'' (muraközi nyelv). According to this view, the spoken language in Međimurje was not Croatian or Kajkavian, but ''Međimurian Slavic'', which is a separate Slavic language-family.
József Margitai was the main propagandist of the Međimurian language and he published few Međimurian books. The propagandists exploited idea that the Croatians are dissatisfied with the new
Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian ( / ), also known as Bosnian-Croatian-Montenegrin-Serbian (BCMS), is a South Slavic language and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. It is a pluricentric language with four mutually i ...
language.
Margitai propagated in Međimurian the ''usefulness'' of the assimilation in the Međimurje and the superiority of the Hungarian nation. The fake ''Međimurian literary language'' in fact was only little different from the Kajkavian literary language.
Modern history (after World War I)

In 1918, after the collapse of the monarchic union of
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
, and after the disarmament of the local police, the Međimurje region fell into civil disorder. The
National Council of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs in
Zagreb
Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
sent hastily assembled troops, which crossed the river
Drava
The Drava or Drave (, ; ; ; ; ), historically known as the Dravis or Dravus, is a river in southern Central Europe. and reached Čakovec where they were defeated. In the
second attempt to capture the region in late 1918, troops commanded by
Slavko Kvaternik
Slavko Kvaternik (25 August 1878 – 7 June 1947) was a Croatian military general and politician who was one of the founders of the ultranationalist Ustaše movement. Kvaternik was military commander and Minister of the Armed Forces ('' Domobrans ...
forced the Hungarian troops to abandon the region. On 9 January 1919, Međimurje joined to the newly created
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a country in Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 to 1929, it was officially called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, but the term "Yugoslavia" () has been its colloq ...
(later known as
Yugoslavia
, common_name = Yugoslavia
, life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation
, p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia
, flag_p ...
).
In the Southern region, in the
Slovene March (today the
Prekmurje
Prekmurje (; Prekmurje Slovene: ''Prèkmürsko'' or ''Prèkmüre''; ) is a geographically, linguistically, culturally, and ethnically defined region of Slovenia, settled by Slovenes and a Hungarians in Slovenia, Hungarian minority, lying betwee ...
and Raba March near
Szentgotthárd
Szentgotthárd () is the westernmost town of Hungary. It is situated on the Rába River near the Austrian border.
History
The town took its name from, and grew up round, the Cistercian Szentgotthárd Abbey, founded here in 1183.
In 1664, it was ...
) there emerged independence-autonomy movements.
József Klekl expressed the program of the autonomous (or independent) Slovene March.
Oszkár Jászi, who supported the Slovene and Croatian minority, completed the program in a proposal: the Slovene March and the Međimurje should be merged. The program did not materialize.
Until 1922 the region was part of
Varaždin
Varaždin ( or ; , also known by #Name, alternative names) is a city in Northern Croatia, north-east of Zagreb. The total population is 46,946, with 38,839 in the city settlement itself (2011).
The city is best known for its baroque buildings, ...
County. From 1922 to 1929 the region was part of the
Maribor
Maribor ( , , ; also known by other #Name, historical names) is the List of cities and towns in Slovenia, second-largest city in Slovenia and the largest city of the traditional region of Styria (Slovenia), Lower Styria. It is the seat of the ...
Oblast, from 1929 to 1939 part of the
Sava Banovina
The Sava Banovina or Sava Banate ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Savska Banovina, Савска бановина), was a province ( banovina) of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1929 and 1939. It was named after the Sava River and consisted of much of the present- ...
and from 1939 to 1941 part of the
Banovina of Croatia.
Upon signing the
Tripartite Pact
The Tripartite Pact, also known as the Berlin Pact, was an agreement between Germany, Italy, and Japan signed in Berlin on 27 September 1940 by, respectively, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Galeazzo Ciano, and Saburō Kurusu (in that order) and in the ...
on 25 March 1941, the
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a country in Southeast Europe, Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 to 1929, it was officially called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, but the term "Yugoslavia" () h ...
became a member of the
Axis powers
The Axis powers, originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis and also Rome–Berlin–Tokyo Axis, was the military coalition which initiated World War II and fought against the Allies of World War II, Allies. Its principal members were Nazi Ge ...
. In spite of this, after the coup Yugoslavia was
invaded by Axis forces on 6 April 1941 and was subsequently occupied and partitioned. Between 1941 and 1945,
Međimurje was occupied and annexed by Hungary. At this time some re-settlement of ethnic Croats who were settled in the region after 1918 occurred.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
n troops within the
Soviet
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
3rd Ukrainian Front captured the region in the spring of 1945, and the region became part of the socialist
Croatia
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
within restored Yugoslavia.
Business, economy and resources

An estimated 22,000 people are employed in the county, with around 60% of them in bigger companies. Since the late 1960s and early 1970s, more than 17,000 people from the region have been employed abroad, in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and beyond. The region is considered one of the nation's richest and most prosperous.
Manufacturing
Industry has mostly developed in and around
Čakovec
Čakovec (; ; ; ) is a city in Northern Croatia, located around north of Zagreb, the Croatian capital, and close to the borders with Slovenia and Hungary. Čakovec is both the county seat and the largest city of Međimurje County, the northernmo ...
, as well as in the south-eastern parts of the county. ''
Međimurska trikotaža Čakovec'' or ''MTČ'' was one of the most successful textile and clothing companies in northern Croatia for years. Some of the other well known clothing companies in the region include ''Čateks'' and the
Mursko Središće-based ''Modeks''. There are also some footwear companies based in the region, the most prominent of them being ''Jelen''.
The Čakovec-based ''Zrinski'' is a printing and publishing company.
Nedelišće was home to one of the first Croatian
printing press
A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a printing, print medium (such as paper or cloth), thereby transferring the ink. It marked a dramatic improvement on earlier printing methods in whi ...
es, operating there as early as 1570. The production of metal and
PVC is significant in the region. There are several construction companies based in the region. Some of the largest local companies in these businesses include ''Ferro-Preis'', ''TMT'', ''Tehnix'', ''Meplast'', ''Muraplast'', ''Tegra'' and ''Beton''.
Basket weaving
Basket weaving (also basketry or basket making) is the process of weaving or sewing pliable materials into three-dimensional artifacts, such as baskets, mats, mesh bags or even furniture. Craftspeople and artists specialized in making baskets ...
is one of the oldest businesses in the region, with ''Međimurjeplet'' being the largest local company. Chairs, small items of furniture and other decorative items are also woven in addition to baskets. The most common weaving materials include
twig
A twig is a thin, often short, branch of a tree or Bush (plant), bush.
The buds on the twig are an important diagnostic characteristic, as are the abscission scars where the leaves have fallen away. The color, texture, and patterning of the t ...
s,
rattan
Rattan, also spelled ratan (from Malay language, Malay: ''rotan''), is the name for roughly 600 species of Old World climbing palms belonging to subfamily Calamoideae. The greatest diversity of rattan palm species and genera are in the clos ...
and
bamboo
Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...
.
Mining
There are deposits of
coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal i ...
around Mursko Središće,
Peklenica and
Lopatinec. Lopatinec got its name from ''lopata'', the Croatian word for "
shovel
A shovel is a tool used for digging, lifting, and moving bulk materials, such as soil, coal, gravel, snow, sand, or ore. Most shovels are hand tools consisting of a broad blade fixed to a medium-length handle. Shovel blades are usually made ...
". Coal mining was part of the local economy between 1946 and 1972, but has eventually become unprofitable. The total output at that time was close to 4,600,000
tonne
The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1,000 kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton in the United States to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the s ...
s. Estimated reserves are 200,000,000 tonnes, although new
technologies
Technology is the application of Conceptual model, conceptual knowledge to achieve practical goals, especially in a reproducible way. The word ''technology'' can also mean the products resulting from such efforts, including both tangible too ...
and approaches would be needed to extract it profitably. The village of
Križovec might be the only place in the world where people extract
coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal i ...
by pulling it by hand from the bottom of the river.
Gold
Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
can be found in the sands of both the Mura and Drava Rivers. In 1955, a
geological survey calculated the
concentration
In chemistry, concentration is the abundance of a constituent divided by the total volume of a mixture. Several types of mathematical description can be distinguished: '' mass concentration'', '' molar concentration'', '' number concentration'', ...
of gold in the Drava to be between 2.5 and 24.4
mg/m
3, occasionally reaching 111 to 150 mg/m
3. On the banks of Drava river near
Donji Vidovec, one can still witness the process of gold
prospecting
Prospecting is the first stage of the geological analysis (followed by Mining engineering#Pre-mining, exploration) of a territory. It is the search for minerals, fossils, precious metals, or mineral specimens. It is also known as fossicking.
...
as it used to be practiced during the
gold rush
A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, ...
.
In historical times, Prelog was the center for distribution of
rock salt
Halite ( ), commonly known as rock salt, is a type of salt, the mineral (natural) form of sodium chloride ( Na Cl). Halite forms isometric crystals. The mineral is typically colorless or white, but may also be light blue, dark blue, purple, pi ...
for this part of the kingdom.
Oil and gas
The region was the first in Croatia where deposits of
gas
Gas is a state of matter that has neither a fixed volume nor a fixed shape and is a compressible fluid. A ''pure gas'' is made up of individual atoms (e.g. a noble gas like neon) or molecules of either a single type of atom ( elements such as ...
and
crude oil
Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring u ...
were found, in 1856, around the villages of
Selnica and Peklenica. The latter even got its name from ''pekel'', the word for "
hell
In religion and folklore, hell is a location or state in the afterlife in which souls are subjected to punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history sometimes depict hells as eternal destinations, such as Christianity and I ...
" in the local Kajkavian dialect, since the people quickly noticed the peculiar properties of the dark, greasy liquid in small ponds appearing spontaneously on the ground. The reserves were initially calculated to be around 170,000 tonnes. There was exploitation from 1886 to 1889 and into the 20th century.
The first crude oil
pipeline
A pipeline is a system of Pipe (fluid conveyance), pipes for long-distance transportation of a liquid or gas, typically to a market area for consumption. The latest data from 2014 gives a total of slightly less than of pipeline in 120 countries ...
built in this part of Europe was between Mursko Središće and the nearby town of
Selnica in 1901. At that time the annual production was less than 7,000 tons. Today, a modern pipeline stretches from
Omišalj on the Adriatic island of
Krk
Krk (; ; ; ; archaic German: ''Vegl'', ; ) is a Croatian island in the northern Adriatic Sea, located near Rijeka in the Bay of Kvarner and part of Primorje-Gorski Kotar county. Krk is tied with Cres as the largest Adriatic island, depending o ...
and
Sisak
Sisak (; also known by other alternative names) is a city in central Croatia, spanning the confluence of the Kupa, Sava and Odra rivers, southeast of the Croatian capital Zagreb, and is usually considered to be where the Posavina (Sava basin ...
toward the
oil refinery
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial processes, industrial process Factory, plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refining, refined into products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, Bitumen, asphalt base, ...
in the
Slovenia
Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
n city of
Lendava
Lendava (; formerly ''Dolnja Lendava'', in older sources also ''Dolenja Lendava''; , formerly ''Alsólendva''; , formerly ''Unter-Limbach'') is a town in Slovenia in the region of Prekmurje. It is the seat of the Municipality of Lendava. It forms ...
, not far from Mursko Središće. There are also gas deposits in
Mihovljan, a suburban village on the northern outskirts of Čakovec.
Hydroelectric and geothermal resources
There are three hydroelectric power plants with
dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...
s and two reservoir lakes built on the Drava. The Varaždin Hydroelectric Power plant fed from Lake Ormož,
Čakovec Hydroelectric Power Plant is fed from the smaller Lake Varaždin and opened in 1982, while the
Dubrava Hydroelectric Power Plant is fed from the larger Lake Dubrava and opened in 1989. The latter two hydroelectric power plants provide 161,6
MW of electric power. Their dams,
levee
A levee ( or ), dike (American English), dyke (British English; see American and British English spelling differences#Miscellaneous spelling differences, spelling differences), embankment, floodbank, or stop bank is an elevated ridge, natural ...
s,
canal
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...
s and reservoirs are also used for
flood control
Flood management or flood control are methods used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood waters. Flooding can be caused by a mix of both natural processes, such as extreme weather upstream, and human changes to waterbodies and ru ...
and
irrigation
Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has bee ...
.
The extraction of
gravel
Gravel () is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally on Earth as a result of sedimentation, sedimentary and erosion, erosive geological processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone.
Gr ...
is also significant for the region. There is currently around 10
gravel pit
A gravel pit is an open-pit mine for the extraction of gravel.
Gravel pits often lie in river valleys where the water table is high, so they may naturally fill with water to form ponds or lakes. Gravel pit lakes are typically nutrient rich and ...
s, located in the southern and eastern parts of the region. During the 1990s, some of the gravel pits also became popular bathing and entertainment resorts during the summers, with restaurants and sports grounds built around them. Nowadays, the Totomore resort near the village of
Totovec is the most notable resort of this kind, while a couple of other similar resorts closed during the early 2000s.
Geothermal resources also exist in the region, although they cannot be considered a profitable
energy
Energy () is the physical quantity, quantitative physical property, property that is transferred to a physical body, body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of Work (thermodynamics), work and in the form of heat and l ...
source. Instead, they are used for leisure and recreation.
Award
* Međimurje was named a Green Destinations region at the
ITB Berlin fair.
[ ]
Gallery
Crkva, Nedelišće (Croatia) - pročelje.jpg, Nedelišće
Brezje, Međimurje - ulaz.jpg, Brezje
Štrigova - kuće.JPG, Štrigova
Crkva Marije pomoćnice, Strahoninec - sjever.jpg, Strahoninec
Prekopa, Croatia.jpg, Prekopa
Sv.Martin na Muri (Croatia) - centar.jpg, Sveti Martin na Muri
Mursko Središće, Trg bana J. Jelačića.jpg, Mursko Središće
SzentilonaFotoThalerTamas13.jpg, Šenkovec
HR-MM-Goričan07.jpg, Goričan
Savska Ves - središte.jpg, Savska Ves
Local notable people

*
Lidija Bajuk - musician, entertainer
*
Lujo Bezeredi - sculptor
*
Joža Horvat - adventurer, writer
*
Robert Jarni - football player and manager
*
Ladislav Kralj-Međimurec - painter
*
Dražen Ladić - football player (goalkeeper) and manager
*
Franjo Punčec - tennis player
*
Ivan Ranger - painter
*
Rudolf Steiner
Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner (; 27 or 25 February 1861 – 30 March 1925) was an Austrian occultist, social reformer, architect, esotericist, and claimed clairvoyant. Steiner gained initial recognition at the end of the nineteenth century ...
- philosopher, thinker
*
Ignacije Szentmartony - explorer
*
Josip Štolcer-Slavenski
Josip Štolcer-Slavenski (Serbian Cyrillic: Јосип Штолцер-Славенски; 11 May 1896 – 30 November 1955 ) was a Croatia, Croatian composer and professor at the Music Academy in Belgrade.
British musicologist Jim Samson descr ...
- composer
*
Nikola Zrinski - soldier, poet, philosopher
*
Petar Zrinski - soldier
*
Vinko Žganec
Vinko Žganec (January 22, 1890 – December 12, 1976) was a Croatian ethnomusicologist.
Žganec was born in Vratišinec in Međimurje. He started to be interested in music early in his childhood and jotted down his first folk song in 1908. In ...
- folklorist, ethnomusicologist
References
External links
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Medimurje County
Counties of Croatia
Historical regions in the Kingdom of Hungary