Pomurje is the seventh largest statistical region of Slovenia. It covers 6.6% of the total area of Slovenia and 5.8% of its population. It is located in the extreme northeast of the country, away from central Slovenia, on the fifth European transport corridor that connects Barcelona and Kiev, on the railway connection between Slovenia and Hungary and on the highway connection Lendava – Ljubljana – Koper. Pomurje is a unique Slovenian border region, as it borders three countries: Austria to the north, Hungary to the east and Croatia to the south, which guarantees it a particularly attractive geostrategic location. The center of gravity of Pomurje is Murska Sobota. It is approximately equidistant from Ljubljana, Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava and Zagreb, which means that it reaches a market of approximately 12 million people within a radius of 300 km. Pomurje is a functionally connected area consisting of two geographical regions – Prekmurje and Prlekija, which are separated by the Mura river. It is administratively divided into twenty-seven municipalities: Apače, Beltinci, Cankova, Črenšovci, Dobrovnik, Gornji Petrovci, Gornja Radgona, Grad, Hodoš, Kobilje, Križevci, Kuzma, Lendava, Ljutomer, Moravske Toplice, Murska Sobota, Odranci, Puconci, Radenci, Razkrižje , Rogašovci, Sveti Jurij, Šalovci, Tišina, Turnišče, Velika Polana and Veržej. Municipalities are more closely connected and cooperate within five geographically, historically, spatially and administratively rounded entities or sub-region (Lendava sub-region, Ljutomer sub-region, MO Murska Sobota, sub-region of the development coalition Sinergija and sub-region of Gornja Radgon). Pomurje can be divided into a plain and a hilly part. Plain, which spreads on both sides of the Mura river, is surrounded by hilly Goričko in the north, which is characterized by the variety of the landscape, and in the south, the viticulture landscape, Ljutomersko – Ormoške, Lendavske and Radgonsko – Kapelske gorice (vineyards). There are three protected nature areas in the region, in addition to the Goričko Landscape Park, the Ljutomerski Ribniki – Jeruzalemske Gorice Landscape Park and the Negova Landscape Park. The Pomurje region is the flattest and most agricultural statistical region of Slovenia. The fertile soil, continental climate and flat land create favorable conditions, especially for agriculture. Arable land in this part of Slovenia comprises more than 80% of all agricultural land in use, or twice the Slovenian average. Due to erosion and frequent landslides, Pomurje is largely defined as an area with special restrictions (Goričko, Slovenske gorice). Erosion and frequent landslides in these areas make agricultural use difficult, but on the other hand, proper management in these areas is necessary to prevent and protect against the harmfulness of these restrictions. In Pomurje, according to the data of the Goričko Landscape Park, 47% of the area of the entire region is included in the Nature 2000 network. In addition to Goričko, Natura 2000 is also located along the entire plain course of the Mura River and in the area of the lowland forest in Dolinsko of Dobrovnik, and to a lesser extent near Borejci and in Radgonsko – Kapelske Gorice (vineyeards). In the field of upbringing and education, the region is adequately covered by a network of primary schools and kindergartens. The accessibility of programs in secondary education is adequate. In recent years, the region has also gained more post-secondary and higher education programs. Pomurje is plagued by development problems, as it is below the Slovenian average in all indicators compared to other regions. The remote location adversely affects the economic situation of the region and the living conditions of the inhabitants. The region is lagging behind the most developed regions and is ranked last among the twelve Slovenian regions according to the indicators of development, threat and development possibilities expressed by the index of development threat. This is especially reflected in the ethnically mixed area along the Hungarian border. Special attention is also given to areas where members of the Roma community live, who represent a small percentage of the population. Pomurje boasts a rich and colorful cultural heritage that has preserved a relatively authentic image and represents development potential for various areas, e.g. entrepreneurship (new content in renovated buildings), employment (needs for the implementation of renovation works), knowledge (education and training in the field of preserving traditional and specific knowledge, skills; use of e-heritage content), sustainable use and production of energy, environment (cultural heritage as non-renewable resource and central element of cultural diversity) and social (social cohesiveness of heritage conservation with heritage communities). Pomurje is a meeting point of cultures and religions and ethnic groups, which gives it a specific cultural character and provides a unique cultural heritage. The vision of the Pomurje region 2014-2020 reads: Pomurje will be a really good Slovenian region. In accordance with the set vision, in 2020 Pomurje will be a region that provides its inhabitants and visitors with sustainable development a natural living with the environment, a high quality of life and the integral development of their own potentials.
