Slovene Hills
The Slovene Hills or the Slovenian Hills (Slovene: Slovenske gorice, German: Windische Bühel[1] or Windische Büheln[2]) is the largest hilly region of Slovenia, a smaller part is located in the Austrian province of Styria. It is situated in the northeast of the country and has an area of 1,017 square kilometres (393 sq mi). It comprises the Western Slovene Hills and the Eastern Slovene Hills (also named Prlekija). The region is known for its vineyards and wines. The central town and municipality is Lenart.
The Slovene Hills area consists of Cenozoic hills, for the most part lower than 400 metres (1,300 ft) in elevation, and one of the most individualized landscapes of Slovenia. There are a multitude of low ridges and hills traversed by numerous river valleys, which extend from the northwest towards southeast almost linearly. They border the Mura River to the east, the Drava River to the west, Croatia to the south, and the Gamlitz River in Austria to the north. The climate is subpannonian with a marked thermal change. The average annual precipitation is 1,000 millimetres (39 in).
In 1991, the Slovene Hills had 92,320 inhabitants, but this number is gradually falling. Larger serried settlements have formed only along Velka Creek, Globovnica Creek, and James Creek (Slovene: Jakobski potok). Elsewhere, farms are densely disposed in long strips along the hill ridges.
The region has been included in the European Natura 2000 network. It is the only nesting region for the European roller (Coracias garrulus) in Slovenia. The green woodpecker (Picus viridis), the hoopoe (Upupa epops), the common redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus), the turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur), the red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio), and the yellowhammer (Emberiza citrenella) nest there as well.
References
External links
Media related to Slovene Hills at Wikimedia Commons- Map of the Slovene Hills. Geopedia.si
Coordinates: 46°35′N 15°55′E / 46.583°N 15.917°E