(literally, 'the uplands'); the eastern flatlands along the Mur 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 seat 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. Population The majority of the inhabitants of the region are ethnic Slovenes. There are also sizable Hungarian and Romani minorities in the region. In 1921, the total population of the area numbered 92,295, including 74,199 Slovene speakers, 14,065 Hungarian speakers, and 2,540 German speakers. Since then, the number of Hungarian speakers has been falling slowly but steadily. The German-speaking community, which used to be concentrated in three villages near the Austrian border and in Murska Sobota, was either expelled from the area or assimilated after World War II. Since the early 1950s, Hungarian has had co-official status in the traditional settlement area of the Hungarian minority. Three municipalities are completely bilingual—Lendava (), Hodoš (), and Dobrovnik ()—and the two municipalities of Šalovci and Moravske Toplice are only partially bilingual. Two municipalities, Hodoš and Dobrovnik, have a Hungarian majority. Prekmurje has traditionally been the most heterogeneous Slovene region regarding religious affiliation. Besides a Roman Catholic majority, there is a significant Protestant (mostly Lutheran) minority, concentrated in the hills of the Goričko region, which represents 20 to 25% of the population of Prekmurje. Three municipalities have a Lutheran majority (Puconci, Gornji Petrovci, and Hodoš), whereas in the Municipality of Moravske Toplice Lutherans comprise just under half of the population. Before World War II, there used to be a significant Jewish community as well, mostly concentrated in the towns of Murska Sobota and Lendava (see also Lendava Synagogue). In the 1930s, two-thirds of all Slovenian Jews lived in Prekmurje. Most of them died in the Holocaust, and many of the survivors made aliyah after the war. There is also a significant Romani presence in the region, with Prekmurje being one of the two major settlement areas of Slovenian Romani (the other being Lower Carniola). History Overview The region has had a turbulent history: it has been inhabited since the Stone Age, it was later included into the Roman Empire and subsequently into the Odoacer's Kingdom of Italy, the